Dallas/Ft Worth?

[Armadillo5]

Any idea's on what each might use in the future when they switch to a newer system? Also, is there any info on RR to indicate such info? I searched but did not find any late night reading.

I know the switch will not happen until after the Super Bowl. Thought with the 700mhz stuff popping up might that be a pre-cursor to a newer system?

Thank you for the help and direction.

 

[redhelmet13]

Dont expect Fort Worth, Dallas or Arlington to migrate to new systems just yet. Any such migration takes quite a bit of time. No one has begun any infrustructure installation on new systems at this time. The only thing that will be new is the Interop Overlay Systems.

 

[nd5y]

Read the documents here: Community Services - Radio Communications - NCTCOG.org

Most of the 700 MHz freqs in the DFW are for a regional interoperability system.

Check the city council minutes and agendas on the varions city web sites.
They will have information on new systems. There are a few people that discover things that way and sometimes post what they found in the RR forums or the dfwscan yahoo group.

I don't pay attention to Dallas or Fort Worth that much.
Fort Worth will have to reband their system (see Rebanding - The RadioReference Wiki) and I think somebody said they plan to replace it with a digital system.

I know (and care) even less about Dallas. One of the NCTCOG documents says the state plans to build a 700 MHz trunked system in Dallas County for the state agencies. Maybe somebody else has more info.

 

[SCPD]

Ft. Worth is working on the RE-BAND end on paper and with a few radios but not on a large scale, More so to have the jigs ready when the time comes, After the super bowl we will begin to see changes in Dallas, Denton Tarrant and Collin Counties.

Ans a Warm thanks to McKinney and their Braininess radio tech for the system wide encryption Dallas, Richardson and Frisco are considering following suit. Richardson is still in the planning phase and an Article by Thunderbolt recently explains some more on Richardson.

Of course this is all speculative talk and none of us will know anything until these cities build the systems. I would stay away from buying a digital scanner in D/FW right now, it might be as useless as a brick when this is all said and done.

 

[Armadillo5]

So when you say system wide for McKinney does that include certain entities like PD or does that include Fire/EMS as well?

I am not too surprised about encryption being used more and more. Seems like most ad's in trade magazines offer it almost as a bonus now. Plus with so many discussing openingly on this website nearly word for word verbatim of what someone says on a radio I can only see them reading and thinking "how can we keep them from hearing us". Also factor in the thing's law enforcement likes to hide so they don't get in trouble. Encryption is good for some thing's but also "the panic mode" and "the overly misunderstood" use of it.

Good info and I guess we will wait and see what happens.

 

[redhelmet13]

They are going with encryption for a number of reasons. Its more affordable now, they were sold a load of BS by the salesman and also there is the issue of "homeland security". Project Safecom has guidelines for system use, they are pushing for encryption for a lot of what is now in the clear.

 

[Armadillo5]

I think you hit it right, it has become more affordable. I know Williamson County did encrypt most everything so I would not be surprised.

Will any of the Fire channels on McKinney's system be open?