Madison County, NY - Radio system to cost county $20 million

[Thunderbolt]

WAMPSVILLE, N. Y. — Madison County has been working for the past two years to replace the 25-year-old radio communications system for emergency workers.

Radio system to cost county $20 million - The Oneida Daily Dispatch News: Serving Oneida, NY and Madison County (OneidaDispatch.com

 

[radiomanNJ1]

At least in this article it did not say they were unable to get parts anymore or they had to move to a higher frequency.
And it sounds like they want some regional interoperability. How nice.

 

[c0untyb0y]

oh they'll get their interoperability and then some. for what I've been able to gather on this new system of systems in the five counties the article mentions, this will be a P25 trunked system somewhere in the 400 MHz band. there are threads on the Onondaga County system, like this one http://www.radioreference.com/forum...132215-onondaga-countys-new-radio-system.html Oswego County is really in a bind with EF Johnson not making parts for their aging system, even though that county just recently purchased some new portables. unless I'm mistaken about the regional radio collaboration, someone please correct me!

what I do know for sure is that NYSP has extended the olive branch for the off site backup dispatch location for Madison County, but there has been no action other than lip service yet on this. I really can't understand why Madison County would want to have their backup PSAP only a few miles down the road from their primary one. did no one learn from the Oneida City train derailment two years ago? Wampsville was evacuated (where the PASP & county jail are) and Oneida was just outside of the evacuation zone.

 

[studgeman]

Madison County is going after a UHF 450/460 P25 Trunked radio system which will be tied to Onondaga Couny's for interoperability. Cayuga, Cortland, and Oswego are also persuing the same path. These will be linear simulcast systems so get ready with the headaches with your scanners. Madison County's will contain an conventional patch for paging and Fire dispatch.

For those unaquainted with Madison County's current system, its Lowband Fire, Highband Law, yes there are parts issues, yes there are age issues. It pretty much needs a giant overhaul.

What is really attracting peoples attention is the unprecendented level of cooperation and planning between these 5 counties and possibly more counties to come. They are in the process of accomplishing in Central New York what M/A Com (see Harris) could not do with 2 billion dollars.

For those who think 20 million is alot of money for a radio system, if 2 billion dollars was divided up equally between the 62 counties (includes NYC) that would be over 30 million per county for a radio system. Imagine what most counties could buy for that!

 

[studgeman]

what I do know for sure is that NYSP has extended the olive branch for the off site backup dispatch location for Madison County, but there has been no action other than lip service yet on this. I really can't understand why Madison County would want to have their backup PSAP only a few miles down the road from their primary one. did no one learn from the Oneida City train derailment two years ago? Wampsville was evacuated (where the PASP & county jail are) and Oneida was just outside of the evacuation zone.

Its not that they don't want to, there are just larger planning issues going on right now, and the new system will extend the backup methods beyond what can be done witht their current conventional equipment. Hold tight on this one....

 

[c0untyb0y]

Its not that they don't want to, there are just larger planning issues going on right now, and the new system will extend the backup methods beyond what can be done witht their current conventional equipment. Hold tight on this one....

holding steady!

I agree with the collaboration precedent of a multi county interoperability radio system. are there gonna be radio patches galore between all the affected counties? if so, then it ought to make not only interesting scanner chatter (if you get one of them fancy digital P25 units) but imagine what the PSAPs are gonna hear! yikes!! I hope you're not thinking that Madison County will be hearing every other county's radio calls, and vice versa. that'll make the dispatchers go crazy!

 

[studgeman]

Each county will essentially be on thier own system with several talkgroups common between all the counties. Also certain local talkgroups will be allowed to roam on the other counties. No patching required. Think State of Michigan system....

 

[DaveNF2G]

Think mutual aid channels (talkgroups), not patches.

 

[louiebeans]

Yes that's right

It won't be your father's 45.88 for intercounty. Time to put that old 1/4 KW on Mutton Hill to rest. Probably hasn't run a 1/4 KW in years actually.

 

[chittfire69]

so what would one want to look for in a new scanner to be compatible as I have older(7+) yr old scanners

 

[c0untyb0y]

a P25 capable receiver ought to do nicely. I hear the big M got the go ahead bid in Madison County.

 

[louiebeans]

Is the county going to be on UHF 450 MHz band with the new system?