Open Sky vs EDACS

[jrm5265]

Are MaCom radios like say 7100 I think thats what we have or maybe its 7200 if theyr Open Sky format will that same radio do EDACS too or does it require a different radio
How much of an Open Sky network is EDAC friendly say for example an entity put in a multi site Open Sky system and they were not pleased with performance, mainly the voice quality and aggravating echo when two units are around each other could that entity have MaCom swicth is to EDACS........and is EDACS clearer and eaiser to understand? I know you would lose some capabilites mainly privacy because some scanners can get EDACS right? But if certain groups on an EDACS need security they can go with encryption right?

Just wondering what our options might be ..............

[Astrak]

I'm not positively sure but I don't think Opensky could be converted to EDACS they are different systems, don't quote me on that though. EDACS, as far as being clear and easy to use, I think it is. If you want security and digital quality audio Provoice is an option(no scanner can monitor Provoice).

[N_Jay]

The are almost completely different systems.
However a good bit of the non-rf hardware could be reused, and some subscriber radios are dual mode.
Of course the siting and channel counts would probably change significantly also, so you would be rebuilding, adding, or abandoning sites.

[EnidPuceflange]

The radios (assuming they were 7200 series or 53/5400 series) would do either OpenSky or EDACS (or P25 trunking come to that), but the infrastructure is different - and the biggest problem you'd have would be the capacity. OpenSky typically is used to give 4 talkpaths in a 25kHz channel, where EDACS provides 1 and P25 provides 2. Additionally, OpenSky has no control channel, so assuming you had 2 25kHz channels of OpenSky, you'd go from 8 talk paths to 1.

[N_Jay]

Originally Posted by EnidPuceflange

. . . , so assuming you had 2 25kHz channels of OpenSky, you'd go from 8 talk paths to 1.

And the other side of the equasion is coverage so don't need as many sites.

[EnidPuceflange]

Originally Posted by N_Jay

And the other side of the equasion is coverage so don't need as many sites.

Actually, since both P25 and OpenSky use 4-level FSK (or a variant of it) there's not a whole heap of difference in the coverage. EDACS with 2 level FSK is slightly better, but not anything like what you'd need to overcome that loss of talkpaths.

[ElroyJetson]

BUT...EDACS actually works. Apparently, OpenSky does not. (Not good enough, anyway.) And I'm reasonably confident that M/A-Com will no longer even offer OpenSky IF they even stay in business, in the aftermath of the NYS decision.


Elroy

[Ray_Air]

The primary difference is EDACS works and Open Sky doesn't. The O/S voice makes you sound "tiny" and like a robot. At least from what I heard. They still don't have all the bugs worked out of it.