Trunked Radio System
What is Trunked Radio System
A trunked radio system features a control channel that assigns the frequency channel dynamically and thus allowing a large number of user radios in multiple talk groups to share multiple channels or frequencies without their conversations interfering with each other. It enhances the efficiency of utilizing scarce frequency resources.
A trunked radio system centrally manages a bank of channels. It intelligently switches users to any channel available at a specified time. Trunked systems have a control channel to transmit data packets. The control channel can be either a dedicated or a dynamic random channel. Trunked radio systems use the access control channel to share channel capacity among many users. In fact, some transmitting channels are idle at a particular time while others are busy. Electronic control enables users to take advantage of it. This will cause a more balanced load sharing between trunks. In contrast, the users exercise their own coordination regarding access to non-trunked, aka conventional, system resources by listening for idle time and making channel selections manually. This may result in unbalanced channel loads.
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The Benefits of Trunked Radio Systems
Trunked radio systems are the ideal option for larger organizations. As the systems can deliver expansive coverage, flexibility, efficiency, and privacy throughout different talk groups.
Priority
The controller of trunking systems can prioritize traffic if the assigned frequency is saturated. This is particularly useful in municipal systems as there are restricted spectrums available for multiple services. Most radios have an emergency button. The system will allow the emergency traffic to get through when the emergency button is pressed.
Efficiency
The system uses the computer to plan and assign frequencies. It makes channels available whenever groups are ready. At any one time, a group will be automatically directed to whatever frequency is currently free, allowing the talk group to use the signal when needed.
Privacy
The system can assign groups to specific frequencies to allow for more private conversations. This way, the active group doesn’t have to worry about another talk group overhearing or interfering with existing conversations.
Flexibility
The trunked radio system can be easily changed to suit the needs of multiple departments. And there is no need to merge different groups.
Trunking Radio vs Conventional Radio
In a conventional (non-trunked) system, users need to select channels manually. Before use, the group must decide which channel to use and manually switch all radios to that channel. But this is an inefficient use of scarce radio channel resources. User groups must use their channels exclusively, regardless of how much data they transmit. In addition, it may cause multiple groups in the same area to select the same channel, and cause conflict and “crosstalk.
