Control Channel Only

Control Channel Only (CCO) is available in selected RS and Uniden models when trunking Motorola systems in the 800 or 900 mhz bands. It is not available for trunking in any other band nor for other trunk types. It enables the user to trunk a system by programming in only those channels that are utilized as a control channel, instead of having to utilize memory to program the entire system. This mode works for both analog and digital systems.

Note that if the control channel should change, and it isn't in the list, trunking using CCO will fail. You can thus use this mode to flag if any new control channels suddenly become active in the system.

On the RRDB, these frequencies are marked in red for the primary control channel, and blue for any alternate control channel. Be sure to program both primary and any alternate control channels. An example can be viewed here . In this case there are 4 control channels; 2 primary and 2 alternates.

Older Uniden radios require that a plan be programmed, as well as all the control channels, for CCO to work. RS/GRE radios, as well as the newer DMA based Uniden scanners, and (possibly) the new GRE radios, do not require a plan. In addition, no plan is required when utilizing CCO in the 900 Mhz band.

The following scanners are known to support CCO:

Uniden Handhelds (includes RS models made by Uniden)

• Pro-528 Note:plan based on the the digits after the decimal on all of the frequencies in the site or system if a single site.
• BCD396T
• BR330T
• BC246T
• BC296D Note:plan based on the the digits after the decimal on all of the frequencies in the site or system if a single site.
• BC250D Note:plan based on the the digits after the decimal on all of the frequencies in the site or system if a single site.

Uniden Base/Mobiles (includes RS models made by Uniden)

• Pro-433 Note:plan based on the the digits after the decimal on all of the frequencies in the site or system if a single site.
• BCD996T
• BCT15
• BCT8 Note:plan based on the the digits after the decimal on all of the frequencies in the site or system if a single site.
• BC796D Note:plan based on the the digits after the decimal on all of the frequencies in the site or system if a single site.
• BC785D Note:plan based on the the digits after the decimal on all of the frequencies in the site or system if a single site.
• BC780XLT Note:plan based on the the digits after the decimal on all of the frequencies in the site or system if a single site.

RS/GRE Handhelds

• Pro-97
• Pro-96
• Pro-95
• Pro-93

RS/GRE Base/Mobiles

• Pro-2053
• Pro-2055
• Pro-2096

GRE handhelds

• PSR-500
• PSR-300

GRE Base/Mobiles

• PSR-600
• PSR-400

Uniden Plan Information

For those radios that require a plan to use CCO, there are 4 possibilities;

• PLAN 1: if the last three digits of ALL the frequencies in use end in one of the following three digits: 125, 375, 625, or 875 (example: 856.1125, 860.7375, 859.6625, 855.8875).

• PLAN 2: If ALL the frequencies are less than 869.0000 and end in one of the following three digits (125, 375, 625, or 875) and if ANY other frequencies end in (000, 250, 500, or 750)

• PLAN 3: If the last three digits of ALL the frequencies in use end in one of the following three digits (000, 250, 500, or 750)

• PLAN 4: If ALL the frequencies are less than 866.0000 and end in one of the following three digits (000, 250, 500, or 750) and if ANY other frequencies end in (125, 375, 625, or 875)

Hints and Tips

If you need to trunk a multi site system (particularly if you are mobile, and moving from the coverage from one site to the next), programming a dummy channel will allow the scanner to move to another site better during inactivity from the current site. The following illustrates the programming:

• Site001 868.17500
• Dummy 1300.00000
• Site002 868.22500
• Site002 868.65000
• Dummy 1300.00000

The dummy frequency could be any valid frequency that is unused in your area. Programming a used channel in this position could interfere with normal trunking.(thanx fmon for the tip and suggestion for the writeup)

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Some of this information courtesy of the Control Channel only tutorial page at the Scan Control website