Radios (Overview)

UTMB has a small number of radios that can be strategically deployed to executive leadership by Information Technology Services (ITS) Voice Operations (VoiceOps). Because radios are not able to be provided to every department, please work with ITS VoiceOps to obtain your own radio(s) for backup communications, as well as training on how to use them. Below is a brief description of the radios commonly found at UTMB.

XPR 3500 Radios are great for intra-campus communications (traditional walkie-talkie), and can also be used for inter-campus communications so long as the UTMB Network and repeaters are working (more info at the bottom of this page). These radios are programmed with UTMB channels by ITS Voice Ops. These radios will not talk to the 800 MHz radios listed below. A digital  user guide is located on the Motorola website. 

800 MHz Radios like the APX6000 (and older XTS2500) provide both short and long-range communications that are not reliant on UTMB's network. Instead, these radios (when properly programmed) rely on the state-operated antenna towers, which is a state-trunked network. When UTMB's network goes down, these are the radios you want. Each campus has an 800MHz radio in their Emergency Room, and another in the administrative suite. These radios are compatible with the ones that Campus Police and EHS/Fire Safety use. These radios will not talk to the other radio types listed on this page. A digital user guide is located on the Motorola website.

These radios are programmed by working with your county's Emergency Communications Office. The process may vary slightly depending on which county your campus/clinic resides in. Work with them to ensure your radio(s) has the UTMB talk channels, as well as the Catastrophic Medical Operations Center's (CMOC) zones and channels.  UTMB Channels: UTMB M1, UTMB M2, UTMB ER, UTMB FD, UTMB PD, TC HOSP, G-EMS1, G-EMS2, AMBCOM, GPD1, GV FCOM1, GV FCOM2, JB PD, JB FIRE, GCSO1. 

[SETRAC monthly radio check is on Zone 78, Channel CMOC3. The Galveston County monthly radio check is on Zone C; Channel GCOEM1]

CP 200 Radios provide short-range, radio-to-radio communications (walkie-talkie). These are older, intra-campus-only radios because their analog system does not work with UTMB's repeater network. On the positive side, these radios will continue to work when UTMB's network is down. Any remaining CP200 radios can be effectively used for communications within a campus or clinic.  These radios will not talk to the other radio types listed on this page and are no longer supported by ITS VoiceOps. A digital user guide is located on the Motorola website. 

Radio Types
Redundant Comms FULL

Repeaters: UTMB currently has nine repeaters distributed across our four campuses. The master repeater on the Galveston campus connects all four campuses through the network. If the master repeater goes down, the other peer repeaters will still support intra-campus communications, but the wide-area channels will be down and broadcasts between the four campuses will be unavailable. 

Dead Zones: Some UTMB facilities have dead zones (in terms of both cell phone and radio service) where these devices won't be able to send or receive signals. Your best option is sometimes to move to another location (e.g., the top floor of a building/garage). 

Additional Resources

Radio 101 Course on YouTube by the Texas Statewide Interoperability Coordinator's (TxSWIC) Office. This goes into more details than you will likely need, so I suggested you focus on:

  • Using a Radio (start around the 7 minute mark): Not everything will be applicable to you, but it gives a good overview.
  • Trunked Radio System: This is primarily for those who are interested in how the 800 MHz radios work.

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