Ongoing Changes: Marion Co. MECA System

[INDY72]

Yepp lot of ID testing, and the marathon was on OPS 3 for IFD/MCF. They used EMA OPS 1 for the other event a couple of days ago.. Any news on when tg's for BGFD, LFD etc will be assigned? And will they finally add an interop tg?? FD was seriously complaining for lack of interop between FD-PD today. Heard IMPD and ISP Cap PD interopping a bit last night.. was on the ISP GFU tg on SAFE-T.

 

[Viper43]

FD OPS03 was used today for the "race" in the Geist area. It sounded good as I drove from Hancock County to the Speedway.... nice and clear the whole trip.

 

[ads47]

I guess the XTS5000's and XTS2500's I am listening on are messed up as well as those I am talking to because we agree we are on the same TG and not having a problem.


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[SCPD]

IMPD testing radio ID's NOT all working some radios are wrong on Digital if any one wants to listen

 

[Dispatch2323]

Has Meca put out a cutover schedule for next Tuesday? Does everyone cutover that day or are they moving agencies over one at a time? Also, has anyone heard how the fire testing is going with the new radios? Hopefully, we are not setting up for another 30 day delay.

 

[ind224]

Slight tangent

I believe Hendricks Co. uses the digital side for police and the analog for fire on SAFE T.
Does that make sense to do on the new MECA or not? If it is the system that gives the increased coverage does it really need to be a digital transmission for the "expected" coverage?

 

[aaron315]

disregard

 

[speedway_navigator]

Speedway Fire Chief Dean said MECA is considering adding analog capability to the system, I didn't hear anything about that at the last MECA board meeting.

 

[AK9R]

I believe Hendricks Co. uses the digital side for police and the analog for fire on SAFE T.

That is true. Fire has both analog and digital talkgroups, but uses analog. Some of the fire departments have raised the issues with the P25 vocoder and the county communications committee agreed to provide them with analog talkgroups.

Does that make sense to do on the new MECA or not?

I don't think that's an option on the new MECA system. It is a 100% APCO P25 system, not a hybrid system like SAFE-T. There is no analog option available on MECA's new system. The only option would be to keep one of the existing MECA systems active. And that would be a politically un-wise choice since MECA used the argument that the old system was near the end of its life and could not be maintained as justification for the new system.

 

[ind224]

Thanks guys. I wondered if the option existed.

 

[scannerfreak]

They already have analog capability. The 800 MHz NPSPAC channels, which are commonly used in most other P25 systems.

 

[AK9R]

The 800 MHz NPSPAC channels, which are commonly used in most other P25 systems.

True enough.

Is MECA putting up NPSPAC repeaters as part of this new system? Or do they already have them? SAFE-T has NPSPAC repeaters scattered around the state on its towers, but they are limited in number. If the NPSPAC channels, whether repeated or simplex, are not being recorded like the trunked channels are, then there would be accountability concerns.

Also, (at the risk of diverging even further off topic) I thought I read somewhere that the NFPA has established standards for fire department radio communications and that those standards advocate using non-trunked analog channels for fireground. If I'm correct about NFPA, I'm surprised that the firefighters are not raising those standards as justification for not using digital. And then there's the Washington DC trunked system where they put vehicular repeaters on many pieces of fire apparatus to fix the problems they had with their system inside buildings.

Now, back to MECA.

 

[scannerfreak]

Discussing the NPSPAC channels is not even remotely off topic as they are a part of the MECA system...I think I am competent enough to moderate the forum :wink:

Anyway, they already have those channels.. Now recording is another subject, I was addressing the system needing analog capability which it should already have. The Cincinnati system, which I monitor daily, uses the same system as MECA has just installed and I hear Fireground in digital with minimal to no issues daily. I also hear them use the NPSPAC channels for Fireground ops as well. So apparently they have figured out a way to do it.

True enough.

Is MECA putting up NPSPAC repeaters as part of this new system? Or do they already have them? SAFE-T has NPSPAC repeaters scattered around the state on its towers, but they are limited in number. If the NPSPAC channels, whether repeated or simplex, are not being recorded like the trunked channels are, then there would be accountability concerns.

Also, (at the risk of diverging even further off topic) I thought I read somewhere that the NFPA has established standards for fire department radio communications and that those standards advocate using non-trunked analog channels for fireground. If I'm correct about NFPA, I'm surprised that the firefighters are not raising those standards as justification for not using digital. And then there's the Washington DC trunked system where they put vehicular repeaters on many pieces of fire apparatus to fix the problems they had with their system inside buildings.

Now, back to MECA.

 

[scannerfreak]

^^^

By the way, none of the above was meant to come off in a negative tone. If it did, I apologize to everyone

 

[SCPD]

WISH TV 8 will be running a story on MECA at 11 PM tonight if any one wants to watch.

 

[Dispatch2323]

Does anyone have the cutover schedule for departments starting next week? I know Beech grove is starting on the 27th...it sounds like they will follow the same two week cutover process that was supposed to start a month ago...Beech Grove, Lawrence, Speedway....

 

[SCPD]

Does anyone have the cutover schedule for departments starting next week? I know Beech grove is starting on the 27th...it sounds like they will follow the same two week cutover process that was supposed to start a month ago...Beech Grove, Lawrence, Speedway....

More depts are putting pressure on MECA to hold off and they are going to the press with it so it may get delayed even more. It is a wait and see game. The schedule is the same as the first one just pushed back times are the same starting the 27th MAYBE?

 

[Dispatch2323]

After watching Channel 8's story about the new radio system...it sounds like the cutover may be a ways off...or...police will switch to digital and fire will stay on analog.

 

[ads47]

NPSPAC Channels are not meant for routine day to day operations for Fire Departments. So assigning them as a practice for firegrounds goes against the designed intention. If they want to use analog on a daily basis they need there own freq's licensed for that.


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[GTO_04]

After watching Channel 8's story about the new radio system...it sounds like the cutover may be a ways off...or...police will switch to digital and fire will stay on analog.

Newman even mentioned scrapping the system! Did he mean that for fire departments, or everyone?

GTO_04