Salem PD

[nwassist]

In the last few months the Salem PD dispatch has has allot of repeater issues. They have had to switch around from channel one (main dispatch) to channel three (Records), but they are back to thier old channels now.I do not understand the technology enough to say what was wrong, but it sounded like a repeater would not turn off?
Starting last night, I noticed that the police cadets were using another repeater (460.600) to run security at the World Beat downtown and they were running plates and stopping persons. They seemed to do info requests from a mobile dispatcher and their numbers were in the 700's.
Does anyone know more than the little that has been on the Oregon forum about if Salem and other agencies are any time soon moving to a more advanced ( i.e. 800/700 or P25) system? The city of salem has an 800 system and is not used by the police but is by the fire department-which makes no sense at all.

 

[kilowa22]

There are currently no plans to upgrade or change the Salem PD frequency use. Salem PD can use the 800 MHz system also, but rarely does.

 

[Gezelle007]

There are currently no plans to upgrade or change the Salem PD frequency use. Salem PD can use the 800 MHz system also, but rarely does.

Do you, or does anyone have an idea why they are even patched together in the first place? Or why Salem even has an 800 system... seems like they have plenty of VHF to use down there considering the database.

 

[nwassist]

I personally do not understand why they did that especially when they have a combined station out at Chemeketa Community College and that they have to have both VHF and 800 radios to talk to each other. I have seen the Salem firefighters with the new APX Motorolas that are dual band but not all of them. I bet someone sold the city an 800 system that they said would expand and then it did not?
Thank you for the update on the Salem Police radios Kilowa22!

 

[Gezelle007]

...firefighters with the new APX Motorolas that are dual band...

That's interesting. Haha, I know that interoperability is the main concern- but In my opinion, the APX radios look pretty ugly.

 

[OregonScanner]

the motorola apx looks like it belongs in one of the Transformer movies.

 

[joescanner]

Salem has two distinct 800MHz systems, one that was (formerly?) owned & operated by Motorola (currently known as "B" tower, I believe), and another one that was funded by the city (or the fire department, as the case may or may not be).

Both systems are at the end of their warranty and support periods (i.e. outdated/obsolete site & zone controllers, etc.)

There have been a few discussions about what migration path should be followed, but as Kilowa22 says, no formal decisions have been made yet.

 

[Gezelle007]

the motorola apx looks like it belongs in one of the Transformer movies.

Definitely.

Both systems are at the end of their warranty and support periods (i.e. outdated/obsolete site & zone controllers, etc.)

Joe, when you say end of warranty and support, does this mean that the agencies have to go other routes for support or new equipment instead of Motorola when something breaks down?

 

[joescanner]

Joe, when you say end of warranty and support, does this mean that the agencies have to go other routes for support or new equipment instead of Motorola when something breaks down?

Correct. And moto trunker systems are very finicky. All of the components have to "match", so they are buying repair stuff from the third-party market to keep the system operational until a formal plan for replacement can be adopted...

 

[Gezelle007]

Correct. And moto trunker systems are very finicky. All of the components have to "match", so they are buying repair stuff from the third-party market to keep the system operational until a formal plan for replacement can be adopted...

Wow. All because Motorola wants people to upgrade I suspect...

 

[DickH]

Wow. All because Motorola wants people to upgrade I suspect...

Of course. Remember, Motorola is out there to MAKE MONEY. They don't care if it's a burden on the taxpayers.

 

[nwassist]

And Oregon is in real trouble when it comes to the budget. It looks like the kids got hit really hard this year as well. Does anyone know what happened with the budget and the new Oregon radio network?

 

[OregonScanner]

I looked on the OWIN website and it appears that instead of going with trunking to meet the narrowband requirement, they are just going to narrowband the conventional stuff they already have. Previous threads have stated that OSP is buying up Kenwood P25 capable radios...maybe OSP is going P25??

This is what the May 2011 OWIN progress report says:

The OWIN program has suspended development on more than 250 tower sites across the state, although the work carried out so far is being captured for later use. At 29 sites under development with local government partners, work on bid packages, leases and permits continue, although no new construction has been authorized.

 

[nwassist]

Thanks! I looked at the website a while back but it never seemed to change. I guess I should have looked because of everyone trying to get their money out of the budget. I think it is time to purchase some P25 stuff just in case the state changes over. (that is a good reason to tell the wife)