MotoTRBO

MOTOTRBO is a Motorola digital radio product originally and mostly marketed for Part 90 business use. The format is based on, and compatible with the European 2-slot DMR. It uses time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) to effectively accommodate two simultaneous users. A single 12.5 kHz channel is able to carry two simultaneous and independent conversations, or simultaneous and independent voice and data paths each with 6.25 kHz equivalency.

MotoTRBO features IP connection over the Internet to create a network of MotoTRBO repeaters. It also supports privacy and encryption.

MOTOTRBO radios have the ability to scan an analogue and digital channel for activity so they can receive either. MOTOTRBO repeaters can be configured to operate in Dynamic Mixed Mode (DMM) which allows the repeater to switch between analogue and digital.

MotoTRBO uses a licensed, proprietary closed codec, the ABME2+ vocoder algorithm, which is currently licensed and owned by DVSI Inc. Therefore it is not a true ham radio open system, due to the proprietary codec and the support for encryption, yet the FCC now allows its use on ham radio bands.

Equipment

Current equipment (2016) seems to be primarily vehicle mobile units and even more so hand held HT units. Most ham operators using MotoTRBO radios are using HT models. Most available radios are manufactured by Motorola company.