St. Paul, MN, City Radio System, 1951 | OneTubeRadio.com
onetuberadio.com
...Does anyone know if Minneapolis police started out on VHF low band before going to high and then at some point to 460 MHz?
I began fixing two way radios in Minnesota in 1959. At that time, the state was checkerboarded between low band and VHF. Wisconsin was all low band except in the far south. Many agencies had WWII surplus non tactical radios--Motorola Turkey Roasters and GE 7thMOs (Also called turkey roasters) on 39 MHZ and GE Pre-Progress Line's in the VHF band.
The 1963 FCC narrow banding mandate killed all that. Other than Duluth, NW Minnesota and the Patrol went to the VHF band. The Patrol switched from 1700 KHZ to 42.82/42.66 in the 1949-1951 era. Their 1700 KHZ tower was a modified KSTP 1500 KHz AM tower reinstalled at the SE corner of I-35W and I-694. What also killed low band was the 1957-1960 sunspot cycle. It was the highest of recorded history. A 10-watt TV station from Germany would wipe out the Patrol's communications on 42 MHZ for days.
For St Paul PD, in the early 1950's Hubbard Broadcasting brokered a deal with the Fred Link Company, an early manufacturer of two way radios. Tough radio to keep going and the company succumbed early in radio history. I think Saint Paul was their only customer.
The Montgomery report you mentioned was the result of the 1970's law enforcement assistance act federal grant (LEAA) program. Most of the Upper Midwest switched to the VHF band from that grant. Big scandal in Wisconsin over the use of funds. 60 Minutes involved and I was subpoenaed to testify before a congressional subcommittee that convened in Hudson in 1972.
The Patrol didn't switch to VHF until the early 1980's.