Rebanding A big Deal?

[KF5ALO]

I keep seeing this stuff about rebanding supported Yes/No. Is this really a big deal if its not supported on a trunking scanner?

[ka3jjz]

Yes, it can be. It depends if the system being rebanded is an EDACS or Motorola type. With EDACS, all that is needed is a little reprogramming (in most cases, the frequencies simply shift down 15 mhz). If it's Motorola, however, more work is needed - and even then, it depends on how the frequencies are allocated.

73 Mike

[hiegtx]

Originally Posted by KF5ALO

I keep seeing this stuff about rebanding supported Yes/No. Is this really a big deal if its not supported on a trunking scanner?

If you want a scanner, able to follow any/all Motorola Type I or Type II trunked radio systems, regardless of location, yes, you want a scanner that is supported for rebanding. Otherwise, you will lose the ability to trunk-track certain systems, as they move through the rebanding process & start using the updated frequencies.
See the rebanding article in the Wiki for a more complete discussion.

Of course, for certain systems, which are not moving their frequencies, it's not going to matter at all. For others, that did reband, but moved to a set of frequencies the older scanners could still follow, it did not make the older scanners obsolete either. One example is the Dallas City Local Govt. system. See this thread for a brief discussion of why the older scanners still work. (There are others; I knew where to find this one quickly.)

For those systems which have not yet rebanded, but will, and will also be moving their frequencies to those an older scanner (say a Uniden BC780XLT, or Pro-97 for examples) cannot follow, you will lose the ability to follow them on the scanner in trunking mode. At that point, your options would be to either: upgrade to a rebanding supported scanner; enter the frequencies and follow what you could by listening to the system as conventional frequencies (meaning you'd hear everything on the system, not just the talk groups you wanted, trash trucks, sewer repair crews & all); or see if anyone was feeding that system online.

Rebanding will have no effect on EDACS, P25 Standard, or LTR systems. For any of those affected by rebanding, you'd simply enter the new frequencies in the scanner. For EDACS & LTR, those have to be entered in the correct LCN order number, once that is determined, but that's the only issue.

[KF5ALO]

Ok cool. I live at Texas Tech in lubbock tx. And I see that the systems I want to listen to are on EDACS stanard and Pro 25. So I can get an older digi scanner right?

[hiegtx]

Originally Posted by KF5ALO

Ok cool. I live at Texas Tech in lubbock tx. And I see that the systems I want to listen to are on EDACS standard and Pro 25. So I can get an older digi scanner right?

That would depend on which one.
The Pro-96 (or it's base/mobile 'brother' the Pro-2096) would work.

The Uniden BC250D would not. It can't handle a pure P25 system like Tech's. The Uniden BC785D can't either. And neither of those are rebanding supported either (I know you aren't affected by that part right now, but why limit yourself when there are better options.)

The Uniden BC296D (handheld) or BC796D (base/mobile) would work (make sure, if you buy one used that the digital card is included & works!). However, from what I've seen posted, the prices on these two approach the price of some of the used BCD396T's, which is a newer scanner. A few of these have sold in the low 300's in the classifieds here, as users upgraded to newer models.

[KF5ALO]

Thanks. It looks like Ill have to wait till my job starts before I can get one. Its weird to think that these things cost a little more than my ham radio and you cant even transmit on them.

[KF5ALO]

So will the Pro-2066 work for Lubbock County Services trunking system? If it will work for now, I can get one really cheap and get a better one later.

[hiegtx]

Originally Posted by KF5ALO

So will the Pro-2066 work for Lubbock County Services trunking system? If it will work for now, I can get one really cheap and get a better one later.

A Pro-2096 will work for both the Lubbock system (analog EDACS), Tx Tech, as well as Tx DPS. Tech & DPS are both digital.

A Pro-2066 would work for the Lubbock system only, but would also cover conventional analog frequencies in the county.