Bay County gives initial approval for microwave radio system

[Ronaldski]

http://www.mlive.com/bctimes/latest/...04.html#247076

Bay County gives initial approval for microwave radio system
Bay County commissioners on Tuesday gave initial approval for the county's 911 Central Dispatch to purchase a microwave radio system for $325,000.

The new system would replace existing phone circuits, currently leased from AT&T for $6,000 a month, which are used to transmit emergency and non-emergency radio traffic to Bay County responders. Many radio problems stem from the current phone circuits, and microwaving would be "much more reliable" and offer a built-in redundancy in the event of a failure, according to Kathy Hamme, Central Dispatch director.

The new equipment would be paid off over a five-year period, using existing funds from the 911 Fund Balance. The county would have to solicit competitive bids for the purchase.

Commissioners gave initial approval at this week's Ways and Means Committee, but will wait until next Tuesday's full board meeting for final approval. The board meets at 9 a.m. at the County Building, 515 Center Ave.

http://webpages.charter.net/radiosite/list

[n4voxgill]

wonder how in the world those telephone line radios worked that are being replaced. Reporters don't know anything.

[scanjunkie]

That'll be great...You can use your radio and heat up your lunch at the same time...what will they think of next?

[ffexpCP]

Originally Posted by n4voxgill

wonder how in the world those telephone line radios worked that are being replaced. Reporters don't know anything.

Phone lines are used all the time to get radio traffic from one place to another.

Usually when there are multiple receivers / transmitters / repeaters in remote locations. All that audio has to get to or from the dispatch console / radio site somehow. Tone control over leased lines is sometimes the best option.

I just connected new phone lines over the weekend to connect our new dispatch console with the repeater it controls. I may get ambitious and try to connect the other repeater as well. Once again, using our existing phone system.

This is the best option for us since the tower site is on the building next door to dispatch and we have a private phone system, there are no costs with it.

It looks like they had so many lines leased, it was now more cost effective/reliabile to go with a microwave link.

[n4voxgill]

While it is true that microwaves are RF, they are not radios as the word is commonly used in public safety. Microwave systems have been used for years and years for backhaul. The current move is to fiber optic lines. For years it was thought that microwave was bad to use in coastal areas as hurricanes would blow them out of alignment, and underground telephone or fiber optic was bad in earthquake areas as they would be cut by the ground shifting. A couple of years ago four hurricanes hit Central Florida in a short period of time and not one case of microwave was reported.

[Wyandotte]

Originally Posted by n4voxgill

wonder how in the world those telephone line radios worked that are being replaced. Reporters don't know anything.

Telex-Vega's website is a good place to learn about how radio modems work.