Highway Patrol faces wait for radios

[icom1020]

The biggest selling point I read

From the government agencies is "the system uses 60's technology"..."or equipment is no longer available"...

That being said, the California Highway Patrol is upgrading their "legacy" system with repeaters and Kenwood radios. It's too bad more in-house input is never heard when Motorola or another vendor comes a knockin' and the officials hand over the checkbook.

 

[ropin4gold]

Time to bring back this thread. The gov said last night DL fees are increasing to cover the cost of a new THP radio system.

 

[kg4ere]

Here is a question maybe someone can answer that I thought of on the way home. How do some of the THP vehicles here in Middle TN talk to their dispatch if they do not have lo band antennas on the car? I am refering to some of the unmarked crown vics and suv's used for patrol.

 

[INDY72]

Remember that just because you do not see an ant does not mean there isn't one there. There are many low profile and disguised ants made for unmarked and undercover use. They can also be using the VHF Hi band repeaters, or HT's in docks going through Hi Band.

For an example on the Ford CVPI, there is an kit sold where the FM broadcast ant is replaced with an "stealth" VHF unit that looks almost identical to the factory installed FM ant. There are also "cellular on glass look alike" ants for VHF, UHF, and 700/800 MHz bands.

The stealth antenna,... not just for scanners.

 

[jimg]

Here is a question maybe someone can answer that I thought of on the way home. How do some of the THP vehicles here in Middle TN talk to their dispatch if they do not have lo band antennas on the car? I am refering to some of the unmarked crown vics and suv's used for patrol.

My guess is they are using what is called a "disguise" antenna--looks like a regular car antenna on the outside, but has a different cable/electronics inside the car.

 

[RadioCopFFFR]

They use STI-CO antennas. They don't work as well as the big side mounted whips but they do work. They also have some of the Highband repeaters interfaced so the dispatcher can hear them on their Lowband channels on the console. I know of at least here in the Memphis District and Jackson Districts.

 

[kg4ere]

I knew they used the stico antennas, just wasnt sure if they were for lo band or not since they are shorter than the usual lo band antenna.

 

[jimg]

I knew they used the stico antennas, just wasnt sure if they were for lo band or not since they are shorter than the usual lo band antenna.

I saw a new THP suv yesterday in Murfreesboro. It had two smaller antennas on the roof, but I did not see the low-band whip, like on the Crown Vics.

 

[SCPD]

TN, like MS is mainly still on the very ANCIENT VHF Lo Band stuff. Both states are slowly comming into the "modern" radio age lol,.. TN is ahead of MS in desinging, researching, and beginning of implementation of the Hi Band, UHF, and 800 MHz systems,...

Ancient, of course. But it works !

TN like every other agency will soon find out 700/800 is NOT what it is cracked up to be, especially in the mountain terrain ! And just wait until they have controller failure. They will be reinstalling those low band radios back in the cars !

Our federal tax dollars a wasting again...

 

[ButchGone]

I really don't understand why THP still uses low band. They have a great network of VHF hi band repeaters around the state and they sound so much better than the 42MHz stuff. TWRA is hi band and went P25 years ago. Dept. of Transportation, Forestry, TEMA and other state agencies use VHF hi band. Why doesn't TN just take all their VHF assignments and build out either a statewide trunking system on VHF hi, or a network of repeaters on VHF like Kentucky did long time ago with UHF?
BG..

 

[INDY72]

THP will be going 700 as soon as the Statewide system is completed in a few years. As fast as they are throwing up the first regional phase it may even beat MS in finishing lol.

 

[ropin4gold]

How is it being built, east to west, west to east, north to south?

 

[colfire3]

The last Region 39 I attended they talked about The Nashville 800 being built out to surrounding areas. The folks from Williamson CO are planning a 800 system later this year if funding permits. TEMA talked about the the coverage of the 800mhz TMAC Repeaters. The slides we were shown had 99.9% coverage so the placing of TDOS and TDOT repeaters on the existing TMAC sites would allow the same coverage or so we were told. They also compared it to the South Carolina system in which local agencies could use it as well.

 

[INDY72]

It is being East to West.. Three phases. TVR which is the base for East.. Then central. then the Memphis teir on which Memphis has asked to become an major anchor

 

[colfire3]

It was planned to start in the east and than middle and west. There was a lot of discussion of the TVRCS how easy it would be to migrate state users to it. If they go with plan A TVRCS will be built out for all of east TN. Metro Nashville has agreed to look at expanding their system in which under that plan they would be allowed to use the TMAC sites to assist in expanding the system. The last to be built is west TN because of site reliability in earthquake mitigation.

 

[lowerrollin]

Anderson County uses a mix of Low band and UHF High band to communicate in the remote parts of the county. If I was to guess, when THP starts using there new 800 system in east tn, the Low band will still be used in the cars as a secondary radio. Old radios yes, but proven.

 

[INDY72]

The TN statewide new system will be a combination 700/800 P-25. Of course they will still have VHF and UHF also for interop also for some time.

 

[tbharper]

I take it THP is going digital

 

[radiofan1]

The TN statewide new system will be a combination 700/800 P-25. Of course they will still have VHF and UHF also for interop also for some time.

Motorola will make a fortune on this one. It will take a million tower sites for 700/800 to work reliably in the East Tennessee mountains. Might as well have use 5.8GHz.

Suckers.

 

[INDY72]

Actually they are not having to use a million sites. They have a few sites with MASSIVE power output. Up to 300 Watts on a few. The coverage so far is said to be good for the ones listening to the system now. 700 MHz has far better coverage than other bands and propagates far better than you'd think. Look up the scientific studies of real world applications. 700 MHz is not called the "magic" band for nothing. And yes once THP and other state agencies move onto this new system they will be P-25 digital.