Houston Public Safety Question

[sepura]

Does anyone know if Houston Public Safety plans on upgrading their old analog radios systems to new digital radios systems in the future? Or if they have plans to join a trunking network? Thanks.

 

[mfn002]

From what I've heard, they were *supposed* to go on their own 700 mHz P25 Phase 2 ASTRO system by next year. I haven't heard much about it in quite a while, so I don't know what the status on that system is.

 

[motorola_otaku]

..so I don't know what the status on that system is.

Nothing on the air yet. Scheduled cutover date is still August 2013, so I'd be very surprised if control channels didn't start popping up in the 1st quarter of 2012.

Per the last bulletin the city put out, they are still planning on having an "interim" system on the air and functional by the end of the year. This system will be on 800 MHz, presumably reusing the city public works system frequencies, and will be simulcast from 7 sites. The initial users will be city public works and HFD. HFD was described as having "the same 16 channels as they always have" so I can only assume that means they'll initially have 16 talkgroups mirroring the A1-8 and B1-8 UHF channels.

Good information is available here: Home Page

 

[ericcarlson]

The new city system is under construction now. It will be 800 MHz digital for public works (and fire/EMS initially). Then the 700 MHz system will come up for police and fire/EMS. The 700 MHz system will have 4 simulcast zones and a number of stand-alone "fill in" sites.

 

[mfn002]

Is it still going to be Phase 2?

 

[texasemt13]

Good information is available here: Home Page

The newsletters in this link were very informative. Thanks for digging that site up. It mentions a lot of the site locations, and shows build out pictures, as well as mentions names. That's a pretty impressive project, and considering it serves one of our nation's largest cities, it should be. I hope this system works flawlessly. These wide area, linked P25 systems impress me.