Boulder Valley School District, campus VHF radios

Status
Not open for further replies.

natedawg1604

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 29, 2013
Messages
2,726
Location
Colorado
Based on recent scanning it appears the Boulder Valley School District might have taken a bunch of VFH radios "out of service", which were used for on-site campus operations, such as WPSH885. They are still definitely using VHF radios for school bus fleets, and of course they are using DTRS TG 9539 for Security at certain schools.

Can anyone confirm whether the Boulder Valley School District is still using VHF radios for campus-type operations?
 

natedawg1604

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 29, 2013
Messages
2,726
Location
Colorado
I might have found some clues from the BVSD "2013 CIPC - Security and Safety Sub Committee Report"; it sounds like Narrowbanding might have killed some or all of their campus radios. The report (clearly written by a top-notch radio tech) states as follows:

"District Wide Communication Systems – Digital transition: The district’s analogue radio communication system is outdated and doesn’t work in several areas of the district. Due to the age of the system, in addition to changes by the FCC in 2012 mandating that movement to digital systems, the ability to communicate at three levels has been greatly compromised:
1) Site specific communications – communicating with each other at schools.
2) District wide mass communications – communicating with schools or busses from the security office for notification of in progress or impending danger.
3) Interoperability with first responders – this is state law and our system currently prevents us from communicating effectively with first responders.

"The committee recommends an overhaul of the system and replacement of the analogue system with a digital communications system that would work in conjunction with our Internet infrastructure. This is necessary in order for BVSD to comply with current state law as well as for life safety implications surrounding site specific communications, district wide communications as well as adequate interoperability with first responders."​

Does this suggest they had a large inventory of "pre-narrowband" VHF radios that had to be taken out of service in 2013? That would explain why all the BVSD repeaters seem to be dead. Hopefully they can get $20 million in grant funds to inter-connect with the "digital internet" system used by the Boulder County EOC...
 

natedawg1604

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 29, 2013
Messages
2,726
Location
Colorado
Update: At approx. 1:50 in to this video, you can see a portable radio behind the principal's desk (at a BVSD elementary school).

Can anyone tell what that is? I'm thinking it may be conventional simplex MURS/GMRS. I know BVSD has a single DTR security channel, but I've never, ever heard anyone use it besides security officers, and plus that doesn't look like a P-25 capable radio...
 

Spitfire8520

I might be completely clueless! =)
Joined
Jun 29, 2009
Messages
1,969
Location
Colorado
I don't have a definitive answer, but I would guess that it is a Motorola CP200 based on the form factor.

On-site communications is very likely simplex on an existing license. BVSD maintains plenty of licenses for frequencies on both VHF/UHF that are still valid. Using portables on a simplex frequency is also the practice that most other school districts follow.

"Digital communications system" can really refer to any number of things. The way it is worded reminds me of SchoolSAFE Communications, which a number of school districts in Colorado use. It could also be echoed from sales to get them on some type of digital voice.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top