Oregon State Radio OWIN Project Revamped

[Keith_W7KEW]

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/07/new_state_radio_project_emerge.html

Crews will break ground in the coming week on a tower on Chehalem Mountain near Newberg that will carry microwave equipment for a new wireless radio system being built by the state.

{SNIP}

 

[sepura]

What band with this radio system be in? 700 MHz?

 

[Thunderbolt]

What band with this radio system be in? 700 MHz?

As I understand it, this will be a VHF-high band trunked radio system. However, all of the mobile and portable radios will be dual-band 150 MHz, 700/800 MHz. This way the OSP and other users can also communicate with other radio systems around the state.

73s

Ron

 

[OregonScanner]

OWIN is supposed to be entirely 700 MHz P25 with Harris Unity radios to talk to existing city and county VHF, UHF, & 800 systems already in place. It was originally going to be VHF high in the rural areas and 700 mhz in the metro areas but they abandoned that idea.

 

[oregontreehugger]

A couple of quick excerpts from the posted Oregonian article:

"Instead of building a huge network of towers, the state will mostly use existing towers already owned by government agencies or private entities. And the system will not blanket the entire state with the most advanced communications technology."

"Now, the project envisions a trunked radio system stretching in an upside-down U shape from Eugene to Portland, through the Gorge and then down the east side of the Cascades to Bend. Interoperability will also be more limited to the higher population areas."

Phew, someone in Salem finally used a little common sense!

 

[zerg901]

$49 million for new narowband radios for state police and DOT. Wouldn't that be VHF? There is no requirement to go to narrowband at 700/800 AFAIK.

$86 million for new microwave gear. Doesnt fiber optic cover the entire country already? Do they really need microwave access to every mountaintop in the state?