Ottawa County going Digital

[jpadley85]

I was just informed this weekend that Ottawa County issued new Harris P25 radios to their fire departments in preparation for their move to a P25 compliant radio system this summer. They plan to be fully operational on the new system by August. Does anyone know if they are building their own stand-alone system or are they just jumping onto the new MARCS-IP system? I'm almost positive that they are NOT joining the NWORPSS, but I'm not 100% on that (I would assume that an additional tower would need to be built farther East to make that possible).

[wa8pyr]

Originally Posted by jpadley85

I was just informed this weekend that Ottawa County issued new Harris P25 radios to their fire departments in preparation for their move to a P25 compliant radio system this summer. They plan to be fully operational on the new system by August. Does anyone know if they are building their own stand-alone system or are they just jumping onto the new MARCS-IP system? I'm almost positive that they are NOT joining the NWORPSS, but I'm not 100% on that (I would assume that an additional tower would need to be built farther East to make that possible).

An earlier post and news story in this forum from a few months back indicated that they were looking at using Harris infrastructure and sharing the Harris P25 controller in Parma (which in turn will probably be interconnected with MARCS for interoperability). That would make the Ottawa County sites technically part of the Parma system.

I have no idea what came of that plan, however.

[jpadley85]

Originally Posted by wa8pyr

they were looking at using Harris infrastructure and sharing the Harris P25 controller in Parma. That would make the Ottawa County sites technically part of the Parma system.

How would that work? Parma in Cuyahoga County/NE Ohio and Ottawa Co. near Toledo/NW Ohio?

[ctpd845]

Originally Posted by wa8pyr

An earlier post and news story in this forum from a few months back indicated that they were looking at using Harris infrastructure and sharing the Harris P25 controller in Parma (which in turn will probably be interconnected with MARCS for interoperability). That would make the Ottawa County sites technically part of the Parma system.

I have no idea what came of that plan, however.

You are correct, they are going to share the Parma controller. The same company that built and maintains the Parma System, Cleveland Communications, will be building and maintaining the Ottawa County system.

[W8RMH]

Originally Posted by jpadley85

How would that work? Parma in Cuyahoga County/NE Ohio and Ottawa Co. near Toledo/NW Ohio?

It's all about IP (Internet Protocol) these days.

[jpadley85]

Ok, so I'm just confirming once more that they will NOT be using the new MARCS-IP tower that just went up in Oak Harbor? If I understand this all correctly, Ottawa County will be on their own system (either building a new tower or modifying their current one to accommodate the new system) with interoperability capabilities with both the MARCS-IP and NWORPSS, but will not actually be operating full time on the MARCS-IP or NWORPS systems. I have family on the fire departments in Ottawa County that don't know much about the radio system and I want to get my information correct before I go talking to them about it.

Also, just because Ottawa County will use Parma's controller doesn't mean that we will hear Ottawa County TGs on the Parma system, correct? Two separate systems sharing some hardware, not one system that is interconnected?

[rdale]

Ottawa Co TRS

[rdale]

In November they signed the the customer approval authorizations for the coverage and functional acceptance test plans for the 800 MHz P25 Radio Upgrade with the Harris Corporation. Per notes I had earlier, if MARCS accepts the system as a secure system then it can be interconnected directly to MARCS-IP and/or NWORPS. That has to do with the system key so I'm not sure what else can be known. I'll be down there often in May & June so I think testing will have begun by then.

[wa8pyr]

Originally Posted by jpadley85

Also, just because Ottawa County will use Parma's controller doesn't mean that we will hear Ottawa County TGs on the Parma system, correct? Two separate systems sharing some hardware, not one system that is interconnected?

Correct. Talkgroups can be set up to roam, or not. Roaming can also be geographically limited.

It's a similar idea to that which is being touted by MARCS (with places like Warren County, Lake County, Geauga County and so on): share the system controller since it's already there, but maintain your own sites as if you have a stand-alone system. Roaming can be limited if or as needed to help control loading, but everyone has seamless access to certain interoperable talkgroups.

[Intellifax]

Toledo Edison paid much of the bill for installing the original TRS in Ottawa County, due to the presence of the nuke plant there. Don't know if they kept up with the replacement of radios and so on as time went on.

Are they going to have any $$$ in this new system, other than what they require for their needs at Davis-Besse?

[rdale]

FirstEnergy is doing work on their towers in Lakeside, Oak Harbor and Clay Center. Sprint is paying $2.7 million and Ottawa County the remaining $300K. It will be a Phase 1 P25 LSM system. Latest go-live date I've seen is October 2013.

[jackj]

Why is Sprint paying anything, rdale? Are they going to use the tower for PCS/Cell service?

[quarterwave]

Originally Posted by jackj

Why is Sprint paying anything, rdale? Are they going to use the tower for PCS/Cell service?

Likely due to 800Mhz reconfiguration as part of the Nextel settlement/commitment with FCC on interleaved frequencies.

[wa8pyr]

Originally Posted by quarterwave

Likely due to 800Mhz reconfiguration as part of the Nextel settlement/commitment with FCC on interleaved frequencies.

AKA rebanding.

[rdale]

Yup. Found that in the commissioner notes, here's an article from last fall.

New 800 MHz system in works for Ottawa County

[rdale]

Stumbled across this note from March: "Marblehead Chief Waugh stated all of the older 800 radios in the county have been swapped out for new radios that include both the 800 frequency as well as the P25 system that will go into use this fall"