NJSP going to Astro Smartzone late 2005?

[NESN]

I just read a post on the Philly Scanning Board that as of 01-May-04, the NJSP has stopped installing car radios in special ops, surveillance, and detectives vehicles and will be issuing portables only. Marked units will have Motorola Astro XT 15000 car units installed. The reason given was budget cutbacks, but also a planned upgrade to a Astro Smartnet 3600 Baud system in late 2005. Can anyone confirm or deny this, and what will this do to current scanners and listening?

 

[Thunderbolt]

I do know their latest system licensing does have provisions to use digital data, voice, and analog voice, so this would make complete sense. I would have to believe that they will make the system changeover based on each troop/radio zone location.

This means you will have to buy a new scanner that will decode Project 25 modulation. Unless New Jersey decides to run the system in "mixed mode" and let all the nonpublic safety users remain in analog mode. However, from what I have heard, it's easier on the site-controlers to run everything in one mode or the other.

73's

Ron

 

[PJH]

Not sure what they are putting in...but the only ASTRO mobiles in production are the Astro Spectra (to be cancelled this year) and the XTL5000.

Current ASTRO portables are the XTS series. Some of the newer ones do not support all the features common to state agencies like the 3000/5000 series do such as encyption.

I would imagine that they will put in XTL5000 mobiles and the XTS5000 portable counter part.

 

[RocketNJ]

They've already been purchasing XTS5000's.

They are planning on going to a mixed mode 3600 buad SmartZone system and have already started upgrading Troop B. I do not know if they intend to switch to digital ops or any timeframe if they do switch.

George

 

[NESN]

PJH: It's possible the other board was a mistype and it is the XTL 5000. Is Smartzone straight digital or is it like VSELP like Trenton NJ PD? I've read that Trenton PD's system cannot be monitored by scanners yet.

 

[RocketNJ]

VSLEP is the old digital technology. No scanners are made to decode it and never will. THe audio quality on the current IMBE standard is much superior to VSLEP.

George

 

[RocketNJ]

PJH: It's possible the other board was a mistype and it is the XTL 5000. Is Smartzone straight digital or is it like VSELP like Trenton NJ PD? I've read that Trenton PD's system cannot be monitored by scanners yet.

Also SmartZone is not analog or digital but a way to have smaller systems (zones) tied together to improve coverage area while not having to use the same frequencies in all areas.

Burlington, Somerset, and Morris Counites are all installing SmartZone systems.

George

 

[PJH]

A SmartZone system is a bunch of SmartNet systems tied together. There are a million ways to setup the system, but the standard practices for state police agencies do this:

Each troop will have its own zone that works indepentantly of other zones. So...Troop A troopers will only hear A etc. However, lets say an A trooper needs to go to Troop Z, but needs to stay on the Troop A channel. As the trooper goes from Troop A thru 5 other zones, the SmartZone controller will see this and "patch" the Troop A talkgroup thru the other zones so that he can stay in contract with his troop.

Without being really complicated...Where the trooper is in the system, whatever channel he has on his radio will follow him all over the state no matter what zone he is in. Once the trooper leaves a zone, the channel will no longer xmit in that zone unless someone else has a radio on the same channel.

That's the sorta uncomplicated verison of SmartZone.

 

[lschmidt]

Quote:VSLEP is the old digital technology. No scanners are made to decode it and never will.



NEVER SAY NEVER!!!

 

[PJH]

VSLEP was Motorola's offer into the digital game before the IMBE codec was selected. Very few departments actually went digital before IMBE was set as the standard. Only 2 major cities still use it and they will be moving over to IMBE within the next two years, so its pretty much a mute point.

 

[cqdxer]

Are we sure they are going to ASTRO 3600 Baud digital?
I have a BC785d and would hate to have to upgrade if the system goes to 9600 Baud.

 

[RocketNJ]

Are we sure they are going to ASTRO 3600 Baud digital?
I have a BC785d and would hate to have to upgrade if the system goes to 9600 Baud.

When you say "tehy" who are you referring to? NJSP or Trenton?

 

[ka2mek]

VSELP (Vector Sum Excited Linear Prediction)is what the acronym stands for with this digital voice format used by Motorola radios prior to IMBE(Improved Multi-Band Excitation)coder for voice format was implimented.IMBE is to be the Common Air Interface (CAI) specified by the APCO-25 standard , no scanner can decode the VSELP format and it is old technology. There are a few of these old systems around NJ other than the City of TRENTON. Two of them are in the County of Monmouth (Near Sandy Hook), One is Atlantic Highlands,NJ and the other is Middletown Township,NJ.VSELP is not in anyway nor ever will be APCO-25 compliant.Not shure about the status of the NJSP's intentions in regards to thier system,and not shure of The City of Trenton's intentions to ever change thier radio system either.Hope this helps.

Rob

 

[RocketNJ]

NJSP Troop B is in process of upgrade to SmartZone 4.1 (analog/Astro). Not sure if they will go to Astro but system will be capable.

No definite word on Troops A or C but would guess they would follow suit then Omnilink the three systems together to have seamless statewide coverage. Moto has announced no new SZ4.1 orders after end of year so we'll probably hear something before then.

 

[ka2mek]

Thats what I really like about Lindsey's site here Inteligent folks giving solid down to earth input.Thanks George ,please keep us updated on this
73!
Rob-KA2MEK

 

[DJ88]

I just want to say I have to agree with Rob. Always good, accurate and up to date info here, thanks to the great people who post . This site is the best.

 

[cqdxer]

tehy?

Are we sure they are going to ASTRO 3600 Baud digital?
I have a BC785d and would hate to have to upgrade if the system goes to 9600 Baud.

When you say "tehy" who are you referring to? NJSP or Trenton?

NJSP Type II

:roll:

 

[RocketNJ]

The Troop B system is in the process of going 3600 baud mixed mode (analog and Astro). Most of the subscriber units are Astro capable already. I do not know if they have plans to go Astro system wide but I would guess some sensitive talkgroups may go Astro.

Troops C and A are most likely going to go the same route but no confirmation yet.

George

 

[W2SJW]

Trenton will HAVE to upgrade their system from VSLEP to IMBE. They have no choice (compliance). When their current licenses are up, they will have to bring that system up to the current APCO standards.

 

[ka2mek]

Trenton will HAVE to upgrade their system from VSLEP

Scott
Thats..VSELP (Vector Sum Excited Linear Prediction)-thats what the acronym stands for and I noticed you ONLY mentioned Trenton,NJ what of the other municipality that are still or will still be using this type system?Will all of them have to tap the budget to bring them into the fold as in a MANDATORY compliance nationwide?Alot of these smaller NON -city type towns might not have that in thier budgetary plans for the near future so can you tell us Scott what is the time frame for any type of mandatory compliance if thier is such a plan and time frame for it?While I am on this Scott would you know a ballpark figure of what kind of cost impact for an upgrade to comply in regards to a small police force of say 1 base unit and 7 cars would be?I am not trying to PUT YOU ON THE SPOTLIGHT here I just would like to have this information if you know it and if you could supply a link for the info that would be just as well.
73
Robert-KA2MEK