Hoosier SAFE-T thread 2025

[TCcomm3240]

with the size of Vermillion and the location of the clinton machine, I would say, Clinton should give you everything you want for just Vermillion .... I wouldn't add Newport unless your looking for traffic from Warren County also or Dist 14 ISP

I live right on the IL/IN state line north of Blanford area. Would clinton be the only site to add not Newport? This HT’s stays at the house most of the time anyways.

And again for those who reply and before you do, Ive done NAS programming for years and Ive never had any issues with programming XTS/XTL radios, not even gonna attempt APX though for how more complex Ive seen it be than Astros lol, point is I know what I’m doing just needed some help on this one and appreciate everyone’s input. Thanks

 

[AK9R]

The Clinton site should have all unencrypted traffic for the Vermillion County public safety agencies that are using SAFE-T plus state police, INDOT, and other state agencies operating in the area.

 

[TCcomm3240]

The Clinton site should have all unencrypted traffic for the Vermillion County public safety agencies that are using SAFE-T plus state police, INDOT, and other state agencies operating in the area.

Im aware and seen that on the RR database, what I’m asking is do I have to have both program both sites on the XTS I have in order to get all radio traffic? Or, is it like the north part county use the Newport tower and south part uses the Clinton tower? Again all my other programming is correct just need to know if I need both sites CC’s programmed or just 1 sites CC’s?

 

[N9KLF]

The Terre Haute Tribune Star reported:
The Vigo County Council budget committee heard a request from Terre Haute Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Dalton and Riley Fire Department Chief Jeff Fox to fully upgrade the communications system from the current patchwork arrangement where radio signals can be spotty from neighborhood to neighborhood.
The downtown tower where the old jail used to be will be moved to the Terre Haute Fire Department’s headquarters on First Street.

Additionally, three more towers would be built at Hawthorn Park, Saint Maryof- the-Woods College and the Pierson Township Fire Department in Blackhawk, where there would be no expense in securing land for the equipment.
Motorola, who provides the county with its radios, offered the county a deal to do all of this work for $8.49 million (as opposed to the $10 million retail cost), deferring payment until late next year. The agreement has to be made before the end of this year or the discount will vanish. The committee took the request under advisement and the County Council will vote on the measure at its December meeting.

 

[usswood]

The Terre Haute Tribune Star reported:
The Vigo County Council budget committee heard a request from Terre Haute Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Dalton and Riley Fire Department Chief Jeff Fox to fully upgrade the communications system from the current patchwork arrangement where radio signals can be spotty from neighborhood to neighborhood.
The downtown tower where the old jail used to be will be moved to the Terre Haute Fire Department’s headquarters on First Street.

Additionally, three more towers would be built at Hawthorn Park, Saint Maryof- the-Woods College and the Pierson Township Fire Department in Blackhawk, where there would be no expense in securing land for the equipment.
Motorola, who provides the county with its radios, offered the county a deal to do all of this work for $8.49 million (as opposed to the $10 million retail cost), deferring payment until late next year. The agreement has to be made before the end of this year or the discount will vanish. The committee took the request advisement and the County Council will vote on the measure at its December meeting.

Can you link this article, I can't find it anywhere? First time I'm hearing about this spotty coverage.... Officers don't understand how to change towers on their portables is the only real issue around here with radio coverage... What exactly is this patchwork arrangement they are referring to also?

 

[AK9R]

Officers don't understand how to change towers on their portables is the only real issue around here with radio coverage.

They shouldn't have to. In my experience with an APX that was programmed for SAFE-T, it switched to a new site when the RSSI on the current site got too low.

 

[usswood]

They shouldn't have to. In my experience with an APX that was programmed for SAFE-T, it switched to a new site when the RSSI on the current site got too low.

That is the problem, old broke radio gear, that would cost a hell of a lot less then adding new towers

 

[west-pac]

That is the problem, old broke radio gear, that would cost a hell of a lot less then adding new towers

County leaders are not communication specialists. They defer to their communications people, i.e....their police and fire people. If they say they need a new radio system,... they'll buy one. I don't understand your hostility. You, personally, are not going to fix this by complaining to a bunch a hobbyist on a radio website. Those of us who have experience with SAFE-T know how the system works, and that training goes a long way. We, as radio hobbyist, also put the majority of our focus on the radio aspect everything, whereas police, fire, ems, county highway, etc... the radio is just one of many tools in the toolbox, and it's not the priority of their focus. They just want it to work, they don't need to know how to program it, or how to access secret menus, or what codeplug is; they just simply want it to work when they key mic, so keep that in mind with your rants.

 

[usswood]

County leaders are not communication specialists. They defer to their communications people, i.e....their police and fire people. If they say they need a new radio system,... they'll buy one. I don't understand your hostility. You, personally, are not going to fix this by complaining to a bunch a hobbyist on a radio website. Those of us who have experience with SAFE-T know how the system works, and that training goes a long way. We, as radio hobbyist, also put the majority of our focus on the radio aspect everything, whereas police, fire, ems, county highway, etc... the radio is just one of many tools in the toolbox, and it's not the priority of their focus. They just want it to work, they don't need to know how to program it, or how to access secret menus, or what codeplug is; they just simply want it to work when they key mic, so keep that in mind with your rants.

How did you take those last comments and point them at me like I have a problem with something? The OP made a post and I ask him to add the link to his story I can't find, that was the point of my comments sir!

 

[AK9R]

I don't understand your hostility. You, personally, are not going to fix this by complaining to a bunch a hobbyist on a radio website.

How did you take those last comments and point them at me like I have a problem with something?

This stops here.

 

[N9KLF]

The Tribune Star newspaper article was titled "Council committee hears additional funding requests" on Tuesday, November 11, 2025 page A2.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

I don't often agree with West-Pac (I think he's very grumpy) but you guys don't understand how trunking works. Lake county is simulcast. D13 doesn't use Lowell as their primary "repeater". Dispatch gets transmitted on the ALL the LC and PoCo simulcast sites and any others that D13 mobiles or portables affiliate to. How do you think units that pursue into Illinois are talking to the post? Direct to the Lowell site?

There are no such things as repeaters in a trunked network. Think of it like a cell network... When you move areas you move to different cell sites and your phone still works. You don't use a primary cell phone site.

Yes I'm aware this post is a month or so old 😂

I understand most of it how trunking works, of course lake county simulcast carries all the traffic for D13 and surrounding counties do to and if they have a radio affiliated with any other sites. D13 dispatch is connected to the Lowell site because it's literally right next to the D13 post, but that is simulcast across all the sites in lake county (Hammond, St. John, Gary, Lowell) because it's one system with 4 sites interconnected. It's not like the dispatch console is connected to the site in Hammond or Gary it wouldn't get signal, it's as said connected to the Lowell site of the lake county simulcast.You just misunderstood what I was meaning, no biggie.

What I'm saying if you can pick up a site that the dispatch is connected with you will without a doubt pick up that dispatch and units, in this example if you pick lake county simulcast, in my case the Lowell site you will guaranteed pick up D13.

Or another example if i pick up the Morocco site and since dispatch is several 100 ft away and is connected to that there is a guarantee I will pick up Newton County. So I realize that most sites surrounding a county carry the traffic of other counties around but to have the guarantee I want to pick up the site that the dispatch is connected to.

D14 for example is on Monon sometimes, not every transmission though, so I don't get every transmission of D14, but if I had the ability to pick up the Lafayette tower I would guaranteed get every transmission because D14 dispatch is connected to it. That's what I meant.