El Paso Cnty not joining DTRS for awhile

[firescannerbob]

Information I learned at a meeting tonight...
Although plans are progressing for El Paso County to upgrade from the P16 system it now operates on to a full P25 system, it appears that it may be awhile before it can join the state DTRS. The problem appears to be in the version of firmware that El Paso County will upgrade to vs the firmware the state is using. Apparently, when El Paso County upgrades, its firmware version will be the most current version (all previous versions being obsolete and no longer supported by Moto) while the state system is several versions behind. The two versions are not compatible. For El Paso County to join the DTRS network will require the state to invest a few million dollars to upgrade to the latest firmware, and it's a few million dollars it doesn't have.
There has been some talk with installing a patch between the El Paso system and the state system (probably at the Cheyenne Mtn site), but it appears that that is not as easy as it would seem to be.
Long story made short: don't expect to hear El Paso County on the DTRS anytime in the near future.

 

[eyes00only]

Good info Bob. Makes sense that if they're going to spend the big bucks, they should go with the newest 'state of the art' system.

Jerry

 

[firescannerbob]

Good info Bob. Makes sense that if they're going to spend the big bucks, they should go with the newest 'state of the art' system.

Jerry

Well, they don't really have much choice. They couldn't install the (old) version that the DTRS is using, even if they wanted to.
At least we'll be a step ahead for awhile.

 

[RDCat]

makes sense!!!!!!!


re[ nice flag u inputted my friend!!!!!!!!1
ron

 

[k0pwo]

Bob, so is el paso county and the springs going to continue and upgrade the system to full p25 and just not be compatible with the state system or are they remaining on the current p16 version until the state upgrades as well.

 

[mpdonala]

upgrade

The system should be fully upgraded by the end of the year. have alot a radios to reprogram. Mark

 

[firescannerbob]

Bob, so is el paso county and the springs going to continue and upgrade the system to full p25 and just not be compatible with the state system or are they remaining on the current p16 version until the state upgrades as well.

What Mark said...the upgrade will continue, but the link with DTRS is a whole 'nother story. As a side note, for those who want to listen to our system from the Denver metro area (especially the south side of the metro area) it looks as though there will be a new tower for the El Paso Cnty system going up on the north end of the county (north of Black Forest) that will increase usability up there, and presumably make the system monitorable for those further north.
No details on CC's or anything...way too soon for that.
Bob

 

[jimmnn]

What Mark said...the upgrade will continue, but the link with DTRS is a whole 'nother story. As a side note, for those who want to listen to our system from the Denver metro area (especially the south side of the metro area) it looks as though there will be a new tower for the El Paso Cnty system going up on the north end of the county (north of Black Forest) that will increase usability up there, and presumably make the system monitorable for those further north.
No details on CC's or anything...way too soon for that.
Bob

El Paso County is already pretty easy to trunk from most areas in Douglas County south of C/E-470.

Additionally Cheyenne Mtn DTRS CC is receivable from many Denver Metro locations and it's not that busy but has a lot of wide area agencies affliating with it.

Jim<

 

[firescannerbob]

Yeah, my bad Jim...actually it is pretty good south of C/E-470, but when the new tower goes in, it will probably be monitorable for those NORTH of the Denver Metro area. The only issue that may occur (and of course, this is all just guessing right now) is whether the new site will be too far north and east to affiliate with Colorado Springs FD/PD tg's. Time will tell.

 

[k0pwo]

The only issue that may occur (and of course, this is all just guessing right now) is whether the new site will be too far north and east to affiliate with Colorado Springs FD/PD tg's. Time will tell.

I have my doubts that Springs Units will affiliate with a tower that is north of Black Forest so if you wish to monitor the springs off of that tower, I would pretty much guess that you would be way out of luck.

Dave

 

[firescannerbob]

I have my doubts that Springs Units will affiliate with a tower that is north of Black Forest so if you wish to monitor the springs off of that tower, I would pretty much guess that you would be way out of luck.

Dave

Some of the FD's up there work closely with CSFD (auto aid/joint response, etc). If they keep a radio set to a CSFD tg (not scanning the tg, but actually set to it), it should affiliate. If not, then you're correct, probably not going to happen. It's been my experience that once I go east on Hwy 24 past Peyton or Hwy 95 past Schriever AFB, I no longer get CSPD/FD on my scanner. Its not so much the "north" as it is the "east" location of the proposed site. CSFD/PD is monitorable all the way up I-25 to the county line, most likely by affiliating with the Stanley Canyon and Austin Bluffs site. All remains to be seen.

 

[k0pwo]

Its not so much the "north" as it is the "east" location of the proposed site. CSFD/PD is monitorable all the way up I-25 to the county line, most likely by affiliating with the Stanley Canyon and Austin Bluffs site. All remains to be seen.

I agree with ya Bob, when leaving the springs (heading north) I routinely monitor the CSPD/FD until I reach that rest stop area and then it goes away pretty much for good so I normally switch over to DTRS at that point. That is using an external gain antenna on the roof of the truck. When using the radio on the duck inside the vehicle I normally lose the system a mile or two past the county line.

 

[Tazcop]

I pick up CSPD and EPSO in the Simla and Matheson area. The control channels I see are Calhan and Fisher Canyon. As for them not switching, what happened to their grant? That was going to cover the programming and upgrades.

 

[firescannerbob]

Tazcop:
EPSO and CSPD TG's are two different animals. Since the EPSO has cars in all parts of the county, of course you'll pick them up in Simla, etc. Since they're out there, they're affiliating with the eastern sites. As for CSPD, the only reason why you may be getting them out there is because a CSPD officer may live out there (they keep their radios with them 24/7). I know that CSFD is typically not monitorable past Peyton because they're not affiliating with any towers that far east.

As for El Paso County and DTRS, you mis-read the post. They are upgrading to full P25, but not joining DTRS. The problem is that the DTRS firmware is an older, outdated version, and when El Paso Cnty upgrades it will have the newest version. The two versions don't work together. It's not a problem with El Paso County's funding, it's a problem with the state having a few million dollars to upgrade the firmware.

 

[Tazcop]

Sorry for the misunderstanding, I had to read it again, but I pick up all area commands with CSPD and fire channels as well. It keeps me in touch with area BOLO's because my dispatch, Elbert County misses them. I use a Pro 96 with the upgraded 800 antenna.

Jim

 

[ehlinke]

In another meeting there was talk of funding a microwave link into the state system with surplus grant funds this idea is in its infnacy, the engineers were here at the end of Jan working out some of the technical details. All of the radios will be rprogrammed with the apco16 channels as well as the apco 25 channels, radio id's have already been assigned. Flashcodes have been collected and now templates are being created for the intirm programing. expect 6 months from today before any radio is even touched. The black forrest site will be the equipment from the current temporary site that is in black forrest, it has been said that it is going up on a 300ft abandoned qwest celll tower around hodgen and black forest roads. Motorola is looking at colorado as its flagship system and hopefully they will upgrade the state software for some good PR especially since MA com is nipping at their heels. Will advise.

 

[firescannerbob]

The microwave link into the state system was discussed at the meeting I attended Monday night, and we were told that that idea has run into a large number of problems and it was doubtful that it would actually work. Not ruled out, but not looking good. We were told that the El Paso County system would likely remain an "island" unto its own. Don't expect any interface with the state system anytime soon.

 

[Tazcop]

Bob, When are the meetings, I would be interested in going to them, our OEM person hasn't heard about it. As we speak, our new DTRS radios are being programmed with thhe state P25 and El Paso County and I should get them next week.Who knows when will be on line.

Thanks,


Jim

 

[firescannerbob]

Bob, When are the meetings, I would be interested in going to them, our OEM person hasn't heard about it. As we speak, our new DTRS radios are being programmed with thhe state P25 and El Paso County and I should get them next week.Who knows when will be on line.

Thanks,
Jim

I wasn't aware that one radio could be programmed for both P25 and P16 systems. Interesting to see if/how that works.
As for "meetings", there are meetings all the time for different groups. The meeting I attended on Monday was for the Pikes Peak Fire Chiefs Forums. Thre are other meetings all the time for different groups during which these things are discussed.

 

[firescannerbob]

Motorola is looking at colorado as its flagship system and hopefully they will upgrade the state software for some good PR especially since MA com is nipping at their heels. Will advise.

Motorola has NEVER done a project that big for free, and I seriously doubt they're going to start now.

BTW, didn't see a rep from your agency at the Chiefs meeting Monday, or you'd be up-to-date on the latest news...