Some thoughts on migrating customers to and from MOTOTRBO.

My customer has 16 channels which are configured like this, how should I set up the digital radios?

Exactly the same as the existing ones. Don't overcomplicate things for the radio users. If somebody used channel 6 before, set up channel 6 on the new radio in the same way and give them these the same names - even if the new system is trunked (e.g. Capacity Plus or Capacity Max).

How does one go about programming hundreds of radios that are all over the place?

Here are some ideas which I found useful:

• Use OTAP and Radio Management where you can. Radio Management is a state of mind and requires a paradigm shift on the part of the user in that it is a move away from millions of codeplugs (at best) and CPS.
• If OTAP isn't possible, you can still setup one or more PCs at the customer's premises and have them work as Device Programmer machines - especially for radios like the DP1400.
• For sites which do not have connectivity back to a Radio Management server, you can use offline programming and distribute updates on one or more USB sticks. At the remote sites, all that is needed is a (low spec) PC with USB and a matching programming cable. This task is not very complicated and could be carried out by a gofer.
• Hire a Project Manager (or if you don't have that sort of budget, ask someone with PM experience) to help you plan the migration activities in such a way that it creates the least amount of waste for you and minimal disruption to the customer.

If I missed anything from this I'll add it in the comments.

I am planning to upgrade my customer to TETRA, can I reuse any equipment?

Potentially only the repeater antennas; feedline and some IP backhaul equipment can be reused. All radios and repeaters will need to be replaced. 

TETRA uses 380-470MHz so if the MOTOTRBO system was, say VHF, the antenna would also have to be swapped out.

TETRA needs a 25kHz allocation whereas MOTOTRBO uses 12,5kHz so you will need to apply to your local regulator for a change or reallocation.

TETRA also has the option to use receiver diversity and if this is used, another 2-4 feedlines will need to be added.

Unless you've ordered a tunable filter, the frequencies used in a Motorola MTS2 or MTS4 need to be established before the order is placed.

I am planning to upgrade my customer to from Analogue to MOTOTRBO, can I reuse any equipment?

All antennas; feedlines and filtering hardware can be reused. Your existing frequencies can also probably be reused. All you will need to do is to apply to your local telecommunications regulator for a change in modulation scheme.

Will using MOTOTRBO improve or reduce coverage?

Depending on what kind of equipment your customer was using before, they might see the following when switching to MOTOTRBO:

Up to a 25% improvement in coverage. In digital mode, the DP4801e offers 0,14µV for 5% BER. Other DMR radios may only offer 0,22µV for 5% BER, or even less. The SLR5500 offers 0,22µV for 5% BER compared to other repeaters which may only offer 0,3µV. Though these difference may seem small, the combined effect of SLR5500 and DP4801e will be noticeable. I've done field trials with customers and this is what we have observed.

In some cases, coverage may not be improved but in areas where the reception was previously poor, it will probably be better. Also, because of Forward Error Correction, the amount of useable coverage will be better than that of analogue.

Remember that DMR is still governed by the same laws of physics that govern all radio waves so if you have a dead spot in analogue, you will probably have a dead spot in digital (it may be smaller though).

What else does one need to be aware of?

One of the challenges of switching from analogue to DMR is the difference in audio reproduction. Marketing; sales and customers sometimes create certain expectations with catchphrases like "digital audio quality" and "crystal clear audio". While language like this is useful to pique peoples interest, it doesn't help us technical folk who have to bring customers back down to earth post factum. 

You may notice this more when the customer was previously using analogue or any digital technology with a higher bitrate (e.g. TETRA). I suggest you read this post on audio before migrating a customer to DMR (this is true no matter which brand of DMR radio is used).

Migrating or upgrading a customer is like a labyrinth: there are many ways to reach the centre, the trick is to find the easiest way there.