Time will time
Supposedly, the majority of the system will be encrypted. At least on the Law Enforcement side. There is still some debate about encrypting all of it. This is second hand info from an assistant chief in one of the VFD's.
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One fact I have known for sure for years now is when Sussex Co. upgraded their analog conventional system 15+? years ago, from the first transmission and continuing to the present day from any of their system users, their radio system audio is the absolute worst quality I ever have heard compared to all the other analog radio systems I monitor. Sussex Co. radio audio sucks to the max regardless of what make of digital scanner or analog receiver I have used!. But there is a technical reason for it.
From past research I have concluded from others who know more technically than me the problem appears to be rooted in the county's use of companded audio. Companded(compressed) audio was a popular method used 10-15 years ago on many new radio systems to include satellite audio which I also had to deal with as I then also did satellite tv commercial and private installs/maintenance. Fortunately my satellite comm receivers audio circuitry was designed to handle it. The idea was to improve the audio quality of the radio system user's radios.
The radio transmitted audio was compressed and decompressed on the receiving user's radio. Sussex Co. obviously thought it's great as their equipment was optimized for that audio method and has no problems.
However, consumer grade radio scanners are not expecting that audio method to be used and the received audio has some white noise present on the modulated sideband peaks which is just enough RFI to cause an irritation to someone listening on a scanner. Maybe that was the original plan by the county.
I can have 5 radio users all talking with different users and I can be on the opposite side of my house and out of 5 users talking at the same time, I can tell you for sure when it is a Sussex Co. radio user transmitting because of the annoying audio.
Time will tell about a new system. They may also keep their present radio system.
John
W4UVV