Mobile repeaters are a love/hate relationship. If installed and used properly, they can be a great asset. However, if not installed or used properly, they can make life miserable. P25 grade DVRS's aren't cheap. Some models of the Futurecom are pushing $10K.
To make them sound good on a digital P25 system, you need to keep everything P25/digital. From the handheld, all the way to the dispatcher's console. Using lower cost analog VRS's connected to a P25 radio is usually going to end up with repeated audio that sounds bad. Analog to P25 conversion is difficult. It can be made to sound...OK..but it takes a lot of trial and error. You can tell instantly on a P25 trunking system when a analog user is linked or patched into the system. This usually happens during a transition from a legacy analog system to a new P25 system and users are making a slow changeover.
There's a place for DVRS's, but it sounds like this situation may benefit more from a system improvement or a building BDA building code requirement.
Previous comments about the system design, what the customer asked for, consultant input..etc are all valid. If the system was built per the spec, Harris is off the hook and now the blame lies on the consultant and city. If Harris didn't build it to spec, then Harris needs to own it.
In my early years in radio, I used to not like consultants until I fully understood what they do. Now, consultants are a must for large projects. They protect both the customer and the vendor. There are good consultants and bad consultants. Good ones usually cost more, but their end product doesn't end up on the 10:00 news or RR being picked apart and questioned
That's the difference.
