State of Delaware - P25 Phase 1 System (2024)

[trailhiker73]

I thought I would share the "latest" published minutes from the July 2023 Statewide Interoperability Meeting. A few highlights that are interesting from that meeting:

• Programming radios into RM: Team deployment will begin with DelDOT being the first agency. Code Plugs have been built for NCC Fire, NCCPD and DelDOT code plugs have been complete as of June 2023. Testing will be started August 2023. Next group for code plug development is Kent Co. Fire, Sussex Fire, DSP then all local PD through the state. Start date end of August 2023.
• After code plugs are ready in RM, DivComm can go to agencies to complete the transition to the new system. Tentative date to start is October 2023.
• Timeline to turn system over to State is Q3 2024.

I thought that we can start a thread to track any progress as we go into the New Year's!!

 

[maus92]

Considering their timeline, I find it strange that the new system hasn't gone on the air for test purposes: system loading and coverage testing under foliage. Perhaps the later will happen starting in May when the leaves come out, but I would think system loading would be up already.

 

[motorcoachdoug]

Is their any new P25 frequencies for the system? Also any idea what the new talk groups will be as well?

 

[motorcoachdoug]

So when did they switch from smartzone to P1? or are they still half and half? The Talk Groups ID's that are showing now are they final or temp? I still have the old smartzone listing for Sussex and it is totally different then what it is now so I am wondering what system are they using now and what are the frequencies? I guess FCC search will have to be a new friend unless someone can update the new system ID and so forth..

 

[maus92]

They have not moved to the P25 refresh yet.

 

[chrishoerner]

For what its worth I've noticed in the past month 2 Del-Dot Vehicles that still had old xtl5000s in them. I've also seen some xts portables out in the wild recently I can't remember what agency, parks or something like that and a Wilmington parking guy. Still a lot of incompatible hardware it seems.

 

[maus92]

Still seems like a lot of agencies have not purchased or introduced new subscribers yet, and I haven't noticed a parallel radio network in service which is typically a required step in system transitions.

 

[kayn1n32008]

For what its worth I've noticed in the past month 2 Del-Dot Vehicles that still had old xtl5000s in them. I've also seen some xts portables out in the wild recently I can't remember what agency, parks or something like that and a Wilmington parking guy. Still a lot of incompatible hardware it seems.

Depending on the exact flash, XTS/XTL subs will work on a P25 phase 1 system.

 

[chrishoerner]

Depending on the exact flash, XTS/XTL subs will work on a P25 phase 1 system.

They were not flashed for phase 1, theres also rumors of DE going to be phase 2. There's also a bunch of APX's out there not flashed for phase 1 or 2 purchased by individual agencies not directly through the state.

 

[chrishoerner]

Still seems like a lot of agencies have not purchased or introduced new subscribers yet, and I haven't noticed a parallel radio network in service which is typically a required step in system transitions.

I saw you mention that before, what exactly do we expect to see when that happens how does that work? Do they put up another control channel on a different frequencies and sacrifice voice channels or add to?

 

[maus92]

I saw you mention that before, what exactly do we expect to see when that happens how does that work? Do they put up another control channel on a different frequencies and sacrifice voice channels or add to?

The most likely path is what was done in Howard County, MD which did a similar technology refresh from SmartZone to P25 using existing sites. A new parallel site was brought up with a different site number and obviously a new SysID and WACN. I'm digging back in the RRDB history to track how they brought it online. In Montgomery County and Anne Arundel counties, they built parallel systems to transition from 10/11 site SmartZone systems to 22 site Phase 2 system (AACo has not gone live yet.) The AACo system added some new channels to replace some legacy interference channels, and are using those on the new system, as well as a few channels from the pool of those currently used in the SmartZone system. Montgomery County had a billion channels and reused what they had. The process decommissioned a few channels from the SmartZone system and used them on the P25 system and transferred them in stages as more agencies transistioned and channel loading increased. The Sussex County site has several licensed channels that are not in the current channel pool, so I expect those to be used in the new system as it is brought online. As loading increases, channels would be moved from the SmartZone system to P25 system. Sussex is at a disadvantage because they have fairly high channel loading now, and not a lot of excess channel resources to support a transition without careful planning and execution.

 

[maus92]

Here's an old Howard County thread that was going on just before and during the transition. Note that they talk about a new control channel being discovered, along with some alternates before the migration.

Need help identifying unknown talkgroups in Howard County

Link to the openmhz page is here. There are at least half a dozen talkgroups that I’ve seen popping up in Howard County that are unidentified - don’t see anything on them anywhere. The information for talkgroups on the site must be out of date. If anyone is able to identify these talkgroups...

forums.radioreference.com

 

[motorcoachdoug]

Does anyone know when they plan to cut over to phase 2 totally ? and what the new TG will be?

 

[policefreak]

Does anyone know when they plan to cut over to phase 2 totally ? and what the new TG will be?

Given the replies above, I'm thinking it may be several more months at least before we have an answer to that question, let alone before there is an actual switchover.

 

[jwhite591]

According to Multiple State of Delaware Documents, As the one Above (Part of the Dec 31,2023 Post) The State plans to switch over to the New P25 System Q3 2024, With that Being said, the Q3 Would be some time During the Months of July-August-September 2024, We would have to wait and See to see if they stay on track. and to see if its Phase 1 or 2, All I know they changed the specs on the upgrade in mid stream, Also I Know This Delaware Upgrade has discussed During Several of the Maryland First Meeting's in the past.

 

[LeSueurC]

Does anyone know when they plan to cut over to phase 2 totally ? and what the new TG will be?

It’ll be a while before you see any TG’s. A statewide system like this will be lengthy. Not to mention programming and any construction setbacks. I’d say late Q3 of ‘24

 

[de784]

Our radios are being p25 upgraded Monday

 

[maus92]

Our radios are being p25 upgraded Monday

Are you saying that the P25 (TDMA) option is being added to the radios, or are being re-programmed? Could be both actually. I'm assuming these are APX vs XTS/XTL as they are not TDMA capable.

 

[de784]

All we were told was to bring in the portable's Monday for p25 upgrade

 

[de784]

All we were told was to bring in the portable's Monday for p25 upgrade

Yes APC