Centre County to test new radio system in October

[SlipNutz15]

The center and outer region towers don't appear to be tied together yet. They are still testing outer region towers from my understanding.

 

[imported_bds2]

Heard a bunch of "testing 1,2,3, how do you copy?" transmissions scattered throughout the day. Some were poor quality, but a few sounded pretty good.

Brett

 

[SlipNutz15]

Upon further investigation I believe I have found PSU's P25 Trunked frequencies:

ULS Application - PubSafty/SpecEmer/PubSaftyNtlPlan,806-817/851-862MHz,Trunked - 0005856085 - PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

854.0125
855.2375
856.2625
857.2625
858.2625
859.2625
860.2625

All with the designators:
8K10F1D P25 Phase I C4FM data
8K10F1E P25 Phase I C4FM voice (P25 mode in RadioReference.com Database)

 

[imported_bds2]

Those are all the current analog TRS frequencies on the PSU system. Will the system go hard-over into all-digital mode once the switch is made, without any concurrent analog/digital operation?

Brett

 

[SlipNutz15]

From what I was told is PSU PD is going to operate off the megasystem which is the Center and Outer region towers and then they will use the PSU TRS to operate BJC, football, OPP, food services, etc (which currently use UHF system) off the "new" TRS which will have the ability to be integrated in with the new megasystem if needed.

 

[SlipNutz15]

I hooked up the PSR500 to Unitrunker and monitored the new system and come to find the peers listed the outer system and a misc system which had a single channel that the current BAB system uses which, again, I was told will be a future "cell" to the new P25 system if needed. I'm not close enough to PSU to see if any of the current BAB channels are P25 yet or not.

 

[SlipNutz15]

Getting a hit on 858.2625 off the new PSU system. Decoding 99% with N573 just no W: code yet. This is the same freq and channel that shows up as a peer on the P25 system.

 

[SlipNutz15]

Road testing is complete

 

[HM1529]

Getting a hit on 858.2625 off the new PSU system. Decoding 99% with N573 just no W: code yet. This is the same freq and channel that shows up as a peer on the P25 system.

Are you still getting a CC signal on this freq? I am in State College for work and am not picking anything up on this frequency for a P25 CC.

 

[SlipNutz15]

No, they took that node down for now. It will probably come back online after the switchover.

 

[imported_bds2]

Centre County 911 system tests reveal better coverage than expected
From today's CDT: BELLEFONTE: Centre County 911 system tests reveal better coverage than expected | News | CentreDaily.com

"The county will begin switching over the microwave equipment on the towers and testing a radio switch later this month. If that goes well, they will begin switching the radios over for all agencies in December with an expected completion time frame of January or February."


Brett

 

[imported_bds2]

Centre County spends $633,000 in 911 radio equipment

BELLEFONTE: Centre County spends $633,000 in 911 radio equipment | News | CentreDaily.com

"Centre County made another bulk purchase for the new 911 system this week, acquiring all the necessary radios for Emergency Medical Services."

"The county was hoping to try to begin testing some agencies on the new system before the new year, but a minor setback in the microwave equipment software and the holidays have delayed it until likely the second week in January."

 

[SlipNutz15]

There was a code error in the microwave software that was addressed by the vendor. If everything goes smoothly from here they should start switching users over around the second week in January.

 

[Twister_2]

Any updates? I just returned to State College and have my 996xt scanning the Central Simulcast and no voice at all. I kind of thought they would have it on by now.

 

[SlipNutz15]

The microwave issue was just rectified recently. The new microwave is to be coming online soon to support both systems. Ferguson and Patton Twp. PD should be utilizing the new system shortly thereafter and then county will be bringing departments on steadily over the next few months.

 

[Twister_2]

The microwave issue was just rectified recently. The new microwave is to be coming online soon to support both systems. Ferguson and Patton Twp. PD should be utilizing the new system shortly thereafter and then county will be bringing departments on steadily over the next few months.

Here we are in the final days of January and still nothing. I should have known when something gets built that fast not to believe the projected switch date!

 

[SlipNutz15]

It would have been online sooner but the microwave issue set it back but it was a good catch because it probably could affect multiple microwave issues nationwide. Soon. Be patient.

 

[Twister_2]

It would have been online sooner but the microwave issue set it back but it was a good catch because it probably could affect multiple microwave issues nationwide. Soon. Be patient.

I'm a little bit frazzled. A few of the frequencies listed in the Centre County P25 are already in use by the PSU Motorola trunking system. I hear P25 control channels on the PSU frequencies that are not listed in the Centre Co. P25 database. Will PSU switch to this new system? Do they have their own system?

 

[SlipNutz15]

PSU PD will be switching to the new P25 800 system and then they will be bringing online a separate P25 node on campus just for univeristy operations for OPP, BJC, stadium ops, studen affairs, etc.

They are recycling frequencies and making them P25. Soon!

 

[SlipNutz15]

The old microwave system is offline and the new one is running both old TRS and new P25 TRS. Should start hearing Ferguson and Patton Twp PDs soon on the new TRS