Astro Spectra able to monitor EDACS?

[Pj]

Listening to a foot chase at work tonight, Hartford Police (EDACS) was looking for someone with some guns (guns in a city? Nah....) Anyways the State Police had there helicopter up looking for the guys as well. HPD moved there ops to a primary talkgroup so that the helicopter could talk to them.

Last that I heard, the helicopter had all Motorola Astro spectra's for radios. The CSP themselves use an 800MHz Digital Smartzone system. Is this a new option, or could that US Marine SP package more widespread then we know..

[spectragod]

They won't talk to each other, not without some kind of smoke and mirrors, maybe they added a EDACS radio to the air support units, that would make more sense. SG

[Pj]

That's what I was thinking. Last I heard from the troop, it was all Motorola. I will call them on Tuesday and see if that changed. The interesting thing though, they were only able to use one of the two main HPD talkgroups (even though they usually use 6).

[spectragod]

It's possible that they have a patch channel, we have several on our trunk, 800 to vhf and vice versa on fire mutual aid, intercity and a patch which amount to a consollette at a PD that uses EDACS and another at another PD that uses vhf astro.... or, they installed a EDACS radio in their equipment, I'd like to know as well, just to see how other departments handle communcations problems like this. SG

[1 Adam 12]

Agencies in our area use the same setup, they can patch another agency if they have them on the console to another agency channel. Limitations usually are to several talkgroups or mutual aid channels, and the choppers down here carry VHF- 800, and if they can't talk direct and the agency they are working with has a common or mutual aid they can patch them. You will also find the patched used when large agencies switch over from one band/system to another. Also had a demonstration month ago with a computer base hardware switch, which was crossing EDACS w/ Smartnet. What by the way is A US marine SP package????

[wavetar]

What by the way is A US marine SP package????

From the BatLabs Astro Saber Model Specific page:

The Toy of All Toys...

There are several references to an SP version of the Astro Saber that is equipped with Fascinator Securenet, AND works with GE/Ericsson's EDACS format trunking. The word is that this ultra-special radio was created in response to a Marine Corps special requirement for a radio that would work with their land based EDACS system and would also have Fascinator encryption in conventional operation for (mostly) tactical and/or offshore operations.

Motorola was able to supply this item because Ericsson doesn't have authorization to produce or have Fascinator encrypted technology since they are not a US-based company. Supposedly this special radio type is in use at a Marine Corps base in the vicinity of Corpus Christi, Texas.

We have been advised that such a radio does in fact exist, and has been confirmed. As to any further details on the unit, SP number, flashcode, model number, etc. have yet to been provided.

[1 Adam 12]

Ah... yes the UFO of radios, we heard that one last year and when we told the " M " govt. rep he almost wet his pants. We've got Racals working on both UHF and VHF Motorola trunkings systems and I can guarantee you they are not trunking capable. I will never say never but we deal with one of the J-2 guys from there and he said it ain't so. They are hard patched so as to facilitate usage and avoid having to have two radios. He also said he was aware of the same tale making the rounds about 6-9 monthes ago. But is interesting ............

[Elroy Jetson]

That matches up with the latest that I've heard. The edacs capable Astros probably don't exist.

However, with the newest radios having 8 megs of flash memory, I'd imagine that a multiformat radio that could handle multiple competing trunked formats is at the very least technically possible.

Imagine one radio that handled all Motorola trunking formats, and supported IMBE, VSELP, iDen, (which is VSELP based), TETRA, MPT1327, Open Sky, LTR, EDACS, ProVoice, Aegis, and Uncle Bob's Proprietary Digital Trunked Radio Format, all in one radio.

Imagine trying to program it. It'd cause a brain hernia.

Incidentally, when programming my VHF Astro via the CPS, I have no fewer than 125 individual fields available, PER PERSONALITY.
That's 31,750 possible data entries in a 254 personality codeplug, NOT counting the extra stuff like scan lists and other data that isn't entered via the personality spreadsheet.

Elroy

[1 Adam 12]

Well in the process of things, the new Ef Johnson 5100 is offering Dual protocol in one radio. Yes a Smartnet/Smartzone analog or digital (Apco25) that can also do Multi-net out of the same radio. So maybe we will see a EDACS /ASTRO portable/ mobile. Not to many multinet systems out there, but I can probably bet they are surrrounded by M systems which would give them a hell of an advantage in mutual aid situations.