Very interesting...did Harris take over the SLERS contract directly?

ElroyJetson · #1 (**permalink**) 08-26-2009, 06:02 PM

I've heard a very interesting report from someone who just lost one of his building maintenance customers. He has contracts to do facilities maintenance with a variety of assorted businesses, and just reported that he was advised by one of his customers that they would no longer be needing his services because they have lost their largest contract, to Harris Corporation.

This company, which I shall not name, is the prime contractor for certain EDACS systems in central Florida, and M/A-Com Partner.

If this information is true, and I don't have any particular reason to doubt the source, then it would appear
that Harris may be squeezing out their local vendors and adopting the same factory direct business
model that Motorola uses with their public safety customers.

I suspect that this would also affect the vendors who serve the Florida SLERS system in exactly the same manner.

I'm trying to keep my ear to the ground and use additional contacts to see if I can substantiate any of this information.

Right now I consider it only a rumor. One report via non-official channels does not constitute major news. But if I can substantiate this via other sources, it does mark a major business change in the radio industry, especially for M/A-Com customers.

Elroy

KS4VT · #2 (**permalink**) 08-26-2009, 07:11 PM

I can't speak for the local support, but I know that our lease agreements for 2 tower sites between us and State/M/A Com are being updated due to the Harris buy-out.

The NOC # is still valid but they don't say the company name like they used to when I called a few days ago to report a tower light issue on one of their towers.

razor_fish · #3 (**permalink**) 08-26-2009, 07:22 PM

The system is the biggest piece of crap anyways. Nothing but complaints from troopers and FFWC.

wise871 · #4 (**permalink**) 08-26-2009, 09:09 PM

SLERS doesn't appeared as popular as the state wanted. The list of SLERS Partners hasn’t grown over the last few years. In my area Okaloosa County EMS and Walton County South Fire District are the only ones using it locally besides FHP. The big push to have all the other public safety agencies seems to have stalled out. Not sure if it’s due to the new EOC being built in Niceville or money issues. I also noticed that Gulf County is no longer listed as a partner. Did they drop SLERS or the sight forgot to add them.

ElroyJetson · #5 (**permalink**) 08-26-2009, 10:55 PM

A big part of it is that there are a great many agencies that are very happy with the performance they're getting out of their Motorola systems.

SLERS coverage, county by county, is simply not even close to adequate for the needs of the various
county sheriff's departments in most counties. The SLERS coverage is centered on the major state highways and even there, coverage is not what it should be.

I've been tracking down all the SLERS sites slowly by searching the FCC's online database and I've got a raft of data which I'm checking out via Google Earth. It appears that, for example, Brevard County has just two SLERS sites, along I-95. One is in Cocoa at the FHP Troop D headquarters
and the other is at I-95 and 192. I haven't found a third site yet but that doesn't mean there isn't one. It's a lot of data to sort through when I have the time to do it.

The SLERS site capacity is very limited as the sites are about four channels each on average, and two four channel sites in this county is trivial. Most individual cities would need more than that.

If the agencies wanted to get on SLERS for their own county, they'd have to pay to add more sites,
and the SLERS feature package is very expensive and you only have tenant status on the system if
you do spring for all that. It doesn't make financial sense when you could spend less and get a
system that is built just for your county and tailored specifically to your own needs. And it can STILL
have a gateway into the SLERS system if needed, REGARDLESS of what brand and type of system you end up with.

Elroy

gccflscan · #6 (**permalink**) 08-27-2009, 03:39 PM

Communications International (CII) they are useless just like SLERS.

The way the state wanted to expand SLERS is to strong arm and muscle EDACS systems, Clearwater, Hillsborough, Manatee, Volusia into taking over their systems and making them SLERS. One on that list is partnering to make their site roamable as a SLERS site.

SLERS is government pork and corruption at the highest and finest level(s).

ElroyJetson · #7 (**permalink**) 08-27-2009, 07:48 PM

I would be hesitant about calling any named company or agency "useless" as they just might try to sue for slander or libel. It's why I prefer to report only straight information as I receive it, and not name names when the information isn't easily verified.

I will state that CII's technicians seem to be doing an excellent job in Brevard County. System availability
seems to be better than 99 percent. I'd say it's very reliable.

If I do have any issues with CII, it's not an issue with any of their technicians. It's with management.

Elroy

trooper890 · #8 (**permalink**) 08-29-2009, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wise871

SLERS doesn't appeared as popular as the state wanted. The list of SLERS Partners hasn’t grown over the last few years. In my area Okaloosa County EMS and Walton County South Fire District are the only ones using it locally besides FHP. The big push to have all the other public safety agencies seems to have stalled out. Not sure if it’s due to the new EOC being built in Niceville or money issues. I also noticed that Gulf County is no longer listed as a partner. Did they drop SLERS or the sight forgot to add them.

Fairly sure Gulf bailed totally. Cant blame them much, SLERS sucks, and everyone knows it.

ElroyJetson · #9 (**permalink**) 08-30-2009, 03:51 PM

Some additional evidence to support what I've gathered is that CII's talkgroups that their technicians use, which are usually rather busy especially early in the day and at the end of the working day for them, have been utterly silent now for about a week or more. I've moved them to the highest priority in my
scan lists so I catch anything they might say on those groups, but nothing at all has come up in over
a week. This leaves several possibilities:

They've gone to ProVoice. Not likely as my radios are PV-enabled and set for PV operation on all talkgroups.

They've gone encrypted. Less likely still due to cost. I don't think anyone wants to spend any money
so the techs can talk encrypted.

They've gone to different talkgroups. Possible but not very much so. Why change talkgroup assignments after all this time when there are no conflicts?

I'm really starting to think those talkgroups have gone silent because there may be nobody there to
use the radios anymore.

I could be wrong. This is all speculation based on a few very interesting comments and observations that I've made and picked up from reliable sources, but it's far from conclusive.

I found Brevard EOC's website, and it has a lot of current information on it, but nothing pertaining to
this. However I wouldn't expect that sort of thing to be posted instantly anyway.

I'll probably get the best answer by asking some friends in the PDs.

Elroy

MR-EDACS · #10 (**permalink**) 09-05-2009, 08:27 PM

No as I know several people that work for CII and yes the are still the primary maintenance Tech's for the SLERS system. That goes for the Microwave back bone the sites them selves and all the dispatch centers. So I think you need to check your sources. And also who cares you can't listen to it anyway.

razor_fish · #11 (**permalink**) 09-05-2009, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MR-EDACS

No as I know several people that work for CII and yes the are still the primary maintenance Tech's for the SLERS system. That goes for the Microwave back bone the sites them selves and all the dispatch centers. So I think you need to check your sources. And also who cares you can't listen to it anyway.

Everybody cares when the shitty radio system puts lives in danger.

ElroyJetson · #12 (**permalink**) 09-06-2009, 12:29 PM

My county's system is in the clear. And the tech's talkgroups have been utterly silent since this possible change first occurred. Typically they're talking up a storm, at least at the start and end of the workday,
but they've been totally silent for weeks now. Absolutely no traffic. It does tend to point at a change.

Elroy

WX4JCW · #13 (**permalink**) 09-06-2009, 04:23 PM

Thanks for the Update Elroy,

correct me if i am wrong but Harris does alot of MILCOM work for the Army if i remember correctly.

ElroyJetson · #14 (**permalink**) 09-06-2009, 05:49 PM

Correct. And M/A-Com also held a lot of .mil contracts as well, including for the EDACS HYDRA systems installed on aircraft carriers and some other Naval vessels. (But I've heard those are going away, being replaced by something more modern. I've heard no specifics about that.)

Only time will tell what will actually happen.

Elroy

ElroyJetson · #15 (**permalink**) 09-06-2009, 05:49 PM

Correct. And M/A-Com also held a lot of .mil contracts as well, including for the EDACS HYDRA systems installed on aircraft carriers and some other Naval vessels. (But I've heard those are going away, being replaced by something more modern. I've heard no specifics about that.)

Only time will tell what will actually happen.

Elroy

wwhitby · #16 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wise871

SLERS doesn't appeared as popular as the state wanted. The list of SLERS Partners hasn’t grown over the last few years. In my area Okaloosa County EMS and Walton County South Fire District are the only ones using it locally besides FHP. The big push to have all the other public safety agencies seems to have stalled out. Not sure if it’s due to the new EOC being built in Niceville or money issues. I also noticed that Gulf County is no longer listed as a partner. Did they drop SLERS or the sight forgot to add them.

I was told by a fella in Bay County that Bay Co. tried out SLERS but it wasn't any improvement over what they already had.

Warren

ElroyJetson · #17 (**permalink**) 09-08-2009, 10:21 PM

Given the small number of sites per county and low number of channels per site, it's doubtful that the SLERS system can carry the traffic of any well populated county SO and its police departments without upgrading/adding sites.

Most SLERS sites are about four channels and there are rarely more than two sites in any given county. Not exactly a high capacity system, county for county.

Elroy

ElroyJetson · #18 (**permalink**) 09-26-2009, 11:44 PM

I have found out what's really the situation.

The contracts haven't changed. But, the CII shops aren't generating as much revenue as they used to due to the large numbers of brand new radios that have come into the systems courtesy of the rebanding
equipment swapout deal. All of the oldest equipment is GONE and replaced with brand new radios,
which may be presumed to be more reliable and need fewer service calls than the old radios. This
has resulted in a reduction in service-related revenue for any company that has an 800 MHz public
safety service contract. Fewer repairs, less money for repairs. Tighter budgets, leading to layoffs
in non-essential positions.

Mystery solved, apparently.

It still doesn't explain why there's been NO activity on any of the usual radio maintenance talkgroups, but that's another mystery entirely. Perhaps they've gone to different group assignments. Maybe they went digital and/or encrypted. I can follow them if they use ProVoice but not if they encrypt.

Elroy