M/A COM OpenSky

Forum for the promotion and understanding of digital voice on the amateur bands.

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91-7
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M/A COM OpenSky

Post by 91-7 »

The County in which I work is implementing this system. I can try to answer any questions you may have with this work of wonder...
Steve
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Post by bobsflying »

Does OpenSky use ProVoice for voice transmissions?
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Post by 91-7 »

No, it's some other proprietary digital mode. None of the "digital" trunk tacker scanners can hear it, that I know for sure.
OpenSky uses a different DVSI vocoder known as AMBE (Advanced Multi-Band Excitation), and as you might expect it is not compatible with Project 25.


Sorry, but we/I are still learning and have a lot to learn yet.
Steve
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Post by n3tuq »

I have a question... What in the hell is Lancaster County thinking?
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Post by 91-7 »

Not, sure! It is being met with some opposition, (not as much as it once was) but in tests it does work quite well so far.

Heh, you live less around 5 miles from me. Imagine that!
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Post by WB0ATS »

OpenSky is also TDMA, which is really great if you're short on channels. TDMA, if you don't know (not sure about your knowledge level on the subject), multiplexes more than one call per channel. I think OpenSky is actually handling two calls per channel with plans to handle four.

No, it's not P25, but it's much less complicated (read: reliable) than simulcast, which is the other solution if you're channel limited. P25 is great, except it's getting to be a pretty old standard and, like everything else radio, time has marched on while radio stayed behind.
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Post by 91-7 »

The 4-slot testing is being done right now, with plans to introduce it in the near future. Right now OpenSky is still 2-slot.

Yes, TDMA makes very efficient use of limited amount of frequencies. Our high profile sites are equipped with 3 and 4 channels (frequencies), couple that with the ability of 4 "talk paths" per channel and you can have up to 16 simultaneous users per site.

Right now, RF coverage is very good and we are still not done building out all the sites. I think we have a dozen more in the works. Capacity doesn't seem to be a problem now, or in the future.

Voice quality is an issue that is also being addressed with new vocoders and software updates that are in the works.

The best way I can describe the OpenSky system is iDen. There are alot of similarities.

OpenSky offers VoIP, digital, data and voice capable, selective call capable (like Direct Connect), password protected encrypted talkgroups, etc. I would be hesitant to call the OpenSky system "state of the art", but rather a casserole of proven technologies all rolled into one system. Nothing is really "new" about OpenSky, except the fact that all the technologies are in one package.
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Post by 91004 »

Steve;

Why the hell is the County of Lancaster and the State of Pennsylvania spending so much darn money on something that is never going to go beyond the testing stage?

Also why is Lancaster County so damn stupid that they would go out and use LINKSYS Routers for the system instead of a much more capable Router??

Also isn't it true that the Lancaster County 42 Channel System (Or should I say 84 Channel) will not be up and running till at least 2007 (Over 3 years over the projected usage date)
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Post by 91-7 »

N3UED,

Well Joe it WILL go past the testing stage. I agree it has taken a helluva long time to get it all up and running, but hey, wouldn't you rather the County take the time to do it right, work out all the bugs, and take the testing to the next level rather than just throw PS users on the system and say "yup, it works"? Can we say Chester County/EF Johnson?

We use CISCO routers with the M/A COM equipment AND the Harris uW equipment, the only Linksys equipment we use are hubs. And the Linksys equipment we do use isn't the dime store shit you can buy at Circuit City.

2007? Sure sounds that way. Oh well, out of my control. Better late than never I guess. Gives you more time to save up the $$$ to buy the radios.
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Post by 91004 »

Steve;

At least Chester County has their system up and running!! Speaking of which since this system won't be APCO Project 25 compatible systems and since Lebanon County has decided that 800mhz isn't where it is and the surrouning counties won't have OPEN SKY what will we do for interaction? Will fire companies now have to get two or three different radios for their apparatus?? I mean come on how the hell are 83 fire departments, no including EMS agencies supposed to pay for all of this since we are all volunteer !!?

Take for example the agency that I volunteer at, we are looking at about $200,000.00 for radios and the costs are still rising on the radios. How the hell are we suppose to plan for the future when our County has decided that this is what is best for us and we will be on the system no matter what.....

As I have told you before I don't want to be part of the mess when the crap hits the fan and the radios fail to communicate to each other or to dispatch.

(**ON PAGE 45 OF THE FEBRUARY 2005 EDITION OF POPULAR COMMUNICATIONS MAGAZINE THERE IS A A PARAGRAPH ON THE OPEN SKY SYSTEM . This article was written by Rich Arland, K7SZ ([email protected]

IN THE PARAGRAPH IT QUOTES:
I was deluged with e-mails and written correspondece regarding this supposed "White Elephant" of a communications system. Virtually everyone who contacted me was either: A. Outraged by the lack of foresight and technical adroitness on the part of the State of Pennsylvania for adoping flawd technology at an ever-escalting cost to the citizens of the state; or B. Declaring utter disbelief at the lack of foresight and technical adroitness on the part of the State of Pennsylvvania for adopting flawed technology at an ever-escalating cost to the citizens of the state.
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Post by WB0ATS »

91004, OpenSky terminals (mobiles/portables) are capable of operating conventional. There's a portable slated for release this year that's OpenSky, EDACS and, P25 capable.
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.

Post by batdude »

i love how they had a picture of a female black police officer in MRT for YEARS hyping that crap....and MA/COM finally found a big sucker - the whole state of PA.

who was the governor of PA?

wasn't it Tom Ridge?


what a TOTAL jackass (in regards to radio system selection)

........-------> insert Jeb Bush here too.... another jackass....

year... 2012... system finally declared opertational.... only to be shut down the same year due to federal mandates for <<<blahblahblah>>>

Waaaay to go TYCO!


fuck you
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Re: .

Post by KC8RYW »

batdude wrote: wasn't it Tom Ridge?
I dunno.. but that rainbow alert system is kinda useless...
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Re: .

Post by n3tuq »

I'm sure the jackasses working for the different counties had a say in it also, not just Ridge.

----------------------------------------------------------------
RE:

who was the governor of PA?

wasn't it Tom Ridge?


what a TOTAL jackass (in regards to radio system selection)

........-------> insert Jeb Bush here too.... another jackass....
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Re: .

Post by WB0ATS »

batdude wrote:
year... 2012... system finally declared opertational.... only to be shut down the same year due to federal mandates for <<<blahblahblah>>>

Waaaay to go TYCO!


fuck you

I would just like to point out that in four years M/A Com has completed 90% of the State of Florida project that Motorola took nine years to complete 70% of.
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Post by KC8RYW »

There are cheerleaders on both sides, it seems.
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Post by kc0ltv »

I'm just glad I don't live in that county. As far as I know, it's still all analog here. 155 MHz. Works just fine. This area is pretty small (the departments I've listened too regularly comprise about 150,000), so the "keep it simple, stupid" law tends to apply.
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Post by W3ZR »

Our open sky radios have been out of service for at least 3 months now, fortunately we chose to tell the state to pound sand as far as joining their system, the radios we have are for interagency coordination, but as I understand it, the state is still negotiating a service contract, so until thats done if we want to talk to the state, we have to pay and have the radio fixed. Nah, I get tired of listening to the assholes at PEMA singing each other songs to keep themselves awake while driving home. It can stay broken.
Rock On !

Bob, W3ZR/VE3SXZ
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