P25 vs Analog

[wuzafuzz]

Posted on Facebook by CAP COMM (Lt Col Marek I believe):

"Are you using P25 digital for your VHF-FM communications on missions? If not, why not? (That is a rhetorical question, because you SHOULD be.)"

I weighed in immediately.  If I "get retired" before my vacation is over you'll know what happened!   

So what do all you CAP Talkers think?  If you are on Facebook...go for it!  I'd love to learn what everyone else is doing, what is working, and why.

http://www.facebook.com/CAP.COMM

Edit: Added link.

[RADIOMAN015]

Posted on Facebook by CAP COMM (Lt Col Marek I believe):

"Are you using P25 digital for your VHF-FM communications on missions? If not, why not? (That is a rhetorical question, because you SHOULD be.)"


So what do all you CAP Talkers think?  If you are on Facebook...go for it!  I'd love to learn what everyone else is doing, what is working, and why.

http://www.facebook.com/CAP.COMM

Edit: Added link.

We us NFM mode and not P25.  The aircraft still don't have P25 capability so why do we want to be switching around between ground teams (that likley only have NFM portables anyways) and air using different modes. 

HOWEVER, in high RF areas, P25 mode tends to significantly reduce the interference.  We at the squadron test P25 mode every week with one of our border wing's net.

P25 mode is not a secure mode anyways, it's just another mode.  It may work better at times than NFM mode. In fringe area comms, P25 mayl not work at all.

Perhaps AF would be willing to fund us driving around with the squadron van and trying both NFM & P25 modes from various locations through the repeater as well as some simplex testing.

RM   

[Thunder]

P25 is great on a sunny day. Analog rules in poor conditions. Leave it to the CUL to decide what band to use on a mission, but the decision isn't hard. Anyone who has experience with the digitals knows that interference = garbled.

[CommGeek]

We should all be in 'Mixed' mode.  Its a hybrid between the two.

[lordmonar]

Who was he talking to?

As a GTL and aircrew I use what ever the radio and repeater is programmed for.

If "we" (read that as CAP) should already be swapped over to P25...then it is CAP COMM that is screwed up not the rank and file.

[desertengineer1]

P25 is great on a sunny day. Analog rules in poor conditions. Leave it to the CUL to decide what band to use on a mission, but the decision isn't hard. Anyone who has experience with the digitals knows that interference = garbled.

Actually, we've experienced quite the opposite.  P25 has proven to be very robust.  You do have loss of sync when another station steps over another, but it recovers pretty quickly (about 250 ms).

We're seeing about a 10% increase in range, noise is gone (as it should be).

Our main problem is aircraft.  Bigger missions with air assets are an issue.  Our TDFM's still have the old firmware, and we're still about 70% NAT's.  Ground operations are working well.  We just can't go P25 when airplanes are involved.

Of course, all of our heavy hitter comm experts are neck deep in the repeater upgrades.  P25 is low priority.

[Eclipse]

I agree - and the idea that a field asset should know or care about P25, mixed, mode, or what frequency the repeater is on is misguided at best.

ES operators need big-button devices that just "work" - and when they don't, a technician looks at it, fixes or exchanges it, and hands the device back to the operator.

You guys think the average street cop or firefighter knows or cares what frequency his radio is on?  No - he turns the big know to the number and gets back to the real job.

[KyCAP]

We us NFM mode and not P25.  The aircraft still don't have P25 capability so why do we want to be switching around between ground teams (that likley only have NFM portables anyways) and air using different modes. 

RM

All aircraft in Ky Wing have P25 compliant radios.  This is a problem to be solved by your LOGISTICS officer in your wing, not the COMM officer.   Aircraft radios and their management are attached to the aircraft hence logistics.  All your wing comm officer can do is PROGRAM the radio.  All of our handhelds are P25 as well.

[CAP.is.1337]

There are still a large number of analog-only radios in the wing, so it can be tough to use during large activities/exercises.