Does everyone have to go digital?

[hundley206]

Ok so it started the fed’s and the military and then KSP and now Madison county is going digital, so this leaves me to ask do all government agencies have to go digital? I mean look and Lexington police on the good old VHF they have been on for years right? So are they next on the list going digital? And then lex fire to?!!! Will this ever end? Why cant they all just use nice good old VHF UHF radios from what I can tell they seem to work better that digital and trunking! Iv got a digital scanner and it works fine but I don’t know I guess Im just a VHF UHF guy…. It doesn’t make my head hurt as bad HAHA!
206
PS just a few questions 1- how long has Lexington police been on the system there on today?
2- Iv heard roomers that Lexington police were going to go trunking but when they saw all the problems lex fire was having they got scared decided not to does anyone know if that’s true?
3- what’s after digital? Can they go even more high teck? What will Madison county be going to in the next 10 years HAHA!

 

[unitcharlie]

Why cant they all just use nice good old VHF UHF radios...?

This will be, perhaps, overly simplistic... I am no engineer, just an old scannist who remembers his first "scanner" (an old two channel Motorola HT: It stayed on the Police freq until the fire siren sounded, then it went to fire). I sometimes miss those simple days when it was no sweat knowing who was on which freq for decades.... but that is, in simple terms, the problem.... there are only so many things that emit rf that can use the available spectrum.... your favorite TV station and the others in the market, your favorite radio station and all the others, the radio control on your utility company's water system just to start a very long list... your cell fone, your wireless card for your laptop, your blue tooth.... your cordless fone, possibly the remote you use for your TV, your garage door opener, in many cases traffic cameras.... all use a segment of the radio spectrum and everything that is on-the-air.... the trouble is, the more of those things there are the less free air space there is for other users.... that's why trunked systems are usually better, less spectrum occupied by more users....

Follow this link to the Second Report and Order concerning narrowbanding....

This link to a Department of Justice site explains narrowbanding deadlines fairly well:

To phase in the migration deadline of January 1, 2013, the FCC has established interim deadlines. The first important deadline is January 1, 2011, after which:

* The FCC will not grant applications for new voice operations or applications to expand the authorized contour of existing stations that use 25 kHz channels. Only narrowband authorizations will be granted.
* The FCC will prohibit manufacture or importation of new equipment that operates on 25 kHz channels. This will reduce the availability of new equipment for legacy radio systems and will affect how agencies maintain and upgrade older systems.
​

Essentially that narrowing of the bandwidth available for each freq frees up a bunch of area for others to use... Digital takes that smaller bandwidth and uses it more efficiently..... read this for starters.

This is the homepage for APCO's P-25 Standard ([FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Association of Public Safety Communications Officials[/FONT])....

To borrow a phrase, "One system at a time..." We scan what we can and try to figure out how to scan what we can't....

 

[brutalpilot514]

I know for a fact that Bowling Green PD is looking to get a new system, and while the officer I talked to has no idea what they're talking about in terms of communication and therefore couldn't give me details of what type of system I'm assuming it's going to be digital. I'm definitely going to have to invest in a digital scanner before long. I'll have to in order to listen to Nashville as it is when i start going there more often.

 

[hundley206]

Ok thinks that helps a lot so I have to ask is tracking a digital trunking system easier than one like KSP has or is it to early to tell? Im guessing that Madison’s new system will be digital tunking my friend that works at the EOC tells me that they are going to just add to the frequencies they already have.

 

[unitcharlie]

Ok thinks that helps a lot so I have to ask is tracking a digital trunking system easier than one like KSP has or is it to early to tell? Im guessing that Madison’s new system will be digital tunking my friend that works at the EOC tells me that they are going to just add to the frequencies they already have.

The new Madison TRS is to be digital... it is no more difficult mapping the system or monitoring than with analog... except that the digital signal is either "on" or ""off"--with analog a weak signal will some how scratch thru and open the squelch.... with digital it is either strong enough to decode or it isn't.... The problem with Madison's new system is the nine towers simulcasting... hopefully, the nine sites will show in the FCC data base with the freqs used at each... Keep us posted with what you can, every bit helps!
Might be time to download PRO96com and Unitrunker and figure out how to use them, looks like they will be good friends for the next couple of years or so.....

collier

 

[ofd8001]

Well, as I understand it, the history of entertainment kinda goes like this. First, there were phonograph records, then there was AM radio, then FM stereo radio, then black and white TV, then color TV, then cable TV, then VHS movies then DVD movies. This accomplished two things, one taking more money from the consumer and putting it in the pockets of the electronics manufacturers. The other was a more pleasing experience for most consumers.

Generally speaking, most everyone associated with the scanning hobby, whether they realize it or not, is a lot more technically savvy than the average joe.

As far as the future goes, I wouldn't be too surprised to see Dick Tracy's two way wrist radio and TV come some time.

 

[ai4uk]

Don't forget to add Hanlan County to that list going Digital.

I live in Eastern Pike County and Mingo County, W.V. is going Digital also.

 

[Jono40141]

Don't forget to add Hanlan County to that list going Digital.

You mean Harlan County correct? I knew they received 10,000 dollars, but that is not enough money to go digital is it?

 

[teedee911]

Is it the end for Analog scanners?

Well, no, not exactly. As fast as public safety departments accross
the country are dumping analog systems for digital upgrades,
SOMEONE is buying them up. These old systems don't end up in the
local municipal dumpster, they go to the auction block.
I've been hearing about the digital wave of technology "soon to
drown analog" for the past 6-7 years and still my analog scanners
have the same (if not more) traffic than the digital scanners on the same shelf. Now,
this of course depends on what you like to monitor. I listen to pretty much
anything (or try to) that flows through my four walls and believe me when
I say, "There's a LOT of radio waves a passin' through here".
Now, if your a die hard public safety (and nothing else) listener then yeah,
your analog days are getting fewer.
Needless to say, don't dump your trusty analog big brother anytime soon.

Happy Monitoring!

 

[N4DXX]

Don't forget to add Hanlan County to that list going Digital.

I live in Eastern Pike County and Mingo County, W.V. is going Digital also.

Hey eddie any idea when mingo county is going digital or what type of system it's gonna be?

 

[ai4uk]

Hey eddie any idea when mingo county is going digital or what type of system it's gonna be?

Hi Tim,
Looks like APCO-25 Trunk

West Virginia