TB8100 Service Kit User’s Manual Channels 5ChannelsA TB8100 base station consists of the equipment needed to operate on just onechannel. However, using the Service Kit you can program up to 255 channelsinto a single base station. This is confusing, until you realize that ‘channel’ hasdifferent meanings. The one channel is the transmit and receive frequency pairand the 255 channels are different channel configurations, each with its ownnumber and name. You select one of these channel configurations and the basestation operates according to all the settings defined by it. These include atransmit and receive frequency pair, a transmitter power output, a channelspacing, and many other configurable items.Channel Table Each base station has a channel table. This is the database that stores the channelconfigurations. It is a good idea to maintain a single channel table for yoursystem. This means that you can use almost the same configuration file for allbase stations. To configure a new or replacement base station, all you need todo is copy the standard configuration file and select a different default channel.This simplifies maintenance. Alternatively, you can use the Export and Importfunctions to copy channels from one base station to another.Default Channel You need to tell the base station which channel to use. The usual way to dothis is to use the Service Kit to select one channel in the channel table as thedefault channel. When the base station starts up for the first time, it selects thedefault channel unless it is connected to external equipment that selects thechannel.Current Channel The current channel is the channel that the base station is actually using.Usually, this is the default channel. However, external equipment can usedigital input lines to choose another channel. Moreover, Task Manager caninstruct the base station to change channel. It can even select another channelto be the default. Monitor > Monitoring > Channel displays the currentchannel.Note: If the base station is reset, it starts up on the default channel,unless external equipment defines another channel.
