Securing ht1250

[Jeepems129]

This is my first post and I'm not sure if that's a right location. I'm a medic in NYC and besides my full time job I'm involved with local Volunteer EMS corps. We have a bunch of ht1250s plus some other misc radios that were bought and programmed before I joined in. Like with some volunteer organizations radio tracking is our big problem. We have just corps frequency on them nothig sensitive. Members take radios home accidentally or just want to earsdrop on what's going on. We have a good radio discipline in terms of unauthorized and we never used identifiers. We would like to put a system in place that will help us recover radios faster especially now since we applied for few grants to buy better radios. Since some members only show up once a week sometimes radios avail are very low. I know radio identifiers won't solve our problems but I've heard that bigger organizations use radios that upon turning them on radio "pops" on the dispatch board with identification number and GPS location. That would help us bu knowing radio is active and discicpline people. I looked thru some of the Motorola models and in the literature only found things about ppt identifiers. Is there even such a thing?

To moderators: if this is in the wrong forum or I haven't followed proper rules please correct me.

 

[SCPD]

HT1250 radios cannot accomplish the advanced features you described. I hate to say it but managing radios should not be that difficult. If it is, you've got bigger problems.

Maybe try a simple system first?

 

[Jeepems129]

Thank you for your comment. We have that and as much as it works it doesn't always. I'm working on new radio protocols and sticker punishments for those who violate it but this being a volunteer organization and sometimes it's hard to implement changes. At my job if radio is misplaced command discipline is issued and if radio is lost I'm responsible for costs. What can I threaten a volunteer with? But that's not here or there as it is my problem to implement better discipline. I want to unify and standardize our radios and feature I wrote in the op was something I thought would add. Which radio in your opinion would work if I wanted features as such? Is there a name for such a feature? I also would like to thank you for your time and patience.

 

[SteveC0625]

Thank you for your comment. We have that and as much as it works it doesn't always. I'm working on new radio protocols and sticker punishments for those who violate it but this being a volunteer organization and sometimes it's hard to implement changes. At my job if radio is misplaced command discipline is issued and if radio is lost I'm responsible for costs. What can I threaten a volunteer with? But that's not here or there as it is my problem to implement better discipline. I want to unify and standardize our radios and feature I wrote in the op was something I thought would add. Which radio in your opinion would work if I wanted features as such? Is there a name for such a feature? I also would like to thank you for your time and patience.

I've been a volunteer in EMS since 1972. I've managed radio inventories for several different squads and never had the kind of problems you are describing.

We did two things. First, we explained to new members that anything we issued them was to be turned in when they resigned or otherwise left the squad.

One person didn't want to turn his radios in until I explained the definition of Grand Larceny. I did not threaten in any way, but simply told him that if the Board of Directors of the agency wanted to pursue criminal charges, those charges could include Grand Larceny which is a felony in New York State. The radios came back the same day.

Here's the thing.just because they are volunteers is not an excuse for abuse of squad equipment. In fact, if anything, a volunteer who is entrusted with expensive radio equipment should be held to a higher standard. You don't let a volunteer EMT break protocol, do you?

 

[Jeepems129]

Like I said I'm working on it. I've been handled a pile of mess that I'm cleaning up. But also I came here for help about a radio choice...

 

[gatekeep]

AFAIK the HT1250 doesn't really have any GPS capabilities (though it has ANI via MDC, and DTMF), you might be able to find a third-party option board that provides the GPS capability, but I can't recall any off the top of my head.

The higher teir portables XTS/APX, etc have GPS capability (and even MOTOTRBO) via internal or external means.

 

[WA0CBW]

What radio to buy has more to do with what kind of system you are using (radio-to-radio, repeaters, trunking, etc) than what kind of radio. The radio has to support those features but it depends on the system being used as to what features may be available.

The radio ID feature requires radios that can send ID's using several signalling methods such as MDC 1200. Of course the radio must have a display to see the ID's. GPS locations would require a radio that either has an integral GPS receiver or be able to be connected to a GPS receiver. To display GPS a software application would be required and if using a single radio for both voice and GPS data a radio can only do one thing at a time so when it is sending GPS data it can miss a voice call and vice versa

So it is a little more difficult than just buying a radio with those features as the system must support them as well.
BB.

 

[rapidcharger]

Enabling MDC1200 will show you who's transmitting.
You can also selectively call a particular unit and tell them to return the #$@!& radio without everyone else hearing it.
And if none of that works, you can use it to stun/kill the radio.

As for the high end radios on trunking systems that "pop up" when they affiliate,
all the affiliation in the world isn't going to keep radios from walking off.

 

[gatekeep]

And if none of that works, you can use it to stun/kill the radio.

Offtopic: Depends on how educated the specific person is. Stun/Kill won't do jack for people skilled enough.