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US Sets Up Emergency Multi-Band Radio Project
coondoggie writes "Looking to help eliminate the dangerous and inefficient hodgepodge of communication and network technology used by emergency response personnel, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today said it had picked 14 groups from across the country to pilot an ambitious Multi-Band Radio project.
In 2008, the DHS Science and Technology Directorate awarded a $6.2 million contract to Thales Communications to demonstrate the first-ever portable radio prototype that lets emergency responders — police, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and others — communicate with partner agencies, regardless of the radio band they operate on."
The capabilities described seem to be no greater than (modified) ham radio gear. I simply don't see what all the fuss is about. Commercial products are __far__ cheaper and far easier to assess the bugs, including "birdies". (If you've ever used a spectrum analyser you why there called birdies. :)
Why don't they ask the group who has been using multiband equipment for several decades. Amateur Radio operators. They have radios that operate from below 1 MHz to over 1GHz. They have been doing (without pay) emergency radio communications for a very long time now.
What's wrong with HAM fanatics? They were geeks before geeks were cool. I remember my Dad bouncing radio signals of the Moon. That was cooler than Christmas.
Health Freedom is almost as popular as Freedom itself.
Why don't they ask the group who has been using multiband equipment for several decades. Amateur Radio operators. They have radios that operate from below 1 MHz to over 1GHz. They have been doing (without pay) emergency radio communications for a very long time now.
Because it doesn't involve a really bloated government contract with some DoD favorite that has obscenely paid lobbyists, with state-of-the-art equipment that has serious design issues but lots of shiny digital displays and lights and switches, that you can drop 5 stories and it STILL doesn't work right.
No joke. That's why.
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
Yeah, good luck with that. If it succeeds, it'll be a portable radio that costs $10K. It'll have to license P25 and SmartNet from Motorola, a couple of protocols from EF Johnson, have MPT1324 (The only real open standard in commercial radio), it'll need wide and narrow band coverage of 150, 450, and 800Mhz.
Sure, it can all be done with a DSP based radio, but someone's gotta pay for the Intellectual Property to make them work.
Hey, it's only taken, what, eight years after the radio clusterfuck that was 9/11 for this to happen?
Random Thoughts From A Diseased Mind (Not For Dummies)
I was just thinking that. And this is the same government that people want making their personal health care decisions for them. The same government that issues Social Security checks to dead people, and sends 2 stimulus checks to others. Every time I meet a worshipper of big government, I just want to slap them in their bitch mouth. Want to prevent another 9/11? Allow people with concealed-carry handgun permits to fly with their loaded handguns in the cabin.
Allow people with concealed-carry handgun permits to fly with their loaded handguns in the cabin.
Best idea of the year. Would be hijackers would never think of getting permits and carrying their own handguns!
Yeah, because we all know that terrorists love a challenge and want to dodge bullets from passengers during their hijackings.
News Flash: Those who would harm others tend to go after those who cannot protect themselves, not those who can stop them dead in their tracks.
And this is the same government that people want making their personal health care decisions for them.
You will discover - at a certain age - if not before - that the government and the HMO are making the big decisions for you today.
The same government that issues Social Security checks to dead people, and sends 2 stimulus checks to others
Which - on balance - probably does less harm than the denial of a check to someone still living.
The US population over 65 is about 40 million.
If your employer is "doing business" on that scale - what is his error rate on accounts payable?
Every time I meet a worshipper of big government, I just want to slap them in their bitch mouth. Want to prevent another 9/11? Allow people with concealed-carry handgun permits to fly with their loaded handguns in the cabin.
You believe that big government will get everything wrong but the permit to carry a concealed weapon.
You are sandwiched into your seat - very awkwardly positioned - but still expect to pull off a quick one without killing the hostage.
I think the point is that it would not matter if they did as the number of 'good guys' with guns would be larger than the number of 'bad guys' with guns.
Not really. How many people carry a weapon on them on a daily basis? Not flying, just around town. I've heard estimates of 2%.
So, on a 100 person flight, you might have 2 people. All the bad guys have to do is load up one flight with 4-5 guys. And they have the advantage of timing, coordination, concealment, and fanaticism.