I Find This Interesting

[scanaholic]

The following appeared in Wednesday's Abilene Reporter-News Letters to the Editor:

New Radios Wasteful To City

The city hired a company to do a study for a new radio system. The local group included fire and police top officials. How does using two-way radio make them experts? That would be like asking me to pick out pumper trucks. Whatever the salesperson said, I would buy it.

Some city officials went to Wichita Falls to preview one of three systems in the study - an 800 MHz EDACS trunked system. During a ride along, the system crashed for over six hours. The system is run by computer - lose it and nobody talks. The city chose the EDACS system, while the state of Texas and other counties are going with standard P25 VHF systems. They knew the 800 MHz system could not talk to DPS or county radios.

The city wants the public to think this a new system - well, not really. The first 800 MHz trunked system was in Abilene in 1981 or '82. In the early '90s, WTU (AEP) put in the same EDACS 800 MHz networked system. The only new thing is some are digital radios, others analog. The company that did the study sold the EDACS to the city. Sounds like ''Radiogate'' to me.

The system's life span is eight to 10 years on taxpayer's 12- to 15-year bonds. Maybe the city didn't get that memo after 9/11 to use standard radio systems for all to talk. We didn't need an 800 MHz system. Taxpayers, we have been taken for a 14 million dollar ride.

David Swart

Abilene

 

[bpckty1]

Sounds like you have a Batwings connection.

;^>

 

[skipgoulet]

David: There is another thread in this forum that was posted a couple of weeks ago about Abilene's new system and the fact that they have encrypted the entire system so that not even the media could monitor their traffic. I understand now that the city may end up having to furnish some of the media with radios that will at least monitor their routine traffic.

About 10 years ago when Odessa went to its trunking system, the then-police chief bragged that they had a new system that no one could monitor again. Wrong! Didn't take long for Uniden and RS to come out with trunktrackers!! Now Odessa is going to a digital system and we're hearing the same song and dance again. Go figure.

It's going to be interesting to see how long it will take for the Abilene media to file under the Freedom of Information Act to get something going!

 

[scanaholic]

With ya' there, Skip. The skunks don't stay in the woodpile forever.

 

[skipgoulet]

With ya' there, Skip. The skunks don't stay in the woodpile forever.

Thanks. Incidents like this are what can get me up on my soapbox.....particularly when our rights as citizens get stepped on. As I've noted several times on this forum, the absolute paranoia by our alleged public servants about who listens to them is ridiculous. I mentioned elsewhere that once-upon-a-time, Odessa required a PERMIT for the media to listen to their traffic. A permit? Whoooooa! That was 40 years ago, but all this digital and encrypting is getting just as bad! I do some stringer work for one of the TV stations here and they were getting frantic about the new digital system; but they've gotten a new Pro2096, so they should be in good shape.

 

[scanaholic]

I know, it's a mess. I should've gotten the Pro2096, but I didn't want to spend that much. I guess I could return this one and have Shack order one, but I'll probably just keep the thing.

That's it exactly--paranoia! It makes me wonder what they don't want us knowing.
I've got kinfolks on my late mom's side out at Big Spring, and there used to be a lot of great uncles and aunts in the Midland area, so I know the territory!

 

[skipgoulet]

Tony: If you ever get a chance, go to Scanner Mater's website. They advertise on this site. A friend of mine here in Midland is getting them to custom "build" a pair of the good Bearcat digital scanners with all the trunking and digital stuff around here. He does some freelance news film on the side. I'm anxious to see how they turn out.

I'm glad to see that someone agrees with me!

 

[scanaholic]

Thanks for the site info. I'm thoroughly disgusted with this scanner. As I said on another thread, I've got it screwed good on 800, and am just listening to high band--all I can do. A bunch of symbols are flashing, and what it means, and what I need to do, I have no idea. I'll wise up some day and give this frustrating "hobby" up.

 

[skipgoulet]

Thanks for the site info. I'm thoroughly disgusted with this scanner. As I said on another thread, I've got it screwed good on 800, and am just listening to high band--all I can do. A bunch of symbols are flashing, and what it means, and what I need to do, I have no idea. I'll wise up some day and give this frustrating "hobby" up.

Tony: See my response on the other thread about Logical Channel Order for the Abilene trunk.

 

[scanaholic]

Howdy, Skip! I'll check that pup out-thanks.