Michael A. Terrell wrote:
"Steve W." wrote:
There are other systems intended for that application. These days,
cell phones are cheaper to use than a long range radio system.
IF you have cell coverage. There are quite a few places that don't.
The current narrow banding BS is causing a lot of problems in the fire
service. Now they are saying that we should all go digital, even though
it has been proven to be even worse than the NB junk.


Yes, digital radio systems are as bad as digital TV. Great, where it
works, and absolutely useless in fringe areas that old analog equipment
is still usable. The earliest FM two way radio systems used 30 KHz
channel width, and it's gone down hill since then. Narrower channels,
lower power & lower towers. I installed a low band 250W base for a guy
about 30 years ago. He could talk to Middletown, Ohio from his semi on
hilltops in the middle of Kentucky as he drove loads of cardboard boxes
down I-75. A county near here spent well north of a million dollars to
replace their analog system with digital. They had four remote towers &
voting hardware to give 100% coverage for the county. Motorola
convinced them that wasn't needed, and they ended up with less that 35%
reliable coverage. That they could fix for a few more million.


Sounds like most of P.A. They had big M come in and install all new gear
across the state all of it P25 crap. The coverage area went from
something like 85% in the worst spots to less than 60% now in the best
locations. There were a couple videos out that showed them testing the
system and two people were less than a mile apart and could see each
other but the radios wouldn't work. Then there are the guys in NYFD who
can stand on opposite sides of a brick wall and cannot talk. Just what
you want for crews who will be risking it all entering a building on
fire and they can't talk to the crew outside!!!

--
Steve W.