Air carrier Captain reported the de-icing procedure at SYR is not accomplished according to their manuals and communications with ground personnel were confusing due to a frequency in use that was not published on their charts.

Narrative

Arriving at the aircraft; we found the wing covered in frost and light snow needing to be deiced. This required a taxi to one of the two pads. Our company provided two separate frequencies for each pad; however none of these were operable to allow for coordination for taxi. We wanted to make sure that we conserved as much fuel as possible; and that we would taxi to the right area since it was not immediately obvious which one would be in use. The ramp personnel were able to find a new frequency for us and provided the necessary coordination over their radios. This new frequency was not on our charts.Deicing trucks were constantly moving between each de-ice pad after spraying each aircraft rather than staying within a single area.Upon reaching the deicing area; the deicing crew requested us to taxi into a particular bay; however the markings on the ramp were obscured with snow; and it was not easy to discern where the lead-in line might be since the trucks were not abeam the bay.Two trucks were utilized in the pad. We only required Type 1 fluid; however it was surprising to see that after the fuselage was sprayed; the wing was completed starting at the the fuselage outwards towards the wingtip. Before us; another aircraft was sprayed and the crew deiced their airframe in a similar method. The ground crew did not inform us that this method was completed contrary to our guidance in our manual.The deicing process was relatively quick - but this did not build confidence that it was completed correctly. I requested the first officer to complete a pre-takeoff contamination check from the cabin to ensure that it was accomplished and that we were actually free from contaminants.Cause: Disorganized ground operations and non-standard application of deicing fluid plus potentially out of date charts resulted in confusion and an unnecessary increased workload for crew.Suggestions: This airport is one that typically receives snow in winter. It was surprising that these deicing operations are disorganized and poorly communicated. Our charts should be updated to reflect the actual operational frequencies in use for this airport. It would also be helpful to have a satellite image of the actual pads to help with preflight planning and during taxi operations when the ramp is congested or marking are obscured. De-icing personnel should also notify the flight crew when deicing is accomplished from anywhere other than the normal locations.