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Re: Not exactly...
Author: mook
Date: 03-10-2014 - 19:05
Agree - though even if cell phones won't use the freed-up bandwidth somebody else will. Is PTC's radio in a different band or is it using the same band as RR voice radio?
Related to cost outweighing benefits - you can use analog radio quite far from the base station or repeater. Even scratchy and broken up, enough often gets through to carry the message. With digital, if there's not enough signal for a clean bitstream, you get nothing (why I no longer get Channel 10) or it just is unreadable (your cell phone in an "acceptable" or 2G area). So I could easily imagine a need for many more repeaters to make digital work well, especially in rough terrain as is common in the West or built-up urban areas as in the East.
Related to cost outweighing benefits - you can use analog radio quite far from the base station or repeater. Even scratchy and broken up, enough often gets through to carry the message. With digital, if there's not enough signal for a clean bitstream, you get nothing (why I no longer get Channel 10) or it just is unreadable (your cell phone in an "acceptable" or 2G area). So I could easily imagine a need for many more repeaters to make digital work well, especially in rough terrain as is common in the West or built-up urban areas as in the East.
