ODOT/OSP getting Unity multi-band radios

[jparks29]

ODOT/OSP getting Unity multi-band mobiles

Welp..

I noticed ODOT already purchased a large number of Harris Unity Portables..

Well, they opted for Unity mobiles as well...

VHF LB rx, with rx/tx on VHF/UHF/700/800 @ 50W/35W.. on one radio.. from a control head that looks like a cellphone... Not only is the control head 90% touch screen (still have volume POT, rotary POT, and two programmable buttons), but when you select the channel, you can see info such as TX/RX freq, PL on RX/TX, or NAC/ID etc through a channel info option...

GPS receiver is built in.

The control head wire is just 3 conductors, and uses CANBUS.. you can daisy chain up to 16 control heads/devices. no more 25/37 conductor control head wires.

SS2000 still works via DB9 on back of radio.


Radios support phase I/II P25 (upgradeable) on all bands (except VHF LB)

I want one of these so bad...

(An install I got finished yesterday)

Also... I had to fabricate some artificial groundplanes due to the oddball equipment they're running.

This was a street vacuum.. It has an articulating arm so it meant no antenna on the roof...

The multiband antenna is a custom antenna and REQUIRES a groundplane like no tomorrow. With a simple lip/L NMO mount, I was getting 6W reflected.. With the groundplane I was getting less than half a watt back... Pretty damn good considering it was below the cab..

The contract requirements are ridiculously stringent, even going so far as to specify the particular butt connectors and crimpers to use.

 

[mjohnston4]

What kind of unit uses the Touchmaster Delta?

 

[Gezelle007]

Awesome...

What kind of unit uses the Touchmaster Delta?

I'm pretty sure all of the ODOT response vehicles have the Delta's or UTM-4's. Lol, they sound a lot better than Whelen and Code3 IMHO...

 

[mjohnston4]

I love how Unitrol's sound and some other Federal Signal sirens too. I've changed our Whelen sirens to to tone that sounds like the Touchmaster, at least Wail and Yelp.

 

[Gezelle007]

I love how Unitrol's sound and some other Federal Signal sirens too. I've changed our Whelen sirens to to tone that sounds like the Touchmaster, at least Wail and Yelp.

Yeah, I also have an ear for the Unitrol 480K's that PPB has- awesome.. especially the 80KH? I think that's the model number (stands for the High Pitched version). Those sirens are classics.

I also like the Code3 Mastercom and RLS models, the versions that sound a little more modern.. awhile back I found a video of the Code3 Mastercom with a Rumbler.. Amazing.

 

[DCMon]

Nice to hear

At least the state appears to be thinking of interoperability. More than you can say for most users.

 

[DCMon]

Mobile repeaters

Any equipment installed for mobile repeaters? This may be more for OSP than ODOT.

 

[OregonScanner]

I heard an out of the area 20xx trooper on OSP Coos Bay ch. 70 talking to Station 30 by mistake. The Station 30 dispatcher told him to go to Florence 29 to talk to Station 20 and he replied "sorry, I've got one of the new radios & they're not in there by number anymore." So the channels have new names??

 

[Gezelle007]

...So the channels have new names??...

I bet they're listed by Station name now, or general area.

I've heard communications on Channel 21, Salem and Albany, which seems to be a simulcast voting channel, but then there's channels in the metro area that aren't simulcast.. such as 13 and 14, 18 and 19 (which are all the same frequency). Seems like they should be simulcast as well..

 

[dkf435]

Sure can tell who has the new radios............warble warble warble when they key up.

David Kb7uns

 

[Gezelle007]

Sure can tell who has the new radios............warble warble warble when they key up.

David Kb7uns

Like a digital sounding warble?

 

[dkf435]

Yes except they are in analog.......sound like crap.

David Kb7uns

 

[mancow]

Wait... they put a $5000+ multi-band mobile in a street vacuum truck?

 

[kayn1n32008]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9780; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.8+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0.0.600 Mobile Safari/534.8+)

Wait... they put a $5000+ multi-band mobile in a street vacuum truck?

Lol, makes ya wonder.

 

[oregontreehugger]

Might need some "interop" when a pile of leaves blows from one town to another...

 

[KE7JFF]

Well, keep in mind, it can also talk with ODOT IR on 800 and regular ODOT Division radio on VHF.

 

[jeremym70]

Well, keep in mind, it can also talk with ODOT IR on 800 and regular ODOT Division radio on VHF.

Ryan,
I don't believe the Harris radios will work on a Motorola analog trunked system, only one with a P25 control channel. Maybe in the future if Portland does an upgrade though, if Portland certifies non-Motorola radios on their system.

 

[KE7JFF]

Ryan,
I don't believe the Harris radios will work on a Motorola analog trunked system, only one with a P25 control channel. Maybe in the future if Portland does an upgrade though, if Portland certifies non-Motorola radios on their system.

I typo'd when I said that. I meant the 700 system when it goes into full operation.

And yes, the Harris Unity does not support SmartZone.

 

[jeremym70]

I typo'd when I said that. I meant the 700 system when it goes into full operation.

Yeah probably so, I imagine they will work to get Harris, Kenwood, Tait, etc certified for use on the 700 system at some point. I haven't heard any action on it in quite a while, however it appears the TriMet system is coming to life shortly. Not sure what the holdup is on loading anyone on Portland's 700 system, even for testing?

 

[jparks29]

Wait... they put a $5000+ multi-band mobile in a street vacuum truck?

Yes.

Front end loaders, dump trucks, etc. as well.

You name it, I installed a radio into it.