Starcom 21/ispern

[BAH0626]

I am not very fluent in the knowledge of scanners and frequencies, but am very interested. Can someone explain to me just exactly what the State's new STARCOM 21 is, and what it will be used for. How it works, and what agencies will use it and for what purpose? I am very intersted in knowing more about it. Also, what will be the future of ISPERN? Will STARCOM21 affect the use of ISPERN? And what is the narrow banding requirement that is to be met by 2013 per the FCC? Thank YOU.

 

[daleduke17]

From what I know about ISPERN, it will still be used on STARCOM. There will be an ISPERN talkgroup.

Starcom is the new statewide interoperability trunked system that the state is switching over to. Right now there is only a handful of agencies using it, but, the number is growing.

It is going to follow the new APCO Project 25 Digital trunked system guidelines, and is supposed to improve radio quality and the ability to talk between different agencies (interoperability). ISP is switching over to it slowly, and so are some county and municipal agencies.

As of right now, these agencies are using Starcom:

McLean County EMA
McLean County Sheriff
Normal Police Dept.
Normal Fire Dept.
St. Clair Co. Sheriff
St. Clair Co. Highway Dept.
Millstadt Police
Millstadt Fire/EMS
Plainfield Police

http://radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&sid=2324
The above link is the RR Database page for Starcom. It lists the frequencies and agencies that are currently on it.

Also, the Starcom-21 Yahoo group is another good one to look at for more information (it is linked on the above frequency).

-Later.