We are just starting to look at doing AVL systems in the county.
Right now I am looking for any sort of rough numbers, equipment etc and perhaps what we should be looking at, questions to ask, etc etc.
Chances are, everything will be pretty much new from the ground up.
As for infrastruture, we have a 5 sites available to us, connected via Motorola Startpoints, and one MDS LEDS900s. All links are 900MHz I believe. We have approx 35 free channels in the MW system.
What we would like to do is equip approx 20 units, and have the GPS data interface with out mapping software. What we also are thinking is that the sheriff's may want to expand at some point to a data system. There is inconsistant cell coverage within the county, no commerical TRS's to piggy back on, etc.
Right now, the boss is looking for a really rough numbers, and anything we should be looking for.
The voice system is all simplex, VHF with a whole mix of Kenwood, Motorola, and god knows what out there.
System does not have to be Moto, but I would love to see an IV&D system, but I seriously doubt that would get bought here.
AVL system costs/vendors/etc?
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AVL system costs/vendors/etc?
Lowband radio. The original and non-complicated wide area interoperable communications system
We've been playing around with these locally, they seem to work best in automatic mode rather than PTT-ID as some units rarely use their handhelds when out on patrol... Poll time is set to 3 mins and it seems to work well 
http://www.gpsmic.com/
http://www.gpsmic.com/
The emergency services in my city with the exception of police run an ATI MAC2 system on VHF highband. The Australian Defence Force is also trialling a version of this system for "blue force tracking" (a military term for AVL.)
http://www.austechinfo.com.au/products/products.html
It's a low speed data system based around a fairly ordinary "black box" mobile radio on VHF. Each vehicle is equipped with a basic low profile MDT, with GPS receiver. It supports text dispatch (alphanumeric messaging), status messaging and AVL.
One of the beauties of this system is that it operates in a mesh style fashion. If a mobile radio can't directly talk back to the base station, but it can communicate with another nearby vehicle which can, it will digipeat back to the base station via that other vehicle.
I'm not sure if there are any system integrators for this particular system in the USA though, so it might turn out to be a dead end for your situation. I'm not aware of any equivalent systems from US companies.
Tait's TM8105 headless mobile radios will do AVL right out of the box with the addition of a seperate GPS receiver, but I don't know if there is an off the shelf software product that will interrogate the radios and spit out coordinates. Hardware wise, you can interrogate radios using a mobile sitting in your dispatch centre or wherever. You could add a T630 MDT to the Tait radios later on if you want text and status messaging etc.
Pyramid sell a black box AVL system, but if you ever move to data as well, it won't be particularly useful.
http://www.austechinfo.com.au/products/products.html
It's a low speed data system based around a fairly ordinary "black box" mobile radio on VHF. Each vehicle is equipped with a basic low profile MDT, with GPS receiver. It supports text dispatch (alphanumeric messaging), status messaging and AVL.
One of the beauties of this system is that it operates in a mesh style fashion. If a mobile radio can't directly talk back to the base station, but it can communicate with another nearby vehicle which can, it will digipeat back to the base station via that other vehicle.
I'm not sure if there are any system integrators for this particular system in the USA though, so it might turn out to be a dead end for your situation. I'm not aware of any equivalent systems from US companies.
Tait's TM8105 headless mobile radios will do AVL right out of the box with the addition of a seperate GPS receiver, but I don't know if there is an off the shelf software product that will interrogate the radios and spit out coordinates. Hardware wise, you can interrogate radios using a mobile sitting in your dispatch centre or wherever. You could add a T630 MDT to the Tait radios later on if you want text and status messaging etc.
Pyramid sell a black box AVL system, but if you ever move to data as well, it won't be particularly useful.
http://www.ceswireless.com/mobile_data.htm
Motorola used to and maybe still partner with CES.
We looked at this a couple of years ago but the money wasn't there.
We are currently exploring MESH and will hopfully go that path but as you say IV&D would be great although MESH has better options such as it is not GPS based but triangulation.
Motorola used to and maybe still partner with CES.
We looked at this a couple of years ago but the money wasn't there.
We are currently exploring MESH and will hopfully go that path but as you say IV&D would be great although MESH has better options such as it is not GPS based but triangulation.
The CES stuff is good for tracking & text messaging through existing analog radio systems in my experience. The mapping software is one of the best out there. They are very familiar with Motorola as far as interfacing is concerned. Not sure what they might offer in the way of data though.
MotoTRBO of course can have the above built right in, no third party boxes or software required if you're willing to do a whole fleet changeout & wait for the VHF stuff to become available.
We don't have too much experience with customer built systems here, as the cellular coverage is great & companies tend to go with CDPD/1X/EVDO solutions. We have used Airlink & Bluetree modems on various hosted & non-hosted platforms (Baka, Map Magic) with good success.
Todd
MotoTRBO of course can have the above built right in, no third party boxes or software required if you're willing to do a whole fleet changeout & wait for the VHF stuff to become available.
We don't have too much experience with customer built systems here, as the cellular coverage is great & companies tend to go with CDPD/1X/EVDO solutions. We have used Airlink & Bluetree modems on various hosted & non-hosted platforms (Baka, Map Magic) with good success.
Todd
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PJ
What CAD System are you using for the dispatch side of things? Many CAD Vendors have an integration into the CAD System Mapping. . . If using Mapping already in CAD eliminates the need to have the dispatchers "learn" how to use another mapping system as well as the associated nightmare of updating map files for multiple software packages when roads are added, etc. . . .
If not already using a CAD integrated map then might be something to look at if planning AVL. . . .
Just a few random thoughts. . . .
Tony
What CAD System are you using for the dispatch side of things? Many CAD Vendors have an integration into the CAD System Mapping. . . If using Mapping already in CAD eliminates the need to have the dispatchers "learn" how to use another mapping system as well as the associated nightmare of updating map files for multiple software packages when roads are added, etc. . . .
If not already using a CAD integrated map then might be something to look at if planning AVL. . . .
Just a few random thoughts. . . .
Tony
Mapping isn't an issue for the possible system. We use two maps...CAD intergrated and ALI Trackker. The current plan is to use one master layer for both programs for the map data, but ALI Trackker would be the main map package used.
Basic plan #1 would be to equip sheriff's cars (about 10-15 units at the most) and ALS providers (about 10-15 vehicles there too)
Plan #2 would be AVL for above, and data system for the sheriff's vehicles.
Right now both plans are in the "how much could this cost" phase before exploring any sort of funding. The would be the pre-pre-pre-what if-planning phase.
Basic plan #1 would be to equip sheriff's cars (about 10-15 units at the most) and ALS providers (about 10-15 vehicles there too)
Plan #2 would be AVL for above, and data system for the sheriff's vehicles.
Right now both plans are in the "how much could this cost" phase before exploring any sort of funding. The would be the pre-pre-pre-what if-planning phase.
Lowband radio. The original and non-complicated wide area interoperable communications system
Both of our mapping systems will interface with an AVL system. For primary mapping we utilize the Ali-Trakker program from MicroData Systems. Nice mapping system with a decent GIS backend (of which I believe we are exploring the latest version/product line of). The second is an intergrated map with New World's Aegis MSP CAD which will interface with AVL for one of New World's now infamous "interface modules".
AVL has been explored once before but the county and agencies turned their noses up at it. A Kenwood solution that was proposed cost in the area of about $2200 per unit. That includes radio, GPS unit, interfaces and something to receive it on at the other end.
AVL has been explored once before but the county and agencies turned their noses up at it. A Kenwood solution that was proposed cost in the area of about $2200 per unit. That includes radio, GPS unit, interfaces and something to receive it on at the other end.
JAYMZ
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Re: AVL system costs/vendors/etc?
I worked with CES and found it phenomenal. I set up their TK740 to work with a Trunked MCS2k through an OmniLink SmartZone System back to an LCS2k while keeping the voice functionality. Worked like a charm.
Patrick
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Re: AVL system costs/vendors/etc?
One word......."Trimble"
Scott B.
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Re: AVL system costs/vendors/etc?
We have a bunch of the Trimble stuff here. Not too good for the service shop, none have broken.
The new Trimble with dead reckoning is amazing. With all the huge buildings here GPS has big dead zones. The dead reckoning unit uses a gyroscope type device and hooks to the vehicle speed sensor and backup lights. It can go for 3 to 4 miles without GPS signal and tracks dead on. We took one through a maze of streets downtown after disconnecting the GPS antenna. After about 3 miles (and about 40 turns), it was just starting to drift off course.
The new Trimble with dead reckoning is amazing. With all the huge buildings here GPS has big dead zones. The dead reckoning unit uses a gyroscope type device and hooks to the vehicle speed sensor and backup lights. It can go for 3 to 4 miles without GPS signal and tracks dead on. We took one through a maze of streets downtown after disconnecting the GPS antenna. After about 3 miles (and about 40 turns), it was just starting to drift off course.