City moving into 700 Mhz range




By David Tanner
The Examiner


Independence could pilot the first communication system of its kind in the
nation.



The city is poised to implement a 700 MHz radio system for its police, fire and
utilities, as part of a homeland-security grant.

The radios will provide more than just a communication system for police and
fire calls, Assistant City Manager Larry Kaufman said.

A study team looked at severe weather, snow removal, downed power lines, broken
water mains, and other types of emergencies when applying for a
homeland-security grant.

City departments and outside agencies cannot talk to each other under the
current 500 MHz system.

Communication can drop out because of a valley, a hill, or what's known as a
dead spot.

"There are areas of the city we don't have radio coverage," Maj. Gordon Abraham
said.

Abraham and Maj. John Main of the Police Department headed the grant team that
secured $5.5 million in federal funds through the Department of Homeland
Security. The city will pay $1.8 million, as part of the $7.3 million system.
The police and fire departments will pay their share through the voter-approved
public-safety sales tax.

Currently, police radios have a 68 percent effectiveness. Fire radios are
effective in 86 percent of the community.

"The uncertainty is always there," Abraham said, "And those are the critical
times."

The 700 MHz system will bring the city up to 94 percent coverage, one of the
reasons the city was successful in getting the grant.

The city will also be able to expand the system to communicate with other metro
agencies in times of emergency.

The system will carry encryption and trunking capabilities, making common
scanners all but obsolete on emergency calls.

Kaufman gave the example of a police drug raid as to why the encryption is
necessary.

"It doesn't help to have a person inside listening to a scanner," he said.

Some scanners can pick up 700 MHz frequencies, but the trunking system makes it
difficult, Abraham added, by finding a open channel fewer scanners can pick up.

The Federal Communication Commission, which regulates radio frequencies, has
reserved the 700 MHz frequencies for public safety.

The government eyed an 800-MHz system in the 1970s, but mobile-communication and
cellular companies took up too much of the 800 MHz range.

The FCC could not implement the 700 MHz system, however, because some television
stations used those frequencies.

But the government has begun to phase out the television stations on the 700 MHz
frequencies.

In Kansas City, only KSMO TV (The Kansas City WB 62) remains on the 700 MHz
system.

Kaufman said the freeing up of the frequency allowed Independence to step
forward with the pilot program for public-safety radios.

Abraham said the departments will not encrypt every police call. Some of the
city's dispatches could still be heard on scanners. Just not emergencies.

The city hired RCC consultants to determine its needs for the system.

Testing includes finding the areas of the city that have poor radio coverage
now.

"We identified 57 buildings here in town to test," Kaufman said, such as schools
and hospitals. Thick walls can diminish radio frequencies, but the new system
will be better inside buildings, Kaufman said.

The city is considering Motorola as the provider, but so far there is no formal
contract.

The system will require more towers, Kaufman said.

Tower locations the city identified are Lake City, the city-owned Massman Farm
off Truman Road, Woods Chapel Road and I-70, Blue Ridge Boulevard and I-70, the
city Water Department at Truman Road and Forest Avenue, and on private property
at the LaFarge plant.

With the nation potentially watching to see how Independence fares with the 700
MHz system, officials, including Mayor Ron Stewart, are confident.

"We're going to be the firstest with the mostest," Stewart said.

I imagine a lot of people who read that article probably feel somewhat upset
that emergency services are becoming unaccessible to the every day user.
Sure, there is a legitamate need to know whats going on around the city, but
I think the reality is that many scanner users consider these things as a
form of entertainment and manufacturers are aware of this often capitilize
on it in their advertising. I think listening to emergency services is very
interesting but i dont let my mouth salivate if some druggy does something
stupid down town.

I also notice that scanner users and and a desire for cell phone
eavesdropping seem to go hand-in-hand. I haven't listened to other ppl's
calls before, but im not going to cry about not being able to listen to cell
phones. For me, theres no business deals im interested in spying on, or
personal information im interested in taking.. I dont want to listen to some
bloke yell at his wife.Or some dumb woman driving down the road in her SUV
and baby talking to her kids. Or some horney couple exchanging sugary
compliments. Or some college management type yuppie calling a dry cleaner. I
dont like any of these people and i dont want to hear what comes out of
their mouths, and i would imagine when cell capable scanners become more
commonplace more people would agree with me that its not worth listening to.


----- Original Message -----
From:
Newsgroups: rec.radio.scanner
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 6:47 PM
Subject: City moving into 700 Mhz range


City moving into 700 Mhz range



The system will carry encryption and trunking capabilities, making common
scanners all but obsolete on emergency calls.

Kaufman gave the example of a police drug raid as to why the encryption is
necessary.

"It doesn't help to have a person inside listening to a scanner," he said.

Some scanners can pick up 700 MHz frequencies, but the trunking system
makes it
difficult, Abraham added, by finding a open channel fewer scanners can
pick up.

I also notice that scanner users and and a desire for cell phone
eavesdropping seem to go hand-in-hand. I haven't listened to other ppl's
calls before, but im not going to cry about not being able to listen to cell
phones. For me, theres no business deals im interested in spying on, or
personal information im interested in taking.. I dont want to listen to some
bloke yell at his wife.Or some dumb woman driving down the road in her SUV
and baby talking to her kids. Or some horney couple exchanging sugary
compliments. Or some college management type yuppie calling a dry cleaner. I
dont like any of these people and i dont want to hear what comes out of
their mouths, and i would imagine when cell capable scanners become more
commonplace more people would agree with me that its not worth listening to.

the time of cellphone scanners has passed with the advance of
technology. most likely there will never be a rebirth of cellphone
scanning , no more than hacking digital c-band satellites,
phreaking, or hacking DTV. time , technology , and legislation
have allowed the makers of portable phones to escape being
eavesdropped upon. myself , I'm quite like you ........ I'm not
interested in people's personal calls either . ( yes ... I have been
in the past , obviously .... but it's " been there done that "
anymore ) thats you and I ........ but it's basic human nature
for people to listen to others personal lives and even live their
own life , vicariously , through the lives of others. evidence the
utter and massive world of TV soap operas and the
zillions of people lost in them. ( gossip magazines, shock shows
etc. ) listening to cellphones ( to them , at least ) is even better
than soaps .... this because it's real live drama. no actors there.
takes all kinds of people to make a world ...........it's all part of
the " rich texture of life " . ......... and you wouldn't believe
what the cute teenage girl , next door, and her boyfriend do
......... several hours each night on the phone , before he goes to
bed . WoW ..... smok'in ........... ah ah ahaha h ah aahaha




k.............











----- Original Message -----
From:
Newsgroups: rec.radio.scanner
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 6:47 PM
Subject: City moving into 700 Mhz range


City moving into 700 Mhz range



The system will carry encryption and trunking capabilities, making common
scanners all but obsolete on emergency calls.

Kaufman gave the example of a police drug raid as to why the encryption is
necessary.

"It doesn't help to have a person inside listening to a scanner," he said.

Some scanners can pick up 700 MHz frequencies, but the trunking system
makes it
difficult, Abraham added, by finding a open channel fewer scanners can
pick up.

I took away something different than the other posters.

What makes them think that a 700MHz system won't have "dead spots"
like their 500MHz system? I'm not asking for technical details about
propagation and pentration of 700MHz vs 500MHz. I'd be surprised to
find any radio system in the 500-700MHz range that doesn't have "dead
spots".

They are going from 68% effective to 94% effective. They must have 6%
"dead spots" left over. They could probably spend less than half that
money and fill in their current "dead spots". Anyhow, if their
current system is only 68% effective, they need help NOW. (I'm
guessing 68% is from HT's...add mobile extenders!!!)

How will they be able to expand the system to communicate with other
metro agencies? If they are the first in the nation to move to
700MHz, this won't help.

Sure, the system will allow encryption, but encryption is not a factor
of frequency. You can encrypt on 500MHz as well. Give the narco
units radios with that capability. Again, not a multi-million dollar
expense.

They won't be the "firstest" to spend the "mostest" money.

....just my two cents...


On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 15:47:26 -0700, wrote:

City moving into 700 Mhz range




By David Tanner
The Examiner


Independence could pilot the first communication system of its kind in the
nation.



The city is poised to implement a 700 MHz radio system for its police, fire and
utilities, as part of a homeland-security grant.

The radios will provide more than just a communication system for police and
fire calls, Assistant City Manager Larry Kaufman said.

A study team looked at severe weather, snow removal, downed power lines, broken
water mains, and other types of emergencies when applying for a
homeland-security grant.

City departments and outside agencies cannot talk to each other under the
current 500 MHz system.

Communication can drop out because of a valley, a hill, or what's known as a
dead spot.

"There are areas of the city we don't have radio coverage," Maj. Gordon Abraham
said.

Abraham and Maj. John Main of the Police Department headed the grant team that
secured $5.5 million in federal funds through the Department of Homeland
Security. The city will pay $1.8 million, as part of the $7.3 million system.
The police and fire departments will pay their share through the voter-approved
public-safety sales tax.

Currently, police radios have a 68 percent effectiveness. Fire radios are
effective in 86 percent of the community.

"The uncertainty is always there," Abraham said, "And those are the critical
times."

The 700 MHz system will bring the city up to 94 percent coverage, one of the
reasons the city was successful in getting the grant.

The city will also be able to expand the system to communicate with other metro
agencies in times of emergency.

The system will carry encryption and trunking capabilities, making common
scanners all but obsolete on emergency calls.

Kaufman gave the example of a police drug raid as to why the encryption is
necessary.

"It doesn't help to have a person inside listening to a scanner," he said.

Some scanners can pick up 700 MHz frequencies, but the trunking system makes it
difficult, Abraham added, by finding a open channel fewer scanners can pick up.

The Federal Communication Commission, which regulates radio frequencies, has
reserved the 700 MHz frequencies for public safety.

The government eyed an 800-MHz system in the 1970s, but mobile-communication and
cellular companies took up too much of the 800 MHz range.

The FCC could not implement the 700 MHz system, however, because some television
stations used those frequencies.

But the government has begun to phase out the television stations on the 700 MHz
frequencies.

In Kansas City, only KSMO TV (The Kansas City WB 62) remains on the 700 MHz
system.

Kaufman said the freeing up of the frequency allowed Independence to step
forward with the pilot program for public-safety radios.

Abraham said the departments will not encrypt every police call. Some of the
city's dispatches could still be heard on scanners. Just not emergencies.

The city hired RCC consultants to determine its needs for the system.

Testing includes finding the areas of the city that have poor radio coverage
now.

"We identified 57 buildings here in town to test," Kaufman said, such as schools
and hospitals. Thick walls can diminish radio frequencies, but the new system
will be better inside buildings, Kaufman said.

The city is considering Motorola as the provider, but so far there is no formal
contract.

The system will require more towers, Kaufman said.

Tower locations the city identified are Lake City, the city-owned Massman Farm
off Truman Road, Woods Chapel Road and I-70, Blue Ridge Boulevard and I-70, the
city Water Department at Truman Road and Forest Avenue, and on private property
at the LaFarge plant.

With the nation potentially watching to see how Independence fares with the 700
MHz system, officials, including Mayor Ron Stewart, are confident.

"We're going to be the firstest with the mostest," Stewart said.


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