Wish we had gone with motorola

[Glenpool911]

I have had about enough with our EDACS system! I had to fight one the other night and hit my red button only to have no response. Luckily I was able to have enough time to hit it again and it worked this time.

Then the other day the console just quits working for about 10-20 minutes. Luckily they have a backup radio in dispatch.

What's it gonna take before the problems are fixed? Walkie-talkies wont transmit from the QT on 141st across street to police station. I have been reading other stories on internet about similar problems with system.

DISCLAIMER: This is my PERSONAL opinion and not that of the department I work for. This opinion is given as a PRIVATE citizen and not that of a police officer. :lol:

 

[Stephen]

Well I can't say I know what you mean but if our City radio techs weren't so smart and are strictly motorola only I might have been in the same situation as you. Just to many city's and departments that go with the LOWEST bidder to get partialy functioning equipment and a system that can only talk to itself.

 

[peterjmag]

Well hell your repeater/tower is all the way over at 101st and Elm is BA on the water tower. What was EIO I mean EIS thinking? Did the techs take your VHF radios out? If not I would use them. This is about safety, not technology. Idiots!


P.J. Maguire

 

[HabboX]

Sorry that you have trouble. However, I don't think your problem is with the brand (M/A-Com -vs- Motorola). The problem is with the overall system design and implementation.

I have monitored trunked systems all over the country and I've learned that the performance of a radio system directly corresponds to the experience of the person (persons) that plan and install the system.

My town is lucky. The person that planned and installed our EDACS system knew what he was doing. That person is retired and the current people that are maintaining our system are not nearly as competent.

I notice that when a problem develops I can identify the source in minutes from my home. I then listen to the radio techs spend hours tracking down the problem, making trips to the tower site, asking for radio checks, repetitively keying up, etc.

The system here is about 9 years old and has had common problems that plague 800 MHz systems, like Nextel interference, but overall the system has performed well. The city is making some major changes in the system this year. There has already been at least one major screwup. I'm hoping they get their act together.

 

[Stephen]

Well, I may be a bit more trusting but there are a few major cities down here in Texas which tried EDACS and M/A COM but found that therre old Motorola system could handle just as much or more or the system had to many failures. The city of Dallas is a good one a few years back they tried to use a EDACS but it was found to fail to regularly. The only system that I believe is bad on Motorola's side is the Philly one but I have learned that some of their techs' are not as capable as they think.

 

[CommShrek]

I have had about enough with our EDACS system! I had to fight one the other night and hit my red button only to have no response. Luckily I was able to have enough time to hit it again and it worked this time.

Then the other day the console just quits working for about 10-20 minutes. Luckily they have a backup radio in dispatch.

What's it gonna take before the problems are fixed? Walkie-talkies wont transmit from the QT on 141st across street to police station. I have been reading other stories on internet about similar problems with system.

DISCLAIMER: This is my PERSONAL opinion and not that of the department I work for. This opinion is given as a PRIVATE citizen and not that of a police officer. :lol:

I've never heard of a good reason to switch to EDACS. What was wrong with the VHF system you were on? Also, I just keyed up my walkie and I was able to hit the repeater for both your police and fire side. I guess it still works. Question is, is the VHF monitored by dispatch?

 

[Glenpool911]

They took our VHF radios out of our units. The ambulance service uses it for paging and such. I have discussed the problem with a council member but he doesn't seem to care. He might care in two years when he's up for election, but in the meantime..... what will happen?!?!?!

We had dead spots with our VHF radios as well. But at least we could talk to the station from across the street. Now we can't.......

Once again! THIS POST IS MY PERSONAL OPINION AND NOT THAT OF ANY GOVERNEMTN ENTITY. THEREFORE, IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT, GO POUND SAND!

 

[Stephen]

Well got a little suggestion that might help it did with our dept. our 800 system has some dead spots but with the change of the antennas on the portables from the 6 inch to the 9 inch or bigger ones we were able to decrease the dead spots marginally.

 

[okla-lawman]

I think that Broken Arrow bit off more than good chew with that system.
Ba is trying to play Tulsa but they are not big enougn or does not have the backing of the state like Tpd. does. Broken Arrow is now going to take over dispatch fo Bixby and hold their prisoners. Bixby had talked about doing contract policing with Tulsa co. but it fell through but who
knows now.

The state/Tulsa system rocks. It needs to be bigger and everyone needs to be on it, Hopefull soneday soon we will. G/pool messed up though taking their vhfs out of their cars. It bever hurts to have a back up radio
systgem or one that other agencies can talk to you on..both of which they
lost when they tool the radios out.

 

[Glenpool911]

Well, I think "in my opinion" that they went to the system waaaayyyy before they should have. I know that the police officers here were looking foward to it, but now they hate it for the most part. In hindsight we should have waited for the entire system to be ready. We have changed antennae and other things but nothing seems to help. With Jenks coming online soon(?????) should help I hope.

I think just by hearing from some of the BA officers that I know that EDACS is not what it was built up to be.

P.S. - I've already been contacted by certain people about my comments. Guess I have hit a nerve. But please remember that this is my PERSONAL OPINION and I am entitled to it as an American citizen. Therefore, go ahead and get mad but I am saying what I think. If the system would have been fixed when asked then I would not have to post anything.

 

[2112]

For a long time, I've considered EDACS systems to be junk. Not that /\/\otorola systems are that much less a pain in the butt. Trunking is an efficient way to use spectrum, particularly compared to conventional radio. But not if it's rolled out before the bugs are worked out.

I also question just how smart it was for OKC to buy a Pro-Voice system when all the other large public-safety trunked systems are all /\/\otorola...

As far as those getting angry about Glenpool911's remarks... yes, Glenpool911, you have a basic consitutional right to speak freely. However, as with all other freedoms, there are responsibilities attached to that freedom. Your remarks regarding the EDACS system where you work were based on information privy only to insiders, such as police officers. When you released that information to the general public via an unapproved medium (i.e., this forum), you very possibly violated PR protocols in-force at your department. Also, you have derided your team in the face of the public that you serve. I can understand why your superiors may be upset. Like it or not, because your remarks included that insider information, you have made those remarks as a police officer with the department you serve, regardless of the disclaimer that you included.

Quite frankly, if the troubles that your EDACS system was causing were that important to you, it'd be more proactive to treat them as such and take them to people that can help rectify the situation... not vent them in a public forum that consists generally of people without the authority to help.

Just my 2 cents, for what they're worth... I hope that everything works out well for you...

 

[Stephen]

Glenpool, don't feel bad about getting a negative feedback on the comments people need to respect the right to speak the truth, and unfortunately some people just are not that respectful. Hell I get that from the dept up here, in Denton.

 

[CommShrek]

I think that Broken Arrow bit off more than good chew with that system.
Ba is trying to play Tulsa but they are not big enougn or does not have the backing of the state like Tpd. does. Broken Arrow is now going to take over dispatch fo Bixby and hold their prisoners. Bixby had talked about doing contract policing with Tulsa co. but it fell through but who
knows now.

Broken Arrow is going to take over dispatch for Bixby and hold their prisoners? Where in God's name did you here this? What kind of "contract policing" would they do for TCSO? I mean, they already respond to calls in unincorporated areas of the county when TCSO requests them to.

 

[CommShrek]

P.S. - I've already been contacted by certain people about my comments. Guess I have hit a nerve. But please remember that this is my PERSONAL OPINION and I am entitled to it as an American citizen. Therefore, go ahead and get mad but I am saying what I think. If the system would have been fixed when asked then I would not have to post anything.

Please continue to speak as you see fit. Regardless of what a couple of slugs might say to you. Tell it like it is.

 

[okla-lawman]

I heard about the dispatch/jail from BAPD. The county deal was the county
was going to take over policing for bixby and bixby would not have a polce
dept. They were to point of talking money.

 

[KE5BGX_Robert]

BA is getting to BIG

 

[jalexand69]

It's really unfortunate that people automatically associate technology with progress. I know of two trunked systems, one Motorola and the other EDACS, that give their respective agencies problems. With the Motorola system, the agency went online with it fast BEFORE the APCO 25 standard was developed. Now they cannot expand their system as "interopertability" is the key word and the VSELP protocol is no longer supported. With the agency who used the EDACS system did not place enough towers in the county, so deputies had to use cell phones in roughly 25 percent of the patrol area...These two problems reflect poor judgments from the those in charge.

I agree with you Glenpool about switching too soon. In Jasper County Missouri (where I live), the former 911 director told me that that the county would NOT go trunked, given the large patrol/fire/ems coverage area. He also noted that trained dispatchers using a properly maintained system would be more effective and cost-efficient (opposed to forcing volunteer fire departments and fire fighters to purchase trunked radio gear) than going with the latest fad.

I hope your department will solve the deadspots before any of your colleagues are placed in jeopardy...j c

 

[N_Jay]

It's really unfortunate that people automatically associate technology with progress. . . .

In Jasper County Missouri (where I live), the former 911 director told me that that the county would NOT go trunked, . . . a properly maintained system would be more effective and cost-efficient . . than going with the latest fad.

25 years and trunking is still a "fad"? :roll:
Maybe you should avoid this whole "Radio Thing", I hear that's just a fad also! :twisted:

 

[CommShrek]

I heard about the dispatch/jail from BAPD. The county deal was the county
was going to take over policing for bixby and bixby would not have a polce
dept. They were to point of talking money.

Yeah, both of those are very, very far fetched scenarios. Just the rumor mill. If it was from a point of money, how does Kiefer, Mounds, and places like that operate? Bixby generates far more revenue. They kill more dogs too. I couldn't help it.

 

[jalexand69]

I wrote my reply too quickly.

By fad, I'm referring to the numbers of people who automatically assume that trunked radio systems will solve their problems. I meant the assumption was a fad, not the technology.

Properly used, trunking offers more efficient use of radio frequencies. Unfortunately however, many public managers who do NOT work in the field assume that maintaining one system, as opposed to maintaining several separate systems with different licenses and frequencies, will translate into cost savings. Since these people most likely are not familiar with propagation qualities of UHF and 800Mhz, they do not readily understand why seven (or more) repeaters might be required instead of three. And additional repeaters are a huge NEW expense. Such people may not even know that all talkgroups are triaged, meaning that a police transmission may yield priority. The mayor may not be enthused if his/her transmission is cut off, even though an EMS call should be top priority. (Believe it or not, I knew a mayor who used to report erratic driving on his city radio, which was relayed to the police.) All in all, the average person wants a radio to work when he/she needs to communicate without being overwhelmed with bells and whistles.

The systems I referred to my earlier post have problems because the decision-making process went too quickly. Both agencies were burdened with radio traffic, especially at night. Since I was not involved in evaluating either system, I cannot say whether trunking was the answer. But when agency issues an order to its personnel not to discuss the radio problems with the media or general public (under threat of suspension), it's apparent that the system was not set up properly. Fortunately, a number of police officers decided to report their feelings to the press, and the city council quickly initiated a review. Another repeater was installed to help reduce deadspots and additional frequencies were coordinated to reduce busy signals. The city engineer (who replaced the one who set the system up) informed me that that officers were receiving over a dozen busy signals daily before those changes were made. The big step will be to make the system APCO-25 compliant. j c