City of San Angelo Radio System

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KG5HHS

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The city of San Angelo has been talking about a "New Radio System". I'm a little confused as to what is really going to happen. I will start out by saying I don't know much about trunking or EDACS. Currently the city has an EDACS System with both Digital & Provoice voice modes. There are 3 different towers. One on St. Ann st, one on Southland, and another in Christoval (17miles away).
Radio Communications is very "secure" here in san angelo. The only thing that you can hear on a scanner is PD Dispatch, FD Dispatch, FD Tac's, and City Department OPS. Everything else is Provoice.

Here are some articles that I have found.
06/04/2015
City Approves $5.7 Million Emergency Radio Network Upgrade

06/11/2015
City Radio System Gets an Upgrade - Story | ConchoValleyHomepage

I don't quite understand if they are just adding new equipment or what. I know the biggest argument with the city is that no one can talk to them. When I was able to look at the dispatch equipment they have the ability to patch (at the time it was TX Law 1,TX Med 1, TX Fire 1, ucalld, ucall1d, ucall2d, ucall3d, 8call90d, 8tac91d, 8tac92d, 8tac93d) I know those aren't correct as far as wording but that's what was listed. They also had a VHF radio with the SO Frequencies (which are digital) & a "Wildcard" VHF Radio with all the other surround agencies frequencies in it to be able to patch.. so the argument that no one can talk to them is invalid. They just have to go through SAPSC Dispatch to get it done. I'm not sure what this Phase 2 upgrade or Interop Gateway is everyone is talking about.
I understand EDACS is going to unsupported by 2017 but if the city has the ability to patch pretty much any frequency, then why upgrade their Interoperability... aren't they already inter operable?
Like I said, I don't know very much so my thinking could be completely wrong on this. I'm just wanting someone to clarify what is going on with this radio system.
 

bpckty1

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How old is the system?

Sometimes spare parts are not readily available due to being obsolete and need to be replaced by a "newer" system of the same type with upgrades (read $$$$ for the manufacturer).

This could also be because of FCC mandates as to bandwidth narrowing so more frequencies/channels can be used in the specific section of the spectrum being used.

I suspect a mixture of both, due mainly to the FCC mandates.
 

nd5y

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On page 60 of this city council agenda http://www.cosatx.us/Home/ShowDocument?id=11949
it says: The reason for the upgrade is due to our radio system being upgraded to the P25 Phase 2 simulcast system. This will replace our current EDACS system.

It looks like San Angelo is moving from EDACS to P25 phase II. The same thing that Midland, Lubbock and Irving did and Abilene and Wichita Falls will do in the near future.

Many other places around the country are doing the same thing because Harris is ending support for EDACS in 2017.

An interoperability gateway in this case is probably a conventional analog radio (or several) that can patch state or national interoperability channels or local outside agency repeaters to talkgroups on a trunked system. Depending on what they get it could also allow IP connections to other regional trunked systems.

There there is probably more information in your city council agendas, minutes and bids. I did't look that hard or long.
 
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bpckty1

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Sounds like your area may be moving to a regional interop network, such as TxWARN and GATTRS.. That and federal $$$$ motivates the various agencies to join in to the system.

Plus, Phase 2 does give the user agencies more options, especially encryption. So, that would cover the Provoice section of your current system.

Just make sure you have a radio that can receive Phase 1 and Phase 2 systems. See the options in the Scanners, Receivers and Related Equipment Forums section .

Is this system going to remain EDACS, or will it become a Motorola system?
 
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KG5HHS

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Sounds like your area may be moving to a regional interop network, such as TxWARN and GATTRS.. That and federal $$$$ motivates the various agencies to join in to the system.

The Concho Valley Counsil of Governments has a trunked radio in most of the 13 counties, however, funding runout and the switch was unable to be installed. This system is not used as far as I know.
 

KG5HHS

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Ok, so this is starting to make some sense to me. So does this mean that all the P5100's & Orion's will have to be replaced in every city vehicle, facility, and where ever else theirs a radio?
 

nd5y

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I'm not familiar with Harris equipment. If those are not P25 phase 2 capable then they will have to be replaced. You might want to look on your city council web site for more details on what they are buying.
 

n0xvz

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The Concho Valley Counsil of Governments has a trunked radio in most of the 13 counties, however, funding runout and the switch was unable to be installed. This system is not used as far as I know.

My scanner will occasionally stop on one of those channels. Never long enough for me to get a lock on which one and there's never any traffic. Of course, I can't rule out RFI/intermod either.

Not gonna lie...not looking forward to buying new equipment myself. Not enough traffic to justify a new scanner, but enough that I don't want to be "left out" of PD and FD traffic. Maybe I'll do a GoFundMe! :)
 

KG5HHS

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My scanner will occasionally stop on one of those channels. Never long enough for me to get a lock on which one and there's never any traffic. Of course, I can't rule out RFI/intermod either.

Not gonna lie...not looking forward to buying new equipment myself. Not enough traffic to justify a new scanner, but enough that I don't want to be "left out" of PD and FD traffic. Maybe I'll do a GoFundMe! :)

I'm in the same boat! I've priced a used bcd536hp on eBay for about $450-500. I figured I could probably get about $250 for my bcd396xt, I'll probably have to just eat the rest. It looks like the feed might be down for a while longer if that's the case. I'm just now replacing sound card (still trying to get everything worked out with that).
 

KG5HHS

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So it looks like the 800mhz Orion with provoice I just bought to monitor the current system is not really going to do me much good anymore other than just monitoring 800mhz interop frequencies....

I know absolutely nothing about P25 Phase 2. I see that it's a Harris system. So does this mean it's only Harris radios that is able to be used or would a Motorola or kenwood radio with p25 phase 2 capability be able used?
 

fasteddy64

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We are a little way behind San Angelo, but probably following a similar path.
We have an 800 mhz EDACS system, purchased from Dailey-Wells in 2006.
We are in the process of changing all of our 7100 series mobile and portable radios, replacing them with XG-75 and XG-25 series mobile and portable radios. we will continue to use them on the EDACS system but will change out to a P-25 Phase II system in the next 3 years or so.
 

KG5HHS

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I may check out SDR, but that doesn't help when I'm mobile.

I'm not familiar with SDR. I was doing some research and found that apparently the BCD536HP has a WIFI feature to where you can access your scanner via an app from your phone or tablet "any where in the world". I just ordered mine, so I will update you on that feature when I get it figured out.
 

KG5HHS

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getting back to the radio system. The articles that I've read say that the city of san angelo should have the system up and running by 2016. It will be a simulcast system but if it supposed to be up and running a month away shouldn't we be able to find some new fcc applications? including the frequencies? or would they use the same frequencies that they already use for the EDACS System?

I looked through all 40 something pages of the FCC ULS Database for Tom Green County for New City of San Angelo information but was only able to find 2 pending applications for the YC Service (SMR, 806-821/851-866MHZ, Auctioned) for call signs WPSJ755 & WPSJ762. could these possible be the pending applications?
 

nd5y

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getting back to the radio system. The articles that I've read say that the city of san angelo should have the system up and running by 2016. It will be a simulcast system but if it supposed to be up and running a month away shouldn't we be able to find some new fcc applications? including the frequencies? or would they use the same frequencies that they already use for the EDACS System?
They will probably reuse the same frequencies. If that's the case they might not file any new applications. They might possibly add 700 MHz frequencies. If that is the case they might file new applications or possiby be allowed to use State License frequencies. If they use State Licese frequencies they would be under the existing license ULS License - Public Safety 700 MHZ Band-State License License - WPTZ776 - STATE OF TEXAS.

I looked through all 40 something pages of the FCC ULS Database for Tom Green County for New City of San Angelo information but was only able to find 2 pending applications for the YC Service (SMR, 806-821/851-866MHZ, Auctioned) for call signs WPSJ755 & WPSJ762. could these possible be the pending applications?
Those two licenses have nothing to do with the city of San Angelo and don't belong to the city. They are auctioned commercial SMR licenses that used to be part of Sprint-Nextel. I doubt that the city would lease spectrum from them.

You don't need to look at everything in the whole county. Just go the ULS application search page. Application Search - Advanced Application Search
Search for applications under the following FCC registration numbers:
0001653013 (San Angelo)
0004540860 (Tom Green County) If the county is part of the project they could also be a licensee.
You can sort the applications by descending receipt date order and anything new will be at the top of the list.

The easiest of all and smartest thing to do is search 851-861 MHz and 769-775 MHz every day.
Make a note of what active frequencies you can hear all the time including the current city system, AEP and any other commercial systems (I don't know what else is in your area).
Find out what a P25 control channel sounds like. Notice if any new P25 control channels suddently appear. You will immediately know when the new system comes on line.
 

n0xvz

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Make a note of what active frequencies you can hear all the time including the current city system, AEP and any other commercial systems (I don't know what else is in your area).

Off topic, but I never hear AEP. Of course, I don't have my scanner on or with me most of the day. I've been focusing more on Goodfellow AFB lately.

I'd like to do more with the City, but I don't even know where to start...or really what I'm doing. I'm happy that I've been able to program my scanner.
 

nd5y

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I never hear AEP.
The database could have obsolete information on them. It does up here for the most part.
Of course, I don't have my scanner on or with me most of the day.
Control channels transmit continuously all the time. It doesn't make any difference what time of day you search for new ones and it doesn't take very long to do a couple of limit searches every day.
 

KG5HHS

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They will probably reuse the same frequencies. If that's the case they might not file any new applications. They might possibly add 700 MHz frequencies. If that is the case they might file new applications or possiby be allowed to use State License frequencies. If they use State Licese frequencies they would be under the existing license ULS License - Public Safety 700 MHZ Band-State License License - WPTZ776 - STATE OF TEXAS.


Those two licenses have nothing to do with the city of San Angelo and don't belong to the city. They are auctioned commercial SMR licenses that used to be part of Sprint-Nextel. I doubt that the city would lease spectrum from them.

You don't need to look at everything in the whole county. Just go the ULS application search page. Application Search - Advanced Application Search
Search for applications under the following FCC registration numbers:
0001653013 (San Angelo)
0004540860 (Tom Green County) If the county is part of the project they could also be a licensee.
You can sort the applications by descending receipt date order and anything new will be at the top of the list.

The easiest of all and smartest thing to do is search 851-861 MHz and 769-775 MHz every day.
Make a note of what active frequencies you can hear all the time including the current city system, AEP and any other commercial systems (I don't know what else is in your area).
Find out what a P25 control channel sounds like. Notice if any new P25 control channels suddently appear. You will immediately know when the new system comes on line.

Thank you. This information is very helpful
 
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