Does anybody know if Monroe County has been granted any 800 freqs yet? Radio Service was testing today, and Fire Dispatch now sounds like they're using a new console with patched audio. I know they were talking about upgrading to MPSCS, but I thought that was years off! I doubt that's the case here, but does anyone have any further info?
Monroe County?
- Thread starter KC8NIY
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Check the MPSCS listing in the database here for the latest news item -- Monroe Co expects to be fully online the system by July 2004...
Thanks for the info Rob. By the sounds of what was happening today, that move might be completed quicker than next July! I know at one point they also were planning on moving Central Dispatch to the EMD building on Raisonville Rd. That might be a factor here as well.
They still need to get the other two towers built, and supply everyone with new radios. I wouldn't expect that all to be done in a flash, but certainly some agencies will be up before July.
Monroe Central Dispatch recently moved into their new center located at the Monroe County Fairgrounds. The new Motorola CentraComm Gold-elite consoles are fully compatiile with the ASTRO 6.3 format MPSCS protocols and will allow for easy migration to the state police TRS.
When the switchover is complete in 2004, most of the old radio frequencies will be turned off, as Monroe County doesn't want to support two seperate radio systems. However, the old 154.430 MHz and other VHF-High band radio equipment will stay in place, including 155.865 MHz, which is the statewide MEPSS channel. Interestingly, 154.430 and 453.625 MHz will be used for fire - civil defense paging and the former for outdoor warning siren control.
When the switchover is complete in 2004, most of the old radio frequencies will be turned off, as Monroe County doesn't want to support two seperate radio systems. However, the old 154.430 MHz and other VHF-High band radio equipment will stay in place, including 155.865 MHz, which is the statewide MEPSS channel. Interestingly, 154.430 and 453.625 MHz will be used for fire - civil defense paging and the former for outdoor warning siren control.
"Interestingly, 154.430 and 453.625 MHz will be used for fire - civil defense paging and the former for outdoor warning siren control."
Just curious why that's interesting... As far as I know all the volunteer FD's that have moved to MPSCS still use their old VHF side for pagers?
- Rob
Just curious why that's interesting... As far as I know all the volunteer FD's that have moved to MPSCS still use their old VHF side for pagers?
- Rob
They wanted to migrate to 453.625 for all paging and alerting, but since Lenawee County has vacated 154.430 MHz, they decided to stay there. Some of the fire chiefs have pagers on 453.625 MHz., but will use 154.430 MHz in the future. They rather spend their money on personal radios for the MPSCS TRS, than new pagers.
"They rather spend their money on personal radios for the MPSCS TRS"
That still amazes me... Spending all this money just to get volunteer FD's on a statewide system in the interest of national security... Strange.
That still amazes me... Spending all this money just to get volunteer FD's on a statewide system in the interest of national security... Strange.
Don't forget, they have the Fermi II plant to deal with.
73's
Ron
73's
Ron
I understand, but what advantage is there in having absolutely every piece of equipment in the county on the system as opposed to giving that capability to the chiefs? I highly doubt that a firefighter in the plant would need to talk to someone in Lansing ;>
FYI: Some of the command officers for the Sheriff Dept., have received ASTRO handheld radios to try out on the new system and for administrative communications. Also, Central Dispatch will have the capability to use the system shortly for base-to-base communications.
73's
Ron
73's
Ron
Thanks for the info, I'll be down there in the next week or two and will report...
WTFD10
Member
rdale said:
Someone sold them on digital trunked radio being the answer to all their communications problems.
They want to use MPSCS because it is already up and running. Build a few more towers, buy some radios and they're in business alot faster and cheaper than they would be if they built their own system from scratch.
Being a Firefighter, I've heard many horror stories about digital 800 reception particularly on portables inside buildings. This is exactly when our communications can be the most critical.
I'm on here hoping to learn more about this system so I have an idea what to expect when it's up & running by this time next year.
Thanks
jpryor
Member
I'm listening to the Dundee tower site from inside Toledo with decent luck at times. Sometimes when I get horrible reception it actually turns out to be a problem with the unit on their end. More then once I heard references of "I'll try it on the mobile radio". They will need additional towers for sure to bring the rest of Monroe County on board. Hopefully they realize having a couple 800 MHz analog simplex fireground frequencies in the radios wouldn't be a bad thing. If I were a fire fighter, I sure wouldn't want to be crawling through a basement trying to talk to others just hundreds of feet away on a glorified cell phone. Can you hear me now?
As noted previously they are building new towers, and radios do come with an 800MHz analog / simplex freq programmed in. Still not as good as plain-old analog, but it's tough to fight that battle anymore. Fortunately Lansing FD has had such a HORRIBLE time with fireground ops that the Ingham Co departments made quite certain that our new system would _not_ be digital!
jpryor said:
That is one thing that state police and DNR are looking very much forward to improved radio reception in Monroe County, when the new system goes in place next year. Currently, a few people I know at the Monroe Post told their portables are useless and they would not hessitate to throw it at the suspect when their supply of bullets ran out.
I can just try to imagine what it would be like to use the system as it is now for fireground ops, without additional towers and direct talkaround channels.
73's
Ron
I was down in Lambertville for a bit last night trick-r-treating and didn't hear anything on it other than MSP 2 SOUTH, I assume all testing / command checking is done on day-shift.
gwessel
Member
Monroe County just had a public informational meeting to discuss joining on the State system. They will not have it up for a vote until Aug 2004. They need to come up with a big grant from the Govt. and 3-4 million on their own by raising telephone bills. It will be several years before Monroe county goes 800mhz. If that fails they have a 460 mhz alternate plan.
They already had a vote and approved it, and federal grant money is on the way. Two new sites are being built, and the system is expected to be online mid-04.
- Rob
- Rob
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