New ALCO p25 system...

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SteveS

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AlCo System

When did AlCo (1) get the money for a new system, (2) get the freqs they need, and (3) get regional buy-in on the system? And aren't they gunning for a 2-county system?
 

akardam

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The latest word I had was that yes, the ALCO 800mhz Smartnet system would be transitioning to at least a mixed mode digital system, if not full blown digital. This would more than likely happen during the rebanding process, so sometime within the next 2 years or so.
 

csuh13

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Well, the only reason I asked is because I saw this press release back in April,

http://www.motorola.com/mediacenter/news/detail.jsp?globalObjectId=6669_6627_23#

and have not seen or heard any news yet on it...

Here's the text of the press release from Motorola:
===================
Alameda County First Responders to be Linked Via New Digital Radio System

Alameda County Begins Construction on Regional System for San Francisco East Bay Area

SCHAUMBURG, IL- 20 April, 2006-First responders in Alameda County, California, will soon be linked via a new emergency radio system.

The new Alameda County digital radio network replaces an aging analog radio network, and will provide the East Bay Region with interoperable radio communications for any agency that elects to use it. It will remove blockages in emergency communications caused by incompatible technologies and overcrowded frequencies across the region that have plagued East Bay police and fire agencies.

“An interoperable system is crucial in responding to large scale disasters as well as equally important daily operations involving multiple jurisdictions,” said Randy Hagar, Deputy Director, General Services Agency. “Implementation of a regional communications system will make it possible for first responders to talk to each other directly across city and county boundaries.”

According to Hagar, the vision for the new system is for multiple communities throughout the SF East Bay area, including Contra Costa County, to be covered by the system.

The new system, a Motorola 800 MHz trunked radio network based on Project 25 standards for public safety, was procured at the end of last year. The first of its kind in California, it will be installed in a number of phases. The network is designed to be consistent with the Homeland Security Department’s SAFECOM guidelines for interoperability and also supports the State’s strategic plan.

Currently, there are 104 agencies on the existing system.

# # #
 

Thunderbolt

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csuh13 said:
The new system, a Motorola 800 MHz trunked radio network based on Project 25 standards for public safety, was procured at the end of last year. The first of its kind in California, it will be installed in a number of phases. The network is designed to be consistent with the Homeland Security Department’s SAFECOM guidelines for interoperability and also supports the State’s strategic plan.

Sounds like this is going to be a true Project 25 TRS that runs on 9600 baud. I wonder if they will configure this new TRS as a SmartZone or a simulcast system? In either case, residents in Alameda County who are scanner buffs are going to have to buy new scanners to keep up with the action.

73's

Ron
 
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csuh13

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Thunderbolt said:
In either case, residents in Alameda County who are scanner buffs are going to have to buy new scanners to keep up with the action.

That's exactly why I was wondering if anyone knew how it was progressing... I'd like to know how long I have to save up for that Pro 96!

(although, I'm not particularly "buff...") ;)
 

n4voxgill

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They have to get ready for the new program

September 07, 2006 09:00 AM US Eastern Timezone
U.S. Department of Justice Selects SmartLink for San Francisco Public Safety Interoperability
WALLINGFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 7, 2006--SmartLink Radio Networks, Inc., announced today that it was awarded a contract from the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center San Diego (SSC San Diego) to design and deliver a mission critical, multi-agency interoperable public safety radio system platform for San Francisco, California. The project will enable federal law enforcement agencies and San Francisco County and City public safety agencies to seamlessly communicate across disparate radio frequencies and networks.


The project will deploy the SmartLink I-Network platform to establish redundant interoperable radio communications for agencies within the San Francisco metropolitan area. The award was made under the Department of Justice's High Risk Metropolitan Area Interoperability Assistance Project in coordination with the County and City of San Francisco. The system will also be connected to San Francisco's Emergency Communication Center and to the FBI's San Francisco operational command center. The project will be managed by Lori Rodefer in the Communications Technology Branch at SSC San Diego.

Robert Zanger, Department of Justice for the Wireless Management Office, indicated that "this is a very significant deployment and is the direct result of many months of planning and consensus building between Federal, State, County, and Municipal Public Safety Agencies." He went on to say that this initial deployment could serve as a spring board for further expansion in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area and a template for what is possible for other regions across the country. The solution was chosen for its flexibility, affordability, and the ease with which the core platform can be expanded further.

Mark Hatten, President and CEO of SmartLink, said "the award represents a major win for SmartLink and is further validation that SmartLink's platform is a real interoperable public safety solution which allows multiple legacy systems to seamlessly communicate at an affordable price. SmartLink is a powerful, tried and true alternative to ripping out existing working systems and implementing new, massively expensive uniform digital systems."

The SmartLink I-Network solution is unique because it enables true "radio system to radio system" interoperability without loss of network and radio control functions. Unlike console driven cross-patch solutions and/or mobile on-scene temporary cross-patch solutions that have limited capability and require time to set-up, coordinate and tear down, SmartLink's "always on" interoperable capabilities provides constant interoperability capability that can be used on a moment's notice.

According to Mark Hatten of SmartLink, the Department of Justice San Francisco public safety radio interoperability project is part of the growing recognition among the public safety community that SmartLink offers a truly powerful interoperability solution. "This award by the U.S. Government for the City of San Francisco interoperability project comes on the heels of the County of Solano, California public safety interoperable system project award. We are gaining recognition that the SmartLink I-Network solution is affordable and effective. San Francisco is a major gateway into the United States, has significant port activities, and is a major cultural and tourism destination, and SmartLink is honored to be contributing to improving a vital aspect of homeland security and public safety response," said Hatten.
 
N

N_Jay

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n4voxgill said:
They have to get ready for the new program .

Interesting press release, but what does that have to do with your title?
 

n4voxgill

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this will make a great start for regional radio coverage. but if oakland & alameda want to get in and be able to communicate with all other agencies they are going to need encryption capability if they expect to talk to feds or other users that use encrption. time to get ready. this new system did not come as a surprise to the agencies, they have been working on design for two years.
 

WayneH

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Wow, did this thread go off in different directions... And what's with out of State people coming in here asking where is what? Obviously you aren't going to know since you don't live here, so why ask? (That's rhetorical)

As for those that have heard things.....you guys have bad info. The new system with be P25 Trunking, which means pure digital. The switchover will happen at rebanding. Possibly right before it. It's a ways away so info subject to change.

I haven't noticed any equipment installs at the sites I've been to so I'm not sure if installation has even started.

-Wayne
 

Thunderbolt

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csuh13 said:
That's exactly why I was wondering if anyone knew how it was progressing... I'd like to know how long I have to save up for that Pro 96!

All of the 800 MHz Project 25 TRSs are also fully capable of operating on 700 MHz as well as 800 MHz. Currently, the Pro-96 doesn't offer trunking capabilities on the new band, but the newest Uniden models do offer full 700 MHz coverage. IMHO, I would wait to see if Radio Shack has any plans to release a new model or a software upgrade first, before buying a new scanner.

73's

Ron
 
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