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Other Peoples' Money - TETRA upgrade gets go ahead


Wann

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From the link above on the UK rejecting Tetra,

 

I'm a bit concerned about this:-

"Broadband data services

However, instead of a private network – which the government deems too costly – the suppliers selected to run the ESN will be expected to enhance commercially available broadband networks with more coverage, resilience and security, using priority access for emergency services traffic."

 

Tetra does have it's own limitations and problems, but who in their right mind would attempt to replace it with 4G ??

 

Tetra can be setup for meshing and device to device comms, you simply can't do this with a phone without a working cellular base station.

 

Even the ancient Police/Fire/Ambulance VHF/UHF sets would be better than 4G!

 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/01/08/airwave_tetra_switch_off_gov_services_onmishambles/

 

I can't see any reason why they would need that kind of data for general voice-comms, and again - we'll still get issues with communication blackspots, possibly more so with 4G than with existing Tetra.

 

If there is an emergency and every member of the public is trying to communicate with each other, and the emergency services are trying to communicate using the same system (even if they will have a higher priority MTPAS SIM) - there's no guarantee the network will hold up, we've seen what happens on New Years Eve, when there's no emergency!!

 

There are a number of digital and C4FM type transceivers and base stations from the likes of Icom, Yaesu and other big radio manufacturers - these base stations can be networked together to provide a similar service to Tetra at probably a fraction of £5 million!!

 

We have a few UHF amateur radio repeaters on the Island linked via 'AllStar' https://allstarlink.org/

 

This is an implementation of the open souce Asterisk PBX software - this allows other 'nodes' to connect, and also allows commands to be passed to various nodes via sending DTMF tones from the keypads on the radios, if the Gov adopted a version of this, with traditional UHF/VHF type radios, they could quite probably have almost Island wide coverage for less than £1 million.

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  • 6 months later...

Has today's 'technical issue' been staged, in order to prove a point?

 

If money is needed for the TT, then it will be always be found. If the TT needs the new radios, then the Island will buy the new radios - whatever the cost.

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This is rather embarrassing. What message does this send to those expressions of interest for TT World Series promotors. I can just picture MotoGP having this problem! Bloody Amateurs. No doubt AB will have something to say. Mind you I bet MHKs will be sat in VIP tent patting themselves on the back .,,...... Job well dine

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I have just listened to the Clerk of the Course on Manx Radio News and it appears the issue lies with the Red Emergency button not working on the console in the Control Tower (for those of you who don't know what the Red Button is all about it is pressed on a marshals mobile radio to declare an emergency) which in turn sounds an alarm in the Control Tower.

 

So if this is the case why don't the marshals use just a voice call to declare an emergency?

 

Why don't the Sector marshals keep in touch with control via mobile phones?

 

Why are all their eggs in one basket? and what would happen if this same issue arises with a Police radio?

 

Typical over complication of a radio scheme in my opinion.

 

No doubt we will have some Department of Home Affairs spin on this soon, blaming someone else other than them!

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