Technology marches on

[KK5FM]

I noticed over the weekend that OCFD had four talkgroups patched together, and yet the system assigned all four talkgroups to the same frequency. Why this is amazing to an old guy like me, is, the DPS dispatchers (on the state Motorola system) used to have to read bulletins multiple times because the system tied up all the talkgroup channels. It wasn't smart enough to assign all the talkgroups to the same frequency, so the dispatcher would have to select two or three talkgroups, read the bulletin, deselect those talkgroups and select some others, and read the bulletin again. Apparently at least on the new EDACS OKC system there is no limit to the number of talkgroups you can simulcast on and it will only tie up one talk frequency. Handy!

 

[n5bew1]

That is a rather nifty option.

 

[OUAlumni]

That option is available (and has been for a LONG time) on the Motorola system. Dispatchers can multi-select up to 96 talk groups (the maximum number of talk groups available on a console) to make a dispatch broadcasts over multiple talk groups using only one frequency. It's operator error or a policy position if they're not doing it.

From the policy perspective, it's probably not a good idea to tie up radio communications for every State law enforcement agency in OKC all at once, you know