Standard-issue radios for SD?

[GroundLoop]

I apologize if this has been asked/answered before, but what are the standard-issue radios used by authorized folks on the San Diego City TRS (Police, Medical, etc)? XTS5000?

Is the county RCS system using the same radios? Can one radio be on both?

Does it have to do with whether the talk group is digital (Police) or analog (Del Mar Fair ICS7)?

Just curious.

 

[K6CDO]

I apologize if this has been asked/answered before, but what are the standard-issue radios used by authorized folks on the San Diego City TRS (Police, Medical, etc)? XTS5000?

Currently SDPD uses the XTS2500, and SDFD (including Lifeguard and EMS) uses the XTS5000. Others use XTS1500s.

Is the county RCS system using the same radios? Can one radio be on both?

RCS users have EFJ 5100-ES, Motorola MTS-2000, XTS-2500, XTS-3000, XTS-5000, and around a dozen APX-7000s. The mobiles are comparable vintages. Both systems are programmed in most of the front line first responder radios.

Does it have to do with whether the talk group is digital (Police) or analog (Del Mar Fair ICS7)?

Just curious.

Not at all. Has solely to do with the age of the radio, and where the particular agency is in their replacement cycle. All new radios are both P25 and 700 MHz ready.

 

[GroundLoop]

Thanks K6CDO! Excellent info.

So the agency provides the radios (own budget and upgrade cycle), rather than a central (RCS) pool?


What determines whether Encryption is employed? Is that a policy decision (any radio can do it) or just something newer radios can do (use it if you got it). So far I've only seen Narcotics using Enc. I thought it would be more common, but doesn't seem to be.

 

[xts3000r]

so did sdpd sell all there astro sabers then. and went to the girls xts2500. and not the mans xts5000.

 

[K6CDO]

Thanks K6CDO! Excellent info.

So the agency provides the radios (own budget and upgrade cycle), rather than a central (RCS) pool?

Correct.

What determines whether Encryption is employed? Is that a policy decision (any radio can do it) or just something newer radios can do (use it if you got it). So far I've only seen Narcotics using Enc. I thought it would be more common, but doesn't seem to be.

A mix of system and agency policy. Interoperability works when everyone can communicate together; therefore most comms are clear. Sensitive investigative traffic is conducted on selected talkgroups.

 

[K6CDO]

so did sdpd sell all there astro sabers then. and went to the girls xts2500. and not the mans xts5000.

The SDPD Saber portables (and equally old mobile radios) were replaced by Sprint/Nextel under the Subscriber Early Deployment program in preparation for Rebanding (which, no, we still don't have a date as to when it will start). SDPD evaluated a number of portable and mobile radio options and settled on the XTS-2500 and XTL-2500 radios as the best value to the department.

For those who may be wondering about old radios on the RCS, there are less than 1200 radios (out of the more than 20,000 radios currently on the system) that would be eligible for S.E.D.; many are being replaced using various grant funds.

 

[Anderegg]

SDPD is issuing APX-7000 radios to at least the big dogs.....Lincoln 3 and 4 both have APX radios....they don't know the extra features they have, they just know they press the button to talk

Paul

 

[speedway_navigator]

programmabel scan lists on SDPD radios

Anyone know if officers can add and delete channels from their scan list on the SDPD portables?

 

[K6CDO]

Anyone know if officers can add and delete channels from their scan list on the SDPD portables?

Yes, they can.

 

[musician2111]

Don what are your feelings about the EF Johnson radios vs the Motorola models? I have heard that some agencies are moving away from Motorola due to lower cost per unit. But I am concerned that you get what you pay for. Your thoughts?

 

[K6CDO]

Both EFJ and Motorola produce fine radios.

Each has it's technical limitations. The user interfaces (controls, how the zones are selected, etc.) are different between the two vendors. Talkgroup scan rates vary. The RCS has recommended to core LE and Fire users not to mix vendors within their fleets, due to first-responder safety concerns in times of extreme stress.

RCS agencies enjoyed the ability to purchase EFJohnson radios off the State's portable radio contract until earlier this year (when the contract expired). Many users were using Federal grant funds, and were able to refresh all of their line radios at one time.

The EFJs have had some minor maintenance problems (so did Motorola radios when the XTS series were new). Both vendors stand behind their product.

Bottom line: We have tested both, and both meet the technical and general operational requirements of RCS users agencies.