Motorola MCS2000 VHF Banks/Scanning Question

[andrewkim]

On the Model II version of the Motorola MCS2000 VHF (160 Channels, 110 Watts), does anyone knows the number of banks or the number of scan list that are available for the radio? I'm planning to get my radio reprogrammed and I can't find the info of the Number of Banks and the Number of Scan List that are available. Can someone help me out with that info?

Thanks,

 

[Skypilot007]

The radio doesn't have banks like a scanner would. Here is how it's laid out as simple as I can put it. You have 160 channels all in one list. Then from the list you create whats called zone channel assignments which will be filled with the channels you want from the list. You can create multiple zones to put channels into like you would with a scanner with multiple banks. Next you have to create scan lists to scan the channels in the zones. You can draw from any of the zone when making scan lists to a maximum of 15 channels.

I'm uncertain how many zone channel assignments you can make or scan lists. I think I have 8 or 9 of both in my model III.

 

[andrewkim]

The radio doesn't have banks like a scanner would. Here is how it's laid out as simple as I can put it. You have 160 channels all in one list. Then from the list you create whats called zone channel assignments which will be filled with the channels you want from the list. You can create multiple zones to put channels into like you would with a scanner with multiple banks. Next you have to create scan lists to scan the channels in the zones. You can draw from any of the zone when making scan lists to a maximum of 15 channels.

I'm uncertain how many zone channel assignments you can make or scan lists. I think I have 8 or 9 of both in my model III.

Ah, OK. I mean't to said "zone" instead of banks. So, basically, if I do get this correctly, I can group in certain channels in one zone group and place the others on the other zones if I want to and on the Scan List, I can place in about 15 channels per scan list? I just want to make sure since I going to send in my programming info to the person that is going to reprogram my radio and I just want to make sure that I don't leave anything out.

 

[Jay911]

You can only scan a max of 15 channels at a time with a MCS or MTS series radio. You can't easily choose "scan lists" like you would on a scanner. You can, however, assign certain channels to belong to certain scan lists. So you could set one channel to belong to scan list 1 - that doesn't mean it's IN scan list 1 (you have to specifically add it to the scan list for that to happen), it means that when you enter scan from that channel, it will use scan list 1. Then you can make another channel belong to scan list 2 ... entering scan from that channel will use scan list 2.. and so on.

Just because a channel "belongs" to scan list 2 doesn't mean it can't be in scan list 1 and 3 and 7 as well. Essentially, what channel a scan list belongs to just means what scan list you inherit when you enter scan mode from that channel.

Professional radios make pretty rotten hobby scanners. They're designed to sit on one channel and allow you to talk and listen. The scanning feature is just so you can listen to a small handful of channels.

You can definitely have at least 10 zones of 16 channels each in an MCS. I believe you can even have more than 16 channels - you're not dependent on a fixed 16-position channel selector like you are on the MTS.

In the MCS/MTS, you create "conventional personalities" (frequencies), then assign them to channel positions in "zone/channel assignment". THEN, after that, you can put varying zone/channel assignments into your desired scan lists.

 

[exkalibur]

And to add, you can have a maximum of 20 scan lists in the radio, regardless of how many channels/personalities are set up.

 

[RKG]

The Motorola MTS/MCS programming metaphor, while it actually makes some technical sense, is a bit arcane. It is not easily understood until you have some experience programming these radios, and since you're having someone else program the radio, you don't have the experience. That is going to make it difficult for you to define a set of instructions for the programmer. My guess is that you'll end up with a couple of "do loops" before the two of you get it the way you want.

That said, here is my take on the 50,000 foot version:

I want to you accept three concepts:

Personalities
Slots
Scan Lists

A Personality is a set of technical parameters that define a single radio "channel," such as (but not limited to) Rx Freq, Rx Tone, Tx Freq, Tx Tone and BandWidth. In the MTS/MCS class of radios, the programmer can define a number of Personalities (the total number varies with specific model types, but let us assume 160 for the moment). Even once defined, however, a Personality does nothing for the radio unless and until it has been implemented in a Slot.

A Slot is a position that corresponds to the physical numbering on the rotary selector. In general, MTS/MCS radios can implement up to 10 or 16 "zones" where each "zone" consists of up to 16 "slots." For each slot, the programmer specifies (a) an alphanumeric description (for those radios with alpha displays) and (b) a cross reference to a Personality number. Note that a given Personality can be referenced in more than Slot; in public safety radios, it is not uncommon to have the Agency's primary dispatch channel reference in Slot 1 of every Zone.

(Note that there is an exception to the foregoing, used where the menu, rather than the rotary selector is used for channel selection; this exception, which is clumsy at best and not, in my experience, widely used at all, is beyond the scope of this response. Forget about it.)

A Scan List is a list of up to 15 Zone/Slot references. (In addition, a Scan List can (and should) contain a floating "member" known as "selected;" this temporarily assigns the channel in the zone and slot presently selected to the current scan list.) Note that, this being the case, the programmer cannot begin to create scan lists until after he has completed the deployment of Personalities and Zone/Slot assignments. After scan lists have been created, you go back to the definition of Personalities and point to one of the scan lists for each personality (or, more correctly, each personality for which scan is enabled). What this means is that the radio operator "selects" a scan list for present use when he selects a Zone/Slot (which, in turn) selects a Personality.

Here's what you do for your programmer.

First, make a list of each channel that will be used anywhere in the radio. For each, define freq and tone information. Each definition is numbered, starting at 1.

Second, make a separate list (a spreadsheet is handy) consisting of a matrix of columns each of which contains 16 row entries. Each column is a Zone and each row within a column is a Slot. For each Slot, define the alpha you want and the personality number to which the Slot will point.

Third, make a list of scan lists, where each list contains up to 15 members referenced by Zone and Slot numbers.

Fourth, now go back to your first list and, for each personality, specify whichscan list will be referenced to that personality. Only one scan list per personality.

Fifth, tell the programmer that you do NOT want "talkback scan," that Tx on scan should be set for "Selected," and that in each scan list Priority 1 should be set for "Selected." He'll tell you what these mean.

Good luck.

 

[andrewkim]

RKG,
Thank you helping me out on that. I'll be sure to be in contact with my programmer and I'm sure that we well get everything sorted out so I can know how and what I should include on my channel spreadsheet.