Goodbye, Scanner. Austin Police, Fire, EMS will Stop Making Messages Available to Public Public safety agencies in Austin — police, fire and EMS — will soon go radio silent to the public after they switch to an encrypted radio system. This means that the current publicly available scanner information, which residents can use to listen […]
Austin Texas Police, Fire, EMS Going Encrypted Read Post »
January 26, 2021. Motorola Solutions today announced the launch of the MOTOTRBO Ion, a “smart radio” that combines DMR narrowband voice capability with broadband capabilities across carrier LTE, private LTE/CBRS, and Wi-Fi into a rugged package that is designed to work in enterprise environments. Carlos Camps, Motorola Solutions’ director of engineering, noted the challenges of
A team from NBC News’ digital news unit Left Field was in Hawaii to visit with some radio amateurs to produce a report when the false nuclear missile alert happened on January 13. Left Field’s report points out how much we rely on cell phones and 21st-century technology…and what we would do if these
NBC News Report Says Hams “Could Save Our Lives” in a Disaster Read Post »
The following article is from the SystemWatch Newsletter published by the Orange County Sheriff Department Communications and Technology Division. As all of you know, we are in the midst of a major upgrade to our 800 MHz Countywide Coordinated Communications System (CCCS). This upgrade provides several key enhancements to the current system. First and foremost, it
Orange County Project 25 Upgrade Report Read Post »
The much-anticipated public-safety LTE network being deployed by the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) is on track to be completed by next week’s federal deadline, and the new system should be operational by the end of the year, according to an LA-RICS spokesman. In the spring, LA-RICS reduced the number of eNodeB base
LA-RICS LTE Network On Track to Meet Sept 30 Deadline Read Post »
Los Angeles City Council members voted to approve the use of 19 city-owned police stations as the location of cell sites for the amended Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) public-safety LTE proposal. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is expected to restart the project—suspended by NTIA since April 3—next week, according to
LA City Council Approves Police Sites for New LA-RICS LTE Plan Read Post »
For years, the Santa Monica police and fire departments had separate dispatch centers. They operated independently, frequently collaborating but regularly coping with staffing shortages, information gaps and delayed responses. The fatal shooting at Santa Monica College in 2013 was a watershed moment for the two agencies. If they hadn’t seen a pressing need for better
Santa Monica Joint Dispatch Center Unites Police and Fire Read Post »
A 93 year old water main broke near the campus of UCLA sending a torrent of raging water through parking structures and athletic facilities. The 30-inch pipe’s rupture shot water 30-feet into the air sending an estimated 20 million gallons roaring onto roads and the campus. Urban search and rescue crews from the LAFD searched the flooded parking garages
UCLA Water Main Break Read Post »
At our July meeting, club member Wayne Smith, Ph.D. (N6LHV) gave a talk about Software Defined Radios. Wayne demonstrated how a $25 USB dongle designed to receive digital TV broadcasts can be used as an inexpensive SDR and spectrum analyzer. Professor Wayne demonstrated how, unlike current scanners, his SDR is able to decode MotoTrbo (DMR), NextEdge
SCMA Presentation by Wayne Smith, Ph.D. Read Post »
Here’s a behind the scenes video of radio communications at the Rim Fire near Yosemite National Park. The video was made by a person who is a radio communications technician and shows setting up portable repeaters and other communications gear and what life is like living in a “base camp” at a large fire like
Rim Fire Communications and Camp Life Read Post »
