PA State Police Struggle with OpenSky Issues

[SCPD]

Mark40, your correct F9W is Harris Open Sky. I just checked the Emissions Page on FCC website.

 

[Voyager]

While I generally agree this will be for Open Sky, F9W does not indicate that. F9W means Frequency Modulation, (9) Analog/Digital, and (W) Combination of voice/data.

There is nothing unique about those modes to Open Sky. Likewise, there is nothing unique about the 20K0 bandwidth.

But, Open Sky is the only mode that currently uses the combination of that BW and mode designations. (20K0F9W)

 

[HM1529]

On the license, two of the sites were existing sites and two were additional sites for better coverage (2 were on maps from a few years ago and two were listed as under construction on those maps). With a proposed timeline of five years minimum for a P25 rollout, I would say they cannot ignore areas of poor coverage so you will continue to see new monopole towers or frequency changes/additions around the state.

 

[SCPD]

The exception to using F9W is Harris Open Sky,which has been certificated by the FCC as F9W, although F7W maybe better descriptive. This is from the emissions designator page.

 

[Steveradio]

Guess its no surprise to dump more money into a system that might be changing, why not.

 

[Blaze36]

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS...d=0&billBody=S&billTyp=R&billNbr=0325&pn=1730

 

[krokus]

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS...d=0&billBody=S&billTyp=R&billNbr=0325&pn=1730

That could get interesting.

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[scnrfrq]

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS...d=0&billBody=S&billTyp=R&billNbr=0325&pn=1730

How is this different than what was already decided about replacing the system? I thought they already had the new radios and are supposed to be testing them in NW PA this year?

 

[HM1529]

How is this different than what was already decided about replacing the system? I thought they already had the new radios and are supposed to be testing them in NW PA this year?

Legal issues related to the bidding last year seem to have delayed deployment. One of the vendors filed complaints about the process. Details on that are sketchy.

 

[buckbull]

I dont understand why PA dosent have the same kind of radio system as NJ has . I am in the top left hand corner on NJ where the 3 states meet and i hear NJ Park police in Cape May 4 hrs away like they are right outside my house .

 

[druhe]

I dont understand why PA dosent have the same kind of radio system as NJ has . I am in the top left hand corner on NJ where the 3 states meet and i hear NJ Park police in Cape May 4 hrs away like they are right outside my house .

Politics my friend, politics

 

[DisasterGuy]

All issues with OpenSky for mission critical voice aside, PA is a VERY difficult state to implement a statewide system on. One of the advantages to OpenSky is the ability to have very inexpensive low volume "cell sites" that require very little in terms of backhaul. A new P25 solution is going to require a lot of new microwave and fiber as well as due to topography almost definitely require the use of a lot of spectrum and multi-band radios.

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[talviar]

All issues with OpenSky for mission critical voice aside, PA is a VERY difficult state to implement a statewide system on. One of the advantages to OpenSky is the ability to have very inexpensive low volume "cell sites" that require very little in terms of backhaul. A new P25 solution is going to require a lot of new microwave and fiber as well as due to topography almost definitely require the use of a lot of spectrum and multi-band radios.

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Thats funny- Currently in my county (Fayette) I have a 7 site simulcast Motorola ASTRO25 800 MHz system with HT coverage in better than 95% of the county. The Opensky system here with its "low volume" "cell sites" "that require very little in terms of backhaul" has approximately 8 high profile sites (that are still "cell sites") and a hand full of low profile "cell sites" and don't have the same level of mobile coverage that I do with hand helds.

I'd venture to say with a properly "engineered" ASTRO25 system and use of simulcast coverage zones and the occasional fill in ASTRO25 Intellirepeater site (low volume cell site that requires very little in terms of backhaul) that coverage in the State can be achieved very quickly and easily using most of the existing backhaul infrastructure already in place for the Opensky system.

 

[DisasterGuy]

In terms of coverage, RF is RF.

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[HM1529]

The one major benefit of the whole OpenSky debacle is that the state built a very robust microwave network underneath OpenSky. The microwave network provides quite a bit of flexibility within the state:

http://www.floridanet.gov/assets/do...ide public safety mobile backhaul network.pdf

 

[radio3353]

In terms of coverage, RF is RF.

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Except when you throw in topography.

 

[DisasterGuy]

Except when you throw in topography.

This is kind of my point. An implementation covering an area like PA is very challenging as you have very high traffic areas coupled with very low traffic areas and rolling hills to mountains as well as heavy concrete to dense foliage. A lot (but certainly not all) of the challenges in the currwnt PA deployment involve use of 800MHz spectrum when many areas demand VHF or UHF due to topography and foliage.

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[radio3353]

This is kind of my point. An implementation covering an area like PA is very challenging as you have very high traffic areas coupled with very low traffic areas and rolling hills to mountains as well as heavy concrete to dense foliage. A lot (but certainly not all) of the challenges in the currwnt PA deployment involve use of 800MHz spectrum when many areas demand VHF or UHF due to topography and foliage.

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I couldn't agree with you more.

 

[jonwienke]

Any updates on the OpenSky system, or is something else in the works? There's very little activity on the PASP conventional freqs in the Chambersburg area.

 

[scnrfrq]

Any updates on the OpenSky system, or is something else in the works? There's very little activity on the PASP conventional freqs in the Chambersburg area.

Testing of the new system is supposed to start here
in NW PA this year. Last I heard it might be late summer.