From: (Robert E. Shepard)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.scanner
Subject: Re: SmartZone trunking?
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 1994 21:10:48

In article <111316Z27101994@anon.penet.fi> an84802@anon.penet.fi writes:



>Hello All
>         I wonder if anyone reading this can help me? I have just read
>in a British PMR trade magazine that London's Metropolitan Police have
>chosen Motorola's SmartZone trunking system to replace their current
>25 year old system of VHF repeaters. The magazine doesn't say much
>about SmartZone only that it is an analogue system proprietory to
>Motorola.
> 
> Does anyone out there know anything more about SmartZone? 
>i.e Is it a system which changes frequency every time the PTT button 
>is pressed or does it stay on one frequency during a conversation?
> 
> Is SmartZone used anywhere in the USA or is this the first 
>installation of such a system?

> Thanks for your time.

> an84802@anon.penet.fi



>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>To find out more about the anon service, send mail to help@anon.penet.fi.
>Due to the double-blind, any mail replies to this message will be anonymized,
>and an anonymous id will be allocated automatically. You have been warned.
>Please report any problems, inappropriate use etc. to admin@anon.penet.fi.

Smartzone Trunking, is sort of like multiple trunking systems linked together 
to cover a large area.  The big difference is that a channel assignment does 
not necessarily mean that any two mobile are on the same freqency/channel.  
Instead, lets say there is a mobile in the northern part of the state or area 
on trunking talkgroup 002.  This same talkgroup 002 has a mobile in the 
southern part of the state or area.  When the mobile up north gets a channel 
assignment, let say channel 2 of the local system at 859.0125.  What the 
smartzone controller does is find a free channel for the southern mobile on 
say channel 005 at 854.9125.  All the smartzone controller knows/cares about 
is linking members of the same talkgroup together.  This gets even cooler in 
that the two or more mobiles in a talkgroup do not even have to be in the same 
band.  For example:  a Federal Government mobile on a UHF portion of a 
Smartzone system with talkgroup 002 could and would communicate with an 800 
Mhz mobile on talkgroup 002 using the 800Mhz portion of the Smartzone system.  
There are many many possibilities with Smartzone Trunking.  Too many to be 
explained in this forum.  A Smartzone system could consist of 
Smartnet/Simulcast/and Smartzone trunking systems and conventional repeaters 
too, all under the single control of the Smartzone controller.  The 
possibilities are endless..

And yes there are quite a few in the US Public Safety Arena.  The State of 
Michigan is in the process of converting over to a Statewide Smartzone/Astro 
Digital Backbone.  However, this system will be under construction over the 
next several years.

Good Luck Following These Conversations :)