GATRRS (West Texas)

[niklas12345]

I think in the future, depending on what Ector County and UTPB do for comms, the CoO will build one to three 800 sites to bring back the coverage they previously had.
Their coverage is or has gone in the toilet with the PBPRC sites moving to GATRRS.
Keep in mind too, that the "New" CoO system is an 8 (maybe 12, but it does not matter) channel simocast system which means where they use to have 12-15 talk channels available, they now only have 7....period.
This is due to the way simulcast works and still needing one channel for a control channel.
If they are not getting busies, I would be surprised.
The bottom line is they got lead down a path by their FORMER city manager and police chief and now they are too far down that path to change course and save face. The recent hew-hawsing in the media they did proves it.
This is what happens when you listen to the experts from a'far (consultants) rather than your local people who know the system, users and "Why the Starship Runs...".
It is hoped that down the road clearer minds will prevail and they will become a zone off GATRRS and we can the best of both worlds.
What I want to know is what is going to happen to the old ARC4000 Master Core.
I know where there are a BUNCH of decommissioned VHF trunked Quantars.
They will go down to 145.000MHz.
I think it would be COOL!!! to have a 4 channel trunked VHF ham site.

 

[TexScan780D]

I think in the future, depending on what Ector County and UTPB do for comms, the CoO will build one to three 800 sites to bring back the coverage they previously had.
Their coverage is or has gone in the toilet with the PBPRC sites moving to GATRRS.
Keep in mind too, that the "New" CoO system is an 8 (maybe 12, but it does not matter) channel simocast system which means where they use to have 12-15 talk channels available, they now only have 7....period.
This is due to the way simulcast works and still needing one channel for a control channel.
If they are not getting busies, I would be surprised.
The bottom line is they got lead down a path by their FORMER city manager and police chief and now they are too far down that path to change course and save face. The recent hew-hawsing in the media they did proves it.
This is what happens when you listen to the experts from a'far (consultants) rather than your local people who know the system, users and "Why the Starship Runs...".
It is hoped that down the road clearer minds will prevail and they will become a zone off GATRRS and we can the best of both worlds.
What I want to know is what is going to happen to the old ARC4000 Master Core.
I know where there are a BUNCH of decommissioned VHF trunked Quantars.
They will go down to 145.000MHz.
I think it would be COOL!!! to have a 4 channel trunked VHF ham site.

Are those VHF Trunked Quantars approved by the FCC to work on 2-meter? I read an article somewhere, maybe in QST, the FCC was cracking down on public safety radios working in the Ham bands.

 

[KE5PL]

Are those VHF Trunked Quantars approved by the FCC to work on 2-meter? I read an article somewhere, maybe in QST, the FCC was cracking down on public safety radios working in the Ham bands.

You have that backwards. You cannot legally use a ham radio in the public safety bands, even if you are authorized to operate there. It is an FCC type acceptance thing. This was popular with the VFD types. Conventional Quantars are very popular in the ham bands, whether conventional or P25.

 

[KE5PL]

I think in the future, depending on what Ector County and UTPB do for comms, the CoO will build one to three 800 sites to bring back the coverage they previously had.
Their coverage is or has gone in the toilet with the PBPRC sites moving to GATRRS.
Keep in mind too, that the "New" CoO system is an 8 (maybe 12, but it does not matter) channel simocast system which means where they use to have 12-15 talk channels available, they now only have 7....period.
This is due to the way simulcast works and still needing one channel for a control channel.
If they are not getting busies, I would be surprised.
The bottom line is they got lead down a path by their FORMER city manager and police chief and now they are too far down that path to change course and save face. The recent hew-hawsing in the media they did proves it.
This is what happens when you listen to the experts from a'far (consultants) rather than your local people who know the system, users and "Why the Starship Runs...".
It is hoped that down the road clearer minds will prevail and they will become a zone off GATRRS and we can the best of both worlds.
What I want to know is what is going to happen to the old ARC4000 Master Core.
I know where there are a BUNCH of decommissioned VHF trunked Quantars.
They will go down to 145.000MHz.
I think it would be COOL!!! to have a 4 channel trunked VHF ham site.

Just another amateur radio digital mode that seldom gets used.

 

[mostinterestingman]

I can only imagine what CoO paid for the master site, as well as ongoing maintenance, FTE's to run the damn thing, compared to if they just connected to GATRRS and would instantly have coverage in 1/3rd of Texas. This sort of ignorance and control is rampant across the state, often grant funded ignorance.

 

[niklas12345]

Are those VHF Trunked Quantars approved by the FCC to work on 2-meter? I read an article somewhere, maybe in QST, the FCC was cracking down on public safety radios working in the Ham bands.

The Motorola Quantars are perfectly legal for use in the Amateur (Part 97) Bands.
As are Harris/Macom/Erricson/COMNET/GE Master II and III's, Micors, Kenwood TKR750's, et.al.....
Most ham radio only repeaters are junk...Spectrum, Bridgecom, Fusion, D-Star
In fact, the FCC LIKES it when we use a part 90 radio rather than most part 97 radios cause the in most cases the Part 97 are not as clean as the 90.

Part 90 radios have to be certified by a FCC certified testing lab to meet the part 90 specs.
Part 97 radios are NOT certified, they are authorized or approved for use on the Part 97 frequencies.
The part 97 rules and the way that works is why hams can build their own radios and experiment with stuff.
Basically Part 97 equipment is approved much like a Part 15 device (WiFi router, door garage opener, baby monitor).

What the FCC recently did was go after one of the largest importers of the cheap Chinese radios that folks are using in the Part 90 bands for VFD etc use.
Here is the article from ARRL's web site....
FCC Cites Baofeng Importer for Illegally Marketing Unauthorized RF Devices.
From what I am told by contacts at the commission, this is just the shot across the bow of these importers and vendors.
If the radio does not the FCC ID number on the sticker on the radio, there is a 98% chance it is not Part 90 approved.

The vast majority of the hams I am around have the ham only Part 97 radios, but the radio they call on the most has Bat Wings on it.

 

[niklas12345]

I can only imagine what CoO paid for the master site, as well as ongoing maintenance, FTE's to run the damn thing, compared to if they just connected to GATRRS and would instantly have coverage in 1/3rd of Texas. This sort of ignorance and control is rampant across the state, often grant funded ignorance.

If I remember correctly, the bottom line was around 3.5 Million Dollars for the Master Core alone.
That did not include the subscriber radios and console upgrades.

What FTE's????
They have one person dedicated for radio stuff but he also does IT stuff. As far as i know the majority of work is done by the "Man in a Van" vendor from 350 miles away.

I have a very strong opinion on how all that went down, but it does no good now as they have made their bed, now lay in it.

As I have said before, I hope things someday change.

Ohhhh....what grants???...those dried up a long time ago.

 

[niklas12345]

Just another amateur radio digital mode that seldom gets used.

Yeah...Yeah...Yeah....

Wide band Analog...... Jim Jefferies would be proud....

 

[TexScan780D]

Channel 7 website has a story on Ector County moving to City of Odessa radio system.

 

[ScannerMan1989]

Permian basin regional interoperability network

Gomez Peak, Coates Ranch (Iraan), King Mountain (McCamey) and Glass Mountain have been transferred to the GATRRS (13E) core. The remaining sites exclusive of Pool Road and Troy Road (Odessa) will be absorbed into 13E 4Q 2018.

Man you be careful looking for radio frequencies in Iran dude...

 

[KevinC]

Man you be careful looking for radio frequencies in Iran dude...

A note of interest (or not), the town of Iraan was named for Ira and Ann Yates.

 

[ScannerMan1989]

A note of interest (or not), the town of Iraan was named for Ira and Ann Yates.

I know. I just couldn't resist. Sometimes my humor works and sometimes it does NOT. The worst thing someone could do is sit still and not make effort.

 

[rn1nduk1]

Channel 7 website has a story on Ector County moving to City of Odessa radio system.

Just seen it. 3.8 million. Since city CONTROLS everything my best guess they will ghost their comms


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[TexScan780D]

Just seen it. 3.8 million. Since city CONTROLS everything my best guess they will ghost their comms


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I use bet the improvements on the towers will not cover the entire Ector County.

 

[slayer7303]

I have been catching a lot of chatter on T.G 50382, seems as that is the Iraan TxDOT yard....testing coverage in the Iraan area. T.G 7439 been testing the area towers for GATRRS in no trees gardendale and midland, sounds as if they are talking to Austin....

 

[KevinC]

Still nothing on Big Spring or Andrews/Patricia?

 

[slayer7303]

nothing from those towers just the twin citys king mt and coats ranch... least that's what I've cought so far. most of my listening is in the west Odessa area from 08:00 to17:00.

 

[KevinC]

I know. I just couldn't resist. Sometimes my humor works and sometimes it does NOT. The worst thing someone could do is sit still and not make effort.

I'm impressed. Most people outside of the area (much less outside of Texas), don't know this.

 

[slayer7303]

would I be beter off putting each repeater in its own bank or all together in one bank. Wanting to listen to Upton, Pecos, Ector and Midland county?

 

[rattlerbb01]

would I be beter off putting each repeater in its own bank or all together in one bank. Wanting to listen to Upton, Pecos, Ector and Midland county?

We would need a little more information to help you out. What type of scanner are you using? I take it since this is the GATRRS West Texas thread, you have a P25 Phase 1 capable scanner? Do you also want to listen to all the conventional (non-trunked) VHF stuff that they use as well?