There is a lot of problems with digital radio's on the fireground. I have posted in previous forum the problems that fire departments across the country have been having with digital trasmissions. We were not happy with the results of the testing we conducted here in Anne Arundel County with the digital talk groups in our radios. The IAFC (International Association of Fire Chiefs) has all but come out against digital radio in their research/testing; in a document of best practices. Some major fire departments around the country that have gone digital have not been satisfied with the change.
NOT true on the IAFC statement. I authored the Best Practices document and it makes no statement about being "against digital radio", implied or otherwise; it is against poor radio use practices regardless of the modulation being used.
Both digital and analog modulation have pros and cons. Many departments operate with radios using digital modulation and are quite happy with the performance of the radios. Some departments have even thought that they would prefer analog modulation and then switched to digital modulation with more satisfactory results.
There is no perfect solution. The issue is complex with many different factors affecting radio performance, with some of the most important being directly within the users' control regardless of the modulation in use; thus the Best Practices document.
Blanked statements about 'good' and 'bad' rarely reflect the reality of complex issues such as this.
