Friday, January 20, 2006
It's Friday Night
Parts of the System Are Down
Transmitters aren't Right
Garbled is the Sound
But Commissioner Phil Light
Just Like A Texas Ranger
Says Things Are Just Fine, Just Alright
He Still Can't See He's Putting Peoples Lives In Danger
Hope He Is Happy
Just Like Tom Balya
When Somebody Dies
Because This System Crapped Out Just When Someone Needed It
Hell, the last line didn't rhyme but in this County that's the way things go, all messed up and Right is down.
I can't do anything about it.
Just give me R. Matason's job for a week and I'd FIRE everyone up there except for the dispatchers minus THREE of which TWO would be promoted to our new Director and Assistant Director and the other one would be let go because HE sleeps too much on the job.
The rumors about Joe N. leaving are totally FALSE and he would stay. Sorry guys and gals, you gotta put up with him for a while longer.
Then I would step down knowing things would be changed and everything would be alright.
Give Me A Week In Matason's Job
911 Would Be Changed
Without Hassle From The Courthouse Mob
The Emergency Center would be Rearranged
Good Night To All And To All A Good Night
Don't Let The Commissioners Bite !
DECODED,
K3SAM
http://800.k3sam.com - website
news@k3sam.com - tips and comments
HAVIT YOUR WAY
Good Havit Day !
Today I would like to propose a new public service emergency radio system for Westmoreland County. Here is what this new system would include.
First, 911 would be able to tell who is calling them by radio identification. This is a signal that is sent out each time a radio is turned on and off and each time that radio is used during a transmission.
The more expensive portable and mobile radios would be able to see this identification information also on an LCD display.
The system would run on a trunked system whereas a minimum of 20 frequencies would be used to handle all traffic.
Encryption would be available on special talk groups for privacy.
Emergency buttons would be available on all portable and mobile radios.
This system would work through-out the entire county including inside of most buildings.
Speech and Audio would be excellent with this new system.
DOESN’T THAT SOUND EXCELLENT !
Westmoreland County “Could” have had this type of system.
I know what you are thinking. “Hey Blah-ger, we almost have that type of a system now, the only difference is that we only have a maximum of 10 frequencies ( 5 in most cases ), our new radios now don’t work inside a lot of buildings and in DEAD SPOTS, and the speech is digitally garbled and distorted a good deal of the time.”
Now, your next questions would probably be “what would be different from your system than what we have now”. Am I right ?
First, to get the extra frequencies needed we all have to get together and pray to the Frequency God of Samone.
Either that or simply apply for them from the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ). Most people go in the direction of the FCC as the Frequency God of Samone use to be a county commissioner somewhere and usually doesn't listen to any requests.
Then we would need to move our operations to a lower frequency range so that the signals would penetrate the buildings. You see, 800 Mega HURTS and doesn’t go through too much, especially buildings.
Unfortunately there isn’t enough room (frequencies) available on the 150-160 Mhz range to install a trunking radio system so you would have to go to the next usable frequency range where a minimum amount of repeaters would be needed.
In this case, 400 Mhz would be the answer. It is very possible that only 10 frequencies would be needed in this case. It would depend on whether or not 911 management would insist on including all the non-first responders on the system.
Those people take air time away from those that need it plus they take a radio away from a FIRST RESPONDER. ( Those people / departments using our emergency radio system that should be on the old VHF system include the Park and Court House Maintenance, Weights and Measurements, the Commissioners, etc. )
Just that simple frequency move should take care of 90% of all the current DEAD SPOTS.
We could do away with some of the repeater sites in the Western half of Westmoreland County too as they won’t be needed and install a few more in the Eastern half to cover the Ligonier Township / New Florence area. A RADIO PROPOGATION STUDY would have to be done before deciding where the new repeater sites should be instead of GUESS WORK like they did for this Cyst-Em.
We would also need to invest in radio control links like 911 use to have. This would cost a pretty penny HOWEVER eliminating the VERIZON LINE CHARGES for all those T1 lines plus the main T3 line would pay for the radio links in no time. PLUS, once they are paid for no other payments are due unlike the VERIZON LINE CHARGES which are NEVER PAID OFF.
Month after month we pay for those telephone lines that are NOT RELIABLE and NOT NFPA APPROVED. Getting rid of these and replacing them with RF links would eliminate the approximately $9,100 we pay to Verizon each month !
We want to be able to HEAR the transmissions clearly, like we did in the past so we have to get rid of this digital audio crap. A move back to analog audio is the answer to that. Encryption can be accomplished in other ways besides digital bit / phase shifting.
Murrysville has quite a nice encryption system on their dispatch and backup frequencies and they are on VHF, non-911. In fact, Murrysville Police are STILL SELF DISPATCHED with a very nice signal coming into Latrobe. I wonder what they are doing RIGHT ? Whatever it is we should HAVIT !
I have to give Murrysville Police a lot of credit for fighting off Rich Matason, Mark Brammell, and the walking road sign Dan Stevens ( sorry Dan, where the Hell did you get that Jacket ? ).
There was an attempt to FORCE Murrysville PD to switch over to 911 county dispatch which did not work. I have to give the People in the City of Murrysville credit for seeing what a good thing they have and keeping it. Sometimes the city council can be wrong.
So, did I miss anything ? How about the question of paying for all of this new 400 Mhz equipment ?
We DON’T pay a penny more, Motorola does !
You see, if this system doesn’t perform as specified within the contract Motorola has to make it right. We have already PAID Staley Communications for this Cyst-em... so they have to make it right !
I’m here to tell you that the system that has been installed for us now in Westmoreland County PA. by Motorola is not going to get too much better. Just listen to the audio clips on my website, http://800.k3sam.com and hear for yourself.
Motorola should be ashamed to have their name associated with this Cyst-Em.
If only the COMMISSIONERS would have taken the time to investigate and do a study on THAT system verses our COUNTY terrain BEFORE any contracts were signed... but they didn't and we got stuck with do do ka ka.
NEXT SUBJECT:
The TIPS CONTEST. I don’t lie so I have to tell you that the winning name was drawn on the 19th of this month, not the 17th because my wife (the Blah-gerette) is the one who pulls the winning name out of the official PA LOTTERY HAT. She was on a hunt for a female Moose. It's been a while since we had any Moose Milk you know.
As I mentioned in my pre-Blah-g this morn' I still have not heard back from the winner yet. I will announce who that person is after I receive his/her email.
That's it. I have described the radio system that we could have gotten, now if you, the first responder want to HAVIT you are going to have to fight city hell. I'll keep pluggin' but you also have to write letters and complain.I'm sure a Letter to the Tribune Review Editor by a police or fire chief would do wonders when it comes to getting this system replaced !
Remember, NO ONE HAS EVER CALLED COMMISSIONER PHIL LIGHT TO TELL HIM HOW BAD THIS CYST-EM IS except me, so... Call Him at work, (724) 830-3100.
Decoded,
K3SAM
http://800.k3sam.com - website, help yourself
news@k3sam.com - contact info for tips / comments
pre-Blah-g...
** From the front lines **
Just a quick note before the Blah-g is posted...
The winner for the Tips Contest this month has been sent an email awaiting his/her acceptance. Believe it or not sometimes the CD is declined because some people wish to remain anonymous or they don't want the CD coming to their house/business. I will tell you this though, the winner was not a 911 employee (yet).
If the winner declines the CD the second runner up IS a 911 employee so lets wait and see what happens.
Also, someone mentioned starting a "where's Dan" contest. Kind of like the "where's George" (as in $1 bill) contest. Although everyone is interested in where Dan is, I don't think a contest would be fair. Too many people would guess the bathroom or the "all things Green" store and we can't have all those correct guesses.
A Blah-g is to follow after I get my chores done. BTW, does anyone know if any action is being taken yet to get those needed radios off the commissioners and into the hands of police or firemen who need them ? Let me know if you've heard anything please.
The commissioners need an 800 Meggy Hurts radio like I need a tampon.
Sorry, sometimes the truth hurts.
DECODED,
K3SAM
http://800.k3sam.com - website
news@k3sam.com - email addy for tips and comments / inside info
