Oakland, NJ

[cr8054]

Don't forget that NJICS isn't meant to provide perfect portable coverage. There are fantastic 700 systems out there...

How are they using their portables? Forgive the newbie question, but I know police need to use their portables when they are not in their vehicles.

 

[NParkNJ]

How are they using their portables?

Same as they would their mobiles, hopefully. However, and this is one of the downsides to a system, and a system that does not have a good repeater/repeaters setup, in-building BDA's if needed, are at a loss BIG time with portables. Ringwood PD is a grand example of this. Their mobiles are putting out 45-50 watts and have no problem reaching their repeaters. Their portables, another story, even outside, forget being in-building or down in a ditch/low area on a call. Even if with 5-6 watt VHF portables, it is usually not good...

Good systems take time, development, and a lot of money to develop correctly.

 

[K2NEC]

Same as they would their mobiles, hopefully. However, and this is one of the downsides to a system, and a system that does not have a good repeater/repeaters setup, in-building BDA's if needed, are at a loss BIG time with portables. Ringwood PD is a grand example of this. Their mobiles are putting out 45-50 watts and have no problem reaching their repeaters. Their portables, another story, even outside, forget being in-building or down in a ditch/low area on a call. Even if with 5-6 watt VHF portables, it is usually not good...

You cannot use mobiles and portables in the same context. That's like comparing apples and oranges. NJICS has great location of sites but as I mentioned previously, the system is not intended on providing users with seamless portable coverage, ESPECIALLY not in the northern part of NJ. Too many hills, trees, and other environmental factors. Sh*t, there isnt even perfect MOBILE coverage in some parts of NNJ. Even if they put a site in Oakland, I doubt that would fix the coverage issues.

 

[mdsxfire]

There are thousands of users on 700/800 MHz P25 systems in the region who would strongly disagree with those sorts of blanket statements. It's never as cut and dry as "low band is better in the woods, 800 is better in the city." There are myriad factors that go into determining how well any given radio system will perform in the real world, and there are plenty of real world examples of 700/800 trunked systems greatly improving communications over the older low band/VHF analog repeaters that were previously used. Despite no shortage of those who beat the drum for "good old analog", we live in 2022, not 1952, and so change is inevitable. Nothing is perfect, but a well designed system will perform well regardless of the RF band or technology behind it.

agreed our VHF repeater system with two receive radios hooked to a voter still had horrible coverage even in our 4 square mile town, and if we had more than one call or forbid a bad storm going on we had one channel to use, even going to talk around we would constantly be stepping on other incidents. our counties P25 system has provided amazing coverage in warehouses, basements out of town and county mutual aid calls for over 3 years, and we have multiple TGs at our disposal in the event of multiple calls or major storms.

 

[mdsxfire]

I wish I could. Right now, I just cannot afford it.

yes, understood both options are not cheap, when i bought my Unication G5 it was just over $500, not i believe they are pushing close to $800

 

[cr8054]

Same as they would their mobiles, hopefully. However, and this is one of the downsides to a system, and a system that does not have a good repeater/repeaters setup, in-building BDA's if needed, are at a loss BIG time with portables. Ringwood PD is a grand example of this. Their mobiles are putting out 45-50 watts and have no problem reaching their repeaters. Their portables, another story, even outside, forget being in-building or down in a ditch/low area on a call. Even if with 5-6 watt VHF portables, it is usually not good...

Good systems take time, development, and a lot of money to develop correctly.

Hopefully Oakland will resolve their issues to have better portable coverage, one that I hopefully can listen to without having to buy another radio as I am on a fixed income now. I wish In could have bought a better radio when I got my TRX-1.

 

[cr8054]

yes, understood both options are not cheap, when i bought my Unication G5 it was just over $500, not i believe they are pushing close to $800

The days of buying a $99 Bearcat are clearly over.

 

[NParkNJ]

Hopefully Oakland will resolve their issues to have better portable coverage, one that I hopefully can listen to without having to buy another radio as I am on a fixed income now. I wish In could have bought a better radio when I got my TRX-1.

I agree. If its worth anything, it might be worth it to save up for an SDS, or Unication. May be worth selling the TRX(for decent $) and get something better.
I thankfully have good enough performance on the 996p2 to serve my needs. Location, antennas, mobile/portable all matter.

 

[cr8054]

I finally did find Oakland and they are on The Bergen County Simulcast. TG 114. Its weird. I found it by mistake. I had set my scanner to scan the Inter Ops setting on my scanner. I had the same frequencies programmed into a new system but that system was a carrier with no audio. The only difference was how the table settings were configured. The system I programmed the table setting was normal. The pre programmed system the table setting was autofill. Can that actually make a difference?

 

[cr8054]

There has been a change. They used to tone twice when dispatching EMS. Today they are toning only once. Are the fire and EMS migrating to new frequencies?

 

[cr8054]

I finally did find Oakland and they are on The Bergen County Simulcast. TG 114. Its weird. I found it by mistake. I had set my scanner to scan the Inter Ops setting on my scanner. I had the same frequencies programmed into a new system but that system was a carrier with no audio. The only difference was how the table settings were configured. The system I programmed the table setting was normal. The pre programmed system the table setting was autofill. Can that actually make a difference?

I have noticed that they are primarily using the 400mhz frequencies. Could it be that they are having better luck with that system?

 

[CastorLB]

There has been a change. They used to tone twice when dispatching EMS. Today they are toning only once. Are the fire and EMS migrating to new frequencies?

Probably just a change in the dispatch console software with the change in radio systems.

 

[mpagano]

I have noticed that they are primarily using the 400mhz frequencies. Could it be that they are having better luck with that system?

On TG 114 are hearing a bunch of other towns, also ? Midland Park, Demarest, Ramsey, Mahwah.. ?

 

[Alarmguy]

TG 114 is PS INTER OPS 4.

 

[cr8054]

Probably just a change in the dispatch console software with the change in radio systems.

I heard the fire department ask if the tower was back online. Maybe that caused the second tone to be missing.

 

[GTR8000]

It feels like we're going around in circles in this thread. It was mentioned in the very first reply a month ago that Oakland has been operating on Bergen County TG 114 (aka Public Safety Interop 4) on and off.

 

[asnhnetwork]

Maybe next week they will be back on NJ ICS.

 

[APX8000]

Wait for it.....

 

[cr8054]

It feels like we're going around in circles in this thread. It was mentioned in the very first reply a month ago that Oakland has been operating on Bergen County TG 114 (aka Public Safety Interop 4) on and off.

They have been on Bergen County TG 113 (aka Public Safety Intern 4) for a week and a half. I am wondering if this move is permanent. Franklin Lakes is also using 400mhz digital for police dispatch. Maybe that is what works well. I have the 700mhz trunked system programmed into my radio just in case they do change again.

 

[NParkNJ]

They have been on Bergen County TG 113 (aka Public Safety Intern 4) for a week and a half. I am wondering if this move is permanent. Franklin Lakes is also using 400mhz digital for police dispatch. Maybe that is what works well. I have the 700mhz trunked system programmed into my radio just in case they do change again.

If the move happens, I doubt it will be that specific TG anyway. I’d imagine one the decision is made(if it does end up being a permanent move to BC) they’ll have their own dedicated TG, or if another nearby agency is on/joins, they’ll share. I believe interops are used for backup, testing, or if 2 departments share a dispatch(ie MP/Wyckoff) if a big event takes up the comms, the other agency can move there.
Yeah Franklin Lakes has been UHF conventional for almost 15 years I think. Or close to it.