Washington County (WI) P25P2 VHF being replaced by 700Mhz system by 2026

EPHWIS

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30
Location
Howards Grove, WI
Looking a various public records it appears that Washington County is moving to a 700Mhz system. They currently use VHF with an overlay with 700Mhz. Here's information from the Washington County, Wisconsin 2024-2025 Adopted Budget:

"In 2018 the County implemented a 700 MHz overlay system (suitable for penetrating hardened buildings) in the communities of Hartford, Germantown, Slinger, and West Bend. Given the positive feedback associated with the overlay and the age of the original trucked VHF system, in 2019 the County Board approved a resolution authorizing a countywide buildout of the 700 MHz and the retirement of the VHF system. The Sheriff’s Office began the four-phase project in 2020, with preparations and work continuing on phases three and four. The cost of replacing the radio system and equipment is expected to be approximately $15M-$16M – the majority of which was funded with a debt issuance, and the remainder with sales tax collections from prior years that were allocated through the budget process to public safety projects. The principal and interest on the debt is funded in the current budget with sales tax collections".

Once the new towers are being utilized, the county will no longer lease space on water towers in Germantown and Hartford according to notes for future budget years.

Two new towers were constructed (Kewaskum & Hartford) and they will using a new Ozaukee County Tower (Pinnacle Tower on Hwy Y in Saukville).

I researched the towers in the FCC database and show the following for the county. I don't know if there are any other leased towers that might be used.

Tower Sites:
1031708
Constructed: 08/01/1986
43-19-57.0 N 088-15-36.0 W
NE CORNER LOVERS LN RD AND US 41
SLINGER , WI
Existing Tower

1031710
Constructed: 01/01/1986
43-26-28.0 N 088-11-42.0 W
1313 JEFFERSON ST
WEST BEND , WI
Existing Tower

1318522
Constructed: 08/30/2023
43-31-20.0 N 088-13-38.1 W
204 First Street
Kewaskum , WI
New tower

1320547
Cancelled
43-15-04.6 N 088-22-11.2 W
6695 State Highway 167
Hartford , WI
Cancelled because of community opposition; replaced by 1321732

1321732
Constructed: 06/02/2023
43-16-15.8 N 088-22-34.5 W
2291 State Highway 83
Hartford , WI
New Tower

1324096
Constructed: 08/30/2023
43-27-38.6 N 088-00-11.9 W
N5071 County Road Y
Saukville , WI
New-Ozaukee County Tower. There is information in the Ozaukee County Radio Committee minutes about Washington County using the tower.

The current license for the 700Mhz system (WQXU277) shows the following towers and frequencies:
Current Towers
West Bend
Slinger
Germantown (leased)
Hartford (leased)

Frequncies-FB2
770.25625
770.83125
771.25625
771.78125
772.13125
Frequncies-FX1/MO
800.25625
800.83125
801.25625
801.78125
802.13125

Note sure if they will add additional frequencies as the current VHF system has 10 channels.
 

ScanWI

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Location
Wisconsin
Frequncies-FB2
770.25625
770.83125
771.25625
771.78125
772.13125
Frequncies-FX1/MO
800.25625
800.83125
801.25625
801.78125
802.13125

Note sure if they will add additional frequencies as the current VHF system has 10 channels.

The 700 is running in Phase II mode now, so they have 8 voice paths vs 9 on the VHF. Adding one more repeater, which they could easily do, we then give them more capacity then they have now. This is interesting to watch this transition, similar to WISCOM moving to 7/800MHz.
 

lenk911

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Joined
Feb 24, 2007
Messages
86
Location
St Paul, MN
With the Harris Phase II system can't the control channel TDMA a voice channel which makes 9 total voice channels?
 

ScanWI

MN & WI DB Admin
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Messages
929
Location
Wisconsin
It can but it would only support Harris radios right now. I think Tait radios may also support a TDMA CC, but I don't think anyone else is there yet.
 

19-685

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Joined
Jun 2, 2023
Messages
114
Location
Badgerland U.S.A.
Just a thought here... any chance the VHF system would be transferred over to the state as a WISCOM VHF site - even with the planned WISCOM transition to 700Mhz?

Currently there is no WISCOM site in Washington County.
 

EPHWIS

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Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
30
Location
Howards Grove, WI
I am not sure if this a fact, but if you look at the link below for WISCOM costing study there is a listing on page 54 showing "Agency Summary Shared Subscriber and Network Cost" and Washington County is listed as having [1031] Mobiles, [640] Portables and [16] Control Stations on WISCOM at a yearly cost of $588,028. I was wondering if Washington County will turn their new network over the state? I don't want to start rumors, but you will have to look at the report and draw your own conclusions. The study is part of the WISCOM upgrade package-I am not sure of the date of the report, if it is still relevant or what the data means. Maybe it is only showing the data "if" a county decides to switch over or Washington County did not report the correct data for the survey. I just wonder why Washington County comes up the second largest user behind Dane County. Unfortunately Washington County is discussing these things in their Executive Team discussions and so the open records for meetings are very vague and don't provide any specfic information. The Executive Team will come up a proposals (beyond radio systems) and the County Board just "rubber stamp" approves those proposals without a lot of debate.

 

EPHWIS

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Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
30
Location
Howards Grove, WI
This was posted in Jerry Smith N9YTH's grants for this week. Not sure if it is related to radio upgrade. I'll let the experts comment . . .

WASHINGTON, COUNTY OF
500 ROLFS AVE
WEST BEND WI 53095
ULS FCC View

Callsign: WPLX932
Radio Service: GE-Public Safety/Special Emergency and Public Safety, National Plan, 806-817/851-862 MHz, Conv

WASH CO SHERIFFS DEPT IS A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND WILL USE RADIO STATION TO COORDINATE ESSENTIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.

Action: MODIFIED

Area of Operation
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2 FIXED 432628.0N 881142.3W WEST BEND WASHINGTON WI
3 MOBILE 25.0 KMRA around site
4 FIXED 432541.3N 881021.0W WEST BEND WASHINGTON WI

Pwr ERP # of # of (A)nalog
Ref Class Freq Out Out Units Pagers (D)igital (X)Unknwn
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2 FB2 859.26250 100 324 1 0 8K10F1D (D),8K10F1E (D)
3 MO 814.26250 035 035 150 0 8K10F1D (D),8K10F1E (D)
4 FB2 859.26250 100 140 1 0 8K10F1D (D),8K10F1E (D)
 

Tim118

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Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 31, 2010
Messages
3
Looking a various public records it appears that Washington County is moving to a 700Mhz system. They currently use VHF with an overlay with 700Mhz. Here's information from the Washington County, Wisconsin 2024-2025 Adopted Budget:

"In 2018 the County implemented a 700 MHz overlay system (suitable for penetrating hardened buildings) in the communities of Hartford, Germantown, Slinger, and West Bend. Given the positive feedback associated with the overlay and the age of the original trucked VHF system, in 2019 the County Board approved a resolution authorizing a countywide buildout of the 700 MHz and the retirement of the VHF system. The Sheriff’s Office began the four-phase project in 2020, with preparations and work continuing on phases three and four. The cost of replacing the radio system and equipment is expected to be approximately $15M-$16M – the majority of which was funded with a debt issuance, and the remainder with sales tax collections from prior years that were allocated through the budget process to public safety projects. The principal and interest on the debt is funded in the current budget with sales tax collections".

Once the new towers are being utilized, the county will no longer lease space on water towers in Germantown and Hartford according to notes for future budget years.

Two new towers were constructed (Kewaskum & Hartford) and they will using a new Ozaukee County Tower (Pinnacle Tower on Hwy Y in Saukville).

I researched the towers in the FCC database and show the following for the county. I don't know if there are any other leased towers that might be used.

Tower Sites:
1031708
Constructed: 08/01/1986
43-19-57.0 N 088-15-36.0 W
NE CORNER LOVERS LN RD AND US 41
SLINGER , WI
Existing Tower

1031710
Constructed: 01/01/1986
43-26-28.0 N 088-11-42.0 W
1313 JEFFERSON ST
WEST BEND , WI
Existing Tower

1318522
Constructed: 08/30/2023
43-31-20.0 N 088-13-38.1 W
204 First Street
Kewaskum , WI
New tower

1320547
Cancelled
43-15-04.6 N 088-22-11.2 W
6695 State Highway 167
Hartford , WI
Cancelled because of community opposition; replaced by 1321732

1321732
Constructed: 06/02/2023
43-16-15.8 N 088-22-34.5 W
2291 State Highway 83
Hartford , WI
New Tower

1324096
Constructed: 08/30/2023
43-27-38.6 N 088-00-11.9 W
N5071 County Road Y
Saukville , WI
New-Ozaukee County Tower. There is information in the Ozaukee County Radio Committee minutes about Washington County using the tower.

The current license for the 700Mhz system (WQXU277) shows the following towers and frequencies:
Current Towers
West Bend
Slinger
Germantown (leased)
Hartford (leased)

Frequncies-FB2
770.25625
770.83125
771.25625
771.78125
772.13125
Frequncies-FX1/MO
800.25625
800.83125
801.25625
801.78125
802.13125

Note sure if they will add additional frequencies as the current VHF system has 10 channels.

If I am scanning this system with an SDS100... Do I need to have both the VHF and 700mhz frequencies in the scanner? Or just the 700mhz ?
 

EPHWIS

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
30
Location
Howards Grove, WI
If you are in West Bend, Germantown or Hartford the 700mhz would give you better coverage, for the areas outside of that that VHF will be better. If you download the system from Sentinel the scanner will monitor both sets. I deleted the 700mhz because I am in Sheboygan Co and the 700mhz aren't received here.
 
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