Any talk of???

[Maine45]

There is no requirement to be "P-25 enabled"

What is being referred to here is the requirement that has been in place for several federal grants that radios bought with grant money be P25 digital-capable. This was the case for several rounds of Homeland Security grants.

This requirement could be met by purchasing radios that could be later upgraded to digital operation, though not necessarily able to operate in digital mode right out of the box. (Several Motorola XTS series radios can be bought this way-it is typically several $100's to later upgrade).

It is arguable what term (capable/enabled/etc) actually describes this situation.

 

[sdu219]

My department just spent a boat load of money to get rid of the old centracom and go to a computer based dispatch console (gold or gold elite) and no mention of digital. Hell we had a radio study done my the "Big M" and we need 6 voting repeaters because of deadly dead spots and they have not done that so I cant imagine they would go digital or narrow band the freq. either.

 

[TrenchFeeder]

I don't think a lot of towns have the money to switch radios either, so what happens when 2013 comes along?

Uncle Sam and the tax payers will foot the bill that's what

 

[KB1UAM]

i know here in new bedford mass, the city will be passing in a proposal to the city council, for a grant to switch to P25 digital like dartmouth police did. also all other city departments may be switching to a MOTOTRBO system, also we will be applying for an interop channel analog mode for all city departments to switch to that channel during an emergency.

 

[ecps92]

If they just redid the radio system, then the new radios are probably already Narrowband or Narrowband capable. FYI Narrowbanding is mandatory, not optional.

My department just spent a boat load of money to get rid of the old centracom and go to a computer based dispatch console (gold or gold elite) and no mention of digital. Hell we had a radio study done my the "Big M" and we need 6 voting repeaters because of deadly dead spots and they have not done that so I cant imagine they would go digital or narrow band the freq. either.

 

[sdu219]

I know the radios are capable. I have 2 of them installed in my personal vehicle (VHF and UHF) and I do the programing. They have no clue about radios and I have tried but I am just a lonely Ptlm in the machine that just happens to know a lot about radios. I may look dumb, but thats all part of the act. They contract with a radio shop that could tell them they need a green widget and they would get it, but the important stuff "FORGET ABOUT ITTTTTT". I do know BAPERN is coming to the deep south shore in a short order. Hell I told them about Ply Cnty BCI going digital in April and volunteered to reprogram the radios. NOOOOOOOOOOOO We still have to call them by phone. I have them in my cruiser on digital and I can call them but the other radios cant. They have an agenda and radios are not on them.

 

[Junior08]

Since when has Plymouth County BCI gone digital?

 

[ecps92]

Mark, didn't you get the Memo ???

Plymouth County Sheriff Department - Scan New England Wiki


PCSO BCI went Digital, just like Boston Police and Boston Fire.

Digital Private Line [DPL] that is, not P25 :twisted:

Since when has Plymouth County BCI gone digital?

 

[N1BHH]

Mark, didn't you get the Memo ???

Plymouth County Sheriff Department - Scan New England Wiki


PCSO BCI went Digital, just like Boston Police and Boston Fire.

Digital Private Line [DPL] that is, not P25 :twisted:

Again there's more and more misinformation from the ill-informed. Mark and Bill understand these things. I ran into an old cop buddy who retired a while ago and he tried telling the guys that heard those same rumors about digital and told them, "You have to listen to the complete sentence, which contained the words 'private line' after the word digital," til he was blue in the face. And of course none of them understand their own radios nor how to change channels.

 

[garys]

Back in the mid 1990s when I was working in New Bedford we had clunky old GE Rangers to talk to NBPD and FD on. Our primary radio had the CHP style control head, the others the standard ranger head. About 1998 or so we were told that we had to buy all new portable and mobile equipment because NBPD was buying new Motorola radios to replace their collection of Kenwood, RELM, and other radios. So, the hospital spent a fair amount of money on new mobile and portable radios, only when NBPD upgraded, they didn't even go to digital PL.

There are always rumors floating around about this stuff and a lot of misinformation.

 

[sdu219]

I think a big decision has to be made when a community goes to DPL because the other towns (around it) loose the ability to communicate with them on their channel. The reason they loose the ability is because the equipment that has been in use for so long does not have the ability to do DPL or the money is not there to buy the new DPL board for the controler. I think PC BCI was having a problem with interference and DPL was the logical choice. Very large undertaking. I have to give Lt Billings credit. Scott has his head on straight and he pulled it off.Its as inconvienent as changing your e-mail address. I dont think you will see to many more Pd's or FD's changing unless they have a problem with conventional PL such as bleed. Abington fire and Rockland fire are the only DPL dept in Ply County. Why? I have no idea? Maybe they got new equip?? I just hope P25 does not migrate to this area. If it does it will be disastrous and costly.
Scott

 

[ecps92]

Norwell is DPL, Plenty of DPL in Bristol and only a few of the MBHSR channels went DPL.

95% of any of the radio bought in the last 10 yrs are likely capable of DPL

I think a big decision has to be made when a community goes to DPL because the other towns (around it) loose the ability to communicate with them on their channel. The reason they loose the ability is because the equipment that has been in use for so long does not have the ability to do DPL or the money is not there to buy the new DPL board for the controler. I think PC BCI was having a problem with interference and DPL was the logical choice. Very large undertaking. I have to give Lt Billings credit. Scott has his head on straight and he pulled it off.Its as inconvienent as changing your e-mail address. I dont think you will see to many more Pd's or FD's changing unless they have a problem with conventional PL such as bleed. Abington fire and Rockland fire are the only DPL dept in Ply County. Why? I have no idea? Maybe they got new equip?? I just hope P25 does not migrate to this area. If it does it will be disastrous and costly.
Scott

 

[sdu219]

Yes Bill that is true if you bought radios in the last 10 yrs. I cant remember when the last time we bought new radios. We still use some of the old Spectra's that they take out of junk cars and put in new cars. They still work for what they are needed for. I am not supprised we dont used the old motrac with the scan head. LOL

 

[w2csx]

Uncle Sam and the tax payers will foot the bill that's what

You're probably right.

 

[ecps92]

Nothing New, it's been called TAXES, for many years.

You're probably right.