'Out of range' detection

[emsgeorge]

Having reprogrammed some radios for a capacity plus system, the radio can tell when its out of range of the said system.

Anyone know what the option is to enable this in normal digital repeated mode (and if its possible ??)

Seems very handy to know if you are in repeater range - especially with events type stuff like we do, as the repeaters are usually temporary, and coverage isn't a fine art.

[bw18]

Good question... I will ask the question to the people in the know lol.

I usually tell by keying up... If the radio isn't in range of the repeater it will not let the PTT open and give the 'tone' sound until the PTT is released. It would be nice if the radio gave a warning when it was out/on the verge of coverage though. Technically the radio would be looking for some sort of data burst from the repeater at a timed interval to know it was still in range... failing to receive the data burst the radio would know after a predetermined amount of time it was out of coverage?!

That's my 2p anyway!

Ben

[JtB]

Capacity Plus trunking subscribers use the regular beacon signals generated by the Rest channel repeater to decide if they are "out of range" of the system, there is no equivalent mechanism for conventional mode. IP Site Connect does use beacon signals, but only to enable subscribers to roam and not to provide users with an "out of range" indication. For conventional mode the user only knows if he is in or out of range of the repeater when he presses the PTT to setup a call.

[emsgeorge]

Thanks for that guys - useful info.

Thinking aloud - I can in theory, set up a single repeater as a cap plus one (assuming ive paid for the repeater entitlement etc), and the radios will not only show the out of range, but will also place private calls on the second slot / whatever slots not being used.

Am I reading the cap plus guide right, in that there is no permanent rest / trunk control channel, meaning that I could have a private call going on, as well as the main talkgroup. As at the moment (in single site digital mode), a private call eats the slot up, and it drops immediately if someone tries to use the main talkgroup on that slot, whereas in trunk mode, the private call or the main talkgroup is shoved to the other slot.

Am I thinking along the right lines, or will the control channel (in the old trunking sense of the word) take up one entire slot, rendering it useless for voice comms ?

[JtB]

You are thinking right. For Capacity Plus the control channel is referred to a Rest Channel and this Rest Channel is rotated among the repeaters in a system. A call is always setup on the current Rest Channel and the Rest Channel then moves onto to a different channel (taking with it all the idle radios not involved in a call). When a call is setup on the last free channel then the Rest Channel remains on that channel and idle radios not involved in a call remain on the busy rest channel (but muted). As soon as a channel is freed up the Rest Channel moves to that channel (taking with it all the idle radios not involved in a call).

So for a single repeater Capacity Plus system, the first call is setup on the Rest Channel slot, whereupon the Rest Channel slot moves to the other slot. When the second call is setup it is setup on the new Rest Channel slot. With two calls now in progress, no further non-emergency calls can be setup until one of the calls clears down (note: even if all channels are in use an emergency call can always be setup which clears down the incumbent call on the busy rest channel). Since the Rest Channel does not require a dedicated slot on which voice communications can not take place, this makes Capacity Plus a very spectrum efficient trunking solution.

The only thing which is not quite right is where you say "at the moment (in single site digital mode), a private call eats the slot up, and it drops immediately if someone tries to use the main talkgroup on that slot". For conventional mode it very much depends how you have the radios configured as to whether an incumbent call drops when a new call is setup. If you have the radios programmed for polite channel access then they will back off and not transmit if there is already an incumbemt call in progress on the channel.

[emsgeorge]

Thanks jtb, you are a star. The way I have the handsets currently set up is that we are all on the same talkgroup, on slot 1 repeated. If someone sets up a private call, and someone else uses the normal talkgroup, then the private call is dropped, or the person cant use the talkgroup (dependant on settings as you say).

With a capacity plus setup, I can have a private call and a normal talkgroup conversation going at the same time, without the user having to switch channels (which is what we do now - slot 2 is used for private calls etc). This will make it easier for basic users, who dont have to learn to switch back after private calls - some who have remained on the slot 2 channel for hours after the calls have ended !

[JtB]

Another neat thing with Capacity Plus is that when a call ends on a given slot, radios will not only be informed by the repeater where the Rest Channel is, but also what other calls are in progress on the other slots. This enables radios exiting from one call to switch directly to another call (if applicable) rather than returning to the Rest Channel. So in your case, when a private call clears down on one slot, radios can switch directly to a talkgroup call on the other slot if it is in progress.

[ollyboustead]

Is there an Audio Alert Setting that can sound when a Handset is in range of the system? It makes a long beep when it is out of range i wonder if there is a in range audio alert that can be set on handset by handset basis?

[JtB]

No, not that I recall.

[emsgeorge]

The only way of telling it would seem, is that the display gors from orange flashing light and 'out of range' to no light, and the channel name pops back up.