I would like to clear up the confusion here on UHF narrow band radios. We all know about the narrow band mandate and it has been in the works for some time now. UHF radios made from mid '90s on have the ability to select narrow through programming and they will tune the 12.5KHz half steps to select the new channels made available by narrow banding. This was first available on the M1225 model and at any transit power level.
Prior to the M1225 model (SM50, Maxtrac, GM300 etc.) radios came in either wide or narrow. They could not switch modes by programming, they needed to be ordered as needed, and yes they all could be programmed withe the 12.5KHz steps whether wide or narrow. The reason for this is the FCC allowed licenses in between the normal 25KHz wide channels. Back in those days they where called "interstitial" channels. The requirement though, was they needed to be narrow band and run no more than 2 watts transmit power to prevent interference.
So will you find older equipment on UHF that is narrow band (like the SM50)? The answer is yes, however most likely it will be LPI (low power industrial) and be set at two watts. You can crank up the transmit all the way to maybe ten watts. The give away is the model number. If the second place is a zero ( like M04.....), it's a low power radio.Buyer beware. Nice thing though, they make great repeaters. I have a portable repeater that runs on solar/batteries. Two SM-50s screwed together and set for seven watts. Talks all day without a blink.
Oh and by the way, a SM50 will encode MDC1200, but it will need the correct option board to do it.
