Some previous posts claim that there is no interoperability between the Florida SLERS (Provoice w/esk encryption system) and local police agencies using analog Motorola equipment. This is not what I have observed in my monitoring in Lee County (Fort Myers), however. Several times I have heard Florida Highway Patrol officers conversing with local sheriff's deputies on the 800 MHz mutual aid channels, in analog mode...
Newton Co Ga to go silent
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jrm5265
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MA/COM In Newton
I work for City of Covington PD, we will also be going on the MA/COM system, Loudon Comm came out yesterday and put in our control station at the Drug Task Force Office, kind of a funky looking unit but as long as it talks. The tech told me that they were inching theyr way to getting it going that I think there will be 5 sites and not all are up yet. My Lt told me today at lunch that the Drug Unit maybe get radios first with the understanding that County may not be 100% covered yet. Ive read the posts on this, whwn MA/COM was awarded the bid there was alot of Motorola grumbling and even rumors of legal action because according to the Cov News MA/COM was acually a little higher but the Board like some of the features and it seemed like the 911 Director was sold on MA/COm so Im sure that helped. I was told that Motorola had quite an arrogant attitude when bid was let and that didnt win them any points. Newton County Bd of Ed will stay on their VHF repeater. and I think City and County Public works may stay where they are for a while until they get some money to switch those departments. As for surrounding agencies, to our east and south Morgan and Jasper are VHF, Henry to our west is MA/COM EDACS, Rockdale is Motorola 800 and Walton is 800 Motorola, GSP out here remains VHF. Just today we had a situation where a person in a stolen truck tried to run over an officer in his attempt to escape the Deputy shot and window was shot out of fleeing truck immediately radio traffic on Newtons VHF SO freq was terrible and City of Covington eventually was notified of the lookout, at the Office we turned on our Rockdale County radios and began listening to them veyr quickly it was very clear that in a situation like this the simplest thing would be an 25 watt VHF mobile with State Band and or the 155.475 Natl freq in it, IT DOESNT have to be a Motorola high dollar a 25 watt Icom or Kenwood would work I think EVERY lawenforcement vehicle in the state ought to have a VHF radio in it for mutual aid purposes even Metro Atlanta stuff, its cheap and quick. Bump all this trying to be interoperable via your trunked system............Sometimes another agency will be chasing a car into our County and by the time their dispatch calls ours and ours puts it out theyr way into the county, its ridiculous
S
I work for City of Covington PD, we will also be going on the MA/COM system, Loudon Comm came out yesterday and put in our control station at the Drug Task Force Office, kind of a funky looking unit but as long as it talks. The tech told me that they were inching theyr way to getting it going that I think there will be 5 sites and not all are up yet. My Lt told me today at lunch that the Drug Unit maybe get radios first with the understanding that County may not be 100% covered yet. Ive read the posts on this, whwn MA/COM was awarded the bid there was alot of Motorola grumbling and even rumors of legal action because according to the Cov News MA/COM was acually a little higher but the Board like some of the features and it seemed like the 911 Director was sold on MA/COm so Im sure that helped. I was told that Motorola had quite an arrogant attitude when bid was let and that didnt win them any points. Newton County Bd of Ed will stay on their VHF repeater. and I think City and County Public works may stay where they are for a while until they get some money to switch those departments. As for surrounding agencies, to our east and south Morgan and Jasper are VHF, Henry to our west is MA/COM EDACS, Rockdale is Motorola 800 and Walton is 800 Motorola, GSP out here remains VHF. Just today we had a situation where a person in a stolen truck tried to run over an officer in his attempt to escape the Deputy shot and window was shot out of fleeing truck immediately radio traffic on Newtons VHF SO freq was terrible and City of Covington eventually was notified of the lookout, at the Office we turned on our Rockdale County radios and began listening to them veyr quickly it was very clear that in a situation like this the simplest thing would be an 25 watt VHF mobile with State Band and or the 155.475 Natl freq in it, IT DOESNT have to be a Motorola high dollar a 25 watt Icom or Kenwood would work I think EVERY lawenforcement vehicle in the state ought to have a VHF radio in it for mutual aid purposes even Metro Atlanta stuff, its cheap and quick. Bump all this trying to be interoperable via your trunked system............Sometimes another agency will be chasing a car into our County and by the time their dispatch calls ours and ours puts it out theyr way into the county, its ridiculous
S
In Northeastern and Central Pa--we have real interop without spending tons of money. Why? Mostly every police/fire agency is running VHF. The Pa State Police have VHF and have the capabilty of talking directly to other police units with the flip of a switch.
We will have less interop in the future. Pa is deploying an "Open Sky" 800 Mhz format for state agencies and if they take the VHF radios out of troopers car's then that will be a step backward. Also by using the patented Open Sky format the state will lose it's abilty to bid if new equipment is needed in the future. Why? Only one outfit makes Open Sky rigs.
Just remember what Commander Scott of the Starship Enterprise said: the more complicated the plumbing, the easier it is to plug up the drain!
We will have less interop in the future. Pa is deploying an "Open Sky" 800 Mhz format for state agencies and if they take the VHF radios out of troopers car's then that will be a step backward. Also by using the patented Open Sky format the state will lose it's abilty to bid if new equipment is needed in the future. Why? Only one outfit makes Open Sky rigs.
Just remember what Commander Scott of the Starship Enterprise said: the more complicated the plumbing, the easier it is to plug up the drain!
jrm5265
Member
question
Here in Newton County our supervisor told us that the new system (Open Sky) will have ability to communicate with surrounding agencies. To our north and west are Motorola 800 trunked (analog I guess you can hear them on TrunkTracker) To our south and east VHF on repeaters. Of course GSP in this part of the state is still on simplex VHF (well actually I think they call that semi-duplex transmits on one, rx on another and units cant talk to each other w/o changing freqs ...ridiculous) anyway theyr telling us that we will not have a VHF radio in our units because we wont need it. Could somebody tell me in simple terms how theyll pull this off with us being on an Open sky (which is behind schedule , surprise!!!!)
also another question they told us that for the portables to work simplex we would need a "little box" to take with us. That came up because in the Narcotics unit we occasionally find ourselves out of system range on a surveillance. Sounds like that the talkies wont do simple simplex if needed?
Here in Newton County our supervisor told us that the new system (Open Sky) will have ability to communicate with surrounding agencies. To our north and west are Motorola 800 trunked (analog I guess you can hear them on TrunkTracker) To our south and east VHF on repeaters. Of course GSP in this part of the state is still on simplex VHF (well actually I think they call that semi-duplex transmits on one, rx on another and units cant talk to each other w/o changing freqs ...ridiculous) anyway theyr telling us that we will not have a VHF radio in our units because we wont need it. Could somebody tell me in simple terms how theyll pull this off with us being on an Open sky (which is behind schedule , surprise!!!!)
also another question they told us that for the portables to work simplex we would need a "little box" to take with us. That came up because in the Narcotics unit we occasionally find ourselves out of system range on a surveillance. Sounds like that the talkies wont do simple simplex if needed?
jrm5265
Member
open sky
wow ok so someone has seen it, does the Dispathcer have to do it for them or ...for instance if our unit wanted to talk on say Rockdale System (county to our east Motorola analog trunk system) will that link/patch be possibly up hot all the time or will they have to tell the dispatcher pathc me trh to Rockdale SO on Tac 5 or /?
and like on VHF simplex channels that we call stateband 154.905 where a city unit might call a GSP car that was in the area will that type link possibly be up hot and at their 24/7 availability or as I said is it something that would have to be "set up" by the dispatcher and probably not gonna be doen unless something real big haoppened
wow ok so someone has seen it, does the Dispathcer have to do it for them or ...for instance if our unit wanted to talk on say Rockdale System (county to our east Motorola analog trunk system) will that link/patch be possibly up hot all the time or will they have to tell the dispatcher pathc me trh to Rockdale SO on Tac 5 or /?
and like on VHF simplex channels that we call stateband 154.905 where a city unit might call a GSP car that was in the area will that type link possibly be up hot and at their 24/7 availability or as I said is it something that would have to be "set up" by the dispatcher and probably not gonna be doen unless something real big haoppened
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As far as I know it's not hot all the time, but I saw it done on vhf simplex and VHF -HI repeater as well as connect to a motorola p-25 800 mhz system. I will be talking with MA/COM later this week and ask, I was there biggest skeptic a month go, after seeing there system in action I have to admit publicly I was wrong, I have to say they are one up on Motorola as I have used there 800mhz both analog and digital and open sky kicks there #@!. PS don't expect mircles there are no perfect radio systems, thats one thing the MA/COM guy said, he's right and didn't try to BS me.
Newton County deputies will have channels on their new portables that are patched through dispatch with surrounding counties current frequencies. Also many deputies will still have VHF radios in their vehicle. I work in an area with an 800 system but have a VHF radio in my vehicle programmed with all surrounding agencies that use VHF, all state LE, and all mutual aid freq's. A M/A-COMM system is also a lot cheaper than a brand new digital Motorola system. I have a buddy who work for Henry CO PD and he said he has not had any problems with his radio and that dispatch can patch him to pretty much anyone if its needed.
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jrm5265
Member
Just an update on Newton County/ City of Covington Open Sky.............the sky still hasnt opened up for us yet! There have been MaCom control stations installed at many locations and control station antennas visible at offices and fire stations BUT not on line.....not sure what hold up is........seems like something would be up by now we heard that our 911 people are using it some but that doesnt do the SO and PD and FDs any benefit.............slow go
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