PG county to get Moto 800 system

[ka3jjz]

Evidently there's something about the article that the RR software doesn't like (too long, maybe) - but Al Henney over on Scan-DC relayed a press release saying that PG county has signed a contract with Motorola for a 800 Mhz system. It mentions that 3 towers they already have will be converted to 800 mhz (maybe that's the EDACS system?). There will be a total of 21 towers, one of which is already in Brandywine, and another will be in Oxon Hill.

Interestingly, they didn't mention whether the system will be digital (I would assume so); I don't know whether they will use rebanded 800 mhz freqs (gotta check the FCC reports).

I'll get the press release over to the Admins this eve. 73s Mike

 

[Dank]

Mike,
I'm not sure which article you are referring to, but here is a link to what I read in the Gazette yesterday.
http://www.gazette.net/stories/100506/princou134030_31956.shtml

Dan

 

[TinEar]

EDIT: The whole article was there a minute ago. I went off the page and came back to this post and the article disappeared. Let me try erasing what's here and reposting it.

I originally thought PG would use the 494/495 freqs they already own for the Motorola system but that's not the case.

 

[TinEar]

This is the press release that Alan Henney posted that Mike is referring to....

October 5, 2006

For more information:

John E. Erzen
Press Information Officer
Prince George’s County
Office of the County Executive

COUNTY EXECUTIVE ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO BRING 800 MHZ RADIO SYSTEM TO COUNTY

UPPER MARLBORO, MD – Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson today announced that the county has signed an agreement with Motorola and will begin construction of an 800 MHZ radio system for the county.

“For years, Prince George’s County has been referred to as the hole in the middle of the region because we were the only jurisdiction that did not have an 800 MHZ radio system, but that is no longer the case,” Johnson said. “All of our public safety agencies will now be able to talk to surrounding areas. The 800 MHZ radio system will further enhance the delivery of public safety to the citizens and residents of Prince George’s County and provide another level of protection for them and for our public safety personnel on the streets.”

The announcement comes a little more than two years after the county began negotiating to replace the current radio system which was installed more than 20 years ago. Motorola is the largest supplier of land mobile radio systems for public safety in the United States. They have provided public safety radio networks for many local governments in this region.

The $68 million project should take approximately three years to complete. Of the 21 radio towers being used for the system, three are existing towers from the county’s current system that can be converted to the 800 MHZ, one has already been built and another one is about to be constructed.

A tower has been built in Brandywine and a tower that will be located in Oxon Hill at Oxon Hill Road and the Beltway is set for construction. The remaining 16 towers will be built during the next two years.

Johnson was joined at the press conference by Public Safety Director Vernon Herron, Sheriff Michael Jackson, Police Chief Melvin High, Fire Chief Lawrence Sedgwick, Park Police Chief Larry Brownlee and Motorola executives Patty Holtschneider and Bruce Fryer.

“We chose the 800 MHZ radio system because we understand that it is a tool that the men and women in our public safety agencies need to do their jobs effectively and safely,” Johnson said. “We have built first class public safety agencies with first class people, first class facilities and first class equipment. Now, we will have a first class radio system to go with that.”

 

[jparks29]

original plans were to go with phase II P25, TDMA......without TDMA equipment on the market, it'll be interesting to see what happens...

 

[ezdropper]

About time! Hope it will have better coverage than Anne Arundel's system.

 

[ka3jjz]

In fact, from Mike of MTC Communications (who attended the Project 20 meeting), it seems that perhaps PG is going to go to the 700 mhz band - he makes the point, correctly, that currently it seems there are no 800 mhz open channels in this area (pre rebanding of course). With the press, they really can't tell the difference anyway...

There's no scanner that can handle Project 25 TDMA AFAIK out there right now, at least, AFAIK.

73s Mike

 

[ScanManQSL]

Refresh me again.... I know TDMA is Time division multiple access (TDMA) but what is AFAIK?

 

[ctrabs74]

As Far As I Know

I know TDMA is Time division multiple access (TDMA) but what is AFAIK?

Check the heading of this post...

 

[ctrabs74]

Interesting how the entire I-95 corridor within Maryland will essentially be Moto TRS territory (DC, PG, MontCo MD, Howard, AA, Balto City and County, Harford, New Castle Co/Delaware TRS); Cecil just had to be the lone hold-out by going with it's EDACS ProVoice junk...

IIRC, the eventual goal in the DC area was to have all the jurisdictions in DC, Va. and Md. be able to communicate with each other on similar platforms (in this case, Moto TRS) to improve interoperability.

 

[troymail]

Interesting how the entire I-95 corridor within Maryland will essentially be Moto TRS territory (DC, PG, MontCo MD, Howard, AA, Balto City and County, Harford, New Castle Co/Delaware TRS); Cecil just had to be the lone hold-out by going with it's EDACS ProVoice junk...

IIRC, the eventual goal in the DC area was to have all the jurisdictions in DC, Va. and Md. be able to communicate with each other on similar platforms (in this case, Moto TRS) to improve interoperability.

Pretty cool isn't it? I was on the eastern shore last week (Ocean City, Worcester County, Wicomico County, Dorchester, Upper Shore, etc.)... at least it's all motorola nearly until Ocean City (EDACS).... too bad they still have to use system-level patches down there... hell, even Deleware has a Motorola system...

It's pretty cool that units can cross imaginary boundaries and still switch to a communications channel without any problems....

 

[jparks29]

theoretically, there would be in effect a wide area smartzone system..with an officer in anne arundel county talking to a fairfax county officer, who is in montgomery county........

we'll see how well THAT goes........

 

[ka3jjz]

That's only if everyone gets out of the 'my sandbox' mentality, and has the will and thought on training, and use, of the interop talkgroups and frequencies - otherwise it all goes for nothing, as we have seen in our area. The Eastern Shore seems to have a better handle on it.

73s Mike

 

[bear105]

Here is some documentation from the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau on PG Co's new system...

Note...this is a Word doc... Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Seeks Comment on Request by National Capital Region for Waiver of Part 90 Rules to Allow Establishment of a 700 MHz Interoperable Broadband Data Network.

 

[TommyP]

Actually those have nothing to do with P.G's radio system. That is a seperate project being headed by COG/NCR for a broadband data network that would serve all COG jurisdictions. However this requires modification of existing rules govrning the 700 band...Thus the waiver request. If approved this network would be the equivalent of a CDMA/EVDO cell network for the exclusive use of the participating agencies.

 

[jparks29]

CAPWIN.....gotta love it..........

 

[countycop96]

The last I heard from our radio gurus is that we are going to be using 700 MHZ Motorola trunking Phase 5. We are to be the beta site for Motorola. I forsee lots of problems, as PG will do their usual of not fully funding the project and leaving us to suffer with an inadequate system.

 

[ctrabs74]

The last I heard from our radio gurus is that we are going to be using 700 MHZ Motorola trunking Phase 5. We are to be the beta site for Motorola. I forsee lots of problems, as PG will do their usual of not fully funding the project and leaving us to suffer with an inadequate system.

Well, if its 700, then that pretty much renders almost all digital scanners useless to monitor the system, save for the newest Bearcats useless AFA monitoring goes. Anyway, good luck down there...

 

[troymail]

Given the timetable I read somwhere (3 years?) - there will probably all kinds of new scanners between now and then... this is just another example of how technology is moving so quickly these days.

Remember the days of analog FM radio tuners? AM radio?

I recall the first radio my father used to monitor on was a Laffeyette (sp?) radio that could tune (with a dial) in VHF High and listen to Baltimore City FD. It was so bad, AA County would constantly interefere with BCFD since they were so close (154.01 and 154.31). We couldn't listen to the BCPD since they were on UHF until... when I got my first 8 channel Bearcat IV crystal scanner - wow! We used to drive all over the state to find crystals for that radio but it was great. And look where we are now...

No, I'm not that old -- just started this hobby at a young age...

 

[MDEguy]

That's only if everyone gets out of the 'my sandbox' mentality, and has the will and thought on training, and use, of the interop talkgroups and frequencies - otherwise it all goes for nothing, as we have seen in our area. The Eastern Shore seems to have a better handle on it.

73s Mike

Along this line of thought, how about NYFD on 9/11. They totally screwed there sysytem and for the most part only had there own people on there system. In the event of the big one what happens to a jurisdictions system when you have that many other jurisdictions coming to help. Will the systems fail?