[Scan-DC] the state of MSP radio systems

[mike agner]

This evening, Joel Kahn wrote:
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I think Mike is saying that after half a century (or more?) on the 39MHz band,
the MSP equipment is nearing the end of its useful life.  I would guess that
base transmitter parts are getting harder to find, and Motorola is probably not
manufacturing the mobiles in that frequency range any more, either.

Since the State is sinking some large bucks into the F.I.R.S.T. system, I would
guess most of the state's public safety communications are going there, sort of
like what Virginia is doing with STARS.
<snip>
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I have no doubt that what Joel says here is true - and allow me to add some anecdotal information.

Some of you involved in Baltimore county would remember Terry WA3DZZ who passed away a year or two back. Among his other duties
was to help maintain the 46 Mhz fire dispatch transmitters. He told me on a number of occasions that parts were getting a lot harder to
find. While they're certainly available (no reputable vendor would leave a public safety system swinging in the wind), they
undoubtedly cost more. Let's be honest - neither the county nor the state is going to pour huge amounts of green into an aging
system, while they're pushing to get FIRST off the ground.

No doubt the MSP radios are in a similar state. I know some barracks (not all) got newer radios in the 90s, but that's 20 years ago. Given
the state budget crunch, I highly doubt every barrack's gotten new loband equipment. In fact if you look at the RR MSP page, you will
notice a trend - more and more barracks are getting portables (and some mobiles) to be able to talk on their host county's trunk system.
That can't be cheap either. Here's the link for those that are interested - go about 1/2 way down...

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?aid=582

Another point to be made here is the steady migration away from loband to hiband (or sometimes even UHF) that is happening across the
country for those that have old lowband fire dispatch transmitters. Terry once remarked to me about how some vendors are really pushing
this migration, and if this migration nationwide is anything, it certainly seems to be proof of the truth of it.

I would hope, for the trooper's sakes, to be proven wrong about the state of the lowband gear, but sadly, I kinda doubt it

Mike