Opinions on (re)building a LMR system?

I have recently assumed a position on my local county's tv board which operates a number of TV translators in our area. Since I am the only board member with really any technical knowledge let alone radio experience (via amateur radio), I have been put in charge of our communications.

We (the TV district) is currently licensed for two frequencies, 1 repeater, 1 fixed base, 1 control station (6.1 meter rule, which I guess pertains to the maximum height of allowed antenna for this station), and 50 mobile stations. From what I can tell so far (I have yet to be able see any of the equipment) we do not have any narrowband compliant equipment (radio systems hasn't been used in years), the fixed base equipment was removed from the listed location years before, and subsequently became "lost". The control station as far as I can tell was at least at one time located with a radio tech who was contracted for a time, thought he is no longer in business. The repeater doesn't appear to be on, and may have suffered the same fate at the fixed base radio as it doesn't appear on current inventory lists for the location when it should be installed. Unfortunetly, due to weather, I'm unable to get to the repeater site for several months unless the need arises to take the snowcat up there to fix something else. And from what I understand, the mobile radios (3 of them) are late 80's to early 90's vintage Motorolas, probably 16ch maxtracs, so I am not sure the radios will be narrowband capable.

Im looking at putting a radio system together from basically scratch that will basically be used 4 to 6 times per year maybe. All of the radio sites are (theoretically) covered by cellular based on carrier coverage maps. With that in mind, do you think it's feasable to rebuild the system and make it compliant with FCC narrowbanding? While I believe the radio system should be rebuild and not have to rely on the cell network, I'm having a hard time justifying to myself that the costs would be worth it to the board and ultimatly to the taxpayers who fund the board thru their property taxes.

In essence, if you're in my shoes, do you spend the $$ on rebuilding the system or get a few cell phones?

Get a few cell-phones and put Zello on them.

Obviously they haven't used the system in a long time, so trying to justify the need to spend thousands of dollars to bring them up to spec on a system that they MAY use a few times a year is going to be extremely difficult.

My suggestion would be IF you have current licenses, AND current coordination.
Get something on the air. Like even an R1225 repeater.
They are pretty inexpensive.
Then a couple of inexpensive compliant radios.
If the license and coordination has lapsed, then the cell idea above is a pretty good suggestion.

Maybe if you explained why the "tv board" needs a two way radio system, considering the old one sort of disappeared and no one cared.

Seem like knowing exactly what the usage is might help us suggest something. However, I concur, if it hasn't been used in years and you think they'll only need it a few times a year, it probably isn't worth the cost.
If you don't run a system for that long, and don't update the license to narrow band, chances are your license is no longer valid. Getting a new license won't be difficult, but it won't be free.

Installation of an antenna at a proper location won't be an easy undertaking. Don't necessarily rely on the old one being any good.
The repeater, even a low end used one, will need to be programmed and aligned. Duplexers will need to be checked if you are using the old ones.

If you physically can't get to the site due to snow for several months a year, what is your plan for dealing with outages?

I think for the few times a year, you'd be better off with cell phones, or renting some radios.

mmckenna said:

Maybe if you explained why the "tv board" needs a two way radio system, considering the old one sort of disappeared and no one cared.

Seem like knowing exactly what the usage is might help us suggest something. However, I concur, if it hasn't been used in years and you think they'll only need it a few times a year, it probably isn't worth the cost.
If you don't run a system for that long, and don't update the license to narrow band, chances are your license is no longer valid. Getting a new license won't be difficult, but it won't be free.

Installation of an antenna at a proper location won't be an easy undertaking. Don't necessarily rely on the old one being any good.
The repeater, even a low end used one, will need to be programmed and aligned. Duplexers will need to be checked if you are using the old ones.

If you physically can't get to the site due to snow for several months a year, what is your plan for dealing with outages?

I think for the few times a year, you'd be better off with cell phones, or renting some radios.

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Usage would be for communications between techs and the tower contractor we use. Luckily, the licensing is still good for another 6 years, expiring in 2021 (KAN741). I figued we'd be starting from scratch at the repeater site (new antennas, coax, duplexer). As for site access, we have a snowcat, but I really cant justify paying a tech plus the fuel and wear and tear on the snowcat just to see if the equipment is still there. If we end up going up the mountain for anything else in the meantime, Ill hitch a ride and check things out, but I dont think its worth a special trip and vehicular access wont be feasable until late May at the earliest and some years as late as mid July.

Thanks for the replies, you pretty summed up what I already thought. I'll recommend going the cell phone route. We are licensed for up to 50 mobile stations up to 50 watts. Would some HTs doing simplex be within regulation for our mobile license? A few part 90 HTs may be handy to communicate around the sites for instance when someone is up a tower.

uli2000 said:

Luckily, the licensing is still good for another 6 years, expiring in 2021 (KAN741).

Click to expand...

It is valid in terms of date and status, however is not NOT narrowbanded. First thing is you need to narrowband the license.

uli2000 said:

Would some HTs doing simplex be within regulation for our mobile license? A few part 90 HTs may be handy to communicate around the sites for instance when someone is up a tower.

Click to expand...

Yes, on the "MO" frequencies. Portables are "mobiles".

It never hurts to check but if the equipment is from the early 90's it probably won't be narrowband compliant unless it was 900 MHz equipment.