Chattanooga - Rebanding/Digital Or Not?

[hcpholder]

I see according to the Wiki information that Chattanooga is supposed to be one of the systems that is "rebanding". Are we waiting until this happens before we go "digital"? does anybody have any new information? People are awful quite about these things around here. Thanks.

 

[ButchGone]

Re:

Yep, the rebanding process is underway. Radios that can be flashed to handle rebanding have been...almost 1,000 radios have been replaced with newer digital capable radios. Keep in mind though that there are about 4,100 radios on the system so there are plenty of analog only radios.
Chattanooga fire and some other fire departments are in the process of getting new digi radios. Hamilton County EMS just got some money to replace radios too.
Supposedly the real rebanding process will happen late fall/winter. There have been rumors that when that happens some agencies may get a digi talkgroup - we'll see. Frequencies will be 851-857 MHz but most stuff will remain analog. When Walker and Dade Counties hook up like Catoosa they'll be digital.
But the bigger story is what's coming in the next year or two. Chattanooga is building out a P25 700/800MHz system that will cover the north Georgia counties up to Oak Ridge, basically along the I-75 corridor. It's supposedly the first phase of a statewide system.
In case you haven't noticed, the federal government that hands out money for these things likes "regional" systems and that's why metro areas in places like Georgia are building regional systems.
The next 12 months will be fun to watch as things unfold.
BG..

 

[hcpholder]

Chattanoota - Rebanding/Digital

Thanks for the info. It seems that most folks around here are quiet about these things. It halps folks like me to try and "plan" the purchase of scanner equipment. I was actually "scared" into purchasing my Pro-96 four years ago because someone stated that Chattanooga was going digital at that time. Now, four years later, radios have come and gone, and no telling what type of new digital equipmetn will be out soon.

Thanks again for the "heads up".

 

[ButchGone]

RE: Chattanooga 800

These resolutions the Chattanooga City Council is expected to pass this Tuesday 8/26 should shed some light as to what's about to happen. The agendy is from Chattanoogan.com
BG..


City Council Agenda For Tuesday Night
posted August 23, 2008

Here is the City Council agenda for Tuesday at 6 p.m. at City Hall:


d) A resolution authorizing a Memorandum of Understanding between the City, the State of Tennessee, the Georgia counties of Catoosa, Dade, and Walker, and various municipalities within the named Georgia counties for use of the City’s regional public safety radio communications system.

e) A resolution authorizing a Memorandum of Understanding between the City, the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), and various other political subdivisions of the State of Tennessee for use of the City’s regional public safety radio communications system.


f) A resolution authorizing a Communications System Agreement with Motorola, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $13,933,000.00 for the purchase of equipment, software, and services relative to the City’s regional public safety radio communications system. (Added by permission of Council Chair Bennett.)

 

[hcpholder]

Another "digital" TGID popped up this morning, 32944. That's around where HCSO is using an "encripted" TGID.