Gympie and Wide Bay going digital soon

[Vkfour]

Recently, I was at the Gympie police station on official business and was advised that the division was soon to be going digital and all the gear was in place.

[Kazzaw]

Must only be the local area, possibly like Toowoomba. It doesn't appear any GWN coverage has been extended.

In Toowoomba the City is on GWN and regional channels are on the old analog system.

Interesting to note (though doesn't relate to QPS), both QAS and QFES have patches to the old analog network in use full time, basically bypassing encryption

[Vkfour]

I don't believe the GWN has been extended, but it may well be P25 as was used in Brisbane prior to the GWN. There has been an increase in radio technicians on the local system of late.

[Comint]

Also, a lot of Radio Technician activity west of Toowoomba in recent weeks.

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Comint

[Kazzaw]

Will be interesting to see if this is finally the end of unencrypted QPS

[seqcc]

It'll likely be the exact same coverage as QFRS I would guess?

All QFRS comms in Gympie and out to the east (Tin Can Bay and Rainbow Beach) are GWN, but anything north of the halfway point between Gympie and Maryborough is still on analogue. It's weird to listen to when a traffic crash happens along that stretch of road and appliances from Maryborough start off transmitting on the old network when they're responding before switching to GWN as they get close to the scene (depending on where the crash is).

So the GWN coverage for the gympie area at least is already in place and has been in use for a while now by QFES, maybe that's what they meant?

[Vkfour]

QFRS in Gympie are on analogue, not GWN. This was for the police in Gympie Maryborough and Bundaberg. There is GWN in Gympie but at the moment, it is only used by QAS. QFES are often directed from Maryborough or Bundaberg which are well out of the GWN area. Police are directed from comms centres in Gympie, Bundaberg and Maryborough, (which always has a lot of background office type noise), and from Maroochydore, analogue via Black Mountain. The police officers I was speaking with at the station said, WE are going digital soon but they are staying in the same district, not transferring to Sunshine Coast.

[Vkfour]

They're gone! I was listening last Sunday night, I went away on Monday, and when I returned on Friday, all I heard was silence. Saturday and Sunday were the same. Vale Gympie, Maryborough and Bundaberg police.

[Kazzaw]

Are they using 467-9 still or have they moved onto GWN frequencies? Trunking or conventional

South West region is still analog

[Rob916]

Bundy still active analog.

[Vkfour]

Okay, I was at the police station the other night, (actually at 1.30am), on official business and I asked an officer how he liked his digital radio. He grunted and said that it was okay, but all they can hear is the Sunshine Coast. Therefore, I assume that they are on the GWN seeing as how Gympie is the furtherest north of GWN. This would make sense as there was talk of realigning the regions and districts with Gympie slated to return to the Sunshine Coast District from Wide Bay Burnett. No one knows when that is going to happen though. Maybe it has happened. I was there again this morning, again on official business, but I had to work with flying squad detectives, not our local crew, which I will ask when called next.

[Kazzaw]

I had a feeling they would be doing the same sort of setup as toowoomba - toowoomba city is on the GWN as it's where GWN ends in the way of West and south. Toowoomba regional is still on analogue however still through toowoomba VKR

[Comint]

. . . . toowoomba city is on the GWN as it's where GWN ends in the way of West and south.

The western-most GWN Site is on Bloodwood Hill (south west of Jondaryan), and is about 43 km WNW of the Toowoomba CBD.

The southern-most GWN Site, west of the Great Dividing Range, is on Mt Kent, about 28 km SSW of the Toowoomba CBD, followed by Mt Mallard, WSW of Pittsworth, and about 40km from Toowoomba.

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Comint

[Kazzaw]

Just to update this - I've seen reports on RR forums (of all places) that QPS have begun using P25 Digital (non-trunked) in the Maryborough region (not sure what QPS region this is). Personally I've been hearing a lot of RES techs out on the field testing in south-west over the last 2 weeks. Digital P25 (and encryption) is on the cards soon

[Vkfour]

Gympie, Maryborough and Bundaberg have been moved to North Coast Region. Gympie is already using the GWN.

[bundy96]

The BDB Police radio frequency Is

469.975.