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Old July 29th 08, 03:32 AM posted to rec.radio.amateur.moderated
Phil Kane Phil Kane is offline
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Jan 2007
Posts: 300
Default Emergency comms thought - good? not so good?

On Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:10:07 EDT, Michael Coslo wrote:

Is is then a possibility that emergency comms might shift to a system
similar to cell phones? It seems to me that trunking is kind of an old
fashioned idea, and is ripe for replacement.


Welcome to the proposed world of 700 MHz. See my earlier posting
about why 700 MHz won't work at the present time and may even not be
suitable in the future.

Even in our area we have a 10 year old trunking system that is going to
have to be replaced because it isn't working properly. One that was
supposed to last for 20 years.


If it is an 800 MHz system, I can understand it. Planned obsolescence
appears to be designed into those systems by the Majority
Manufacturer. Our major clients, however, are using UHF and T-Band
trunking systems of the same vintage - by the same manufacturer in
most cases - and they are working just fine. The only changes that
have to be made are adding more channels because the growth of
population in the served area(s) putting more demand on services than
was forecast.

As far as "working properly" - that's the kind of things we fix.

Relevance to Ham Radio -- as the Public Safety systems expand, the
wise agency will increase the commitment to Ham Radio EmComm backup
as a partner, not as a competitor.
--

73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest

Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon

e-mail: k2asp [at] arrl [dot] net