Total # Color Codes vs RAN codes

[Whiskey3JMC]

I don't ask questions much here & I'm not seeing it asked anywhere else but my curiosity has gotten me wondering: Does anyone know why (ETSI?) stopped at only 15 possible color codes versus (Kenwood?)'s 61 possible RAN codes for NXDN? Certainly DMR is the more widely used mode between the two & I guess if no users have ever complained about there being only 15 then why fix what ain't broken but isn't 61 a little excessive for a lesser-used protocol? I'm sure there's probably a technical explanation that'll go way over my head for this but my curiosity has gotten the best of me. Also why are they named "color" anyway? One would think they'd be ID'ed "red thru violet" but OK...

 

[MtnBiker2005]

Passport also uses Color Codes.

 

[ramal121]

Color codes are used to separate overlapping systems or sites to prevent accessing the wrong one. DMR users are separated by talk groups.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Color codes are used to separate overlapping systems or sites to prevent accessing the wrong one. DMR users are separated by talk groups.

Right, I understand all that but why so few versus NXDN RAN codes?

 

[ramal121]

RAN codes can be used to separate users (you can then divide a RAN code out into group and individual IDs if you wish but is not required). Think multi-PL on a single conventional repeater as a metaphor. 65 is way less than the combinations of PL/DPL but seems to be a fair number. Color codes can only be assigned once for the repeater and is unable to segregate users. 15 is plenty. I guess you can use color codes on a single simplex frequency but why when you have over 16 million call IDs to choose from.

 

[cg]

Maybe they were thinking it was going to be much more popular than it is.

Just a guess, but it may have to do with the number of bits in the datastream. If you use 5 (1 1111), that is 32 possible numbers. If you use 6 (11 1111), that jumps you to 64.

 

[racingfan360]

In conventional use there are 16 possible DMR color codes (0-15) and 64 NXDN RAN codes (0-63). 0 in each case is a valid code.

 

[merlin]

I just got back to playing with my SDR and a couple new systems in the area.
One NXDN system is huge with over 20 sites. Each with half dozen neighbor sites.
I imagine well more than 16 TGs are supported and a good 48 RAN.

 

[dave3825]

I just got back to playing with my SDR

Imagine the looks you would get from people outside the scanner hobby if you said that.

Lol

 

[EricCottrell]

Also on NXDN Type-C trunking sites, the bits used for the RAN code are used for the site id modulus 64. So the code for site 7 will be displayed as having a RAN of 7.

73 Eric

 

[W1KNE]

Maybe they were thinking it was going to be much more popular than it is.

Just a guess, but it may have to do with the number of bits in the datastream. If you use 5 (1 1111), that is 32 possible numbers. If you use 6 (11 1111), that jumps you to 64.

I think Chris is onto something here. 15 is the highest 4 bit number available. (1111). So I suspect that's the reason why it stops there.