Use of the 800 I-Call/I-Tacs?

[doctordave]

Recently, there was a great deal of publicity regarding the unveiling of the Md Eastern Shore-wide tower system (MESIN), linking public safety agencies via the 800 MHZ I-CALL & I-TAC freqs. I'm curious if any of you in DE have copied mutual aid testing between DE & MD on these freqs.

On a related topic, there was a fair amount of testing between MSP & DSP on the 154.86 to DE "SWEN" talkgroup patch about a year ago.....is this getting any actual use these days? I have not seen any postings suggesting that the 154.86 freq is even known to be available in the MSP vehicles on the Eastern Shore. MSP cars/installations certainly have 155.475 available and there is a dedicated patch into a DE system talkgroup.....would figure this is a more likely choice for mutual aid.

When I was on the Shore a few weeks ago & MSP/DSP cars were jointly responding to a call, they were still relaying info back & forth via their respective dispatchers. I suspect that the troopers were not even aware of the radio inter-op capabilities that exist. Perhaps with the fanfare over MESIN, this issue will be getting due attention.

 

[ka3jjz]

Dave I wrote about this in another forum; is it possible that procedures and policies for using ITac haven't been fully disseminated or taught yet? That certainly seems to be the case here in Maryland, and it wouldn't surprise me if Delaware had the same issue. After the initial flurry of activity on the various repeaters that were reported, things have been very quiet at least around me here in Anne Arundel county

73s Mike

 

[doctordave]

Very likely, Mike, that procedures for inter-op simply do not yet exist over that way......certainly is the case here in the Balt metro area....I did catch your comments on the other board regarding this general issue. Well stated.

Must admit, I am surprised about the apparent inter-op lag in DE...since the head of communications for DSP is widely regarded as being exceedingly proactive.....and there was a great deal of promising radio testing of the VHF-Hi to 800 patches involving DSP and MSP radio maint about 1 year ago. Somehow lost in the shuffle.

I don't get to my DE house often enough to report more.....curious if some of our full-time DE listeners have monitored anything more along this line.

 

[Audiodave1]

Hello,
I have not monitored anyone (MD,NJ,PA) talking into the DE system. Only the testing last year.

AFAIK no surrounding states have figured out how to use the ITACS for state to state communications. This has been painfully obvious on a number of interstate incidents such as manhunts, car chases and the like.

Speaking for PA only, PSP, Delaware and Chester county can't figure out how to talk to each other to save a life..

Preaching to the Choir, I'll get off my RF soapbox now.

Dave

 

[WD3C]

It seems to me that this problem is wide spread. Here in New Castle Co. the SPD, County PD, and the local PDs. Don't communicate very well on the mutual aid freqs.

Only last week there was a chase of a stolen car. The car was stolen down state and eventually stopped near the Wilmington airport. State and County dispatchers were doing relays up until about 10 minutes before the car was stopped at which time the switched to statewide PMA.

You can only hope that during a real emergency that things would work a little better.

I guess in the old days most of the cops had scanners in their cars and would monitor other PDs etc. Now, they are to busy with their data terminals that apparently still have a few bugs to be worked out too.