ARMER Build Out Status

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box23

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Anyone else notice they haven't updated the Status page with new reports since February? They used to consistently release new reports within the first week of the month.
 

SCPD

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Looks like Xcel is going to replace their 800MHz analog system with a Moto P25 one. I was wondering when they were going to scrap the old system. It will be interesting if it will be phase II, any encryption, etc. Always fun to listen after a storm for all the power outages.
 

JASII

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Xcel 800MHz

Someone told me a number of years back that then Northern States Power had a scheduled replacement for their ENTIRE radio system something like every five years. I am skeptical, but like many things, there may have been some truth to it. Every place I have ever worked has always replaced radio equipment piecemeal, unless it was a complete change. For example, when we went from old fashioned, analog narrow band FM to ARMER, that was pretty much a complete swap out.

Now the IT folks in places that I have worked do seem to have a schedule to replace computer equipment on a regular schedule. At the old job, it was every three years originally, but then they moved it up to four years. I think part of the justification is the cost of labor for maintenance vs. the cost of replacement. So, if it is less expensive to just replace a desktop, monitor, or laptop computer than just replacing it, I guess that makes sense.

Now back to Xcel, they very well might be going to APCO P25 Phase II. Since they are just now going from analog to P25, I am not even sure if there is much difference in costs between having the system Phase I or Phase II. I rather doubt that the having enough frequencies or spectrum is a problem for them. When I have monitored that system, it certainly has not sounded like it was running at full capacity.

I do find it interesting, too, for as many businesses that are moving to MOTO TRBO, that Xcel is going P25. For the people wanting to scan it, that is probably a relief. I do still hope that we get MOTO TRBO scanning capability on consumer grade scanners soon. Even though there are few organizations on MOTO TRBO that I want to monitor, I would still like the capability.
 
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BaLa

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Looks like Xcel is going to replace their 800MHz analog system with a Moto P25 one. I was wondering when they were going to scrap the old system. It will be interesting if it will be phase II, any encryption, etc. Always fun to listen after a storm for all the power outages.

Funny I should find something here.
Found it sort of by accident.

ULS License - Other Indust/Land Transp. 806-821/851-866 MHz, Trunked License - WNDG563 - Xcel Energy Services Inc.

Find Trans Log, they updated Emmision Designator beginning of the month.

Becker/Sherburne County tower is up. Not sure if they're testing or what.
Not surprising, but no activity today.

SysID 678 BEE00
T 101 857.2875CC
 

stmills

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There are a few Xcel licenses that updated this past week, what is interesting is they modified the towers for p25 800 at most of the generating plants- Monticello, prairie island, Becker, and the mobiles for many of the metro Grid system but none of the towers for the metro grid are being upgraded at this time. So the have quite a mixed system:
Rural on vhf p25
Metro plants on Uhf Trbo
Nuke plants and Becker on 800 P25 trunked
Metro grid on 800 analog trunked towers for now.
 

stmills

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Xcel is installing new p25 trunked 800 systems at Prairie Island and at the Sherco plant to service Monticello. They are also setting up the plant radios to move onto ARMER interop groups for an incident at the plants.
The Metro 800mHZ analog trunked system was upgraded in 2006 along with systems covering Denver and Boulder Colorado and West Texas. The CO and TX systems are P25 trunked systems but for some reason they chose to stay 800 analog here.
 
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