PA State Police Struggle with OpenSky Issues

[DisasterGuy]

While I am not a fan of OpenSky for public safety use, there tends to be a lot of misinformation about it....

I think they were mostly upset about the proprietary nature of openscam, and the fact that harris could (and do) charge outrageous amounts for equipment.

What is your factual base for this comment? The vast majority of infrastructure and all subscriber equipment is identical between OpenSky and P25. Compare the price of an XG-25p to an APX4000, XG-75p to APX-6000 and XG-100p to APX-7000. You will find the prices between the two are pretty competitive and if anything the Harris gear comes in a bit less. As an example the XG-100p Unity immersible and intrinsically safe portable fully loaded 136-870MHz with P25 Trunking, encryption, Lithium-Polymer battery has a LIST price of $6,500. Most contracts specify anywhere from a 25%-35% discount off that price. This works out to be equal or less than what most contracts spend for a VHF/800 APX-7000 with similar features.

If memory serves me correctly, adding encryption to a radio is about another $1,000 EACH.

Not exactly. List price (before any applicable discounts) for AES and DES encryption on a Harris radio is under $600.

 

[krokus]

The number of towers required to cover the same geographical area is significantly higher. Each tower costs a lot of money.

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[k3cfc]

The number of towers required to cover the same geographical area is significantly higher. Each tower costs a lot of money.

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Hmmm!

 

[patrauma_nurse]

Ok. so are PSP back to using 155 freqs? Haven't heard much at all on those old freqs. Way back when, they were analog - did they switch to digital maybe?

 

[ChrisRupert]

Ok. so are PSP back to using 155 freqs? Haven't heard much at all on those old freqs. Way back when, they were analog - did they switch to digital maybe?

Still on 800MHz OPENSKY. They use the "old" channels on occasion when the 800 isn't working or in areas where 800 doesn't do well.

 

[SlipNutz15]

patrauma_nurse: The barracks have the Mobile to Mobile in their bases and they do a daily shift check from car to base on it. You'll hear a lot of "Lewistown 6, Lewistown" "Good test, Lewistown 6". or whatever barrack they're out of.

The Lewistown PSP Barrack has a new P25 VHF repeater they are using if OpenSky does not work or as a backup.

 

[sibbley]

The Lewistown PSP Barrack has a new P25 VHF repeater they are using if OpenSky does not work or as a backup.

I read somewhere that PSP was spending 11.9 million on a radio system. I imagine this P25 VHF repeater is part of that system? Anyone have any idea how the P25 VHF is set up? I assume it uses the old VHF frequencies. Would entering the old frequencies as conventional P25 w/NAC search be a good starting point? Or is this a P25 trunk system?

 

[HM1529]

patrauma_nurse: The barracks have the Mobile to Mobile in their bases and they do a daily shift check from car to base on it. You'll hear a lot of "Lewistown 6, Lewistown" "Good test, Lewistown 6". or whatever barrack they're out of.

The Lewistown PSP Barrack has a new P25 VHF repeater they are using if OpenSky does not work or as a backup.

Do you have the frequencies and NAC?

 

[HM1529]

I read somewhere that PSP was spending 11.9 million on a radio system. I imagine this P25 VHF repeater is part of that system? Anyone have any idea how the P25 VHF is set up? I assume it uses the old VHF frequencies. Would entering the old frequencies as conventional P25 w/NAC search be a good starting point? Or is this a P25 trunk system?

PSP spent a ton of money to upgrade the old VHF stuff that was obsoleted by the narrowbanding deadline. All cars got new dualband mobiles on VHF/UHF or VHF/800 depending on what the locals were using in a given area. The current administration is determined to maintain the VHF as a back up for OpenSky 800. Apparently, as they have put in new VHF base stations, they have a few utilizing P25 instead of analog. I guess everybody should start monitoring the old VHF stuff in P25 mode with NAC search (if you're able).


Long term, the state is currently looking at plans for converting the OpenSky 800 system into a P25 trunked system. I do not think they have decided yet whether the system will be 700/800 statewide or if it will use VHF frequency assignments in the rural areas and 700/800 in the urban areas with radios that can roam between the two bands on the TRS. This is long term, though....another 5-10 years down the road. They are currently looking at available spectrum across the state.

 

[sibbley]

I guess everybody should start monitoring the old VHF stuff in P25 mode with NAC search (if you're able).

I set up the old VHF frequencies in a new conventional system using NAC search in place of tone search. I also set audio type to digital. Would it be better to use a "P25 1 Freq Trunk System" system?

 

[HM1529]

I set up the old VHF frequencies in a new conventional system using NAC search in place of tone search. I also set audio type to digital. Would it be better to use a "P25 1 Freq Trunk System" system?

I think the way you have it should be fine. That's the same thing I'm going to do.

 

[sibbley]

I know it can't be monitored, but do have the Open Sky frequencies loaded? If so, how do you set them up? Using the conventional method? I loaded them from the database in ARC536 and it added as a Motorola system.

 

[HM1529]

No reason to load OpenSky system frequencies in a scanner. All you'll get is constant noise...no voice.

 

[RichardKramer]

Troop L here in Reading, Berks County, PSP makes radio checks on analog repeater channel E 154.695 pl 186.2 with each car before it leaves the barracks. Haven't heard any digital in the area on any of the Southeast PSP freqs. I have heard PennDot on assignments for roadwork on the Open Sky talkaround on analog 851.4375 pl 156.7.

Happy Monitoring, Rich

 

[ButlerAlerts]

No reason to load OpenSky system frequencies in a scanner. All you'll get is constant noise...no voice.

Does that mean the BCT396T wouldn't work? I read on PSP's site they are suing a P25 Phase 2 Network and as far as a I know that scanner can receive it, but it doesn't mention the 9600 Baud for Data.

 

[mule1075]

Does that mean the BCT396T wouldn't work? I read on PSP's site they are suing a P25 Phase 2 Network and as far as a I know that scanner can receive it, but it doesn't mention the 9600 Baud for Data.

Yes it means it will not work.The open sky network cannot be monitored by any scanner.Yes they are in the process of moving to a p-25 system and if it is phase II the 396 will not work anyway.The only scanners that are capable of monitoring phase II p-25 are the uniden x36 series the GRE psr-800 at the moment.

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[Septa3371CSX1]

Caught activity on 155.670 / 186.2 PSP Channel B Base yesterday afternoon around 14:20. Don't know what it was but it was very brief. First time in a while I've caught any activity on the VHF Channels.

 

[phillydjdan]

I pickup quite a bit of chatter on VHF Tac-1. Quite interesting conversations, too lol. Cant wait for P25, I nearly got stopped yesterday. Would have been nice to know the trap was setup.

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[rrbum]

Seems to be working well

Looks like they have either ironed out problems or troopers have become more adept at using the opensky system around here. Much less conversation between base and mobile on VHF lately. I am beginning to think that they will stay with this damned system.

 

[dmg1969]

PSP. Is now in charge of the PA-STARNet. Scroll up and you will see that there has already been discussion of, in the long term, transitioning to a P25 system. I hear mostly VHF radio checks in my area when troopers come on duty (just heard one while typing this) and the occasional traffic stop. Any evolution of the system is years away, but it is being talked about. One thing I find curious is that, the last time I update the database on my HP-1 and re-did my favorites lists, I noticed that Lewistown barracks has a DIGITAL VHF channel. Anyone know what that is about? Testing the waters perhaps?


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