MARCS Subsystems

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ajpritch

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Lucas County Public Safety says they are going to be a subsystem of MARCS. I thought there were not going to be any subsystems
 

16b

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It's probably just a terminology thing. I don't think the term "subsystem" even exists in Motorola trunking lingo.

If Lucas county gets hooked up to the MARCS, then they're on the MARCS. There was a recent post about "subsystems" by WA8PYR, but I don't remember what thread it was in.

All this digital/trunking/smartzone stuff is too confusing.
 

rdale

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Who said they were going to be a subsystem?
 

ajpritch

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This is on the page when you go to it. It was posted by Thunderbolt


Latest News Update Posted on 2005-09-28 16:36:23
This is the first step in a multi-phase project that will bring a countywide Project-25 simulcast system online by 2007. In addition, this new system will become a subsystem of the statewide MARCS network. When completed, all public safety agencies across county will be on the new system that will also enhance communications between Lucas County and Monroe County in Michigan.
 

WTFD10

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ajpritch said:
Latest News Update Posted on 2005-09-28 16:36:23
This is the first step in a multi-phase project that will bring a countywide Project-25 simulcast system online by 2007. In addition, this new system will become a subsystem of the statewide MARCS network. When completed, all public safety agencies across county will be on the new system that will also enhance communications between Lucas County and Monroe County in Michigan.

The last that I heard, it will "connect" to MARCS as in there may be some talkgroups programmed or more likely patched in...I think the "sub-system" is a bit of a stretch.

I also think the statement that "all public safety agencies" will be on this system is also a bit of a stretch unless the County foots the bill for the radios or there is some federal grant money. Small departments like mine can't afford to run out and buy 20 or 30 $5,000 portables and $3,000 mobiles.

Just my opinion...not an official statement ;)
 

mdulrich

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WTFD10 said:
I also think the statement that "all public safety agencies" will be on this system is also a bit of a stretch unless the County foots the bill for the radios or there is some federal grant money. Small departments like mine can't afford to run out and buy 20 or 30 $5,000 portables and $3,000 mobiles.

Just my opinion...not an official statement ;)

And with subscription fees of $20 per radio per month the costs keep on going.

Mike
 

wa8pyr

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16b said:
It's probably just a terminology thing. I don't think the term "subsystem" even exists in Motorola trunking lingo.

If Lucas county gets hooked up to the MARCS, then they're on the MARCS. There was a recent post about "subsystems" by WA8PYR, but I don't remember what thread it was in.

http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5215&highlight=subsystems

There is no such thing as a "subsystem". Several people out there are laboring under the misconception that metro area systems will become part of MARCS, or "subsystems." This is not true; all that is happening is that certain metro-area trunked systems are programmed into MARCS radios for interoperability purposes. That's all. The systems in question have no direct connection to MARCS, and won't; the system loading would become a major issue if they did.

The term seems to be especially used in the case of a simulcast site like the Columbus MARCS simulcast (or MPSCS Detroit for that matter), but those sites are treated no differently by the system than any other site. Again: there's no such thing as a "subsystem." If it's part of MARCS, it's part of MARCS. If it's not, it's not.

Tom WA8PYR
 

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mdulrich said:
And with subscription fees of $20 per radio per month the costs keep on going.

You would likely have those costs on a local system as well as MARCS. In Franklin County, the monthly per-radio cost on the public safety system is currently $11.07 per radio, plus $1 per radio for each additional talkgroup. So if an agency has 2 talkgroups and 10 radios, their cost would be $110.70 per month for the first talkgroup, and $10 per month for the additional talkgroup, for a total of $120.70 per month.

It's a little different for MARCS; the cost is around $20 per radio per month, no matter how many talkgroups you have.

Either way, the money provides funds for maintenance and upkeep.

Tom WA8PYR
 

wa8pyr

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WTFD10 said:
The last that I heard, it will "connect" to MARCS as in there may be some talkgroups programmed or more likely patched in...I think the "sub-system" is a bit of a stretch.

Linking at the network level (probably using VoIP) is the most likely way to accomplish this. A seamless link between systems without using up any resources (radio IDs and so on) on either system.

Tom WA8PYR
 

rdale

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"but those sites are treated no differently by the system than any other site. Again: there's no such thing as a "subsystem.""

Maybe it's just semantic... But since all Detroit operations only take place on the simulcast towers, and the Detroit / Monroe Co "systems" are CQPSK vs C4FM for everything else in the state - there is something "different" about them. Neighboring towers deny affiliation to Detroit units with the exception of statewide channels, that's not the case for most other groups (I regulary hear Livingston or Genesee County ops on the Lansing tower.)
 
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