Town of Chester (Orange) MOTOTRBO

[GTR8000]

According to these two pending applications, the Town of Chester looks to be going with MOTOTRBO on 155.685 and 154.025. As of today they're still operating analog with PL on both frequencies.

ULS Application - Public Safety Pool, Conventional - 0004842808 - CHESTER, TOWN OF

ULS Application - Public Safety Pool, Conventional - 0004937439 - CHESTER, TOWN OF (Police Department)

 

[sc800]

Wow. So now Chester PD will need to have 3 radios in their cars:

Analog VHF for MRD and priority/polling channel
EDACS 800 MHZ for interop with Blooming Grove and V/Chester
MOTORBO VHF for car to car (155.685) and whatever 154.025 is used for

 

[GTR8000]

Incorrect. MOTOTRBO radios operate in analog 12.5 kHz mode in addition to their native digital mode. They will operate just fine on any of the county's VHF frequencies.

 

[oc911emsandfire]

Is there any particular reason they aren't going to 800?

 

[sc800]

chauffer6:

I didn't know that, is that something unique to MOTORBO, or can most digital radios also do analog.

oc911emsandfire:

I'm not sure. It sounds like the MOTORBO project is for the town's own private frequencies and is totally separate from any 800MHZ buildout the county is planning (Correct me if needed, but I heard PD was going to 800, while FD/EMS was going to UHF). Although if T/Chester and V/Chester merge, there are rumors about them getting their own dispatch, so who knows.

 

[GTR8000]

I can't speak for all digital radios, but P25 and MOTOTRBO radios feature a conventional analog operation mode.

It should be pointed out that no one has definitively confirmed that the Town of Chester is going with MOTOTRBO. I am simply pointing out that they have two pending applications with the FCC to add emission type 7K60FXE, which is for MOTOTRBO voice. It's also worth noting that the Village of Chester already has the 7K60FXE emission on 155.040, which they added back in March.

In any case, it has nothing to do with any 800 MHz system. The Town and Village both have operating capability on NYCOMCO's 800 MHz EDACS system already. The VHF frequencies are separate from that, and are licensed to the Town and Village, not the county or NYCOMCO.

I'm not exactly sure what "800 MHz buildout" you're referring to. I'm by no means an expert on all things OC, however I haven't heard anything about "PD going to 800" or "FD/EMS going to UHF". FD is moving fireground operations to UHF, but the VHF paging and Low Band operations frequencies remain. EMS is still operating on VHF, as are the PD's MRD and 911 Polling frequencies. I think you need to check your facts on that one.

 

[sc800]

Chauffeur6:

What I was told was that when SWN/OpenSky went away, OC began looking at building its own radio system. Initially I was told that all emergency services would be on UHF, then I was told FD would be on UHF and PD was moving to 800 MHZ. It seems like moving the fireground to UHF is only one of the early pieces of the plan.

I have no idea if that is still the plan, especially with the budgets the way they are, but that is what I was told at one time.