Howard County new 700 MHz system delayed (again)

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Ensnared

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"E" For Howard

I received inside information from someone in Big Spring. Guess what? This informant indicated that this system would be fully encrypted. I happen to know that Big Spring, despite what they say, is full of corruption. I lived there.
 

rattlerbb01

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I received inside information from someone in Big Spring. Guess what? This informant indicated that this system would be fully encrypted. I happen to know that Big Spring, despite what they say, is full of corruption. I lived there.
Technology has made encryption too cheap for some LE chiefs to pass up. I really think that they will find that this will throw up an unnecessary barrier between them and the public they serve. I don't think most of us would have any problem in the world with them encrypting their talk channels and SWAT/CID channels, or even NCIC info channels if "privacy" is the goal, but dispatch should always be in the clear. Most of them have MDTs or tablets now that if a burglary in progress needs to be caught, rather than broadcasted, the dispatcher can just say "Urgent call sent to your screens" like they do here locally.

Most of the LEOs I have interacted love to hear themselves talk on the radio anyhow and would hate to lose 90% of their audience, lol
 

TexScan780D

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Why a county of just over 35,000 population need a 2 site 700 MHz simulcast fully encrypted system? I had heard the Howard County system will use a nearby city switch.
 

TexScan780D

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Why a county of just over 35,000 population need a 2 site 700 MHz simulcast fully encrypted system? I had heard the Howard County system will use a nearby city switch.

Using the PBRPC system would had been cheaper.
 

TexScan780D

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They are not using the Permian system.

they are connecting to the City of Midland.

Yes I know, what I am saying is they in using the PBRPC system would had been cheaper than going with a full Harris system that is beyond their needs.
 

mostinterestingman

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Always remember that public safety communications has very little to do with common sense, or interoperability, and very much to do with local control and politics, due to lack of subject matter experts in key positions, and LOTS personal insecurities. Regarding Lubbock, or even midland would you tie your little bitty system into someone else's core for the cost of a lease circuit, when you can spend a few million more and have VIDA core?? Hell I bet they even bought 2 cores for redundancy. It's all about local control.

As long as stupid decisions continue to be rewarded with grant money, this will never, ever, change. Even if this radio system was bought with budget dollars, the fact that they made this stupid decision that puts their heads in the sand should prevent them from getting say a body camera grant, or something else. Hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars of land locked P25 systems across the state, some overlapping each-other, all have received grant funding at some point to support those systems.
 
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Ensnared

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Corruption

Why a county of just over 35,000 population need a 2 site 700 MHz simulcast fully encrypted system? I had heard the Howard County system will use a nearby city switch.

I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that when prison gangs flourish in a small town, there is dirt to be uncovered. Big Spring has a history of corruption in LE. I believe a former District Attorney was involved in the lucrative drug market that exists there. Big Spring sits on two highways ideal for transporting drugs, highway 87 & IH20.
 

scanaholic

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Hm. Reminds me of Breckenridge in the 90's. I think the sheriff there was into dope peddling. I heard "too much" on their back channels back when everything wasn't encrypted.
 

fwradio

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Must be some political stuff going on if they are having a hard time getting a lease from the county fire department that owns the tower. The other tower appears to be owned by a small local radio station. Can't see why they would be having any trouble with leases.
 

KE5PL

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How odd. I had heard that they were negotiating for tower space, colocating with GATRRS on that Hughes Road rental site. Then it suddenly ceased. That project was let two years ago last August (2017).

Change Orders will be accumulating.
 

Ensnared

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During Thanksgiving, I will again ask a ranking authority in Howard County what the status of the BS build is doing. Previously, he said the Spring city was going alone. Sounds just like Big Spring. Above Goliad Street, above Highland South, you will see a vast array of antennas on top. I used to go up there to party. I have not been up there in years. Big Spring is an odd little community. My father still lives there. But, Howard county tends to move at right angles to the rest of the world.
 

Ensnared

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Although this might not explain "why", you can see what has transpired from an informant I have inside one of the departments that uses emergency radio communication. I asked this person about the digital build and this person stated, " No idea what they are joining. Our radios are sitting in a closet at the law enforcement center where they’ve been for a couple of years. Supposedly are installing equipment on 2 towers and we’ll run off of them on new system while they complete a 3rd tower. We’ll see I guess."
 
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