McLean County Switching To P-25 Conventional Until Starcom21

[KD4YGG]

McLean County Update - February 2005

A Memorandum of Understanding has been negotiated between Motorola and McLean County to implement an interim radio system that will be used by the Sheriff’s Department and the rural police departments.

This system will utilize STARCOM21 equipment in a conventional mode until the McLean County portion of the Statewide STARCOM21 system is fully activated, which is anticipated to occur later this year. The interim system will include 152 radios and 50 repeaters, at a cost of $788,966.00, and is expected to be operational by April 1, 2005. When STARCOM21 is fully operational in our area, the same radios will be reprogrammed for continued use.

 

[konflikt]

I thought I read somewhere that Starcom was a few years away from becoming functional? Do you have any idea the expected date that it will be active in Kankakee or Iroquois countys?

 

[KD4YGG]

System is in initial test mode (and transmitting control channels) in Edgar, Coles, and Champaign Counties.

In addition, the St Clair County system (which is actually part of STARCOM21) is also in the final testing phases to be the first site to be brought on-line.

As to the statewide schedule, no clue as to who goes live when, etc. although 2005-2006 are the common dates most information states.

 

[Highlander_821]

And the system will be able to be monitored by the GRE and Uniden APCO-25 trunktrackers?

 

[KD4YGG]

Only those that can handle 9600-baud.

Those would be:
BC296
BC796
PRO-96
Upcoming BC396T

Also, this system is supposed to be a 700/800Mhz system - need more info if any of the available scanners can trunktrack 700Mhz.

 

[zerg901]

In regards to McLean County, are the '50 repeaters' to be installed in police cars? Will they be using UHF, VHF, or 800 Mhz portables? Any idea? Peter S Boston MA