This is a very proven system
We will have to agree to disagree there. Vocoder issues have been well-known for years now. And, as far as the Astro25 Smartzone/Omnilink and followon operating system resilience, MSI has been continually involved in lawsuits over how well it works:
Daryl Jones' Weblog - Digital Radio Problems
and they are not statewide
Most of the time, at least in Tennessee, in my experience, there's no need for 'statewide' capability. We survived on 460.400 for a long, long time.
and using a half working radio system in a high tourist area is NO VERY WISE FOR LIFE SAFETY.
No argument there. But your argument is based on a faulty assumption: that Sevier County's primary driver is ultimately the safety of the residents. I'm taking the high route, but you can search here and read some of the twisted history that has been brought to light.
As it is now if their site goes down they have nothing.
Technically (and, IP Simulcast Subsite failsoft concepts aside), this is sort of true for any radio service. I don't think it wise to provide examples in an open forum, because I don't want to help knobs with a roadmap to deading public safety radio services. But when the mountain goes dark, simplex is it.
With the state there is multiple mobile sites that can be brought in set up
Still, with a dead zone controller, and certain issues at the simulcast sites, until a COW can be trucked in from whereever it lives (there aren't that many in TN), your system is your cell phone.
if some event needs more coverage in comes the mobile site problem fixed.
This is another huge, ranty, pet peeve of mine. Motorola and Harris have a bad habit of underselling base radio capacity. They tell you right in their literature that all trunking systems are engineered on two predicated conditions:
1- It is improbable that a large percentage of users will want to make a call at one time; and 2- Most conversations are relatively short.
This sounds like the opposite of a best practice for disaster communications. Even with the eventual four slot system, there will be a lot of bonks in rurally-served areas struck with a Bad Day.
If you have a large incident in comes the techs and link the needed agencies and everybody talks (what would have been nice in the big wildfire not long ago.
This is great in theory. TEMA used to just keep containers of interop radios and flyaway kits to resolve this. It will be interesting to see how it works in real life, because again, right in the literature:
When planning to add a group, consider the possible impact on system resources. Large talkgroups,
multigroups, or agencygroups require resources at all sites with affiliated members and may cause
busies, especially if all members are in the same site. Consider the system's channel availability. The
infrastructure must be in place to support the traffic of added groups.
I'm not anti TVRCS/TACN. Nor am I pre-lawyer owned Motorola. I am pro the end user, by them self, answering what might be the last call of their life, and relying on a communications device built on averages and cost containment. (shrugs)
back on topic, Sevier County will continue to use a janky system until enough people say enough is enough and demand better.
