I was in a Motorola partner radio shop today getting an antenna installed. When I was talking to the tech, he mentioned how busy they were because a lot of area systems are being upgraded, specifically BGE and Anne Arundel County. He said that most of the equipment for AACo has already been installed, and they were planning activation early next year. The shop was still programming and distributing portables for the county.
Anne Arundel County Radio System Upgrade
- Thread starter ThePhotoGuy
- Start date
That seems way early. By activation, I wonder if it means turning on the system (some sites) because that would be pretty quick to get all 22 sites ready. Most public documents state switchover not until 2021/2022.
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I guess the BGE new system will be another non-monitorable system?
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I guess the BGE new system will be another non-monitorable system?
I can only relate what he told me. I don't even know if the county has built any new tower sites yet, but some of the new sites appear to be on leased towers. I need to take a drive.
IDK, but it would be nice if they went P25 since they should be able to coordinate with public safety entities during emergencies.
I drove by a couple of "greenfield" sites for the new system - no evidence of tower construction yet at Davidsonville (County Police Training Academy); Edgewater (Glebe Heights Water Reclamation Facility); Friendship (DPW Friendship Yard.) There are a number of new sites planned for existing towers. It's possible that the existing towers are cell towers built on county property, and the county is either adding height or replacing them - or maybe just leasing space, IDK. Not sure of typical lease terms when a private entity builds a tower on public property..
According to AACo's FY20 proposed budget, the radio system is getting $5.5M in FY20, and $13.5M in FY21. The total cost of the project is projected to be $60M. They have appropriated $32.8M for construction of the system so far, and have actually spent $24M to date. Certainly looks like site construction and the installation of backhaul fiber and microwave infrastructure will start next year based on the funding scheme.
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
Unit/Radio IDs are stored in our wiki. Don't send them to the database team as the db is not equipped to handle them. Here is the AA article. Feel free to add/correct it
https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Anne_Arundel_County_RIDs
Mike
https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Anne_Arundel_County_RIDs
Mike
From the Supplemental Budget:
Public Safety Radio System Upgrade – A total of $4,500,000 of general county bond funding is deferred from FY20 to FY21 in order to better match the actual implementation schedule. This change nets to zero within the FY20 to FY21 time frame, and more than offsets the impact of the acceleration of funding in some of the projects reflected in this overall supplemental request.
https://www.aacounty.org/departments/county-council/forms-publications/fy20-supplemental-budget.pdf
Public Safety Radio System Upgrade – A total of $4,500,000 of general county bond funding is deferred from FY20 to FY21 in order to better match the actual implementation schedule. This change nets to zero within the FY20 to FY21 time frame, and more than offsets the impact of the acceleration of funding in some of the projects reflected in this overall supplemental request.
https://www.aacounty.org/departments/county-council/forms-publications/fy20-supplemental-budget.pdf
Yup. Looks like they have been talking about this 'new' system since 2013 (https://forums.radioreference.com/threads/anne-arundel-county-upgraded-radio-system.266045/ ). And atleast another 3+ years (probably longer) until a full switchover.
FIRST ANNIVERSARY SLOW GROWTH/EXTENDED IMPLEMENTATION
STATUS UPDATE FOR WRBW974
To Whom It May Concern:
On July 13, 2018, the Commission issued callsign WRBW974 to Anne Arundel
County, Maryland (the County) with slow growth/extended implementation status,
licensing twelve new 800 MHz frequencies to the County for use in a future Next
Generation APCO-25 Public Safety Trunked Radio system.
Pursuant to 47CFR90.629(c), the County is providing this First Anniversary Slow
Growth/Extended Implementation Status Update for WRBW974:
• Detailed system design work with the County’s radio system vendor,
Motorola Solutions, Inc. is approximately 80% complete
• Site acquisition and regulatory approval work associated with new tower
construction is complete at 21 of the 22 sites proposed for use with the new
radio system.
• The County has experienced a setback with obtaining regulatory approval to
proceed with construction at one of 22 sites proposed for use with the new
network. As a part of the Section 106 review process, on May 20, 2019 the
County was formally notified by the Maryland Historic Trust (Maryland’s
State Historic Preservation Officer) that that the location of a proposed new
tower for this system lies within a historic district that has been established
for Crownsville State Hospital. The property and buildings in this historic
district have been found eligible for inclusion in the National Registry of
Historic Places. Representatives from the Maryland Historical Trust
strongly encouraged the County to relocate the tower on land outside the
boundaries of the historic district. Accordingly, the County has initiated a
new site acquisition process for this location and has already identified three
candidate sites which are currently being evaluated to determine which site
will best meet the County’s coverage requirements for this area.
• The County will proceed with detailed system design work, system factory
staging, site construction and implementation at the remaining 21 sites
while proceeding with a new site acquisition process for the replacement
Crownsville site. The County will continue to provide annual status updates
to the Commission per 47CRF90.629.
More: https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/...tachmentKey=20634426&attachmentInd=applAttach
STATUS UPDATE FOR WRBW974
To Whom It May Concern:
On July 13, 2018, the Commission issued callsign WRBW974 to Anne Arundel
County, Maryland (the County) with slow growth/extended implementation status,
licensing twelve new 800 MHz frequencies to the County for use in a future Next
Generation APCO-25 Public Safety Trunked Radio system.
Pursuant to 47CFR90.629(c), the County is providing this First Anniversary Slow
Growth/Extended Implementation Status Update for WRBW974:
• Detailed system design work with the County’s radio system vendor,
Motorola Solutions, Inc. is approximately 80% complete
• Site acquisition and regulatory approval work associated with new tower
construction is complete at 21 of the 22 sites proposed for use with the new
radio system.
• The County has experienced a setback with obtaining regulatory approval to
proceed with construction at one of 22 sites proposed for use with the new
network. As a part of the Section 106 review process, on May 20, 2019 the
County was formally notified by the Maryland Historic Trust (Maryland’s
State Historic Preservation Officer) that that the location of a proposed new
tower for this system lies within a historic district that has been established
for Crownsville State Hospital. The property and buildings in this historic
district have been found eligible for inclusion in the National Registry of
Historic Places. Representatives from the Maryland Historical Trust
strongly encouraged the County to relocate the tower on land outside the
boundaries of the historic district. Accordingly, the County has initiated a
new site acquisition process for this location and has already identified three
candidate sites which are currently being evaluated to determine which site
will best meet the County’s coverage requirements for this area.
• The County will proceed with detailed system design work, system factory
staging, site construction and implementation at the remaining 21 sites
while proceeding with a new site acquisition process for the replacement
Crownsville site. The County will continue to provide annual status updates
to the Commission per 47CRF90.629.
More: https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/...tachmentKey=20634426&attachmentInd=applAttach
As a county resident, this irks me greatly. Nothing can be more ignorant than "preserving the beauty" of a few hundred acres of mostly vacant property covered by asbestos filled ordinary construction buildings when police and firefighters can't communicate effectively for miles around.
FIRST ANNIVERSARY SLOW GROWTH/EXTENDED IMPLEMENTATION STATUS UPDATE FOR WRCJ218
baydog
Member
AAFD TAC CHANNELS
Just recently I realized I'm not hearing any comms on the any of the TAC channels. Has there been a change that I have missed?
DIspatch on TG 16 and Station Alert on 154.010 seem OK
Just recently I realized I'm not hearing any comms on the any of the TAC channels. Has there been a change that I have missed?
DIspatch on TG 16 and Station Alert on 154.010 seem OK
baydog
Member
It must be the radio (RS-197). I programmed the AA system into my WS 1080/PSR 800 and I'm getting all active Fire/EMS TG's
Seems that a majority of Fire & Police radios have been replaced. Parks are mostly still using their old XTS radios with some new radios mixed in. More and more schools seems to have gotten new radios. DPW, Aging, and School Buses all don't seem to have replaced any their radios yet.
An article dated June 18, 2019 from Officer.com about upgrades to the Anne Arundel communications system:
"The design review is expected to have been completed in May with equipment testing done by the end of the year. After installing equipment, they expect to do a coverage acceptance mid to late summer 2020. Leonard expects to have system acceptance by the end of 2020."
Not sure if the timeline they report is accurate.
"The design review is expected to have been completed in May with equipment testing done by the end of the year. After installing equipment, they expect to do a coverage acceptance mid to late summer 2020. Leonard expects to have system acceptance by the end of 2020."
Not sure if the timeline they report is accurate.
No way that is possible. I don't believe they have started to build any sites or adding equipment to existing sites. Many departments still need radios. I wouldn't expect it to be accepted until late 2021 at the earliest.
I do know that one Moto partner had cases stacked 6' high with portable radios labeled AACo, and the tech said they have installed equipment at sites, so they are doing something. But considering that the county has deferred a good chunk of spending to next FY, I don't see how they can possibly be on the air next year - they have to develop 12 new sites, some of them greenfield. The good news is they have apparently found an alternative site nearby for the one initially proposed at Crownsville State Hospital. Hopefully that will keep the county / Motorola from having to drastically re-engineer the system. Also note that the county has licensed some MW for several of the new tower sites.
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