Vigo Sheriff wants new $200,000 radio tower

[scannerfreak]

http://www.tribstar.com/local/local_story_146210344.html

Terre Haute — To reduce long-term costs and consolidate public safety communications for Vigo County, Sheriff Jon Marvel is seeking approval to erect a new 300-foot radio tower near the Vigo County Security Center.

The cost would be $211,265 for the new tower near 201 Cherry St.

Marvel plans to pay for the tower from the county’s E911 fund. That fund last year generated $543,848 from a fee for wireless and landline telephones in the county, according to the Vigo County Auditor’s office.

So far this year, the fund has generated $352,149, which includes a one-time state distribution of $126,588, according to the auditor’s office. “The money is there to pay for this,” Marvel said.

Currently the Sheriff’s Department shares a radio tower on the south side of the former Terre Haute Coke and Carbon facility in the 2000 block of South 13th Street. That system would be moved to the new tower, along with a VHF radio system that uses a tower on top of City Hall. That tower is not properly grounded and has caused electrical problems in the past, Marvel said. In addition, Marvel contends it would be the opportune time for the county to take down an old radio tower near the Wabash River on property of the county’s “old jail,” while a crane to build a new tower is nearby.

Vigo County Commissioner David Decker said the old tower is not painted, does not have lights and must be taken down.

Marvel said no cost estimate had been made on dismantling that tower.

That tower currently is used by the Vigo County Park and Recreation Department. Marvel said the park system would be moved to the new tower, along with the county highway department, which currently leases a separate tower south of Interstate 70, west of the Wabash River.

“We wanted to move all the county agencies to this new tower because our system is backed up with a large generator on the south side of the [security center],” Marvel said. “The equipment would be behind 3-foot walls [in the basement]. It is just the place to put it in my opinion,” Marvel said.

Marvel said a grounding system at the county’s security center would prevent a new tower from causing electrical problems.

“This will facilitate radio signals west, where we have issues with, and up to the Vermillion [County] tower,” Marvel said. The county is part of the Indiana State Police’s 800 megahertz radio system, which allows signals to be broadcast throughout the state.

“If the tower is put someplace other than [the security center], then we have to rent phone lines to get the signal from there to here. Here, all we do is run it through the wall and it goes right out. That saves costs,” Marvel said, adding that the savings are long-term.

The new tower would have to be painted red and white in order not to have many lights. However, if painted, for example, brown or some other color to camouflage it, the tower would be required to have several lights.

Decker said he has asked the Sheriff’s Department for quotes on the cost of a camouflaged tower and without a painted one. “I think this is a good deal for public safety, but I want to see all the information before making a decision,” Decker said.

Commissioner Judith Anderson said she also thinks the project is needed, but she has some concern about its location. Commissioners are expected to review the issue again within the next few weeks before reaching a decision.

 

[SLWilson]

Sounds good but....

The story all sounds like a good idea.

Get rid of old worn out towers. Get everybody on generator...

BUT....I wonder if they have had anyone do an intermod study with all the frequencies that will be involved.

Be awful to get all that equipment moved over to one tower and find out you can't get enough separation on your VHF Hi antennas and they interfere with each other.

Steve/KB8FAR

 

[jerk]

Well does that mean NEW freqs. or New Public Safety System ?

I imagine they'll use this as an opportunity to narrow band. But they maybe just talking about changing the license information. But could be a new system, new frequncies, and perhaps from reading the article Safe-T equipment on the tower. Of course it could be on one of the old ones. I don't know not in the local area.

But if they are smart, they'll narrow band the VHF frequencies at the same time.

AL

 

[kb9sxk]

$200,000 will only get a tower. Any other changes need $$$$$$$$

 

[SLWilson]

Overpriced?

$200,000 will only get a tower. Any other changes need $$$$$$$$

This tower is a freestading 350 footer used for the Ohio MARCS system. It didn't cost $200,000.oo....

Steve/KB8FAR

 

[billy875]

Well ,
Vigo County Fire Dept. 800mhz freqs. : 856.7125 857.7125 859.7125 860.7125 867.375 ,
you can't here the other fire units come on the channels , some of the units . Some one needs to fix the channels . When they are VHF Channels : 153.770 154.130 154.160 154.175 154.355 154.385 154.445 , you can't here on VHF Freqs .
I hope we get those freqs.

 

[kb9sxk]

This tower is a freestading 350 footer used for the Ohio MARCS system. It didn't cost $200,000.oo....

Steve/KB8FAR

Installed, permits, engineering......

I be it was close.

 

[scannerfreak]

It may not have cost 200K depending on the contract Ohio had. They may have had the same company doing multiple, if not all, towers at a better rate than just 1 tower. Also, unlike Ohio, If a local agency pays to build a tower to be part of the Statewide system, the State will pay for all future operating and maintenance costs of the site

 

[retroactiv]

The city has great coverage along with all of the county from the existing sites, dunno why they would want a Safe-T site there... Unless city is going to switch to Safe-T (doubt it)....

 

[jerk]

The city has great coverage along with all of the county from the existing sites, dunno why they would want a Safe-T site there... Unless city is going to switch to Safe-T (doubt it)....

Ah, but it sells, it sells the system to politicians, and they won't never, ever know the difference.

Plus, if they really are savvy politicians, they can get some State money to pay for it. That's what I think.
AL

 

[EngineerZ]

This tower is a freestading 350 footer used for the Ohio MARCS system. It didn't cost $200,000.oo....

Steve/KB8FAR

I'll bet you it was pretty close... and with the rising cost of steel today, a 350-foot self-supporter will easily cost $200,000. I can tell you from personal experience that quotes for the steel alone on a 330-footer are currently coming in around $110k wheras five years ago the same tower steel would have cost $80k. (And this is under a non-government contract for a moderate number of towers.) The foundation and erection will cost another $70k. Toss in the the engineering (surveying, soil borings, geotechnical analysis, and foundation design) and you're at $200k.

--z