Home Patrol use in Hillsborough Co., Fl.

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jhw4

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I am considering buying a Home Patrol for use in Hillsborough Co., Fl. If anyone is currently using the HP, can you please tell me what you can pick up in this area? Thanks.
 

Jay911

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I played with mine while I was visiting the area last month. I'd consider it a good fit for the area.

They are coming out with a new P25 system for your area, so the HP1 is idea for that, both as a regular scanner and if you intend to help analyze/discover the new system.
 

jhw4

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Jay, I appreciate your input, your answers to posts are very helpful. jhw4
 

N1XDS

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Like what Jay already has replied with...Hillsborough P25 is coming out for RNC this August so hopefully it'll be in use before then so they can be ready for the RNC. Right now Hillsborough County Sheriff's office using EDACS.
 

jhw4

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Home Patrol in Hillsborough Co., Fl.

When P25 is used in the county, will the Home Patrol be compatible? Will I have to reprogram the scanner for P25? Also, can you tell me exactly what P25 is? I'm new to all of this and it is a bit overwhelming.
Thanks for your help.
 

exportdawg

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When P25 is used in the county, will the Home Patrol be compatible? Will I have to reprogram the scanner for P25? Also, can you tell me exactly what P25 is? I'm new to all of this and it is a bit overwhelming.
Thanks for your help.


P25 is a Digital system that much of the US is switching over too. It allow greater flexibility in communicating with other agencies for mutual aid, etc (I am sure there is someone who can give a more detailed response if needed)

HP1 handles P25 (Phase 1 ) . I recommend a Radio shack 800mhz duck antenna when it does switch over to P25....imo

You will need to reprogram it when it switches over, I am sure you will have new control channels and talk groups. The RR Database should have the new frequencies fairly quickly after the system is in operation. Members do a good job in providing information for the Database
 
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lep

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P-25 is short hand for APCO Project 25 (Association of Public Safety Communiations Officers, a trade association of professionals and manufacturers in the field). P25 is a system of digital voice and data now being adopted by many, but not alll, US public saftey agencies. It can be received by the generation of scanners which are "digital capable." A key feature of the Uniden HP-1 is does NOT have to be programmed for P-25, it does NOT display the mode of emisson and analog and P-25 transmissions can be mixed together and the scanner will play them the same.
Uniden operates a 'mirror' of the rr.com database that has the data that is massaged a little to be suitable for the HP-1, so you upate changes in the database directly by logging into Unidetn (as oftern as once a week if there are changes in the data that you are interested in.
Some departments are changing to a type of digital voice which the HP-1 (or any other scanner) can NOT decode. A noticable type is ProVoice.
P-25 is presently all "Phase 1", there are few (or maybe NO) "Phase 2" systems as the international standard for Phase 2 has not yet been approved, there is a tentative or preliminary Phase 2 standard. The GRE (i.e Radio Shack) latest scanner MAY be able to decode final Phase 2 (or maybe not). I am not sure that anyone knows for certain.
There is NO Federal mandate that Public Safety will be required to adopt digital. Nor, it there any mandate that it be P-25. What is going to be required is "narrow banding" to increase the number of apparent channels by reducing the occupied bandwidth.
Florida is making some changes just because they want to, they are making some changes just to get their turn at Fedral grants, they are making some changes for political reasons, they are making some changes just because they can!
 

jhw4

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P25 in Hillsborough Co., Fl.

Thank you dawg and lep. Your explanation on P25 helped me understand what is happening. As you know making a purchase as large as the cost of a HP-1, I really want to be sure it will meet my expectations and my abilities to use it. I bought a Pro 95 about 10 years ago and never got off the ground with it.

With the features on the HP, I feel like I have a better chance of successful scanning.

Dawg, thanks for the suggestion about the antenna. With the forums input and willingness to help a new person to this hobby, I am leaning to purchasing the HP-1.
 

QwKiE

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exportdawg

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Thank you dawg and lep. Your explanation on P25 helped me understand what is happening. As you know making a purchase as large as the cost of a HP-1, I really want to be sure it will meet my expectations and my abilities to use it. I bought a Pro 95 about 10 years ago and never got off the ground with it.

With the features on the HP, I feel like I have a better chance of successful scanning.

Dawg, thanks for the suggestion about the antenna. With the forums input and willingness to help a new person to this hobby, I am leaning to purchasing the HP-1.

No problem, the HP1 is a very nice unit and I think it will live up to your expectations. The HP1 is the easiest to use and program. Very use friendly.
Like another member posted above, keep your eye out for radio shack having them on sale.
 

exportdawg

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Thank you dawg and lep. Your explanation on P25 helped me understand what is happening. As you know making a purchase as large as the cost of a HP-1, I really want to be sure it will meet my expectations and my abilities to use it. I bought a Pro 95 about 10 years ago and never got off the ground with it.

With the features on the HP, I feel like I have a better chance of successful scanning.

Dawg, thanks for the suggestion about the antenna. With the forums input and willingness to help a new person to this hobby, I am leaning to purchasing the HP-1.

Two things you will need for the RatShack 800 duck

BNC Female to SMA male
h ttp://www.amazon.com/Female-Male-Plug-Coax-Adapter/dp/B002A6CWDA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335564566&sr=8-1

BNC male to BNC female right Angle
h ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0002KR948/ref=sr_1_1_olp?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1335564643&sr=1-1&condition=new
 

exportdawg

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P-25 is short hand for APCO Project 25 (Association of Public Safety Communiations Officers, a trade association of professionals and manufacturers in the field). P25 is a system of digital voice and data now being adopted by many, but not alll, US public saftey agencies. It can be received by the generation of scanners which are "digital capable." A key feature of the Uniden HP-1 is does NOT have to be programmed for P-25, it does NOT display the mode of emisson and analog and P-25 transmissions can be mixed together and the scanner will play them the same.
Uniden operates a 'mirror' of the rr.com database that has the data that is massaged a little to be suitable for the HP-1, so you upate changes in the database directly by logging into Unidetn (as oftern as once a week if there are changes in the data that you are interested in.
Some departments are changing to a type of digital voice which the HP-1 (or any other scanner) can NOT decode. A noticable type is ProVoice.
P-25 is presently all "Phase 1", there are few (or maybe NO) "Phase 2" systems as the international standard for Phase 2 has not yet been approved, there is a tentative or preliminary Phase 2 standard. The GRE (i.e Radio Shack) latest scanner MAY be able to decode final Phase 2 (or maybe not). I am not sure that anyone knows for certain.
There is NO Federal mandate that Public Safety will be required to adopt digital. Nor, it there any mandate that it be P-25. What is going to be required is "narrow banding" to increase the number of apparent channels by reducing the occupied bandwidth.
Florida is making some changes just because they want to, they are making some changes just to get their turn at Fedral grants, they are making some changes for political reasons, they are making some changes just because they can!

Nice Wurk!
 

jhw4

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HP 1 support

Qwkie,
Thanks for telling me about the sale on the Home Patrol 1 and the coupons! I am going to take advantage of the sale.

Dawg, Thank you for your support and your specific information on the antenna. The local RS I go to, the young clerk is not knowledgable on scanners.

lep, I went back and read more of your posts on the Home Patrol. They were very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to answer forum questions. It is a gift that keeps on giving!

Git-r-done- I like your ID name. I engraved that into my son's high school class ring! And I hope I can 'git r done' when I get my new radio. I am hopeful the HP 1 will come through for me.

Jay, when I get a little experience under my belt, I'm going to tap into your expertise. You knowledge and willingness to share it is much appreciated.
 
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P-25 is short hand for APCO Project 25 (Association of Public Safety Communiations Officers, a trade association of professionals and manufacturers in the field). P25 is a system of digital voice and data now being adopted by many, but not alll, US public saftey agencies. It can be received by the generation of scanners which are "digital capable." A key feature of the Uniden HP-1 is does NOT have to be programmed for P-25, it does NOT display the mode of emisson and analog and P-25 transmissions can be mixed together and the scanner will play them the same.
Uniden operates a 'mirror' of the rr.com database that has the data that is massaged a little to be suitable for the HP-1, so you upate changes in the database directly by logging into Unidetn (as oftern as once a week if there are changes in the data that you are interested in.
Some departments are changing to a type of digital voice which the HP-1 (or any other scanner) can NOT decode. A noticable type is ProVoice.
P-25 is presently all "Phase 1", there are few (or maybe NO) "Phase 2" systems as the international standard for Phase 2 has not yet been approved, there is a tentative or preliminary Phase 2 standard. The GRE (i.e Radio Shack) latest scanner MAY be able to decode final Phase 2 (or maybe not). I am not sure that anyone knows for certain.
There is NO Federal mandate that Public Safety will be required to adopt digital. Nor, it there any mandate that it be P-25. What is going to be required is "narrow banding" to increase the number of apparent channels by reducing the occupied bandwidth.
Florida is making some changes just because they want to, they are making some changes just to get their turn at Fedral grants, they are making some changes for political reasons, they are making some changes just because they can!

Very well put! One thing to add is that Hillsborough County Sheriff and Hillsborough County Fire Rescue are already "digital". They converted to digital between 1999 and 2003. It was attempted closer to 1999, but had MANY issues with coverage so they MADE CII (Communication International Inc) go in and redo the entire network. Because so many people tried to be on the same channels and the "trunking" could not keep up with Fire Rescue and the Sheriffs Office, they had to separate them to East Side and West Side. Towards the later part of 2003, more towers were added, candleabras were changed out on existing towers and for the most part, all was fine. The City of Tampa Police and Tampa Fire, were still using the OLD HT1000 portables and some had MTX2000's for Supervisors and Lieutenants. Then, the Mutual Aid agreement went into effect where the City of Tampa and HCFR and Temple Terrace would utilize each other for "closer units" for 911 calls. But unfortunately, the interoperability was so outdated that a patch had to be created before Tampa and Temple Terrace could respond on HCFR radios. Two years ago, and with P25 looming over everyone's heads, especially the "narrow banding" mandate, they opted to switch to an all Ericcson EDACS system. Last time I checked, Tampa Fire is still on VHF, but are P25 compliant. Plus, with the old system TFR used, there was ZERO way to have identifiers for portables or mobiles. Dispatchers could not tell who hit there Emergency Button and who didn't. Now, they are all assigned in the system and they know who has what radio. The latest plan and idea, for significant interoperability, is that the new radio system will be Mutual Aid friendly for both Pinellas County and Hillsborough County. Since Tampa Fire Engine 8 and Pinellas Park Engine 36/Truck 13 run alot of Mutual Aid on the Howard Frankland Bridge, they have to rely on Dispatch to call TFR or vice versa and have the units cancelled or upgraded. With the new radio system, they will be able to communicate with each other when responding on the bridge. It will be a win win for agencies but a nightmare for scanner enthusiasts, which once they get the bugs worked out, it wont be so bad. I used to work for HCSO in Communications Maintenance and had the task with 3 others, of programming radios for EVERY Engine, Ladder, Rescue, Batt Chief other HCFR vehicles as well as Patrol mobiles and portables
 

jhw4

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P 25 information

Thanks for sharing your knowledge of communications in Hillsborough County. Your information was very helpful.
 

N1XDS

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Thank you for the detail information about the system. Awaiting for them to pull the switch to get on the P25 system hopefully they'll do it before the RNC in 3 months.
 

Bolt21

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One thing to add is that Hillsborough County Sheriff and Hillsborough County Fire Rescue are already "digital".

Yes, they are "digital" as in they have EDACS ProVoice capability, but when talking about the system as a whole, they are NOT digital. They are an EDACS analog system utilizing 10% or less ProVoice talkgroups.

They converted to digital between 1999 and 2003.

Not sure where you get this from. Do you mean they added ProVoice capability at that time?

Two years ago, and with P25 looming over everyone's heads, especially the "narrow banding" mandate, they opted to switch to an all Ericcson EDACS system.

Hillsborough switched to a GE/Ericsson/Tyco/Harris EDACS system MANY years ago. Probably closer to the 1999 you referenced earlier. They recently drank the P25 Kool-Aid and currently (since the beginning of the year) have a P25 (non-EDACS) system in the testing phase, probably to be in service by the RNC convention.

Last time I checked, Tampa Fire is still on VHF, but are P25 compliant.

TFR has been on the Hillsborough EDACS system since February. TPD joined a while back.
 
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Yes, they are "digital" as in they have EDACS ProVoice capability, but when talking about the system as a whole, they are NOT digital. They are an EDACS analog system utilizing 10% or less ProVoice talkgroups.



Not sure where you get this from. Do you mean they added ProVoice capability at that time?



Hillsborough switched to a GE/Ericsson/Tyco/Harris EDACS system MANY years ago. Probably closer to the 1999 you referenced earlier. They recently drank the P25 Kool-Aid and currently (since the beginning of the year) have a P25 (non-EDACS) system in the testing phase, probably to be in service by the RNC convention.



TFR has been on the Hillsborough EDACS system since February. TPD joined a while back.

Yes, TFR and TPD is on the EDACS system, but TFR is STILL in VHF and TPD is STILL in UHF, both with the intention of switching to 800mhz. And versus having two sites, both an East and West site, the intention is to go to one site. Additionally, it has been tossed around that HCSO MAY go to 700mhz. But from what I was told, the P7100 currently in use may not be 700/800 compatible. I recall someone saying that there are some of the P7100ip in use, but may not be compatible.
 

Bolt21

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Tampa has been conducting day-to-day public safety operations on the Hillsborough 800MHz EDACS system for some time now. There is no VHF or UHF operation, and no intention to switch. They have already switched. Not trying to be smart, but program up the Hills. system and plug in the Tampa talkgroups from the database. They're on the system. I promise.

Hillsborough County Public Safety (Project 25) System Trunking System, Tampa, Florida - Scanner Frequencies - This P25 700MHz system has had a cc active at all times for several months now. Don't know why they'd get 700MHz freqs licensed and invest time in testing it if they weren't going to put it in service.
 
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