Alexander County not likely to convert to VIPER anytime soon

[sloop]

Success, I have successfully opened a can of worms!! What I stated is based on my experience as a firefighter/EMT, a park ranger, and an amateur radio operator living in a rural mountainous area. At a structural fire scene we switched over to a direct frequency (no repeater) for reliable communications. Our small department would have to replace 8 truck radios and 12 HT's that would allow conventual as well as VIPER. As a HAM operator I enjoy using DMR (digital mobile radio) and listening in on nets using ecolink on 144mHz. I am not opposed to 'modern technology", I just don't want to risk my life on something that has not been proven to be better in my location.

 

[drayd48]

Success, I have successfully opened a can of worms!! What I stated is based on my experience as a firefighter/EMT, a park ranger, and an amateur radio operator living in a rural mountainous area. At a structural fire scene we switched over to a direct frequency (no repeater) for reliable communications. Our small department would have to replace 8 truck radios and 12 HT's that would allow conventual as well as VIPER. As a HAM operator I enjoy using DMR (digital mobile radio) and listening in on nets using ecolink on 144mHz. I am not opposed to 'modern technology", I just don't want to risk my life on something that has not been proven to be better in my location.

Many places do that. Just because you are on VIPER does not mean you have to work repeated channels. Take Catawba county, for example, they have 6 direct channels for the county. They use those channels on a fire scene due to in-building coverage with any repeated radio system. Many other departments do this as well. Mountainous areas just call for a different band. NC VIPER is 800 MHZ, but VA's statewide system is VHF to achieve better range and WV's statewide system is UHF because of mountainous terrain. As for replacing radios, if you have a radio that supports VIPER or trunking, it also supports conventional. It's all about the infrastructure. These counties that are hanging on to UHF/VHF infrastructure will learn soon when they can't communicate with any of their neighbors because they are 800 MHZ trunked and their systems start failing due to old age.

 

[medic611]

As a long-time end user now retired let me pitch in. I remember a time long ago the HT series was used and remained bulletproof, Many of those portables remain in service today as backup radios for many a department out there. I remember using the old "brick" style Motorola trunking radio as well as the old "brick" GE radios aka Ericcson and having coverage issues long before the digital cliff arrived. We really didn't grow with the promised interoperability after 9-11-2001 but made things worse in my opinion with digital, encryption, and the digital cliff. Be it in a basement or an electrical room and hear the dongle it's not your life on the line sitting behind a desk .......

 

[jthorpe]

Success, I have successfully opened a can of worms!! What I stated is based on my experience as a firefighter/EMT, a park ranger, and an amateur radio operator living in a rural mountainous area. At a structural fire scene we switched over to a direct frequency (no repeater) for reliable communications. Our small department would have to replace 8 truck radios and 12 HT's that would allow conventual as well as VIPER. As a HAM operator I enjoy using DMR (digital mobile radio) and listening in on nets using ecolink on 144mHz. I am not opposed to 'modern technology", I just don't want to risk my life on something that has not been proven to be better in my location.

At least be accurate when you open the can

 

[jthorpe]

As a long-time end user now retired let me pitch in. I remember a time long ago the HT series was used and remained bulletproof, Many of those portables remain in service today as backup radios for many a department out there. I remember using the old "brick" style Motorola trunking radio as well as the old "brick" GE radios aka Ericcson and having coverage issues long before the digital cliff arrived. We really didn't grow with the promised interoperability after 9-11-2001 but made things worse in my opinion with digital, encryption, and the digital cliff. Be it in a basement or an electrical room and hear the dongle it's not your life on the line sitting behind a desk .......

I've been on both sides of the radio. On analog fighting for my life and got my backup to me. On VIPER and hit the button and got my backup to me within minutes. So been there done that. Also been programming for a long time, and do that now quite a bit.... so yeah I get it. All of those old radios worked great. Interoperability isn't an issue because of technology. It's an issue because the people implementing comms in many counties don't actually understand how its supposed to work, and especially when it comes to encryption, they don't take into account how important even a CKR ID is when it comes to agency after agency implementing such things. When they seek out the right help to implement their plans, interoperability doesn't suffer. It's people, not the radio. When it's done right, it's extremely reliable and works quite well. If the rest of the state followed suit with Wake County in terms of how interoperability works, they would be doing themselves a huge favor.

 

[Flyham]

"It's an issue because the people implementing comms in many counties don't actually understand how its supposed to work"

This right here !!! It's not a technology issue.
It's a training and operational issue.

A constant reminder of the deadliest saying in public safety is "but, we always done it this way".

 

[Tech21]

Correct they have patched the dispatch channels to VIPER but I believe they are only carried on the Barrett mountain tower.

As far as cost, others will know more than me, but the portable radios for example for VIPER are $2500 - $3500 and the multi-band are more expensive, whereas a new VHF radio is less than $500.

That's because the control stations are locked on to Barret Mtn.

 

[drayd48]

That's because the control stations are locked on to Barret Mtn.

Yep. You’ve gotta affiliate to pull that radio traffic to other towers.

 

[GMB951]

Many places do that. Just because you are on VIPER does not mean you have to work repeated channels. Take Catawba county, for example, they have 6 direct channels for the county. They use those channels on a fire scene due to in-building coverage with any repeated radio system. Many other departments do this as well. Mountainous areas just call for a different band. NC VIPER is 800 MHZ, but VA's statewide system is VHF to achieve better range and WV's statewide system is UHF because of mountainous terrain. As for replacing radios, if you have a radio that supports VIPER or trunking, it also supports conventional. It's all about the infrastructure. These counties that are hanging on to UHF/VHF infrastructure will learn soon when they can't communicate with any of their neighbors because they are 800 MHZ trunked and their systems start failing due to old age.

VHF P25 is the best