Philadelphia, PA - Police Radio System Experiences Brief Failure

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ab3a

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I like trunking systems a lot. However, when disaster strikes, I prefer to have the option of a 100 Watt simplex mobile low band VHF unit. It may take more discipline to use, but there aren't nearly as many things to go wrong.
 

zz0468

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Trunked radio systems are nice when you look at the features and function they provide, but unless one carefully plans for every conceivable failure mode, sooner or later it's gonna get you. I have yet to see a trunked system of ANY manufacturer that didn't at least occasionally completely cease functioning for one reason or another. They generally have one or two layers of failsoft built in, but that does you no good if the users either don't have the hardware, or the training to utilize it.

I've gone on several rants here about how the public safety communications industry has lost it's mind, and over reliance on technology without low tech back up systems is yet one more thing they fail at.
 
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brey1234

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Simple

Remember what Engineer Scott said on the Starship Enterprise.

"the more complicated the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain"
 

caffman263

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wow, no one had a cell phone?

While police were at a level four of the back-up system, the public was still able to call 911 and police utilized three bands that remained in use as their primary means of communication, along with cell phones.

In one of the videos, an official from the Mayor's Office also mentions that they used the MDTs to communicate, but I wasn't aware that the officers could send messages back to dispatch through them.

The system and three back-up systems failed at about 9:36 p.m. Tuesday when Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey happened upon a large street fight and called for an assist.

Haha, can't ask for a better way for the problem to be noticed by the top brass, have him find the problem firsthand :lol: Of course Commissioner Ramsey rides around in full uniform, in a marked car, every day when he's in the field. I have a lot of respect for him, he's out there in the field alongside his officers, responding to calls :cool:
 

DickH

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... Commissioner Ramsey rides around in full uniform, in a marked car, every day when he's in the field. I have a lot of respect for him, he's out there in the field alongside his officers, responding to calls :cool:

And does he help them toss some guy who's been shot into the back of a van like a sack of flour without even checking for a pulse? That's what I've seen on COPS several times.
Disgraceful.
 

kb2vxa

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Now that's interesting, Domino Lane is in Roxborough AKA transmitter alley. With all those TV towers lightning singled out the one with the site controller, maybe Zeus doesn't like the Keystone Kops? (;->)
 

richardc63

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I like trunking systems a lot. However, when disaster strikes, I prefer to have the option of a 100 Watt simplex mobile low band VHF unit. It may take more discipline to use, but there aren't nearly as many things to go wrong.

Except for the PA going pooooof..... or the front end deciding it no longer wishes to hear anything... the list of potential faults are almost endless... and you have no redundancy for that.

That is the point of trunking systems- an individual base may fail and all you lose is some capacity but the trunking site doesn't fail.

Trunking systems do fail, usually through bad/shortsighted design or maintenance decisions but they are inherently more robust than a conventional base.

Cheers,


Richard
 

letarotor

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Whenever there is a major incident or crisis, common sense and clear thinking go out the window along with the 7-11 coffee cup! Everybody who thinks they are somebody, and their minions, want to pick up a microphone and start jabbering! Their immediate crisis, or observation thereof, is at the center of the world don't forget. But, with a 20 channel trunked system, that is only 19 users allowed at any given time. Physics of trunked radio can't be changed!!! Which is why your system better have priority, or Bubba Joe down at the dump, Clell in Ragweed Park, and Billy Fred at the maintenance shop will be tying up your channels!
 

pachanga22

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Except for the PA going pooooof..... or the front end deciding it no longer wishes to hear anything... the list of potential faults are almost endless... and you have no redundancy for that.

That is the point of trunking systems- an individual base may fail and all you lose is some capacity but the trunking site doesn't fail.

Trunking systems do fail, usually through bad/shortsighted design or maintenance decisions but they are inherently more robust than a conventional base.

Cheers,


Richard


Some amps give you an alarm pin that'll pull low upon failure, but the front end quitting, you're toast until you can roll the control channel.
 
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