Cell interference forces police-radio upgrade

[HobbyTalk]

Kalamazoo, MI - Cell-phone interference is wreaking havoc with Kalamazoo's new police radios and has prompted the city to spend nearly a half-million dollars on tower upgrades.

Just four months after the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety flipped the switch on a new, $1.8 million radio system, the City Commission on Monday reluctantly approved spending an additional $458,777 on tower equipment.

Portable radios that officers carry outside their cars are failing at alarming rates to get their signals through, with officers encountering numerous "dead spots," particularly inside buildings, Public Safety Chief Dan Weston told commissioners.

"On several occasions, officers have been in foot pursuit, and no one has been able to hear their radio traffic," the chief said in a memo. "At other times, officers have attempted to call out for help while wrestling with a dangerous offender, and we have not heard their attempts to communicate with our radio system."

The city in November activated the new, 800-megahertz digital radio system and signed onto the Michigan Public Safety Communications System, a network of Michigan State Police towers that allows different public-safety agencies to communicate with one another.

The portable Motorola radios were tested at more than 300 sites in Kalamazoo in December 2002 and produced what Weston said was "very acceptable" coverage.

But big problems became evident immediately after the new radios went into use last November. State and Motorola engineers attribute the difficulties to the rapid proliferation of cell-phone towers and usage, Weston said. Cell-phone signals, also on the 800 MHz band, sometimes drown out signals from the 3-watt, portable radios that officers use, he said.

The fix involves adding a signal repeater and other equipment to an existing KDPS tower at station No. 6 at Howard Street and Oakland Drive, as well as upgrading state towers near Plainwell and Vicksburg that serve Kalamazoo's radio system.

"Instead of us being overwhelmed by the cell phones, it is going to allow us to overwhelm the cell phones," Weston told commissioners.

The tower work is expected to take about three months to complete.

Weston said that once the towers are upgraded, Motorola will guarantee radio coverage from inside buildings through 95 percent of the city. "There is not 100 percent coverage with any radio system ... there will still be some dead spots, (but) it is going to greatly enhance our ability to communicate," he said.

The project will cost $555,744, with the local share reduced by state contributions of $96,967 in equipment and labor. Local funding will come primarily from federal grants.

City commissioners expressed frustration with the added expense but unanimously approved the contract-change order.

"We have to do this. We can't leave our people vulnerable," Commissioner Don Cooney said.

Other communities have had similar problems with 800 MHz radios. Ionia and Monroe are among other Michigan cities that have encountered serious difficulties with interference since going on the state radio system, Weston said.

The federal government is working on a plan to move cell-phone frequencies farther away from frequencies used by police, fire and other public-safety agencies, Weston said.

City Manager Pat DiGiovanni cautioned, though, that the tower upgrades aren't necessarily a last fix for radio interference. "We may need another tower someday," he said. "We can expect more and more interference within the airwaves."

[rdale]

Interesting excuse...

[OmensEdge]

This is definately great news. I live near the west side of Kalamazoo where several officers have encountered the dead spots. I also live in a high rise building and there are only two optimal locations in my home where I can monitor the digital transmissions. Even when I can pick up the reception, it's pretty sketchy and I have to have my attenuator locked on to all of my control channels to pick up anything. This also makes me believe that it is due to some sort of interference, and like Weston reported, possibly cell-signal related.

Whatever the case may be, I look forward to being able to hear all of the digital traffic in my area once the upgrades are finalized.

[Thunderbolt]

Any idea as to how long it will take to implement the new tower, and upgrade the others?

73's

Ron

[HobbyTalk]

The tower work is expected to take about three months to complete.

[kwaksski]

Irving Tx to be precise has problems and dead spots on handhelds BUT, if its cell phones I dont know, it seems like more of a hill or building ubstruction dead spot, the reason i say that is they got too many cell phones here and the dead spots would be more, mabye the terrain in Kalamazoo is upstructing the handhelds and thats why they are upgrading the antenna

[Skud]

will be intersting as if I stand in certain places in my house I can get the plainwell tower and will love to see if after the upgrade if I get better reception.

[mikey60]

You all realize this thread is over 2 years old, and the work has long since been completed right?

Mike

[Skud]

darn Back to standing in one spot

[GTO_04]

Welcome to the wonderful world of 800 MHz!

GTO_04

[SLWilson]

Originally Posted by GTO_04

Welcome to the wonderful world of 800 MHz!
GTO_04

We live in the hills of Southern Ohio....800MHz sucks big time in hill country.

It seems like almost everyone in the whole country jumped to 800MHz equipment without understandiung the limitations. LINE OF SIGHT means just what it says.

Low band penetrated buildings, hills etc. Straight radio. No repeater...VHF Hi was a "little worse" at penetrating buildings, mobile homes and places officers had to go. Move to UHF and add a repeater to the mix, but, it was worse than VHF....

These agencies switching to higher and higher frequecies apparently just don't get it.

The higher in freq you go, the LOWER power they will allow you to operate at. The lower the power, the MORE towers you need to cover your area. The more $$$$ you have to spend to cover your area.

The state of Ohio went to a statewide trunked radio system. In our county, they had to install six towers to make it go. The sites are connect to a main computer (switching/relay) system in Columbus by T1 curcuits. (That up from their ONE tower they'd used on low band for similar coverage)

The 800MHz trunked system works great for them. But, they've got millions of dollars invested in the infrastructure AND a monthly fee they pay to Ma Bell for their T1 hookups to make it all go...As long as Ma Balkl doesn't fail, it will continue to be OK.

We are still operating with VHF Hi band equipment. Countywide. Until they buy us something new or run us off, this is most likely where we will stay.

Steve/KB8FAR