New England regionwide interop network

[KB1UAM]

I thought I saw a thread back in 2011 about a proposed region wide interoperable radio network? Has there been any updates? Or did the whole project go south?

[mainetrunk]

I heard thers a vfh freq for interops in the York-Strafford-Rockingham counties.Thats Maine an N.H..Mass? I been wonderring abot a 3 region net, between Me, thru N.H to Boston out to Manchester N.H, back to Portland Me. The only entity that does that now is--emergency management.Thats still a small area. They should make a system, it would save alot of phone time when calling state to state.

[cg]

If it happens, it will be years away.

With all that money that was spread around since 9/11, if it isn't done by now, it will be difficult to make it happen in a poor economy.

chris

[KB1UAM]

Doesn't everyone have to leave 470-512 in about 10 years or so? Wouldn't it be wise to invest in a regional network? Or at least a statewide system such as Rhode island for instance???

[mainetrunk]

Every state has its dilema. You seen the Maine radio plan? Wow, what a cluster. Imagine Rhode Island to Bangor Me. Long story short-when I began scanning-2006 ish, Most of the towns around me were simplex-except for Berwick,Me--Portsmouth N.H, York....Well, I watched all systems grow these past years. South Berwick is 1 of the last entities to go from scratch, up to repeater (able?).. When it took off-it had 5,001 problems. months later, it seems to be ok,except for 1 or 2 radios.. And constant walkovers durring emergencies-what an analog squeal

[Thunderbolt]

There was a proposed "New England Wireless Interoperability Network" that was drawn up 3-4 years ago by Motorola. The idea was to have all of New England on one interoperabilty trunking radio system, but Maine and Vermont went with Harris Radio, Inc. So the plans for this network now mostly involve Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. However, it really needs a funding mechanism to make it a reality.

73's

Ron

[KB1UAM]

If this system were to take shape (which I doubut) would we be able to hear all cities and towns that do decide to join? Or does that depend on how the system parameters are setup? For instance if I was in Boston would I be able to hear Worcester or Springfield?

[jim202]

Originally Posted by KB1UAM

If this system were to take shape (which I doubut) would we be able to hear all cities and towns that do decide to join? Or does that depend on how the system parameters are setup? For instance if I was in Boston would I be able to hear Worcester or Springfield?

The problem with anything designed by Motorola is that they have a huge ego that just can't seem to be satisfied with huge sums of money. If they are doing the design, it will never come to be with most public safety agencies today.

The best that can be had with what is available today is to use the standard "National Interoperability Radio Channels" and live with it. There is no need to be able to talk from the tip of Maine all the way down to the bottom of RI. of CT. If someone thinks that is needed, please explain why you think it is.

Most emergency communications in just about all the incidents I have seen only require a distance of a few miles at most. If you follow normal procedures, you don't want the grunt out in the field talking directly with some state EOC. You want that person talking with the local operations center. That center will then consolidate the communications needs back to the state EOC. The state EOC will do the same and go to the next higher command center.

To be able to allow a field person to have direct access to the master operations center will just bog down the functionality and traffic flow. Like as some people put it, information overflow. Probably 98 percent of the local communications during any incident is of a local nature. That person out in the field might not even have the full picture of what is going on. The local command point will have a much better view of what may be relayed to the next higher command point.

I know that you like to listen to the radio and be able to hear all that goes on. However, there is no reason to bog down a state wide radio network with every single transmission made right from the incident. Don't think there is a radio system built today that could handle that kind of radio traffic and still have it function normally. There is just not enough capacity built into a normal design.

A good example of this was the bridge collapse that took place several years back. Everyone in the state there was trying to listen to the traffic by getting on the common talkgroup that was being used on scene. This brought the trunking system to a halt as the system tried to pass the traffic all around the state. The state radio manager had to cut the links and only allow the local traffic to be carried and shut off the ability to be able to hear it any place else around the state.

There are limits as to just how much traffic any trunking system can carry. Used in a normal manor, most trunking systems function well. Try to have too many users scattered all over the state on a common talkgroup and the system will come down to it's knees.

[mainetrunk]

You got a point Jim. From top of Maine to Ct, would be a little extreme. However, I personally think that there should be some sort of alert system. I am refferring to the coastal parts of Me.N.H/Mass, At the fore most east of these states, you got Maine that is analog-N.H has a 15ish mile stretch from Maine to Mass. N.H state police is p25-Mass, 800 mhz trunk. Any crazed fool would/has mad a mad dash to state lines-a system from York Maine to Amesbury would be sufficeient. You have to admit; crime is not getting any easier to conrol on roads. With all 3 states being so close, and 95 being easy to get to, They should do something. My opinion.

[garys]

They did. It's called the telephone. And the computer, which can send email. They used to use teletypes, but I think that's passe. There is a certain risk:benefit ratio when you only have X amount of dollars to spend on public safety communications. Build a robust local system with a region wide component (ala BAPERN and the NH interop channels) or spend gobs of money on an expensive wide area trunk system that will rarely be used. Between UTAC, VTAC, and 8TAC there is certainly enough nationwide interop capability in the rare instances where units have to travel between states.

Originally Posted by mainetrunk

You got a point Jim. From top of Maine to Ct, would be a little extreme. However, I personally think that there should be some sort of alert system. I am refferring to the coastal parts of Me.N.H/Mass, At the fore most east of these states, you got Maine that is analog-N.H has a 15ish mile stretch from Maine to Mass. N.H state police is p25-Mass, 800 mhz trunk. Any crazed fool would/has mad a mad dash to state lines-a system from York Maine to Amesbury would be sufficeient. You have to admit; crime is not getting any easier to conrol on roads. With all 3 states being so close, and 95 being easy to get to, They should do something. My opinion.

[ecps92]

Teletype - yup, still used for much of the inter/intra-state traffic.

Originally Posted by garys

They did. It's called the telephone. And the computer, which can send email. They used to use teletypes, but I think that's passe. There is a certain risk:benefit ratio when you only have X amount of dollars to spend on public safety communications. Build a robust local system with a region wide component (ala BAPERN and the NH interop channels) or spend gobs of money on an expensive wide area trunk system that will rarely be used. Between UTAC, VTAC, and 8TAC there is certainly enough nationwide interop capability in the rare instances where units have to travel between states.

[mainetrunk]

""South Berwick is 1 of the last entities to go from scratch, up to repeater (able?).. When it took off-it had 5,001 problems. months later, it seems to be ok,except for 1 or 2 radios.. And constant walkovers durring emergencies-what an analog squeal""

I wish to rephrase that statement, slight exaduration. My appologies to anyone who thinks our new system is not as good as it gets. It is in the best local, perfect structure.