Comm center scanner/mobile installs

[OpSec]

Out of the dispatchers, officer's, etc that are on the board, I'm sure I'll get some input on this one:

In your comm center, do you have secondary radios like scanners, mobile radios being used as base radios, etc and how are they mounted? I'm working on relocating mine and would like to see pics and hear suggestions how they are mounted and used.

 

[nexus]

I just bring my BC-246T and sit it on the desk. heh. Funny though, I never seem to have enough time to actually actively listen to it.

 

[SLWilson]

Backup Radios - Dispatch Center

Hello Stateboy,
In our facility, we use VHF and UHF Kenwoods and a Motorola two piece mobiles for backup radios. We have them installed in the consoles. We have 12 volt power supplies that run them. We also have the scanners mounted the same way. (At each position)...I didn't include a photo of the newest scanner install, but, we have a RS Pro2096 to listen to the state's new TRS system. Steve/Gallia 911

 

[jmp883]

This pic is of the primary dispatch console at my full-time job. Unfortunately the photo is a little too dark where you need to see it but if you look at the upper right-hand side of the console you'll see (faintly) the Uniden BC-590XLT scanner. The other 2 radio consoles are identical but don't have scanners in them. My part-time job does not have a scanner in the console anymore. When we upgraded to our current console the new scanner that was supposed to be installed 'disappeared'. They left the antenna line in place though so whenever I'm working the part-time job I bring my BC-780 and plug it into a 75' tower. Makes listening at home with just a roof-mounted antenna pretty lame!

 

[car2back]

I just bring my BC-246T and sit it on the desk. heh. Funny though, I never seem to have enough time to actually actively listen to it.

same here

JPM, you are one lucky Son of a Gun

 

[Yokoshibu]

my county runs several sites with the ability to patch into another county / agency at more than one location ... every tower is on battery (ups) and generator backup ... and so is the eoc... if main dispatch goes down (shares power with eoc) they could move to the eoc that has software loaded up already.. but the days logs of course are not going to be transfered

 

[N9JIG]

In our Comm Center we had an open panel that I made a custom plate for. Taking an aluminum parking sign blank cut to fit with mounting holes to fill in a 19 inch slot, I then bought mounting brackets from our mobile installer to fit a BC780, 2 CDM1250's, an XTL5000, a GM300 and an MDC decoder. These brackets were intended to be used in our squad consoles, and have a lip for mounting screws.

I then took the sign blank and, using a Dremel, cut out the holes to fit the radios with the mounting brackets. As it wasn't quite wide enough, I had to over lap the center mounting holes for the radio brackets. I then spray painted the panel and brackets (minus the radios!) a hammered black, mounted the radios and installed the whole assembly.

I use a couple 20 amp 12 volt power supplies to power the radios. The MDC decoder has its own 5VDC wall wart.

The CDM's, scanner and the StarCom radios all have antennas on the roof of our building. The UHF GM-300 uses a little UHF antenna in the attic.

The CDM1250's are my VHF and UHF police and fire back-up radios, intended for use if we lose our consoles or the tower. They also have neighboring towns channels in them as well as some marine channels (we are on Lake Michigan), our local High School, some ham channels (My Midnight guy is a ham) and a few other local channels.

The GM300 is for our local PW department, which has a 5 channel (4 repeaters) UHF conventional repeater system. One of the channels is actually just a secondary PL used only for calling the PD.

The XTL5000 is on the statewide StarCom21 system. The MDC decoder is for our local dispatch channel and the BC780 (soon to be replaced by a BC996) is used to monitor the State Police and other area systems as well as to listen to TV and FM audio and to keep my Midnights guy awake.

I will try to get pictures of this set-up soon.

 

[N9JIG]

Here are the photos I promised in a prior post:

 

[kf4lne]

WOW! Will you build one of those for me?

 

[RESCUE4NFD]

Comm Center

Now that looks cool.............

 

[SLWilson]

Not quite as good as yours....

Here are the photos I promised in a prior post:

Ours isn't quite that elaborate, but, we used the Zetron panel and cut it for out stuff. Steve/Gallia....