Ohio County switching back to analog...

[crowe604]

Ohio Co. Sheriff's Deputies Switching Back to Analog Radios - Tristatehomepage - Eyewitness News

 

[kd4efm]

Loss of words.... SMH.

Evans Mitchell kd4efm
sent on my HTC M9

 

[searchrescueff]

Guess the switch wasn't as sweet as originally thought.

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[W8RMH]

It sounds like they just didn't have enough sites nor proper placement. They should have held the system provider accountable to meet their satisfaction. They say it is not reliable yet they are still going to use it...that doesn't make sense either.

I see that it is a NDXN system. They may have had better luck with a P25 system.

 

[searchrescueff]

It sounds like they just didn't have enough sites nor proper placement. They should have held the system provider accountable to meet their satisfaction.

This is a conventional system. Limited repeater access regardless.

They say it is not reliable yet they are still going to use it...that doesn't make sense either.

The article I read said they were going to keep it for special event/restricted use outside of daily ops.


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[ofd8001]

Wonder if this is sheriff only, or will other responders follow suit?

 

[SCPD]

Probably a need if so situation ofd8001. They say 52 grand was spent. I see several problems and solutions. Like they say what you pay for is what you get. Someone didn't look into it before signing. Nobody seemed to have surveyed prior to site installation and tested deeply. There is solutions but it costs $. As for sheriff using the old conventional and wanting the public to hear. Good for him. My relative said you could hear them if you had a icom or kenwood radio. They live next county over. But not many can budget in or get a 2 way. But it's good he is for being transparent. A good sheriff. Problem is these towns get shown by sales men a nice video a wordy speech presentation of the larger cities using these systems and get a hands on demo with a mobile repeater the salesmen bring. It looks good. Then the deal is adjusted to fit a budget and it goes south. Nobody signing checks the full specs and requirements or locations. Just like analog proper repeater placement is a must. Allot of towns are complaining analog is bad. Well when the repeaters were put in they used 25/30 spacing. Heck some to the old old "narrow" higher then that
As technology progressed they kept the same sites while spacing went more narrow. Creating gaps. I know a town where they spent allot on voting systems and microwave linking and voip. It has yet to work due to trying to cut corners on costs while before analog worked fine and issues only arrose when users didnt use equipment right and poor installations were done by local techs. Digital works if it's installed right, proper antenna placement and repeater placement but it all goes back to money and budgets.

 

[searchrescueff]

Digital works if it's installed right, proper antenna placement and repeater placement but it all goes back to money and budgets.

I agree here. It does boil down to antenna and repeater placement. Unless an agency is willing to go with multiple repeaters, they are gonna have to accept that unless engineering and surveying are done there will be areas that won't get the coverage they want.

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[cobraDIHO]

Interesting story. Prestonsburg, KY also went back to analog after using NXDN for several years. I'm not sure if they were having coverage issues or if it was actually something else.

 

[LTR]

The article says they switched to digital 5 years ago, this would of been before the narrowband date. Unless they were already narrowband before the date, I wonder how they will do for analog coverage now since they need to be narrowband, versus the digital signal? If they went back to the same analog system as before, but now narrowband, they may find out they have just as many dead spots with analog.

 

[SCPD]

The article says they switched to digital 5 years ago, this would of been before the narrowband date. Unless they were already narrowband before the date, I wonder how they will do for analog coverage now since they need to be narrowband, versus the digital signal? If they went back to the same analog system as before, but now narrowband, they may find out they have just as many dead spots with analog.

Where it may be a issue scratchy static transmissions can be made out. Digital it's all or nothing.

 

[rapidcharger]

That's great news for scanner listeners. Hopefully more are to follow.

I noticed the article said they are going to keep the digital around and buy more repeaters "for special uses." That's a little concerning, especially in Ohio.

 

[gerowen]

The problem with digital signals is that it's all or nothing. With an analog signal, if there's some static or slight interference, a human being listening to the signal can pull an intelligible voice where the same noise level applied to a digital signal might cause momentary breaks or distortions in the voice, making it unintelligible. OTA television signals are a prime example since they were required to switch to digital. Sure you get HD picture, the time, and program information, but gone are the days of picking up distant stations and dealing with a little bit of snow in the picture, it's either crystal clarity or locked up like an old NES game when you didn't do your little song and dance before hitting the power button. All that being said, if they can't even reach their own courthouse, then whoever set up the network to begin with didn't do what they were paid to do.