decatur and grady going digital

[rickandnikki09]

anyone know when decatur and grady co in southwest georgia going to a digital radio system it should be getting close.being a firefighter would be nice to know when the transiton begins.

[MTS2000des]

Can't find any recent applications on the ULS for Decatur or Grady county, but here's a news article from back in July on the upgrade:

E911 upgrade to help officers | The Post-Searchlight

The article mentions December 17 is a go live date, and it says that "frequencies will remain the same" (which means they will still be on VHF) but using some kind of digital modulation.

It says Motorola got the contact, so if it's P25 phase I, and unencrypted, than any digital capable scanner can monitor. If it's P25 phase II, then only the GRE PSR-800 can, if it's MotoTRBO, then no commercially available scanner can tune in as of yet, though there are other ways of monitoring unencrypted MotoTRBO systems.

[brenuga]

I wrote that news article and the quick answer is that the new digital system has been tested but isn't live yet. Motorola had to go back and do further upgrades on the tower equipment and that's pushed the completion date into next spring. Meanwhile, the old analog system still works for Grady and Decatur counties.

[dgoodson]

I bet the switch is soon or in progress... I heard a general announcement on the Grady County Fire channel just a couple of days ago advising members of one VFD to come to a meeting and "bring your old radios and chargers"

[MTS2000des]

Originally Posted by brenuga

I wrote that news article and the quick answer is that the new digital system has been tested but isn't live yet. Motorola had to go back and do further upgrades on the tower equipment and that's pushed the completion date into next spring. Meanwhile, the old analog system still works for Grady and Decatur counties.

Don't see where they have filed an STA on their current licenses for narrowbanding which is required on Jan 1, 2013.

[kg4ojj]

Drove through Cairo today, following the storm front, and heard Cairo PD and Grady SO on their "old" frequencies in analog. No trees must have been harmed during the storm, as I didn't hear anything from Cairo Fire or Grady County Fire ...... and I was trying (in analog and P25).

[dgoodson]

I use "Two Tone Detect" software, and that software has not detected a single Dispatch on Grady county since 12/19. That is pretty unlikely to be actually the case. so I suspect Grady county has moved. STill hearing occasssional Decatur county and Cairo city

[Julian1]

Please check the P25 system of Thomas County / Thomasville, GA. A year plus ago I heard Thomasville P25 on the P25 system used by Dougherty County / Albany, GA. See if you can get signal from Thomas County - maybe they'll tap into that system.