LVMPD's Desert Sky

[Dick33]

Metro what is wrong with you guys there ?? Harris is coming up with new firmware almost every month on average now. 17.0 was the fix then 18.3 then, according to some here 19.0 was worked on a long time and was to be the fix and Metro put a line in the sand for 19.0. But then wait 19.6 was to replace the 19.0 fix but wait for it now, 19.10 is coming out !! WTF Metro ?? This is ALL of our tax payer’s money you are wasting !! Stop letting Harris bleed you dry, start the litigation !!

 

[abbadabbado]

yeal an stop hiding all your corruption with enc

 

[GTO_04]

And here we thought Open Sky was "up and running" and that they were going to fully "switch over" and turn off the old VHF system.

GTO_04

 

[Dick33]

I do be leave that Tactical communications and UC operations should be encrypted for officer and public safety. What I cannot be leave in is this system in now close to 8 years old since purchase and that for the past 3 years Harris has a office in town with its only purpose is to get the system working. After 43 + million dollar investment from Metro and not 1 successful Open Sky system anywhere when do you say enough is enough ???

 

[FFPM571]

what does it matter you cant hear them anyway.

 

[tencom]

Milwaukee WI. OPEN-SKY

Why are you guys always picking on OPEN-SKY. Here in Milwaukee Wi. from all indications the system is working just fine. Almost all City of Milwaukee government vehicles, are now on the system including the Fire and Police Departments, and no complaints are being reported. So quit being so negative. I think you can find better things to do with your time then monitoring Police Calls.

 

[pro106import]

I think you can find better things to do with your time then monitoring Police Calls.

With a statement like that, I am just curious why would YOU be on this RadioReference Forum if you have better things to do.
No flaming intended, just wondering.
Bob

 

[Dick33]

With a statement like that, I am just curious why would YOU be on this RadioReference Forum if you have better things to do.
No flaming intended, just wondering.
Bob

Exactly what I was thinking !! But Milwaukee WI Open Sky had many problems and still does if certain public safety vehicles had to have extra equipment installed to make connections with the main system reliably.

 

[jts203]

Someone's definition of "working just fine" must be a big variable. I was at Miller Park this past Saturdady night and talked to a few Officers using OpenSky and it sounded terrible, they had to call their "CP" several times before getting through and the signals frequently broke up or were garbled. Two Officers standing next to each other on the same talkgroup and one radio would be receiving traffic and the other would not. Most Fire Department vehicles had to have vehicle repeaters installed on them so the portables would work. The cell phone companies must also be loving OpenSky, as most PD Officers in Milwaukee and Vegas seem to be using them, rather than the radio system.

 

[SCPD]

If you think OpenSky is bad, you should listen to Boise Police in Idaho - Their control channels are horrible. They are on motorola.

 

[mike619]

If someone buys an opensky radio can it be programmed for the Desert Sky system?

 

[Dick33]

Well not really the radio would have to have the open sky option in the radios firmware first then you would need the s/w which needs a key to install then you need the system info and a radio id. All of which are very RARE to get !! Something tells me Metro won't be there by the end of the year.....

 

[crazynova]

The Sheriff recently told the entire department that he is at his wit's end with the current system, so it's possible that Metro will be yet another agency to dump the system in favor of something far more reliable and common. I just hope they're able to not lose their *** on it and can get Harris (either by good will or lawsuit) to pick up the bill for it.

 

[crazynova]

If you think OpenSky is bad, you should listen to Boise Police in Idaho - Their control channels are horrible. They are on motorola.

It's not the voice quality that sucks. It's that fact that many transmission are completely lost or come in scrambled. When they transmit it actually is to the point of sounding good now. The problem is that there are so many poor coverage areas, dropped transmissions, and other issues, that the system is a danger.

 

[Dick33]

Well I had made a post about a OIS a while back that will be coming to light soon which envolved the Desert Sky system. Now I will say that It's over for Harris really soon !!

 

[KB9WUV]

Why are you guys always picking on OPEN-SKY. Here in Milwaukee Wi. from all indications the system is working just fine. Almost all City of Milwaukee government vehicles, are now on the system including the Fire and Police Departments, and no complaints are being reported. So quit being so negative. I think you can find better things to do with your time then monitoring Police Calls.

Why are you here? Oh yeah he works for Harris Co.

 

[SCPD]

It's not the voice quality that sucks. It's that fact that many transmission are completely lost or come in scrambled. When they transmit it actually is to the point of sounding good now. The problem is that there are so many poor coverage areas, dropped transmissions, and other issues, that the system is a danger.

I agree - they do have poor coverage areas. It's sad to see all the money that was spent on this system isn't acceptable to the fire departments. They won't go into a structure fire using the 700 system. That would be why the old system and new one are patched.

 

[SCPD]

It's not the voice quality that sucks. It's that fact that many transmission are completely lost or come in scrambled. When they transmit it actually is to the point of sounding good now. The problem is that there are so many poor coverage areas, dropped transmissions, and other issues, that the system is a danger.

I agree - they do have poor coverage areas. It's sad to see all the money that was spent on this system and it isn't acceptable to the fire departments. They won't go into a structure fire using the 700 system. That would be why the old system and new one is patched. .

 

[crazynova]

Well I had made a post about a OIS a while back that will be coming to light soon which envolved the Desert Sky system. Now I will say that It's over for Harris really soon !!

Honestly, I think the hold up with ditching it is figuring out if they can make these very expensive radios work with a different system. I don't know the answer to that, but if they had something reliable that would work with a reprogramming of the current hardware, that would be awesome. If not, Metro stands to lose A LOT of money, or Harris stands to be the defendant in a very expensive lawsuit.

 

[rooivalk]

What, exactly, was wrong with their old system? Or is this just another case of drinking the Interoperability/Trunked Radio/fancy-new-unproven-technology cool-aid?