Future of VHF Low/High band in Westchester/Yonkers

[techynyc]

To the informed, uniformed, & local Fire/EMS RR buffs,
Can you offer an insights as to future of these VHF High/Low band FQ currently in use by Yonkers and Westchester towns.
Low band propagation with repeaters work very well in Westchester County's hilly terrain. However will Big Mo always looking to saturate an area with its newest products products. I would expect Westchester County PD/FD and Yonkers FD will at some point move to newer radios. When they do I suspect they may also move to higher frequencies, PL/CTSS etc. I have several Crystal-based scanners currently receiving these VHF H/L FQs, but I wonder for how much longer this will be possible. Thanks in advance for your informed responses.

VHF H/L FQs for YFD and West Cnty towns:
155.31000 County Police Ch 1/2
155.55000 County Police Ch 3
46.50000 Yonkers Fire Dispatch
46.14000 Westchester Cnty FG1
46.42000 Westchester Cnty FG1

46.52000 Ardsley Fire/EMS Dispatch
46.04000 Croton on Hudson Fire Ops
45.96000 Greenburgh Civil Defense
45.62000 Mamaroneck Fire 15 Patch
46.20000 Fire 16 - Armonk crossband repeater
47.50000 Pound Ridge EMS
45.72000 Fire 13 -South Salem crossband repeater
151.31000 Pound Ridge PD/EMS

 

[jeepsandradios]

Westchester County Trunking System, Westchester County, New York

Westchester County Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

Radio Systems Updates

 

[Archie]

Yonkers FD: Nothing in the new adopted budget for a switch to UHF.See it here: www.yonkersny.gov

 

[techynyc]

Archie & KB2ZTX Thank you.

 

[radioman2001]

I would suspect that everyone is waiting on the 700mhz system being built now. After that it could be years before everyone moves up to it. For FD Disp I understand they are reusung all the 453 channels they have had for 20 years as firegrounds to paging in Battalion style.

 

[Alarms50]

As per the September 25, 2020 update link in the #2 post of this thread, the plan was not to implement 700MHz (it would have required too many additional sites to just get the equivalent coverage our current T-Band system provides), unless we lost access to the T-Band. Once the new Trunked System has passed it's drive testing, (tentative timeline is Fall 2021) the current System will be retired with the new System phased in at that time.

We are very optimistic about keeping our T-Band frequencies now that the House and Senate have approved the Covid-19 Stimulus Package, because Section 902 of this massive bill (5,593 pages) includes the entire wording of H.R.451 the "Don't Break Up the T-Band" bill that the House had previously approved. Just waiting for the House and Senate to formalize all the wording, then for the President to sign the bill.

A new UHF FD/EMS Dispatch System is also being built, but not with the current 453/458MHz "Fireground" frequencies. Paging will be on a "zoned" scenario (North, Central, and South) with other UHF frequencies we have been able to get licensed for.

 

[radioman2001]

I saw the 9/2020 update on the county web site. I hope for the same as the present 470 systems has enough holes in it as it is, and never mind 700. Croton on Hudson, and Pleasantville to name a few. I am not too keen on the future P-25 for the fire service, as I spend a fair amount of time in an area of N.C.'s Viper system and even with towers less than 5 miles apart from each other there are still issues. Plus I don't agree on their using repeaters for interior channels.

 

[GTR8000]

I am not too keen on the future P-25 for the fire service, as I spend a fair amount of time in an area of N.C.'s Viper system and even with towers less than 5 miles apart from each other there are still issues. Plus I don't agree on their using repeaters for interior channels.

Who said anything about using P25/trunking for fireground? The usage will remain the same as it currently is with the SmartZone system...response and wide-area operations on trunking, on-scene/fireground on simplex UHF.

 

[Alarms50]

The current System was designed for 95% Mobile coverage (not Portable). The new System has been designed for 95% Portable On Street coverage. To accomplish this, in addition to the current nine sites, eight additional sites are planned with several under construction now.

Fireground will remain analog/simplex, repeaters were never considered for interior operations.

Correction: Paging will be two zones (North and South). At one point in the project there was discussion of three zones.

 

[CqDx]

Intersting to see the new system will have dedicated FIRE channels for the cities of the county (White Plains, Mount Vernon, Yonkers, etc)

The did mention early 2021 as the in-service date for the new system, has that been pushed back to later part of 2021?

 

[Alarms50]

The current projected schedule for the UHF P25 Phase 2 Trunked System to be operational is late 2021.

 

[CqDx]

Thank you !