El Paso Offically Moving to 700 mHz APCO 25 Digital System

[pa_vmedic]

This is directly off of the EL Paso Fire Department Communications Division website:

We are currently in the process upgrading our radio system to provide compliance with APCO Project 25 recommendations of moving from an Analog to a Digital system. This will provide us with better quality communications and greater security of the system. In the future we are working on increasing our interoperability capabilities. This means being able to talk on the radio with the different agencies that respond in our area. The Federal Government is looking at re-banding radio spectrums so that Public Safety Agencies can relocate to the 700 MHz range. The radios which are being purchased for the APCO Project 25 project will also be capable of being programmed to the 700 MHz frequency.

 

[garyva]

I don't see anything saying they're moving to 700 MHz, just that the radios they'll be buying are 700/800 capable (as are most 800 MHz P25 radios). I'd say its most likely they'll be using 800 MHz; 700 MHz hasn't had many if any actual licenses issued. The Regional planning groups are still working on divvying up the allocations.

In fact, if you were to have quoted the entire paragraph from their web page, you'd see:

"1) Radios

The El Paso Fire Department utilizes mobile and portable radios in the 800 MHz range. We are currently in the process upgrading our radio system to provide compliance with APCO Project 25 recommendations of moving from an Analog to a Digital system. This will provide us with better quality communications and greater security of the system. In the future we are working on increasing our interoperability capabilities. This means being able to talk on the radio with the different agencies that respond in our area. The Federal Government is looking at re-banding radio spectrums so that Public Safety Agencies can relocate to the 700 MHz range. The radios which are being purchased for the APCO Project 25 project will also be capable of being programmed to the 700 MHz frequency. Every vehicle on the Department has at least one mobile radio and every individual on duty has a personally assigned portable radio."

 

[RoninJoliet]

Just some 700mgz info, here in IL the Starcom 21 180 towers are now being tested with 700/800mgz radios....My Uniden 396 does great on 700, the RShack PRO96/2096 does OK on 700 but conventional only after opening it up with Win96 software...If they do go with the Motorola 700/800 radios you will do fine with Uniden 396/996......

 

[pa_vmedic]

Yes currently EP is on 800 mHz but considering that the feds are looking at 700 mHz for Public Safety and that EPFD saw it fit to put this in the paragraph leads me to believe that the city will be going to 700. Sorry if you think differently garyva.

 

[pa_vmedic]

Thanks for the info RoninJoliet. Right now I only have a Uniden BC296D so if they decide to go to 700 I will have to upgrade. Which of the two scanners do you recommend the most?

 

[RoninJoliet]

I would recomend the 396 H/H by Uniden as i have read on the 996 yahoo groups there has been a little confusion with the 996 base on problems with digital decoding since the new firmware download. The RShack PRO96 and 2096 will not trunk 700mgz so thats not good on keeping up with the trunking change of freqys on large systems...I still use my Uniden 245 which is like the 296 but does not do digital.....

 

[pa_vmedic]

Thank you for that recommendation. I was torn between the 396 and the 996 but I think that due to those issues you mentioned then 396 will be the better choice for me.

 

[W5TWX]

Go with the 396 so you can take it anywhere with you.

 

[rattlerbb01]

Another thing to remember is that their compliance with APCO P25 could simply mean that their radios are capable of P25 transmission. The P7100 radio will do EDACS ProVoice and P25 digital both. Remember when 700 MHZ is cleared out and officially opened up in that area for public safety usage, the calling and tactical channels in that band will be operating in P25 digital mode. So, as long as an agency has P25 capable radios that are programmed with the mutual aid national calling/tac channels, then technically they are P25 compliant, even if their day to day operations system is EDACS ProVoice. My overall point here is don't get excited enough about ProVoice going away, because in all likelyhood, the city of El Paso has spent a fortune already on that new system and is not going to scrap the radios and infrastructure they are completing now.
This response was meant to add to the discussion and not claim superior knowledge or say that anyone is wrong, so feel free to add on, but keep the flames in the pit.

 

[garyva]

Yes currently EP is on 800 mHz but considering that the feds are looking at 700 mHz for Public Safety and that EPFD saw it fit to put this in the paragraph leads me to believe that the city will be going to 700. Sorry if you think differently garyva.

No need for a "sorry" though I'm sorry if I offended. I'm upgrading our county's radio network from analog to digital myself, and all our radios are 700/800 MHz capable. The Region 49 planning committee is "allocating" 700 MHz frequencies to each county in the Region but nobody here has *any* current plans for 700 usage other than for potential interoperability should somebody we might work with someday operate a 700 MHz system. Not to say we might not take advantage of any 700 freqs that might come available; if nothing else, we might incorporate them into our trunking pool. I'd be surprised if EPFD has any sort of specific plans or timelines for migrating to 700 MHz.

In fact, the El Paso rep at last Monday's Texas Radio Coalition meeting in Austin made no mention of 700 MHz plans whatsoever. I'd expect that EPFD was attempting to be informative about their potential plans and include the fact that what they're doing will allow for potential future interoperability with eventual 700 MHz channel allocations.