[Scan-DC] Virginia State Police Mobile Repeater

[MTC Communications]

I have seen all your posts and questions about hearing a VSP mobile repeater.  As a number of you
know I am the local Uniden dealer.  I also sell EF Johnson radios which are the only Motorola 
Smart Net/Smart Zoned compatible units.  I also sell Pyramid mobile repeaters which is what 
Maryland State Police use.  I have tried doing some marketing to VSP who awarded the STARS 
contract sole source to Motorola.  Therefore, I may know what is going on.  

First, I was glad to see that many of you are enjoying the BCD396's and the 996's.   

I believe that VSP is installing full STARS radios in new cars that are in districts that don't have the 
fixed systems installed or the car may be roaming in Northern Virginia.  I believe the Moto 
Mobiles are VHF XTL5000's which can have as many as 850 channels/talkgroups.  Some zones
are for their new STARS system when they are in the Richmond area.  When elsewhere
they  use the conventional analog channels.  They bought 700/800 MHz XTS5000 portables so 
they can talk on all the SN/SZ systems in Northern Virginia and when they are out of  the car.  

Now for the mobile repeaters.  They have bought from Motorola $12,000+  Futurecom full duplex 
mobile repeaters.  These units either are digital capable.  VSP claims they need 
to pass the emergency ID of the portable and they claim they can't do that with analog.  Know the 
vehicle ID is not enough.  My guess is that they use analog mode on the vehicle repeater when 
using the conventional VSP radio system.  I went to some of the Region 20 meetings where VSP 
tried to get some 800 channels but failed so they went with  764 MHz  which is permitted by the
FCC as long as the power is 2 watts or less.   Futurecom can do 10 watts.  

I have a customer in Virginia also using 764 MHz with our Pyramid repeater.  The Pyramid sells for about
$1,200. 

DC Fire has Futurecoms on all engines and Montgomery County has them is 5 Battalion vehicles.  

Hope this helps. 

Mike