Milwaukee stuck with $17.5 million radio system that may never work right

[brey1234]

Update on harris/macom woes

A digital radio system that has cost the Milwaukee Police Department about $17.5 million since 2003 still is not fully operational, and the system's dispatch consoles - which cost a total of $1.9 million and were installed in 2004 - are becoming obsolete and must be replaced by 2012, according to department and city officials.
This week, the system's manufacturer requested an extension until March to try to modify the consoles so they will continue to be compatible with the radios until 2012, when the vendor that services the consoles will no longer provide support for them, according to officials with the Police Department and the radio system's manufacturer.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/74212577.html

 

[N_Jay]

Does anyone know whose console it is?

It does not sound like this (particular) issue is OpenSky.

 

[R8000]

If I had to venture a guess, it'd be either the M/A Com C3 Maestro or a Orbacom. I'd bet on C3 Maestro for it to integrate directly to the Opensky controllers. To use the Motorola Smartnet trunking to it's fullest potential, the Centracom Elite consoles had to he hardwired to the trunking controller. I'd assume you'd need M/A Com's console to do the same with a digital system.

 

[dwillborn]

Milwaukee

They have Orbacom. The C3 is a current product, in fact its now all IP.
Gencomm did the install and warranty work in the city. But Milwaukee is self maintained, they have no maintenance contract with us.

Gencomm has dozens of Orbacom customers and supports them all. I'm sure we will continue to support them until we can't get parts anymore.

So Harris won't support somebody else's product.
Probably similar to sending my Marantz into Pioneer to get fixed.

I'm also sure M/A-COM did the hard sell on the Orbacom consoles.
I would not be driving a Dodge today if that dang old Ford sales guy hadn't tricked me into it.

DEW

 

[R8000]

It's a shame that Milwaukee is in the middle of the mess, between the sale of M/A Com to Harris.

You'd think Harris would do their best to make things right with the city, granted it was already having issues before Harris came into the picture. Not good.

Based on reports from other radio techs and the media, this can't have a good outcome. Both the console issue and the overall system status and future.

dwillborn, off the record, what's your thoughts about this scenario ? Do you think there will be a positive outcome to this ?

I am trying to not put you on the spotlight here, but I think your one of the first from the vendor to step up and join the discussion. Understanding that your limited on disclosing too much info (I am in the same boat), but we'd love to hear what's going on !

 

[Spfld800MhzTrunking]

MA/Com

Thank god for Motorola and Starcom21 it has not failed. And will not fail because Its MOTOROLA. You can out run the police car but not MOTOROLA...

 

[ltjweiss]

yeah its a shame to put lives at risk for a "silly" little experiment with the county's radio system and taxpayer's money, but it would be great PR for Harris to make this right at little or no cost to milwaukee

 

[JT-112]

I'm sure you meant "city" and not "county."

AFAIK, the county system runs nicely.

 

[mkescan]

This is crazy.
Police Radios: Milwaukee Police Department having trouble with radio systems - WITI

 

[ltjweiss]

just saw this story on the 11 o'clock news and i was going to post it, someone beat me to it. fox 6 contacted harris, and harris led them back to milwaukee, lol

 

[CrabbyMilton]

Very sad indeed. This whole mess may have been prevented if Art Jones didn't want to act like a kindergartener and decline joining the Milwaukee County system. I'm almost positive that could have been done where they could have added frequencies now used by this bad system plus Greenfields system. That way, everybody could have been on the same system and saved a ton of money and headaches.

 

[ka9tgn]

The latest according to my brother who is a Milwaukee Police Officer is that the Milwaukee Police Dispatch Consoles went down early this afternoon and are still down. This happened about 12:30 pm on Monday, Feb. 1st, 2010. Dispatchers are using hand helds as backup.

Also. he informs me that they are switching out the speaker mics on the MACOM's portables due some incompatibility which is resulting in the squealing and poor transmissions. Currently the speaker mics they are using on the P7200 radios are Tyco OT-VZ-10120 0921 which they claim is the problem.

-Mike

 

[ltjweiss]

its nice to hear an updated every once in awhile.

 

[mkescan]

MPD PIO is telling me that was a planned test. http://twitter.com/milwaukeepolice

The latest according to my brother who is a Milwaukee Police Officer is that the Milwaukee Police Dispatch Consoles went down early this afternoon and are still down. This happened about 12:30 pm on Monday, Feb. 1st, 2010. Dispatchers are using hand helds as backup.

Also. he informs me that they are switching out the speaker mics on the MACOM's portables due some incompatibility which is resulting in the squealing and poor transmissions. Currently the speaker mics they are using on the P7200 radios are Tyco OT-VZ-10120 0921 which they claim is the problem.

-Mike

 

[ltjweiss]

PIO= Public Information Office?

 

[mkescan]

Public Information Officer

 

[dwillborn]

Yup

It's a shame that Milwaukee is in the middle of the mess, between the sale of M/A Com to Harris.

You'd think Harris would do their best to make things right with the city, granted it was already having issues before Harris came into the picture. Not good.

Based on reports from other radio techs and the media, this can't have a good outcome. Both the console issue and the overall system status and future.

dwillborn, off the record, what's your thoughts about this scenario ? Do you think there will be a positive outcome to this ?

I am trying to not put you on the spotlight here, but I think your one of the first from the vendor to step up and join the discussion. Understanding that your limited on disclosing too much info (I am in the same boat), but we'd love to hear what's going on !

I think its going to be fine. However, my sphincter may never be the same.

PS: I'm not from the vendor. We are just a dealer. Helping as best we can.

PSS: The City of Milwaukee has a great bunch of dispatchers. Very,very good at what they do.

RD1

 

[R8000]

I think its going to be fine. However, my sphincter may never be the same.

LOL. That's a interesting way to put it. I read that and damn near lost my drink of soda I just took .

I assume it's one of those deals where the manufacture provides the equipment, engineering and uses the local dealer for labor help for installing the stuff ?

I been there before.

 

[mkescan]

Here is Fox 6 report on Milwaukee PD radio problems Milwaukee Video News: TV video, online videos and news video -- WITI
also AM 620 WTMJ is keeping a eye on this too UPDATE: The day the newsroom went quiet and Milwaukee coppers complained.. | Newsradio 620 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin News, Talk, Sports, Weather | John Jagler

Several MPD Officers talking about problems here Badger Blogger » Blog Archive » Question for Milwaukee Police Officers — OpenSky

 

[N_Jay]

I think it is interesting how many of the comments on the WTMJ page are corrections to factual errors in either the reporting or the Chief's memo.
I would have expected the (so called) 'news' to do enough research to find the Chief's errors, and there is absolutely no reason for their own.