City of Houston Project 25 TRS

[motorola_otaku]

...but even here on the west side there are agencies that have not moved and I have no idea why (Katy PD, for example).

Because there's no impetus to move. Or in many cases, funding for equipment.

The Houston city system was built from guaranteed funds with a clear migration path. The Harris County system was (and is) built picemeal, with no dedicated channel of funding, and no set migration path exists for the various user agencies unless they create one in-house.

And because it bears repeating, TxWARN P25 is essentially two separate systems that happen to share a SID and WACN. Intended coverage is vastly different between the two, and will likely remain so for years to come.

 

[loumaag]

Because there's no impetus to move. Or in many cases, funding for equipment.

The Houston city system was built from guaranteed funds with a clear migration path. The Harris County system was (and is) built picemeal, with no dedicated channel of funding, and no set migration path exists for the various user agencies unless they create one in-house.

And because it bears repeating, TxWARN P25 is essentially two separate systems that happen to share a SID and WACN. Intended coverage is vastly different between the two, and will likely remain so for years to come.

All good points. Especially in reference to the difference between layers 1 & 2 and layer 3. However, coverage for layer 1 (and 2 I suppose) is certainly as good and probably better than the older analog system, which you will recall was built piecemeal by absorbing all the regional independent systems.

As for impetus and I don't have a timeline, but it should be obvious that the cost of maintaining an old, tired, and less and less used system (TxWARN Motorola) duplicating only part of the P25 system will dictate that those agencies, like Katy, Ft. Bend Co., Waller Co., and so on will find the system they are using is going to shut down.

 

[teknishun]

Brazoria and Galveston Counties

You really cannot make such broad statements. The TxWARN P25 system has been on the air for years now and the majority of subscribers that were on the TxWARN Motorola system have moved to the P25 system. The fact the vast majority of the subscribers are Harris Co. folks impacts that some, but saying "No one seems to be..." is just plain wrong. What you might want to ask is why your specific agencies are not using it (if they are not.) I am not down there, but even here on the west side there are agencies that have not moved and I have no idea why (Katy PD, for example).

Let me rephrase my query. Galveston County and Brazoria County law enforcement agencies are
still on the "old" TXWARN system. Since this is a multi-site system there has to be a "master
computer" someplace that controls it all. I have been told that League City has that master computer
in their house. Can anyone confirm this? Why is League City the "big cheese" of this area?

Using a RS PRO-164 (analog only) along with a PSR-800 I have verified that Galveston and Brazoria
Counties are still on TXWARN and have not moved over to P25 yet. Does anybody in Manvel, Pearland,
Friendswood, Alvin, Dickinson, League City, Webster, Kemah, Seabrook, Galveston, Santa Fe, Hitchcock,
Angleton. Clute, Lake Jackson, Richwood, Freeport and any other city I may have omitted KNOW WHEN these agencies have plans to move over to P25? Who can I call to find out for myself?

 

[teknishun]

P25 Scanner Question

You really cannot make such broad statements. The TxWARN P25 system has been on the air for years now and the majority of subscribers that were on the TxWARN Motorola system have moved to the P25 system. The fact the vast majority of the subscribers are Harris Co. folks impacts that some, but saying "No one seems to be..." is just plain wrong. What you might want to ask is why your specific agencies are not using it (if they are not.) I am not down there, but even here on the west side there are agencies that have not moved and I have no idea why (Katy PD, for example).

I currently have a PSR-800 handheld. I am thinking of buying a Uniden Bearcat BCD996XT scanner
to use as both a base and a mobile unit. That scanner has a removable control head that can be
purchased separately.

QUESTION: Will the BCD996XT receive all the digital traffic on P25 that the PSR-800 does?

 

[loumaag]

QUESTION: Will the BCD996XT receive all the digital traffic on P25 that the PSR-800 does?

No, it won't. It will receive all the FDMA traffic and none of the TDMA traffic. (Excepting encrypted of course.)

 

[cengleman]

Here is the "latest" newsletter put out by the city radio shop if anyone is interested...

http://www.houstontx.gov/hits/radio/news-2013march.pdf

some of the info has already been discussed here.

Chris

 

[dupree617]

Here is the "latest" newsletter put out by the city radio shop if anyone is interested...

http://www.houstontx.gov/hits/radio/news-2013march.pdf

some of the info has already been discussed here.

Chris

Thank you I did read a good bit of it. Saved a copy of it into my computer.

Mike Dupree

 

[teknishun]

I need to ask a dumb question!

Is the "City of Houston Project 25 TRS" the same system as "TXWARN P25"?

Is the "City of Houston Project 25 TRS" a subset of TXWARN P25 and exists within it?

OR, are they two different entities entirely - like apples and oranges?

 

[loumaag]

Is the "City of Houston Project 25 TRS" the same system as "TXWARN P25"?

Is the "City of Houston Project 25 TRS" a subset of TXWARN P25 and exists within it?

OR, are they two different entities entirely - like apples and oranges?

It is part of the TXWARN P25 system. It is sort of a subset of it. It refers to all the layer 3 (RFSS 3) sites you see listed in the sites table of the system. Basically the layer 3 sites will be TDMA (Phase 2) P25 as opposed the the FDMA found on layers 1 & 2.

 

[grem467]

And away we go. HFD is over in TDMA.

 

[mfn002]

And away we go. HFD is over in TDMA.

Are they patching over to UHF, or have those frequencies gone silent?

Just FYI, HPD shouldn't be far behind; the deadline is May 7.

 

[grem467]

The "new and improved" robot still seems to be on uhf tac 1 but the signal strength is weak in tomball. The other UHF channels are quiet.

 

[mfn002]

The "new and improved" robot still seems to be on uhf tac 1 but the signal strength is weak in tomball. The other UHF channels are quiet.

Crap. I guess I'll have to go on eBay and look for a Pro-18 or a PSR-800.

 

[N5AMS]

it's my understanding that UHF failed in the middle of the night thats why the early switch what I don't understand is why was HPD UHF better mantained than HFD UHF.

 

[KevinC]

Crap. I guess I'll have to go on eBay and look for a Pro-18 or a PSR-800.

Pro-18 won't do you any good as it doesn't decode Phase 2 TDMA (or X2).

 

[kayi4cle]

It seems that whoever is providing Houston Fire feed doesn't have a PSR-800 either. I heard only static while checking it out just now. Maybe no channel was active during the short time I was listening.

 

[KevinC]

It seems that whoever is providing Houston Fire feed doesn't have a PSR-800 either. I heard only static while checking it out just now. Maybe no channel was active during the short time I was listening.

I believe that's N5AMS (Aaron).

 

[N5AMS]

I believe that's N5AMS (Aaron).

Nope not me I took that down when they first started trying to go to TDMA and changed it to Bush IAH

 

[grem467]

it's my understanding that UHF failed in the middle of the night thats why the early switch what I don't understand is why was HPD UHF better mantained than HFD UHF.

Might be that the pd system did not rely on the one shell site as heavy as hfd.

 

[hotlava646]

Are they patching over to UHF, or have those frequencies gone silent?

I hear them dispatching on UHF 453.425 just now, had been silent yesterday and most of today. I do not hear anything from their tac channels. They are doing lights and audio checks at the stations and also several fire/ems dispatches. I think they are on their 3rd or 4th "dispatcher" it sounds like.