Central Maryland Area Regional Communications P25 TRS

[Thunderbolt]

The Central Maryland Area Regional Communications Committee, has applied to the FCC to license a multiple-site Project 25 TRS, in and around the city of Baltimore. The new digital radio system, will be incorporated into the Maryland Statewide Project 25 TRS down the road. These are STA licenses, which will allow the committee to activate the system very shortly. Here are the supporting letter and applications:

Supporting letter for all sites.

Application 1 - Ann Arundel County

Application 2 - Baltimore City [Filed with Ann Arundel County's application by mistake?]

Application 3 - Carroll County

Application 4 - Harford County

Application 5 - Howard County

Yours truly,

Ron

 

[Thunderbolt]

From what I can gather, all of these sites will be simulcast systems that will use CQPSK Phase-One modulation. These systems tend to be a major headache for scanner listeners. Hopefully, everything will work-out in the long-run.

73s

Ron

 

[Thunderbolt]

Here is a second supporting letter sent to the FCC.

73s

Ron

 

[apd3190]

Thanks for the info.. I guess this is the rebanding. What makes this system hard to follow with a scanner?

 

[Thunderbolt]

Thanks for the info.. I guess this is the rebanding. What makes this system hard to follow with a scanner?

The audio distortion that is associated with these type of simulcast systems, tends to drive the scanner up a wall. You have to find a "sweet spot" for your scanner or your antenna. If not, you will receive a lot of garbled messages.

73s

Ron

 

[ka3jjz]

If you look at the frequencies for each app, you will quickly realize this has nothing to do with rebanding. Many of the freqs are in the 700 mhz range, though 73 Mike

 

[ocguard]

Perhaps the fact that there are a relatively small amount of sites in the simulcast, and they are somewhat far apart, will reduce the amount of simulcast distortion.

I see the system as being a failure and a waste of money. Just two weeks ago, I read about the final approvals for a statewide system.

This system is nothing but a single person's pipe dream, and the desire for regional control over an isolated interoperability system (as opposed to simply using the existing 8TAC CMARC system until the TRUE statewide interop system is in place).

A waste of taxpayers' money. And before someone cries that it's being funded by grant money, think about what you're saying. Where do you think grant money comes from?

Hopefully E.C retires to another time zone or another continent where he will be precluded from wasting anymore money of MD taxpayers.

 

[Thunderbolt]

Here is the 700 MHz license request for the city of Baltimore:

License Application

73s

Ron

 

[maus92]

Help me out here - what exactly will this system do, and how and when would it be utilized?

 

[Thunderbolt]

The FCC has granted the license applications for this new wide-area interoperability P25 network. The licenses issued in sequence are WQNB663 - WQBN666. Since they want to have this new radio system operational before the end of the year for testing purposes, I would look for it to come online shortly.

Yours truly,

Ron

 

[gregsto]

Some confusion seems to exist in various online discussions about the Balt City radio system future. Is my understanding correct that the imminent change to the City system is REBANDING of the 800mhz system and that any movement to 700mhz and the system described on this thread are a FUTURE project very much still in the planning stages?

 

[gregsto]

see: http://forums.radioreference.com/maryland-radio-discussion-forum/194926-baltimore-city-change-dec-1-a.html

 

[Thunderbolt]

Additional license requests for have been filed with the FCC, to erect even more simulcast transmitter sites for this digital radio system. Like the previous requests, these are also for the 700 MHz band:

• Harford County
• Howard County
• Carroll County
• Anne Arundel County
• Baltimore City

73s

Ron

 

[Thunderbolt]

Any early signs of life from this new radio system?

73s

Ron

 

[Spleen]

Not a peep here in midtown..

 

[troymail]

Any early signs of life from this new radio system?

73s

Ron

Noticed ll the freqs and new TGs added recently - added it to my radio - I don't even see/hear a CC active -- so where did the freq/TG data come from, eh?

 

[Thunderbolt]

Noticed ll the freqs and new TGs added recently - added it to my radio - I don't even see/hear a CC active -- so where did the freq/TG data come from, eh?

From a friend of mine who was in Baltimore last week on a business trip. He had his 396xt with him, and heard the activity for a few hours, and then left the city. Apparently, the radio techs must have been doing some transmitter alignment work.

73s

Ron

 

[Dispatcher308]

Thats funny, I know for sure this radio system is not up and running yet nor are they testing it any specific sites.

 

[Dispatcher308]

I would like to apologize to all, I was told yesterday at the radio shop that this system was not up and running. I was home last night and did a search and got a hit on 772.2625 and got full scale, I put it in and it shows the system ID and site 101. There was not activity on it.

Again my apologies
Nathan

 

[troymail]

I would like to apologize to all, I was told yesterday at the radio shop that this system was not up and running. I was home last night and did a search and got a hit on 772.2625 and got full scale, I put it in and it shows the system ID and site 101. There was not activity on it.

Again my apologies
Nathan

This keeps getting more interesting --

(1) I went to see if I had 772.2625 programmed - the closest I could find is 772.25625

(2) went back to RR to verify the freqs but it doesn't appear to be listed there now (but I suppose I could have missed it)