Bartlesville Going To OKWIN?

[peterjmag]

Bartlesville Police Department Upgrading Radio System

The Bartlesville Police Department (BPD) is getting new 800 MHz radios that they say will help officers do their jobs better and help keep them safe.

www.newson6.com

I suspect it will be OKWIN based on being able to communicate with sounding agencies. I wonder if they will be encrypted?

 

[b1tr41d]

From what I've heard, joining OKWIN is a possibility.
But only after they've built out the system and worked out any bugs.

On a related note, it seems that some units have radios and are working off the P66 system.
So far I've heard PD units using TG 3 & 4.

It would make sense to do some range testing with an existing system to find any dead spots.
But that's just a guess on my end.

 

[dward42586]

Tell us how to get to P66 system. Thanks.

 

[b1tr41d]

Tell us how to get to P66 system. Thanks.

It would be this System.

 

[nowires]

Thinking they were previously on a nxdn system, but all that's there now is a school bus tg.

 

[b1tr41d]

Thinking they were previously on a nxdn system, but all that's there now is a school bus tg.

They were testing the nxdn system but they didn't like the terms and conditions that came with it. (So the story goes.)

 

[KOK5CY]

I've been visiting my brother in bartlesville for a few days. While visiting I've listened to the PD and from what I can tell a trunk system would never work. Half the time officers hand held are almost impossible to hear because of the signal to the repeater. There main repeater is on top of a hill next to a water tank.

 

[b1tr41d]

I've been visiting my brother in bartlesville for a few days. While visiting I've listened to the PD and from what I can tell a trunk system would never work. Half the time officers hand held are almost impossible to hear because of the signal to the repeater. There main repeater is on top of a hill next to a water tank.

If engineered correctly, a trunk system will work.
The latest rumor that I heard was a 2-3 site simulcast system. But this is just rumor since AFAIK, no vendor has been selected for the project yet.
Once the vendor has been selected, then the RF engineering can begin.

The current analog system consists of two repeaters.
The main repeater is on top of the Adams building downtown, and has been there for better part of 40 years. This is the main repeater.
There is an BPD East repeater as well that covers the east side of town. I believe that this one is on the water tower out on Bison road near the industrial park.
Same output, different input and PL's for both repeaters.
If one or both repeaters went down, dispatch can hear the officers from their tower at the Washington County Jail.

 

[peterjmag]

Agreed. The current PD analog VHF repeater is very limited do to the nature of the VHF band and the narrow banding that is in place since 2013. Unless there was a change to digitial for the most part analog is not the most reliable anymore since the wide band days are over. A 2 or 3 simulcast system would probably work well. 1 site out west, 1 in downtown, and 1 out east would most likely be ideal. If county wanted to join they might add site a near Ramona to cover the south side of the county. It will be interesting to see how it turns out. The mention of being able to communicate with surrounding agencies screams an OKWIN site. We will see.

 

[b1tr41d]

Looks like a new license has been issued on 9/1 to the City of Bartlesville for a P25 conventional repeater. (Based upon FCC Service code and emissions designator.)
WRYP208

I speculate one of two things; 1) Used it for range testing. 2) Used for interop when other agencies come into the area.
I'll be setting up DSD in the next day or so to monitor for any traffic.

 

[KOK5CY]

The location of the repeater is the correct height. But down town area is not going to work. The structures of the buildings could block the signals. If an officer is in a brick or block house no signal is going out .

Far as other agencies coming on board . Washington county sheriff's department might.

But far as coverage. Bartlesville has to many low spots .

If it were me I'd use the water tower

 

[b1tr41d]

The location of the repeater is the correct height. But down town area is not going to work. The structures of the buildings could block the signals. If an officer is in a brick or block house no signal is going out .

Far as other agencies coming on board . Washington county sheriff's department might.

But far as coverage. Bartlesville has to many low spots .

If it were me I'd use the water tower

I don't think it will be for full time use. This is just one piece of a larger puzzle.
Additionally, the bond issue that was passed for this project was for a trunking system.
Here is an excerpt of the Bond Issue that was passed in 2020:

"Public Safety Buildings and Equipment​

Emergency communications infrastructure/radio system — $2,040,000

This would fund a new radio system that will replace the older VHF radio system and improve coverage locally and statewide for police officers. This is a standard radio system the State of Oklahoma has built out into many areas of the state. Bartlesville is just outside the range of the statewide system. Adding a local 800 MHz site will also benefit other state agencies such as the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. These agencies would use the same system, once it is built in Bartlesville. A local digital trunking radio system will provide more radio channels for local public safety to use in Bartlesville on a repeater system."


Additionally, If you look at the lat/log for the callsign, it is right on top of the water tower.

 

[KOK5CY]

There are 4 water towers in bartlesville. East side where the industrial park is. Then 2 next to hwy 75 and Adams Blvd. Then 1 on the mound out by the airport. All 4 are about the same height and would work well. But like you stated it's going to be in the testing stage . I don't know why they waited so long to jump on board .

 

[b1tr41d]

I don't know why they waited so long to jump on board .

2 main reasons:
1) Money (No surprise)
2) Politics. The previous Police Chief and City Manager had no interest in OKWIN. (And to be fair, it wasn't as expansive as it is today.)
With many of the "old guard" retiring, voted out, or leaving, many of these blockers with no interest in OKWIN are gone.

 

[Ensnared]

Bartlesville Police Department Upgrading Radio System

The Bartlesville Police Department (BPD) is getting new 800 MHz radios that they say will help officers do their jobs better and help keep them safe.

www.newson6.com

I suspect it will be OKWIN based on being able to communicate with sounding agencies. I wonder if they will be encrypted?

"And help keep them safe" says it all to me. I believe most of us have heard this argument when agencies have gone to the dark side, "officer safety." Of course, it could also mean officer safety as a function of more modern communication.

In this case, it sounds like they have been experiencing trouble from reaching dispatch, etc. I can see where this might endanger cops if they are without support.

We shall see.

 

[KOK5CY]

If it were me I'd jump on with Phillips. They already have a tower . All the city would need is there own TG with a PL tone .

 

[nowires]

They were testing the nxdn system but they didn't like the terms and conditions that came with it. (So the story goes.)

Hmm...supposedly 461.9 is the main NXDN trunk frequency, and my scanner says NX9 RAN7 but all I get is static and the TG is Radio Dealer.

 

[nowires]

Looks like a new license has been issued on 9/1 to the City of Bartlesville for a P25 conventional repeater. (Based upon FCC Service code and emissions designator.)
WRYP208

I speculate one of two things; 1) Used it for range testing. 2) Used for interop when other agencies come into the area.
I'll be setting up DSD in the next day or so to monitor for any traffic.

There are more than just those two frequencies. Look on digital frequency search for the whole block of them.

 

[b1tr41d]

Agreed.
I found WRXN830 that was granted in June.
But thus far, it is silent.

 

[b1tr41d]

Update:
Looks like the site came online yesterday afternoon.
Here are the notes that I have at this time.
1) Only shows three frequencies, one CC and two voice channels. (FCC license shows 6 channels.)
2) Reporting as site 1.50
3) No neighbors reporting currently.
4) NAC = 920
5) TG2780 (OHP K-Comm) affiliated but no voice traffic. No other radios affiliated.

Will update as I see more info.