Highway Patrol Low Band

[RadioDitch]

Is there any District of THP which still continues to have access to utilize VHF Low Band? District 4 (Memphis) no longer has the equipment in their vehicles, and there's no low band antenna on the tower at D4 on Summer Ave in Memphis any longer. Also I travel the length of I-40 several times per year, I can tell you that it's been a very, very long time since I saw any THP squad with a low band antenna. I understand the frequencies likely remain in the database because the licenses are still valid. But it would appear they are depreciated.

So is there any access and utilization? Or should THP low band be depreciated?

Thanks!

 

[buddrousa]

In D4 and D8 Low Band is not used at all. D4 Dispatch has been combined with D8 Dispatch and is done out of the New Jackson Dispatch Location.

 

[RadioDitch]

In D4 and D8 Low Band is not used at all. D4 Dispatch has been combined with D8 Dispatch and is done out of the New Jackson Dispatch Location.

I'm aware of that. Which is why I'm asking if it's still alive anywhere in the state. Cause if not, then I'll submit it as depreciated statewide in the database.

 

[RadioJonD]

From this 0ctober 2017 thread...

ka4bni said:
You can remove the low band frequencies from your scanner. All of the THP low band control stations and mobile relays have been removed from the state tower sites. There are still some mobiles left in the vehicles but most will be removed by early next year. The low band radios still in the vehicles are being disconnected by the Techs as time permits.

The high band repeaters are still in place and are still being used as backups to the TRS though you may not hear much traffic on them.

 

[RadioDitch]

From this 0ctober 2017 thread...

ka4bni said:
You can remove the low band frequencies from your scanner. All of the THP low band control stations and mobile relays have been removed from the state tower sites. There are still some mobiles left in the vehicles but most will be removed by early next year. The low band radios still in the vehicles are being disconnected by the Techs as time permits.

The high band repeaters are still in place and are still being used as backups to the TRS though you may not hear much traffic on them.

Good enough for me. Submission going in.

 

[FFPM571]

I have serviced dozens of THP cars from multiple districts in the last 2 years and none had Low band radios . Every mobile radio has been a mid power APX8500 all band

 

[RadioDitch]

I have serviced dozens of THP cars from multiple districts in the last 2 years and none had Low band radios . Every mobile radio has been a mid power APX8500 all band

Submission was made. THP Low Band has officially been depreciated in the DB.

 

[surfacemount]

I have serviced dozens of THP cars from multiple districts in the last 2 years and none had Low band radios . Every mobile radio has been a mid power APX8500 all band

Serviced them in what way? I only ask because I am curious about how well that wrap is holding up to gasoline and road salt.

 

[FFPM571]

ALPR'S

 

[RadioDitch]

I only ask because I am curious about how well that wrap is holding up to gasoline and road salt.

That's not a problem in the western part of the state where neither the counties nor DOT know what road salt is. lol.

 

[surfacemount]

I'm towards the pointy end where we salt until ocean fish can live in the streams. It's just a matter of time until the armadillos get here...

 

[K2NWC]

I'm towards the pointy end where we salt until ocean fish can live in the streams. It's just a matter of time until the armadillos get here...

Same here... salt goes down when the temps dip, regardless of precip in the forecast or not. I was absolutely shocked when I was working in Franklin a few years ago and Chick-Fil-A closed for three days due to snow... that would cause a multi-agency interop emergency in northeast TN!

 

[Wnqk784]

I tell ya all of these states ditching their old low band analog equipment they're gonna be sorrrrrrrrrry one of these days

 

[RadioDitch]

I tell ya all of these states ditching their old low band analog equipment they're gonna be sorrrrrrrrrry one of these days

I mean, it's a solid fallback. There's a reason California Highway Patrol is actually upgrading their Low Band instead of ditching it altogether.

 

[RadioDitch]

Same here... salt goes down when the temps dip, regardless of precip in the forecast or not. I was absolutely shocked when I was working in Franklin a few years ago and Chick-Fil-A closed for three days due to snow... that would cause a multi-agency interop emergency in northeast TN!

Oh dude, the only thing in Greater Memphis that doesn't close during snow or ice is the auto body shops. They just laugh while counting the jackpot.

 

[Wnqk784]

You know why they are upgrading it because it's better than the computer driven radio that has a heart attack if just one tower goes down in the system and the old stuff is way less expensive to maintain because it doesn't take 20 towers to do the job of maybe one or two of the power and setup of the system is right and it will be there when they need it no computer crashes to worry about

 

[Wnqk784]

Don't get me wrong I'm not against getting something that maybe better and will actually work for interop but my state patrol was on low band until the early 2000s and then they rode on some county systems until the state system was completely online but they could have done like the dot in my state did with their system upgrade it to have repeaters and at least have a good standby but my dot never made the switch they still use the old VHF system to this day

 

[buddrousa]

Now gone are the days of having 100 watt mobiles and still having dead spots where the Trooper was out on a call with nobody knowing where he was or if he was ok.
Gone are the days of having having to have the Dispatcher look up Car Tags or DLs.
Gone are the days of the Dispatcher not knowing where his Troopers are at all times.
Now most areas Troopers can use a Portable and not have to leave the car running for a Mobile Repeater to work or remember to turn on the Mobile Repeater during a Traffic Stop.
Safer for all involved.
One Site going down does not crash the entire system.
One Link going down does not Break the system as Backups kick in and carry traffic.

 

[Wnqk784]

That maybe true for the Tennessee system but for the one in my state it's a different story my county is on a simulcast system linked in with the state system and one tower can go down which doesn't happen often mind you thankfully but it does happen from time to time and when it does all of the radios go into fail soft and quit working all together and the the out of range alarm starts going off and until they can reset they are all but useless like I said I'm not against having something better as long as it works when you need it I have been a first responder for over 30 years and l can remember being on low band and couldn't even get out on my walkie to the engine outside while working a fire in a building so yes it's better in some ways but there's still a lot of bugs to work out

 

[buddrousa]

Well you are posting in the TN TACN thread so you not knowing our system you are making false statements that others may think are true.