Delaware County Pa New System

[saber2k5]

Just an FYI to volunteer firemen and anyone else that wants/needs to monitor LE comms: this VComm group has a long history of adding full encryption to all LE talk groups on the other systems they have built.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

And, wasn't it Gloucester County that went from 500 to 460 before switching to 700?

500 analog conventional, yes. Camden County too

 

[phillydjdan]

Saber,

No surprise there. Enjoy Delcom while you can, gents!

 

[maus92]

Just an FYI to volunteer firemen and anyone else that wants/needs to monitor LE comms: this VComm group has a long history of adding full encryption to all LE talk groups on the other systems they have built.

Write to your county leadership that encryption is antithetical to good governance and significantly affects oversight of law enforcement.

 

[phillydjdan]

See how far that got people in NJ lol

 

[maus92]

See how far that got people in NJ lol

Lol, then just do nothing.

 

[phillydjdan]

I'm not even going to get into a discussion about big E on here and the reasoning. That's all on yall

 

[royldean]

I'm not even going to get into a discussion about big E on here and the reasoning. That's all on yall

Ah, but we do have a historical "bump in the road" happening for LE right now.... that may be an advantage to us. Even my local PD Chief expressed that he want's to make the department "more transparent", even though he voted for Big E.... Keep hope alive!

 

[phillydjdan]

He voted for it. That's all you had to say about it. Nothing else in your last post matters. He voted for it, period.

 

[royldean]

He voted for it. That's all you had to say about it. Nothing else in your last post matters. He voted for it, period.

He voted for it ~3 years ago. Sometimes people change their minds. Sometimes people have their minds changed for them.

Lancaster County apparently had a vote on this on Tuesday... not sure what the outcome was.

 

[bberns22]

He voted for it ~3 years ago. Sometimes people change their minds. Sometimes people have their minds changed for them.

Lancaster County apparently had a vote on this on Tuesday... not sure what the outcome was.

They will remain with the big E...

 

[bberns22]

I am wondering how optimistic 3 years is to come online for DE CNTY given budgetary requirements.

 

[Septa3371CSX1]

I've noticed the ducting issues. Usually I'll hear portables start cutting in and out as a distant television signal blocks access to the inputs. The interference issues seem to be more prevalent in the channel 20 range as Sectors 6 and 7 (which are in the channel 19 range) don't seem to have any issues. While moving to lower UHF frequencies that don't have DTV interference issues sounds like a logical idea it doesn't solve another issue present in this area (and in others using conventional VHF and UHF analog frequencies) - bad actors buying Baofeng and other cheap Chinese radios, programming them with police and fire channels with transmit enabled, and then interfering with communications especially during major incidents. I haven't heard the whistler in a good while but I have heard complaints about music being heard on Sector 4 in some areas (I've yet to hear it but I'm thinking it's someone broadcasting on the repeater output channel).

Another issue with the current system is the age of the equipment (as discussed). At times I'll hear what sounds like an open carrier that is likely a hung repeater. Hasn't happened in a while but I'm sure the issue isn't dead.

Ideally I'd like to see Delco either go with the state system in a similar fashion as has been done by Union and Cape May counties in New Jersey (where the county would license frequencies and pay for equipment but use the state's core) or piggyback onto either Chester or Montgomery County's P25 system in the same way. I feel they will end up getting their own independent system even if the piggyback option would likely save money.

I won't get into the encryption debate on here - that's been discussed all over the place.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Why the blue text Joe? hard for an old man like me to see with dark theme enabled

 

[phillydjdan]

That's why lmao

 

[Septa3371CSX1]

The need for Delco to move to a new system became alarmingly more prudent on Christmas Eve night. The primary and back up phone systems at Delcomm both went down as did the consoles and some of the channels. Citizens were getting busy signals when trying to call 911. Dispatchers were working off of portables and had priority radio traffic in effect Christmas Eve night into Christmas Day as the storm rolled through. 73 and 76 cars were operating on Sector 2 as Sector and Mutual 7 were down along with Sector 6, Fire 3, Fire 6, and Fire 7.

Meanwhile monitoring other counties on newer P25 systems at the same time they weren't missing a beat.

 

[phillydjdan]

I'm starting to think even the radio techs are clueless. Last night a tech was at one of the tower sites. Apparently the console wasn't transmitting out at the site. The tech on the portable was loud & proud, as was the dispatcher on a portable, but nothing from the console. After some tinkering the tech called the dispatcher again and he acknowledged the reply even though none of my radios heard a peep. A field unit didn't hear a peep. But I digress...

 

[saber2k5]

Not to get into a @##% match here.... The issues on Christmas eve were weather related - infrastructure and power issues. They affected the radio and phone systems, but these are design problems with the system as a whole. The failures are the result off a lack of redundancy in the system. If the existing system were engineered with back up available, such as adequate UPS protection for phone lines, and dual ring microwave paths for the remote sites, the radio and phone systems in place would have been adequate.

 

[phillydjdan]

Well, no other county in this region had those issues that I am aware of, so....

 

[jimmie13]

I can't think of any region that has that many issues like Delaware County does with their Public Safety radios