Garden City KHP

[mustang108]

Hello, This morning I am hearing Garden City State (Highway Patrol) come in loud and clear, on talk group 335. I am in Chanute,Ks and have not heard them before . Anyone else picking them up ?
Mustang108

[gcombs]

I was listening for most of the afternoon and didn't catch anything on West Mineral. Log isn't showing 335 at all, either...

Interesting though. Maybe they're finally pushing stuff out west.

[KAA951]

There are several towers that serve areas of Troop E (Southwest Kansas) that have been converted to KSICS, including the tower in Garden City. With the construction of the new (and now only) state owned casino starting in Dodge City, I wouldn't be surprised if that tower was bumped up the list to be converted to digital using that as a justification for funding.

With the state budget going south (now expected to be $141 million in the red this year alone) and federal grant funds drying up I would not expect to see much (if any) more expansion of KSICS- unless local governments buy in (such as we are seeing in Leavenworth County). It will be interesting to see if the Obama administration will provide any more grant funds to states for communications upgrades.

[datainmotion]

Hello neighbors

On this topic -
I'm adding Western KS border counties as well as Troop D and E to my 996 profile and wondered what (if any) KSICS sites (besides Garden City) I should be adding to monitor the Garden City TG from the border area. Additionally, do you know if that Garden City TG is for all units in Troop E (i.e. - all the way to the CO border)?

Also, does anyone know if KHP has plans to re-band their conventional 800 channels if KCIS deployment gets delayed?

Thanks guys!

[KAA951]

Originally Posted by datainmotion

Hello neighbors

On this topic -
I'm adding Western KS border counties as well as Troop D and E to my 996 profile and wondered what (if any) KSICS sites (besides Garden City) I should be adding to monitor the Garden City TG from the border area. Additionally, do you know if that Garden City TG is for all units in Troop E (i.e. - all the way to the CO border)?

Also, does anyone know if KHP has plans to re-band their conventional 800 channels if KCIS deployment gets delayed?

Thanks guys!

I don't know if you will be able to pick up any KSICS signals from the western border areas of Kansas.

KSICS has pretty well stalled out with the state budget taking the big hit that it has. I understand that no funding has been identified to finish out the system or switch over any more tower sites.

The only work on the system right now is in Leavenworth County (near Kansas City) where the county has purchased a 7 site simulcast system as part of the KSICS network. Also, as a result of that system there is talk of moving one of the 6 channel sites that are being replaced by a LVCO 10 channel site (Bonner Springs or Easton) to Johnson County to improve coverage there. There has been a suggestion that the other 6-channel site could be moved to Dodge City if the casino goes forward there as planned.

It will be interesting to see if the federal "stimulus" package includes any grants for public safety comms.

As for rebanding- you can count on all the KHP sites (including the existing KSICS sites) being rebanded. BTW- if you are scanning out that way, Garden City retained its conventional tower site in addition to the P-25 equipment being installed. KDOT has only done this in one other place that I am aware of, and that is the Bennington tower near Salina.

[mancow]

I hope they do something. Portable coverage around 635 and 35 is non existent.

[datainmotion]

Originally Posted by KAA951

I don't know if you will be able to pick up any KSICS signals from the western border areas of Kansas.

KSICS has pretty well stalled out with the state budget taking the big hit that it has. I understand that no funding has been identified to finish out the system or switch over any more tower sites.

There has been a suggestion that the other 6-channel site could be moved to Dodge City if the casino goes forward there as planned.

As for rebanding- you can count on all the KHP sites (including the existing KSICS sites) being rebanded. BTW- if you are scanning out that way, Garden City retained its conventional tower site in addition to the P-25 equipment being installed. KDOT has only done this in one other place that I am aware of, and that is the Bennington tower near Salina.

Thanks for the great info!

Mike