I-95 and NCSHP

[KM4WLV]

On the vehicular repeater stuff........ When I was working at the Troop E radio shop (2000-02) we were pulling the old Tait stuff out of the cars then as the Troopers were being assigned 800 portables. This however was only in counties where the troopers had talkgroups on local systems such as Rowan, Cabarrus, etc. I don't know what they were doing in other Troops. When we pulled the Tait stuff out some of it would get damaged by "accident" coming out of the car so it would be unusable later. I absolutely HATED those things. They had a pin switch that activated when the trooper would take the portable out to tell the VHF to retransmit through the low band. For some reason those things would act up & cause the LB to transmit all the time. PITA.

@CFP387 - I saw those guy too & they were in fact Low Band antennas on the cars

 

[CCHLLM]

When I was working at Troop D Radio Shop, Tait = FAIL. Yes, I remember the internal switches, the crappy cables with Molex connectors, the portables (actually built by Repco in FL), and the feces grade audio quality. There were some few Syntor 9000s in the cars that had the sweet two-box MotherMoto setup complete with the Circle M siren and VRS options, and an HT1000 portable with mobile charger and a MaxTrac as the high band mobile, but those were very few and very far between. I'm not sure what the parameters were that got a trooper chosen to sport one of those setups in his cruiser.

With all that negative vibe about Tait being said, everything I've seen from Tait since has been rather good quality, and they aren't farming out their portable manufacturing to junk dealers anymore. I would bet that Repco deal was done to get into the North American market.

 

[KM4WLV]

When I was working at Troop D Radio Shop, Tait = FAIL. Yes, I remember the internal switches, the crappy cables with Molex connectors, the portables (actually built by Repco in FL), and the feces grade audio quality. There were some few Syntor 9000s in the cars that had the sweet two-box MotherMoto setup complete with the Circle M siren and VRS options, and an HT1000 portable with mobile charger and a MaxTrac as the high band mobile, but those were very few and very far between. I'm not sure what the parameters were that got a trooper chosen to sport one of those setups in his cruiser.

With all that negative vibe about Tait being said, everything I've seen from Tait since has been rather good quality, and they aren't farming out their portable manufacturing to junk dealers anymore. I would bet that Repco deal was done to get into the North American market.

Yeah, we had 3 troopers in E that had the Motorola VRS setup. Had the MaxTrac hi band & HT1000 portables. I'm not sure how many troopers used to beg me when doing a removal of one of these to "save" it to go in their cars, lol.

We had a "ghost" in our shop that liked to throw some of that old Tait stuff against the wall, lol. But I agree, the stuff they are putting out today seems to be more stable.

 

[yardbird]

The larger antennas mounted on the left rear fender are used primarily in the mountain counties because of terrain.

I know that most of the Troop F cars still use this type antenna.

It is vary rare that you will see many of them were the Viper radios are working, unless it happens to be spare car that hasn't been miled out yet.

David

 

[CFP387]

I saw those guys too & they were in fact Low Band antennas on the cars.

So you were at Chic-Fil-A circling the building trying to find a place to park too, huh?

I just wish I could have saw one of those guys to tell if they held any ranking or if they were just regular troopers. That may would help with identifying them by their car number.

The larger antennas mounted on the left rear fender are used primarily in the mountain counties because of terrain.

That must mean that they are full 1/4 wave antennae. Did SHP ever have any high band repeaters in use in the mountain counties, or did the low band always seem to work best?

 

[yardbird]

When this first started all SHP regular troopers had Tait in car repeater sytems in their issued patrol vehicles.

When I use the term regular troopers I mean the traditional trooper that graduated from the basic 26 week school in Raleigh. I am not talking about the old DMV Officers that took a 13 week transition school to become troopers.

I will follow up later with this.

David

 

[yardbird]

To follow-up

Most of the marked SHP cars had the old Tait cross-band repeaters.

Most of the unmarked SHP cars had the combination 16 Channel Maxtrac-HT-1000 repeater set-up.

The HT-1000 were really nice radios

SHP also experimented with GPS on the patrol cars as well. These were the round white disks mounted on the roof in the center near the back windshield.

Well they found out they didn't work like they were hoping it would, so them we began taking them out and them they were sent by to C&L to be sent to state suplus to be auctioned off.

With age of new technology. I feel like in the next three to four years the Low Band will be gone and the only thing will be 800Mhz Viper Radios.

Right now they are installing Viper mobiles in the cars along with the low bands for safety purposes in-case the troopers get in an area without Viper Coverage.

Right now Viper Coverage is great in the eastern part of the state. They are slowly building the towers for the western part of the state and the way the budget is no telling how long it will be before the build-out is complete.

Just my thoughts.

David

 

[CFP387]

With age of new technology. I feel like in the next three to four years the Low Band will be gone and the only thing will be 800Mhz Viper Radios.

Took a good look at E937's Tahoe today and I didn't see a low band antenna on the truck, just one short black 800 antenna.

Most of their communication is probably on the MDT, I'd assume.

 

[yardbird]

Interesting!

Most of the trooper Tahoes have the Low Band Antenna mounted on either the left or right front quarter panel.

The trooper Tahoe you looked at was a MCSAP trooper. This is a trooper that does not weight trucks.

His job is to inspect and respond to seroius personal injury and fatality vehicle accidents that involve a commercial motor vehicle.

These troopers are paid for in part by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. They are not allowed to be assigned to any special events in the state (ie. direct traffic, stand-by at the state fair, ect).

The MCSAP troopers can be assigned to the State Fair, but they are usually assigned to do inspections on motor coach and tour buses.

These trooper are not even allowed to be fire arms or any other type instructor that does not pertain to ther job function.

We just had a MCSAP trooper to transfer back to a Size & Weight trooper because he is a fire arms instructor and was not giving that up to satify the Feds.

The Federally funded troopers are designated by call signs x930 to x937

x= Means the troop

I work with the troopers in H9 and when the Feds found out the MCSAP troopers were being assigned to work traffic at the McAdenville Christmas Lights and work traffic for Charlotte Motor Speedway the Feds had a hell raising fit.

The Feds told the state that since they were funding part of the program that they did not want those troopers doing any other traditional trooper duties and wanted them to concentrate on Federal Motor Carrier issues.

By the way the Federally funded MCSAP troopers were the first in the state to be issued Motorla Astro Spectra 800 Mhz mobiles, because the Feds bought them.

The MCSAP troopers being Federally funded get the newest equipment first. The Feds replace their Panasonic Toughbook every couple of years.

The MCSAP troopers are using the new Panasonic Toughbook CF-30, while the regular troopers are still using the CF-29.

Hope this helps

David

 

[oft]

Speaking of the NCSHP patrol cars, anyone seen the striping scheme on the redesigned Chargers?

NC SHP 2011 Charger - Crownvic.net

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I saw two today in my travels, but one of them did not have the black striping on any part of the front fender. The black stopped right at the stamping on the door. But what really caught my interest was that on the back of the patrol car, was a 3-4 foot trunk/fender mount antenna with a huge air-cooled coil in the center that looked very similar to those "predator 10-k" CB antennas. I am wondering for both the sake of aerodynamics and for the sake of being more covert, if this is the new low band antenna of choice now instead of the ole classic 8 foot stainless steel whip that was mounted to the side with one of those side ball mount kits?

 

[CFP387]

But what really caught my interest was that on the back of the patrol car, was a 3-4 foot trunk/fender mount antenna with a huge air-cooled coil in the center that looked very similar to those "predator 10-k" CB antennas. I am wondering for both the sake of aerodynamics and for the sake of being more covert, if this is the new low band antenna of choice now instead of the ole classic 8 foot stainless steel whip that was mounted to the side with one of those side ball mount kits?

Did you see this around the Wilmington area, or was it in the western part of the state?

 

[oft]

CFP387

on I-40 in Pender County going westbound towards Raleigh

 

[CFP387]

on I-40 in Pender County going westbound towards Raleigh

Wow. Never would have guessed you'd seen that in the part of the state that has the best VIPER coverage.

 

[SCPD]

It was probably "predator 10-k CB antenna" some troopers have CB's in their vehicles, but I would have thought that they would have used something a little more "professional" looking

 

[SCPD]

yardbird that's what happens when you take money from the Federal Government, they try to run your life

 

[yardbird]

Just like the State's New Enterant Auditors

They are paid in part by the Federal Governement as well.

They drive around to trucking business doing audits of their books and talk to them about Federal Dot regulations.

These are civilian employees just like myself.

What really ticks us other state employees off, since the auditors are Federal funded the state provides with all the perks of a trooper. They get a state car, state gas, they get an hours drive time to and from the office.The only difference between them and the troopers is they do not have blue lights, siren, powers of arrest or a fire arm.

You can identify them by the color of the car.

The car is usually silver or tan in color, it will look like an unmarked petrol car the only difference will be they will be running the yellow and black state owned vehicle license plate instead of the regular First in Flight tag like the troopers display.

Heck the other civilian employees have raised hell about the civilian auditors being allowed to drive there state owned cars home, but were told since the Feds partly paid for their position there was nothing that could be done. We told the powers to be that the auditors should be made to park there state cars at there office and be made to drive their personal vehicles to and from there work site just like the rest of the civilian highway patrol employees have too.

Just my thoughts

David

 

[CFP387]

When did the state get "Entrant Auditors"? When the state audited trucking companies in the past, did they not drive a fully marked patrol car? I don't know if the personel in the car were in uniform but I'm pretty sure the car they were driving was marked.

Does every troop have auditors based out of their office now or are they only in certain parts of the state and required to travel if needed? I'm sure this issue has went over well with you and those you work with. I can't imagine what someone who is a state employee working a job that is in part federally funded can get away with.

 

[yardbird]

The New Enterant Auditors started shortly after the Weigh Station Operator program began in 2005.

Each troop has the following auditors:

Troop A has Two
Troop B has Two
Troop C has Two
Troop D has Two
Troop E has Two
Troop F has Two
Troop G has Two
Troop H has Three

Troop H has three civilian auditors, because of all the major trucking companies that run out of Charlotte.

They follow the same Federal guidelines as the troops.

The have to do there audits, plus maintain 32 level I inspectons as well.

The Feds require all troops and auditors to be Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) certified.

Each year from the period from October 1st to September 30th they have to have thirty two (32) level I inpsections.

A Level I inspection is a complete truck inspection. This includes checking under the hood, checking the brakes etc.

A Level II is a basic truck check. This includes checking the lights, horn etc.

A Level III is a driver inspection only. This includes checking the driver logbook and medical card.

Hope this helps

David

 

[CFP387]

Do these auditors have MDT's in their cars or do they use VIPER to communicate to their respective offices?

 

[yardbird]

The New Entrant Auditors have all the equipment that the other size & weight troopers do with the exception of the badge, gun & powers of arrest.

They are issued MDT's

They still have Low Band radios in their cars

Here recently they were all issued Motorola XTS 5000 portable radios with Viper programed in them.

They do check on and off with there communications center.

They go by car number #X-24-26

#= Troop letter A-H

Example for an auditor in Troop E would be EX-24

Like I said they have the same color of car as an unmarked trooper with the exception of the license tag being yellow instead of the First in Flight tags.

Hope this helps

David