Ambulance Radio Install

This forum is dedicated to helping people with questions about installing radio equipment in vehicles. This can include antenna installs, electrical wiring questions/problems, and mounting systems. Pictures of installs are welcome.

Note: Discussions regarding lighting, sirens, and other equipment now has its own forum in the 'off-topic' section below.

Moderator: Queue Moderator

Post Reply
User avatar
Jongage
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2006 1:41 pm
What radios do you own?: Alot of old Motorolas

Ambulance Radio Install

Post by Jongage »

ok I have been assigned to make the remmendation for a new set of radio's for the ambulances in our department. In the past department i worked for we hade dual head spectras (one in front on back) for hospital ringdowns.

Is there a current production radio that allows for dual head operations???

We will be using a 800 trunked and conventional system


thanks

jongage
tvsjr
Posts: 4118
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 9:46 am

Re: Ambulance Radio Install

Post by tvsjr »

800 trunk? I'm assuming Motorola... Smartzone or P25?

Your only dual-head choice is going to be a Motorola XTL-series mobile with appropriate flash options. I can't recall if the XTL2500 will do dual-head, but the 5000 will. Talk to your friendly Motorola salesperson, and be ready to bend over and spread wide for the price tag.

Your other, possibly cheaper option would be a pair of XTL1500s... one in the front, one in the rear. This would also give you some redundancy in the event of one radio failing. However, if you're paying on a per-unit basis for system airtime, this may not be feasible.
User avatar
n7maq
Posts: 1440
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2001 4:00 pm
What radios do you own?: Mocom 70 w/scan!!

Re: Ambulance Radio Install

Post by n7maq »

I would assume you will also need a radio that does the HEAR channel. (I may be wrong, but I know in Oregon the car MUST have HEAR or they don't get licensed by the state) If so then look at a Kenwood TK-790.



Jim
john9912
New User
Posts: 88
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:13 am

Re: Ambulance Radio Install

Post by john9912 »

I am confused... Are you looking for an 800 MHz dual head trunked radio? If so, your options are going to be limited by the type of trunked system you have.
User avatar
Jongage
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2006 1:41 pm
What radios do you own?: Alot of old Motorolas

Re: Ambulance Radio Install

Post by Jongage »

Yes I am looking for a dual head 800 trunking radio. It will me using the motorola II trunking system. WE have a series of conventional 80 channels that we use to communicate with the individual hospitals, also we communicate with the "County Fire Department" that uses the trunking system. Our old spectras do it all but they are worn out and need to be replaced, plus we want to upgrade to a dual head and not use the spectras any more.

I have never heard of the HEAR channel. Here in CA we do not have any required 800 channels. The state is on VHF
Grog
On Moderation
Posts: 783
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2001 4:00 pm

Re: Ambulance Radio Install

Post by Grog »

Jongage wrote: I have never heard of the HEAR channel. Here in CA we do not have any required 800 channels. The state is on VHF
155.340mhz is usually referred as the H.E.A.R. channel, sure someone here knows where that came from.

tvsjr wrote: Your other, possibly cheaper option would be a pair of XTL1500s... one in the front, one in the rear. This would also give you some redundancy in the event of one radio failing. However, if you're paying on a per-unit basis for system airtime, this may not be feasible.

I think that's a good idea as well just in case something happens with one radio, plus you can keep the front radio on your "working" channel and the back on whatever TG/Freq you need for the hospital.
User avatar
Pj
Moderator
Posts: 5147
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2001 4:00 pm
What radios do you own?: X9000 thru APX

Re: Ambulance Radio Install

Post by Pj »

If you need Type 2, the only currently supported Motorola radio's will be the XTL2500 (supports up to two heads) and the XTL5000 (supports up to four heads).

You could go out and find the ASTRO Spectra's or even MCS2000, but with the XTL's, you will have current and supported product for some time, plus it will give you the 700MHz band when those channels become available in your area.

The APX7000 when released will do up to four heads as well.

Somewhere I have some price lists, but figure another $500 on top of the radio cost for dual head.
Lowband radio. The original and non-complicated wide area interoperable communications system
Image
User avatar
JAYMZ
Posts: 2778
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2001 4:00 pm
What radios do you own?: Radar Range

Re: Ambulance Radio Install

Post by JAYMZ »

Grog wrote:
Jongage wrote: I have never heard of the HEAR channel. Here in CA we do not have any required 800 channels. The state is on VHF
155.340mhz is usually referred as the H.E.A.R. channel, sure someone here knows where that came from.
I can't cite a specific resource at the moment (mainly because I can't find it) but the HEAR system was developed as a standard communications plan for EMS agencies to utilize specific channels for contacting Hospitals or neighboring communications centers. This is something that is starting to go by the wayside because of replacing it with "Med Channel Assignments" that some areas are implementing now. IIRC the HEAR stuff was set up in the FCC rules and regs...
JAYMZ

"Mom and dad say I should make my life an example of the principles I believe in. But every time I do, they tell me to stop it."
Calvin
User avatar
Pj
Moderator
Posts: 5147
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2001 4:00 pm
What radios do you own?: X9000 thru APX

Re: Ambulance Radio Install

Post by Pj »

155.34 is widely used in fairly rural areas. The 10 channel UHF system is pretty common in many areas...but also tends to be used where there is a CMED agency or a thoughtout EMS system to manage it all.
Lowband radio. The original and non-complicated wide area interoperable communications system
Image
Glen W Christen
Posts: 203
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2001 4:00 pm

Re: Ambulance Radio Install

Post by Glen W Christen »

If I remember correctly, when the H.E.A.R. system started in Iowa bout 1976, it designated Hospital Emergency Administrative Radio.
User avatar
birminghamWILDCAT
New User
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 4:11 am
What radios do you own?: XTL5000, Spectra, XTS 5000R

Re: Ambulance Radio Install

Post by birminghamWILDCAT »

This is all true, however, HEAR hasn't been used in Central Alabama in years. 90 percent of patient reports are called in via an ambulance company-owned cell phone to a reserved telephone in the emergency room. The other ten percent is on the SouthernLINC system, which is kind of like NEXTEL but based on something similar to a Motorola MC2100 with a telephone handset type mic. Next time I'm in an ER I'll take some pics of a typical SouthernLINC setup. SouthernLINC also has NEXTEL-type Motorola Phones, and I've noticed these next to the other SouthernLINC radios in the local ER's. Alabama Power's parent company, Southern Co., must be making a fortune off BREMSS.
"Birmingham Fire and Rescue policy prevents me from commenting. I must refer you to the PIO for all questions."-PIO Capt. Mardis.
SlimBob
Posts: 911
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2003 11:38 am

Re: Ambulance Radio Install

Post by SlimBob »

birminghamWILDCAT wrote:This is all true, however, HEAR hasn't been used in Central Alabama in years. 90 percent of patient reports are called in via an ambulance company-owned cell phone to a reserved telephone in the emergency room. The other ten percent is on the SouthernLINC system, which is kind of like NEXTEL but based on something similar to a Motorola MC2100 with a telephone handset type mic. Next time I'm in an ER I'll take some pics of a typical SouthernLINC setup. SouthernLINC also has NEXTEL-type Motorola Phones, and I've noticed these next to the other SouthernLINC radios in the local ER's. Alabama Power's parent company, Southern Co., must be making a fortune off BREMSS.
SouthernLINC makes a fortune off of The State Of Alabama in general. There's not an agency in the state that doesn't use them. Just because they use cell phones to call the ER doesn't mean the hospital doesn't spend money on HEAR radios...
Post Reply

Return to “Vehicle Radio Installs”