Hi Chicago-
Travis from Denver Fire Dept, Colorado by way of an old MABAS 10 dept. Just want to chime in about the digital system and get caught up on the changes since I've left Chicago in 01. I REALLY hope that extensive market testing has been done on these new digital radios and a detailed "real world" reception test will be done before these come on line. Colorado has gone to a state wide digital 800 system in the last few years and it sucks. As everyone can guess, 800 and especially digital, doesn't do so well in the topogrophy of Colorado. DUH! But aparently there are some really good salesmen in Motorola. We at the DFD are somewhat fortunate that our trunked system, though 800, is an old EDACS analog. It too sucks, but at least when you're in a "hazy" spot, you can still get your message through among the static. The real problems we had with the statewide digital system is the complete drop of your transmission when you get in the "rough." Not only is it a pain, but it could be life threatening. Although from what I can gather, the new system is just going to be APCO-25 digital and not trunked??? You can still run into the same problems 'cause digital is digital, man. I agree with the tradition of staying with VHF and just increasing the potential of what you have. But who am I to say??
At the DFD, we kept our old 154.070 simulcast, but the ridiculous thing is no one in the suburbs can access it. But anyway, the long and short of what I was trying to say is; 1) I really hope that 400mHz does better than 800mHz for you guys. 2) I hope that you don't run into the dead spots we have in our city and the complete drop of your transmission. And 3) Don't completely scrap the old for the new because when the "latest and greatest" doesn't work so well, you still have something to fall back on. You've really got to wonder where these ideas come from sometimes??? I'll bet it didn't come from the line.