School Communications

[alcahuete]

I have some UHF CDMs From a Ham radio project, they will work for now, plus I have all of the programming stuff already, but I do Plan on eventually upgrading to NXDN, it sounds like the best option for the future. This forum has given me some great advice, some I don’t think I ever would have thought of since I was just asking about some Toys-R-Us radios


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I personally would go the Mototrbo route instead of NXDN, as you will get 2 timeslots on the repeater (if you put one in, in the future). One timeslot could be used for Administration, or Maintenance, or what have you, and the other for Security. The radios are a little more expensive perhaps than the cheap NXDN Kenwoods, but worth it, IMO.

You'll get many differing opinions on this.

 

[chief21]

This forum has given me some great advice, some I don’t think I ever would have thought of since I was just asking about some Toys-R-Us radios

Some friendly advice... In my former life, I was (among other things) responsible for specifying and purchasing radio equipment. I would say that no one is likely to criticize you for buying mainstream, reliable, high-quality equipment. But if you "try to make do" and there is a critical failure of some sort related to the questionable or sub-standard purchase, you'll be hung out to dry. This is especially true when dealing with public safety (or students).

Best of luck with your project. Let us know how it pans out.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I personally would go the Mototrbo route instead of NXDN, as you will get 2 timeslots on the repeater (if you put one in, in the future). One timeslot could be used for Administration, or Maintenance, or what have you, and the other for Security. The radios are a little more expensive perhaps than the cheap NXDN Kenwoods, but worth it, IMO.

You'll get many differing opinions on this.

It is early and I have not had my coffee. Isn't there an upgrade issue going from analog to NXDN in that NXDN operates on two discrete 6.25 Khz carrier centers offset from the normal channel center? You would have to license for those offset channel centers?

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[mmckenna]

It is early and I have not had my coffee. Isn't there an upgrade issue going from analog to NXDN in that NXDN operates on two discrete 6.25 Khz carrier centers offset from the normal channel center? You would have to license for those offset channel centers?

No. NXDN if FDMA, single frequency, single carrier. Comes in two options, 6.25KHz Very Narrow or 12.5KHz Narrow. Both are a single carrier.

DMR is an option with the two slot DMR, but not everyone needs/wants two talk paths. One may be plenty. 6.25 NXDN will also have a slight edge on coverage.

Either one will work. Since the OP is not at the point of buying a repeater yet, and simply trying to make a handful of analog only radios work, let's not get that cart too far in front of the horse. Licensing needs to happen first. As I stated above, licensing for multiple emission designators, including analog, DMR and NXDN would be a good idea.

And go get your coffee.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

No. NXDN if FDMA, single frequency, single carrier. Comes in two options, 6.25KHz Very Narrow or 12.5KHz Narrow. Both are a single carrier.

DMR is an option with the two slot DMR, but not everyone needs/wants two talk paths. One may be plenty. 6.25 NXDN will also have a slight edge on coverage.

Either one will work. Since the OP is not at the point of buying a repeater yet, and simply trying to make a handful of analog only radios work, let's not get that cart too far in front of the horse. Licensing needs to happen first. As I stated above, licensing for multiple emission designators, including analog, DMR and NXDN would be a good idea.

And go get your coffee.

I have my coffee here now. Yes NXDN is FDMA. I was looking for DMR-TDMA channels for a client in Broward County Florida and there were a plethora of licenses on odd .00625 centers. This precluded using the nearest .0125 centers for analog or DMR.

 

[IAmSixNine]

Around me in North Texas most school districts use DMR. Smaller districts use a simplex or single repeater and larger ones have opted for linked capacity plus. But sounds like your needing campus coverage and not wide area so UHF analog or DMR would work well for you.
Everyone else has provided excellent advice so not even sure my post is that helpful.
A couple of school districts also have worked with local Police / cities to get their DMR equipment a patch to local P25 systems.
One school district has an Emergency channel that is directly linked to a secondary police channel. About every few weeks a teacher or admin gets on the wrong channel and the officers are quick to respond "your on the school emergency channel" and things get back to normal quickly. ON a couple of other occassions when a fight broke out and when a teacher had a heart attack having that patched channel sped up response times. But thats something for down the road.

 

[marksroberson]

Around me in North Texas most school districts use DMR. Smaller districts use a simplex or single repeater and larger ones have opted for linked capacity plus. But sounds like your needing campus coverage and not wide area so UHF analog or DMR would work well for you.
Everyone else has provided excellent advice so not even sure my post is that helpful.
A couple of school districts also have worked with local Police / cities to get their DMR equipment a patch to local P25 systems.
One school district has an Emergency channel that is directly linked to a secondary police channel. About every few weeks a teacher or admin gets on the wrong channel and the officers are quick to respond "your on the school emergency channel" and things get back to normal quickly. ON a couple of other occassions when a fight broke out and when a teacher had a heart attack having that patched channel sped up response times. But thats something for down the road.

Since I started working there, We had a teacher go into a-fib once, a gas leak, and a vehicle break-in (not going to go into details, but it was student related). The incident with the afib, they FD tried to used a closed entrance, I had to go out to the road and direct them in the main entrance. literally within viewing distance from the parking lot is a Fire Station, I can also see one of the county's trunked radio towers. I wounder if the FD would mind having a base radio there just in case we need to coordinate with them, and they can be a "middle-man" with emergency dispatchers, but if we go with a repeater, I have a friend with the FD who I am sure can get me in contact with some County Radio Admins maybe we could, like you said, have a transceiver for our radios patched to a TG on the county system-- just in case the worst scenario happens. there is also a City Public school on a dead end road that goes by our school (the road between the Fire station and our parking lot) and we had to move their students to our school one day when a contractor hit a straight of way gas line in the playground. (guess who had to direct traffic) and I am not sure what they use for comms, probably PTT cellphones. I might stop by and ask what they are using.

So, My plan is for now, getting the little uhf analog radios working for them for this summer, but I will probably go with DMR or NXDN before the summer is over, at least range and overall sound quality testing them myself before choosing. Maybe going for a repeater, but probably just sticking to simplex (depending on my range tests) but this is all definitely better than relying on FRS bubble packs, that are less than a watt, and extremely un-secure.

 

[IAmSixNine]

Right on que, the school emergency channel just had traffic. Asking for an SRO as they are having trouble with a student. Several officers responded on their police radios checking in route to assist.
I for one am glad your on here asking the questions and trying to do things the right way and also thanks to those who are pointing him in the right direction.

 

[farmerjack09]

Hello all,
I have a question and this is the only forum sub that i could find suitable, so I wouldn't be surprised if it is moved.
I work at a Private High School in Birmingham, AL during the summer (IT Manager, Maintenance, and Security are all on my ID card as my position )

I installed a phone system last summer that is just a home phone system with additional handsets paired up, it has a "intercom" system but it is not easily accessible to use and its not easy to use. It is easier to walk from the front desk to the back office if you need to tell them something.
When Toys-R-Us went under, our local store gave me about 8 BC-95 radios, these are UHF portables and I purchased a programming cable and have them all talking to each other now. Currently programmed on GMRS low power, as I used some of them last year and it was an extremely easy and effective way for staff to get a hold of me if they needed something, and it wasn't a big deal if I dropped it or something (unlike my phone)

I was wondering if, I can use these radios on the business band or "Dot" channels like Yellow dot: 464.55 or something else on the UHF business frequency chart.
Do I need a license for this? I am aware of many stores use this frequency area for communications, and I would like to get some to the school and purchase a couple of more for them to use. (Also, if its important, The school has a business license since it is a private school, its also a non-profit)
Also to make it not so easy for kids not to bring FRS radios from home and disrupt comms (yep, that happened before I worked there, the school got about 20 FRS bubble pack radios and thought it was "Secure") I could also put on DCS or CTCSS EN/DEcode on it as well.

**ALSO, if anyone has any of these radios, or knows where I can get replacement parts PLEASE LET ME KNOW. some of these units have PTT buttons missing, some need new batteries, etc. But I have found a good ebay seller who sells them complete with chargers, antennas, etc all in working order. I just have some from toys r us that are not in great shape. I am primarily looking for PTT buttons though. I am aware that they sell accessory headsets with a built-in mic and speaker but the staff would never use that.[/QUOTE

Not to be rude and I do not post much according to what you say. You programmed GMRS and used them without a license which is required but a license only covers you and your immediate family. Then you ask if you need a license for the UHF business frequencies which you do. The FCC can impose the same fine for using either service. GMRS is not a catch-all for everyone just to jump on and use without a license. Get a UHF business license and you will be covered and it does not take to much time to apply for it. I had a link I was looking at seems fairly cheap. Forest Industries Telecommunications

 

[marksroberson]

Surprisingly, one of the main staff member’s father was a ham and he had a GMRS license, so she fell under that license, I also had one, so we used those, I just didn’t go into detail when I said we used GMRS frequencies.


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