Queensland Government Wireless Network (QLD-GWN) Project

[Radio_Australia]

Just heard that a simulcast will be used within 3 weeks for logan district .

[youngn]

Just heard that a simulcast will be used within 3 weeks for logan district .

I'm assuming you're talking about Logan QPS? Or is this for multiple services in the Logan district???

I wonder how long they will keep both on for, hmm...

[Radio_Australia]

I believe it was for QPS youngn . I guess we will find out if it was true !

[ozradio]

It would be good to see some tax money well spent and open network based on open standards implemented.

To be honest the whole 'we need p25 for interstate operability' is a crock here in Australia, are the NSW grn connect to Victoria grn? Has there been any info published in the public domain how states deal with such an event or do they race down to disk smith/jaycay and purchase uhf cb's and/or use mobile phones?

In the states where there is far more overlap of state/local/county law enforcement, fire and ambos but here in Qld and other states this is not really the case! The argument which has been mounted in the past has been pushed by sales people who have large commissions riding on selling these ‘so called solutions’

If you want a truly open network based on open standards (which p25 is spouse to be all about) you do not lock into one vendor and particularly vendors who are known to add non-open standard to their stack for lock in (this has occurred in Victoria from what I have read). If tait wins well good on them and at least we are supporting a ‘almost near local firm’ who has what looks to be a good product line up.

Being a user of the VIC SMR network through the emergency services I can say that there is no interconnect or interoperatbility between the two states radio networks. The NSW GRN covers metro and mejo regional areas but only goes as far south as roughly Kiama and after that each agency runs their own repeater networks. As for VIC SMR it may be state wide but other states don't have access to it. So when emergency services go between states for deployments to major incidents local radios owned by the host emergency service are provided to the out of area teams to access the local radio net's.

I do agree with the idea of interoperability between states however I don't see this occuring until all services in all states have access to the same single federal level GRN which I doubt will ever occur due to politics and varying budgets and operational needs between the states and between agencies.

[peteramjet]

The NSW GRN covers all the south coast, essentially through to the Victorian boarder, not just to Nowra. It covers west from the south coast area all the way through to Coota, then coverage becomes more sporadic, centring mostly on towns and main roads.

There is a great map of the coverage here: http://www.nswgrn.com/images/www-nswgrn-com-area.jpg
That map states it's from 2011, and there have been some major expansions since then.

And interoperability between emergency services doesn't need to happen on radio networks. The interoperability occurs between management levels, who then direct their own staff. Having common simplex channels may be useful for short range Comms, but wide area liaison channels aren't needed for the vast majority of services.

[Gearbox92]

Latest official word is that QPS GC region switch on date is sept 1 this year...unsure about the other emergency services, anyone else heard anything?

[fire_rescue]

not sure if its related Ipswich police comms (analogue) went down for 2 minutes something to do with radios there not sure had unitrunker on a GWN tower covering ipswich area and it went beserk during that 2 minutes down then quiet when 2 minutes was up analogue traffic resumed.

[Gearbox92]

Hmm interesting, certainly sounds like a test. Have ever heard any unencrypted traffic on GWN or has it all been encrypted so far?

[mn1983]

When you say it went beserk, what did you see? What talkgroups were active if that's what your refering.to?

[terryhaynes]

Hmm interesting, certainly sounds like a test. Have ever heard any unencrypted traffic on GWN or has it all been encrypted so far?

100% ENCRYPTED

[fire_rescue]

Talkgroup numbers showed no voice. On simulcast channel did get a continuous beep

[fire_rescue]

[Sprocketz]

Latest official word is that QPS GC region switch on date is sept 1 this year...unsure about the other emergency services, anyone else heard anything?

I've heard ambos are ready to go any day now on the Gold Coast.. then Metro North /South and then the Sunny coast/Gympie by September.

The word was cops were running behind so that makes sense.

[Phil]

Latest official word is that QPS GC region switch on date is sept 1 this year...unsure about the other emergency services, anyone else heard anything?

I've heard ambos are ready to go any day now on the Gold Coast.. then Metro North /South and then the Sunny coast/Gympie by September.

The word was cops were running behind so that makes sense.

the GWN tech's will have alot of work to get up to Gympie by September as the only northern sites that are only is Mt Glorious and possibly Mt Nebo. as for Gold Coast your prediction may be right there as i have been watching a few Gold Coast sites and seeing alot of activity

[fire_rescue]

Just reading online few north coast region rural brigades are being fitted with gwn radio with a switch later in the year.

[Sprocketz]

North Coast Firecom covers up to Bundaberg which is and will remain analogue for the foreseeable future. I often hear this traffic on the SC channels. I wonder how this will that work with the mix of half and half. Will the encrypted signal be repeated clean further a field so they don't talk over each other ?

[erikn]

North Coast Firecom covers up to Bundaberg which is and will remain analogue for the foreseeable future. I often hear this traffic on the SC channels. I wonder how this will that work with the mix of half and half. Will the encrypted signal be repeated clean further a field so they don't talk over each other ?

My guess is that they will keep the analogue channels they already have as a backup to the GWN, or use the analogue channels/GWN at the same time (e.g. metro area=GWN, boondocks=analogue).

[brisescannerdude]

North Coast Firecom covers up to Bundaberg which is and will remain analogue for the foreseeable future. I often hear this traffic on the SC channels. I wonder how this will that work with the mix of half and half. Will the encrypted signal be repeated clean further a field so they don't talk over each other ?

My guess is that they will keep the analogue channels they already have as a backup to the GWN, or use the analogue channels/GWN at the same time (e.g. metro area=GWN, boondocks=analogue).

Your guess may not be far off the mark. If you seen the hand sets of radios supplied by telstra they are tagged with white (analog), red (existing digital network - cops) and blue - gwn on the mic of mobile units and I believe the antenna of portable bricks (I may be wrong but my consolations are based on what I have seen).

Telstra has the contract to now replace (as they fall due) all radios in seq and further as or if the network is rolled out.

[rapps_101]

North Coast Firecom covers up to Bundaberg which is and will remain analogue for the foreseeable future. I often hear this traffic on the SC channels. I wonder how this will that work with the mix of half and half. Will the encrypted signal be repeated clean further a field so they don't talk over each other ?

My guess is that they will keep the analogue channels they already have as a backup to the GWN, or use the analogue channels/GWN at the same time (e.g. metro area=GWN, boondocks=analogue).

Your guess may not be far off the mark. If you seen the hand sets of radios supplied by telstra they are tagged with white (analog), red (existing digital network - cops) and blue - gwn on the mic of mobile units and I believe the antenna of portable bricks (I may be wrong but my consolations are based on what I have seen).

Telstra has the contract to now replace (as they fall due) all radios in seq and further as or if the network is rolled out.

Both the tagged radios in police cars are programmed for GWN

[gordo92]

North Coast Firecom covers up to Bundaberg which is and will remain analogue for the foreseeable future. I often hear this traffic on the SC channels. I wonder how this will that work with the mix of half and half. Will the encrypted signal be repeated clean further a field so they don't talk over each other ?

My guess is that they will keep the analogue channels they already have as a backup to the GWN, or use the analogue channels/GWN at the same time (e.g. metro area=GWN, boondocks=analogue).

Digital on analog that is going to sound good isn't it LOL