UBCD3600XLT Programming Sites & Band Plans

Summary: How to create and edit sites on the UBCD3600XLT: trunking frequencies, site type, band plans, modulation and location.

Creating a Site

Menu, Manage Favorites, the Favorites List, Review/Edit System, the system, Edit Site, then New Site (or select an existing site). Not every option appears for every site.

Site Options

• Edit Name
• Set Site Type (EDACS only) – Wide (standard, 9600 baud control channel; default) or Narrow (4800 baud).
• Edit Band Plan (Motorola and P25 only)
• Set Frequencies
• Set Modulation (not P25) – Auto (default), NFM or FM.
• Set Attenuator – about 20 dB; default Off.
• Set Avoid – Stop Avoiding, Temporary Avoid or Permanent Avoid.
• Set Location Information
• Digital Waiting Time (Motorola only) – default 400 ms; 0-1000.
• Digital Threshold Mode and Digital Threshold Level (P25, Motorola, MOTOTRBO) – Auto/Manual/Default, and 0-20 (default 8).
• Delete Site and New Site

Set Frequencies

This is where you enter the site’s trunking frequencies. Choose New Frequency or edit an existing one, and enter the frequency. For EDACS and LTR sites you must also enter the LCN (logical channel number). You can delete frequencies here.

Band Plans

A band plan lets the scanner work out voice frequencies from the channel numbers sent on the control channel.

P25 systems: most P25 systems (“explicit” systems) send everything needed on the control channel. Leave the band plan blank and the scanner detects it. Implicit systems need you to supply the band plan with the Custom option. Choose a plan (0-9, A-F), enter the base frequency and the spacing.

Motorola systems:

• Choose 800/900 Standard or 800 Splinter for the regular Motorola band plans.
• For Custom Motorola, VHF and UHF systems, enter both a lower and an upper base frequency. The lower base is the one given in the RadioReference database. Uniden provides an Excel calculator and a web page for working out the upper base, and RadioReference also has guidance on determining base, step and offset for VHF and UHF Motorola systems. Choose plan 1-6, then Set Base Freq (lower and upper), Set Offset (offset and polarity, + by default), and Set Spacing.

Set Location Information

Program a location for the site to use with Location Control or a GPS. Set up your GPS format and baud rate first.

• Circle – latitude, longitude (toggle N/S or E/W with ./no) and a range of 0-6000.
• Rectangles – one or more rectangles, each set by the top-left latitude and longitude and the bottom-right latitude and longitude. You can edit or delete stored rectangles.

Rectangles are useful for a site or department whose area isn’t a good match for a circle.

A Sensible Use of Site Locations

For a multi-site system, set the location of each site’s transmitter and a range of about 48 km. As you move, the scanner will avoid and unavoid sites as they come into and out of range. Antenna locations are available from RadioReference and the FCC Antenna Structure Registration site. See UBCD3600XLT GPS, Location Control & Digital Adjustment Mode.