Channel Numbering ... Motorola vs others?

[Jay911]

Greetings all -

Can someone refresh my memory - did I hear something at one point that the 800MHz band plan had two different starting points? I have found some lists on various licenses in the Canadian Technical & Administrative Frequency Lists (TAFL) - the Canadian version of the FCC's license database - which have channel numbers listed in the extended info of each frequency on the license. Take this one as an example (but have Acrobat ready, as it's a link to a PDF) -

https://sd.ic.gc.ca/pls/engdoc_anon/...lic_no=4958723

Note the "Block x, Group y, Channel z" in the right-most column of each frequency assignment. For example, 858.0625 is designated channel 283. However, in the band plan I'm most familiar with, the one most commonly used in programs such as Unitrunker, MTrunker32, and as indicated elsewhere, ch 283 corresponds to 858.0875 - 250 kHz higher. Overall, it seems that the plan Industry Canada is using has channel 1 at 851.0125 with 250 kHz spacing, and the plan that Motorola et al uses has channel 0 at 851.0125, with 250 kHz spacing.

Which is "right"?
I'm not in range of the systems I've found in the TAFL with these channel numbers identified. Is it likely that trunker type programs (and/or scanners' internal software) will report incorrect values for either freq or channel if used on these systems?

If this doesn't make sense, I apologize - it is 2:45 on the first of two night shifts, after all.

[slicerwizard]

Originally Posted by Jay911

Greetings all -

Can someone refresh my memory - did I hear something at one point that the 800MHz band plan had two different starting points?

Yes, if you're referring to standard and splinter systems/frequencies (which I guess you're not)

Overall, it seems that the plan Industry Canada is using has channel 1 at 851.0125 with 250 kHz spacing, and the plan that Motorola et al uses has channel 0 at 851.0125, with 250 kHz spacing.

Which is "right"?

IC's numbering is right for them and Moto's internal / over the air numbering is right for them.

I'm not in range of the systems I've found in the TAFL with these channel numbers identified. Is it likely that trunker type programs (and/or scanners' internal software) will report incorrect values for either freq or channel if used on these systems?

PC programs will report the Motorola channel numbers. The programs and scanners will not have any problems with frequencies below 866 MHz.

Motorola channel numbering: http://home.ica.net/~phoenix/wap/TRU...%20Numbers.txt

[Unitrunker]

Originally Posted by Jay911

the plan that Motorola et al uses has channel 0 at 851.0125, with 250 kHz spacing.

You mean 25 khz? Get some sleep, Jay.

Is it likely that trunker type programs (and/or scanners' internal software) will report incorrect values for either freq or channel if used on these systems?

What you say is generally true. Some scanners only support two options for 800 mhz band plans. Unitrunker recognizes four different band plans for 800 mhz Motorola trunking. You pick one of these four as your default plan for 800.

[ww7y]

Unitrunker,

How difficult will it be to get Unitrunker working after rebanding?

[Unitrunker]

Originally Posted by ww7y

How difficult will it be to get Unitrunker working after rebanding?

Most likely you would need to update the bandplan as the system migrates. In cases where the frequencies change - but the bandplan doesn't - the program should take care of it for you. For systems that don't use a bandplan - like EDACS - you'll have to find the new LCN / frequency pairs.