Radio Problems
We've heard and seen the Department is in the process of switching over from "wide band" to "narrow band" radios due to some new fangled FCC regulations. The radio geeks can explain it in the comments if they can keep it simple.
But now we're getting word from some of the zones that have switched over that radios are dying mid-tour on a regular basis. And not just the occasional radio, but upwards of half the radios on a zone dying about 6 hours into the tour.
Someone want to explain? Besides the regular excuses about cheap equipment and low bid contracts for batteries and radios that are three and four generations behind the times we mean.
But now we're getting word from some of the zones that have switched over that radios are dying mid-tour on a regular basis. And not just the occasional radio, but upwards of half the radios on a zone dying about 6 hours into the tour.
Someone want to explain? Besides the regular excuses about cheap equipment and low bid contracts for batteries and radios that are three and four generations behind the times we mean.
Labels: info for the police
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
81 Comments:
Carry matches & make your own Smoke Signals.
Problem solved.
I'm not a radio tech, but the problem shouldnt be the switch from wide to narrow, its more likely the batteries are approaching the end of their useful life. We've had the XTS 5000's about three years now and the batteries, if not reconditioned on a regular basis, begin to go bad. We dont have the necessary equipment to recondition the batteries.
(OT) Obamas friend arrested fro soliciting prostitute! Looks like another demorat caught in sting! Now will Patrick Fitzgerald be allowed to indict VANECKO?
Narrow banding was an FCC requirement since 2001...we're just getting around to it now. Also, narrow banding has no effect on battery life. The batteries are old, they should be replaced. The radios are old, they also should be replaced. And we should have secure encrypted voice commo in this day and age.
true, ive been taking an extra battery with so i can last the tour. our equipment sucks!
Theyre saving long waves for 4G.
Long waves penetrate brick and other materials better.
Im willing to bet in a couple years theyll switch you over to 4G communications devices.
Gee that's exactly what happened in the Chicago Code a few weeks back. Batteries went dead after 6 hours on a 9 hour shift.
Being a radio guy I can say that the wide band radios can still be used as the FCC says the change deadline is January 1, 2013
AND technically they can work interchangeably....with minor degradation.
Battery life is a completely different situation.
"I don't need a fuckin' radio, kid. I'm driving, which means YOU need a radio. And a pen, cuz you'll also be the one writing any reports."
- My First Ghetto FTO, circa 1986
Not to mention the horrible static/clicking sounds that seems to affect about every other radio.
Absolute GARBAGE. PERIOD. END.
Can u stop asking for an ET on zone 13.
Is the switch from wide band to narrow band the reason why me or my partner have to get a new battery 3-4 hours into our tour almost everyday??? Does narrow band use more power?
It would certainly explain a lot instead of cursing out the radio room person from the prior watch for messing up the charging and rotation of batteries.
The narrowbanding just reduces the footprint of the signal so that additional channels can be created in-between. It would have nothing to do with batteries dying any earlier.
As batteries age they tend to last shorter time periods between charging. They can be refreshed with the proper type chargers but those are pretty expensive. Batteries for radios should be replaced after 2 years or so in daily use.
Narrowbanding is not new, but as of January 1, 2013, it has to be completed. www.fcc.gov/narrowbanding has the details and a simple explanation.
It is a simple process, but it involves reprogramming or replacing the radios and repeaters zone by zone.
If done right a narrowbanded channel with the same output power as the previous wideband equipment will have a small loss in coverage, a few percent, but it does not take more power and should not be draining batteries faster. Unless OEMC increased the transmit power on the portables to make up for the projected loss in coverage.
I do not know way the radios are dieing but I know motorola contracted with Chicago communication to replace the connection points on the radio to battery
Are we surprised? Google the model #s and most of us are using discontinued Motorola radios.
The mics are terrible, they are still the size of a brick and channel 5 doesn't work in a lot of areas in the subways according to our Sgts at Special.
The Tac guys have been buying their own radios for years that are half the size of these and they only paid a few hundred bucks for them. What gives? Oh yeah, it's Chicago.
No other excuse, really; it's probably due to poor batteries.
This was happening when we first went to the XTS5000 radio.
We got different batteries and the problem wasn't as bad, although these radios must eat up a lot of power, because they don't seem to last as long as the previous incarnations.
A few months ago our unit got new batteries when we got the radios with both wideband and narrowband channels. These batteries have a blue dot on the label.
The previous batteries that were manufactured in Japan (green printing on the label) seemed to work better. The previous batteries with the black label printing are made in China and don't seem to perform as well.
This shows that as with our new stars (the ones where the letters fall out), you can't "cheap out."
The radios are fine, but will only work as long as well as the battery.
If you're in a unit with lousy batteries, take a spare until they get this safety issue resolved.
rb
The radios dying has nothing to do with "narrow-banned" radios, the batteries have a 1 year life and must be replaced in the XTS 5000's. Narrowbanding basically means that the FCC mandated many years ago, all radio systems must be "narrow-band compliant" by Jan. 1 2013. It squeezes more radio spectrum by condensing frequencies to 12.5 mhz. compared to the 25 mhz. most systems were using. Zone 10 frequency of 460.100 would be 460.1125 for example(12.5 mhz. split). They're not changing too many frequencies, they're reprogramming the radios and checking the box when asked if radio is narrowband...Yes.
"...batteries, if not reconditioned on a regular basis, begin to go bad."
The new chargers supposedly do recondition the batteries; when the LED is yellow, that indicates reconditioning.
They're also supposed to be "smart" batteries/chargers, i.e. they know how much power has been used and will only charge enough to bring the battery to capacity. No "memory" effect as you might get with standard Ni-Cd batteries...if they're the Motorola Impres batteries, that is.
"...we should have secure encrypted voice commo in this day and age."
We can't even get the current shit to work.
Do we really want to add encryption to the mix?
Encryption isn't the answer to our poor COMSEC.
"we should have secure encrypted voice commo in this day and age."
We can't even find the right channel to get R Service, K9 or an ET. Do we really want to make this more complicated??
Somebody call Jennifer Beals and have her demand new radios!
The biggest problem aren't the radios, it is some of the morons at the other end.
Usually the regular zone people are good or very good, some are even great.
The relief people are that for a reason, incompetant and some of them are just plain dangerous.
I won't even get into the call takers and some of the crap they send the cops out on.
These batteries are used 24/7 and never reconditioned and are popped right back in the charger no matter what. They have a finite life span and the CPD goes way beyond what that life span is. They should be replaced at regular intervals but of course that doesn't happen.
They should be using the newest technology batteries that can stand the constant use/charging but those batteries cost more so whatever boss makes the decision will buy the cheaper batteries.
Supt. Ray Kelly of NYPD and his top people are part of the charge in Washington DC to get an unused part of the radio spectrum assigned exclusively to Public Safety use so we can better communicate in, well, emergencies.
Kelly and others are trying to prevent the government auctioning off that spectrum to the highest bidder to be used for commercial interests, iPhones, Droids, iPads tablet computers etc.
Guess who will win? The commercial interests have highly paid lobbyists who can buy the Reps and Senators, Public Safety sucks hind tit, always.
Ever hear of any fire or police boss in Chicago fighting to keep the spectrum for Public Safety?
Me neither.
But Kelly in NY is.
We are a backwater police department in a thoroughly corrupt city in the most corrupt state in the USA. A city that balks at paying it's chosen police superintendent and instead chooses to save money on a lesser individual.
However, nothing is spared in search of graft and wasteful corrupt contracts.
Next time you are stuck in traffic going to a job and find yourself parked next to a crumbling concrete flower box remember the good communication equipment we might have had.
These radios and batteries are what, around only 6 years old? For anyone that only knows these radios...you should have seen the one's they replaced. I think they were probably around 15 years old but at least held a charge.
As far as the battery charge itself goes, it has been a problem since the day we got them. Motorola said in order for them to receive a proper charge, they have to be 100% dead before being placed in the charger.
Motorola has the contract with the city, and I can appreciate saving Illinois jobs because they are based in the northwest suburbs, but they sure do put out some garbage equipment.
It the radios are using Ni-Cads,
Nickle Cadimum, they die because
they develop memory and will not
charge past the amount of juice
left in the battery when they were
take out of the radio. In other
words, they have to be fully
discharged to be fully re-charged.
The CPD should switch to Lithium
Ion or Nickle Metal Hydrite batteries. They have a long life
and can be re-charged at any point
to bring the battery back to a full charge for the next shift.
Thats why I see a lot of guys getting there own radios. The radio is your life line. I agree with them when they say oh well I will take a day rather give my life not being able to call for help! Its become a frequent event..."Squad hold me down my partners radio is dead". These radios cant be trusted, I think I might get my own too.
"I do not know way the radios are dieing but I know motorola contracted with Chicago communication to replace the connection points on the radio to battery"
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Has nothing to do with the batteries lasting 6 hours, they need to be reconditioned using the proper equipment...but in the end they need to be replaced. Chicago Comm is a Motorola company and replacing connections won't help the battery life...just line some pockets....
Chicago code broke this story a couple episodes ago lol
Call the Sup from the Chicago Code, she got them all new radios because theirs kept dying!
"The narrowbanding just reduces the footprint of the signal so that additional channels can be created in-between."
This is correct, however by cramming additional channels into that same amount of radio spectrum creates it's own set of problems.
Unless the City uses a true digital system, good cavity and band pass filters the Intermod is going to be horrible.
This has been an ongoing problem in the commercial part of the spectrum since the conversion started.
As far as needing addition power for the signal passing through bricks and other obstructions. This should not be effected as the frequency and wave length remains the same. The signal simply occupies less space in the spectrum.
Anonymous said...
I do not know way the radios are dieing but I know motorola contracted with Chicago communication to replace the connection points on the radio to battery
I hope the person who wrote the above statement is not a Chicago police officer.
Another issue that we can thank Lover Boy Mike Picardi and the department of fleet management for. What a mess this jag off has made of our fleet of rolling stock as well as our radio communications.
Its also really fun when they're calling you and you're trying to answer but your radio won't transmit and then you have to call the zone and try and tell them before you get red lined. Thank God for cellphones.
Switching to narrow band allows more of a transmission also allows for the gps coordinates to be transmitted..check it out. The radios are probably dying out quicker because they are activating the gps hence the half battery life.
2234 doesn't answer radio domestic assignment on 3rd watch and no red line by beat sgt or watch commander
1st watch got the assignment again
does cpd need supervisors
give dispatcher more control
Are we surprised? Google the model #s and most of us are using discontinued Motorola radios.
---------------------------------
For various reasons, these kinds of radios go obsolete pretty quick. About like cell phones do.
Batteries don't last forever either. In a device like this, it would be expected that the batteries would need replacing after a few years of daily use.
There are some chargers and conditioners that might have extended their service life somewhat, but that would have added cost to the original contract.
In the long run, a technology similar to cell phones will take over and solve most of these issues, more or less permanently, but it will not be real cheap.
It will also require some repeaters be installed in certain locations like subway tunnels and maybe even some buildings.
Can ya hear me now Squad...
Charles said...
Theyre saving long waves for 4G.
Long waves penetrate brick and other materials better.
Im willing to bet in a couple years theyll switch you over to 4G communications devices.
4/07/2011 12:36:00 AM
Apple iPads and iPhones work better than the crap we have.
Anonymous said...
Is the switch from wide band to narrow band the reason why me or my partner have to get a new battery 3-4 hours into our tour almost everyday??? Does narrow band use more power?
It would certainly explain a lot instead of cursing out the radio room person from the prior watch for messing up the charging and rotation of batteries.
4/07/2011 03:10:00 AM
Don't talk so much on the radio and the battery will last longer. how much battery power do you need to 10-4 the job? Then you pretend you are the police, go there, see what you have and handle it. No battery power wasted.
Why the hell can't we just use NiMH or Li-Ion batteries that the department can buy from China by the boatload?
How about how great they work inside a building and they won't transmit. Then you have to take them out of the case and hold them eye level. Give me a short stem so I can pretend to play slicker like the wannabee beat guys on the watch.
Don't take out old batteries,
How to check two way radio battery age:
1: Look for the 3 digit date code on the front of your battery.
2: The 1st number stands for the year, 2nd and 3rd numbers stand for the week of the year the battery was manufactured.
3: If the date is more than 1.5 years old, you should replace the battery.
4: This battery on the left was made during the week of December 17, 2006, or week 51, 2006.
04/07/2011 01:10:00 PM
"It's also really fun when they're calling you..."
"The Dead-Spot From Hell!"
It was a perfect "WTF" moment when nothing worked worth a shit...
Radios wouldn't transmit but we could hear the zone....
PDT took a shit and went "out of range..."
No signal for the cell phones so no way to call the desk or the city-wide...
The only way to prevent a red-line was repeatedly mashing the emergency button.
Several anxious minutes with the dispatcher going to bits...
Heard from a few other people about some real bad communications dead zones.
The current problem with batteries dying before the end of the tour can be traced to the Department's penchant for buying shit and having it sitting in the warehouse for 3 to 5 years only to finally issue it when it's fucking obsolete already.
"Y'all got's new shit so stop complaining!"
Fuck that... Everybody should be pissing an imperial, crown wearing bitch when it comes to officer safety.
It's bad enough people think Patrolmen are disposable as it is...
O/T...
We see our unwelcome trespasser jpw is still lingering like a dog-fart trying to get his misshapen mug in front of a camera. Just an evil, self-congratulating prick...
Why didn't you release the morale survey? Ya prick!
Why so many UNSOLVED MURDERS OF POLICE OFFICERS ON YOUR WATCH? Ya prick!
Strap yourself to the lie-box and answer that shit before you go revolving your dentures about the Koschman witnesses being put on the lie-box.
jpw is a gump, a buster and a poo'-butt...
Anonymous said...
Thats why I see a lot of guys getting there own radios. The radio is your life line. I agree with them when they say oh well I will take a day rather give my life not being able to call for help! Its become a frequent event..."Squad hold me down my partners radio is dead". These radios cant be trusted, I think I might get my own too.
4/07/2011 09:25:00 AM
Where can I get my own radio?
Charles said...
Theyre saving long waves for 4G.
Long waves penetrate brick and other materials better.
4/07/2011 12:36:00 AM
The waves won't penetrate the tin foil inter galactic anti-matter wave shield I wear underneath my CPD watch cap. It is made according to plans given to me by the Prince of the Remulons as we sought to escape the gravitational pull of the Klingon mothership.
Live well and prosper.
I never understood why the city doesn't put a charger in each car so thet can charge while out on the street? Wouldn't this make more sense then having a large number of cars to all go down at the same time to go exchange batteries.
I'm hopeing that someone in charge is reading this and can throw this idea at someone that might be able to run with it.
i thought that the sup solved this on the chicago code
Encryption isn't the answer to our poor COMSEC.
4/07/2011 08:44:00 AM
I don't believe the term COMSEC can even be used regarding our comm systems. It's not an afterthought, is a noteventhought!
LADIES AND GENTLEPEOPLE>>>If I know nothing else,....I KNOW it's the doublevascularrebustible recepticle, that gives the canootin valve an inferior ability to propensicrate at the diggamens thats required to modulate at this circumspect!....and I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT.......
Somebody call Jennifer Beals and have her demand new radios!
4/07/2011 08:52:00 AM
Oh, you just want her to personally hand you a new`radio, like she did on the show.
I thought we had a Police Captain at 911 taking care of all the radio problems.
Could it be that he is just there hiding out and collecting a Captains salary doing nothing ?
I've been taking out an extra battery for months. Even if I'm driving and my partners on the radio all night, the second a click in the radio chirps.
Anonymous said...
Can u stop asking for an ET on zone 13.
4/07/2011 02:14:00 AM
u bet
Look at the Captain who is in charge of the program, no wonder it is fucked up.
>>>Anonymous 4/07/2011 01:40:00 PM
said...
Switching to narrow band allows more of a transmission also allows for the gps coordinates to be transmitted..check it out. The radios are probably dying out quicker because they are activating the gps hence the half battery life.<<<
Buy a roll of aluminum foil and wrap the radio with a minimum of 12 to 15 layers. If there is any foil left over, add as many layers as you can to the inside of your uniform cap.
Oh, you just want her to personally hand you a new`radio, like she did on the show.
4/07/2011 07:12:00 PM
who wouldn't?
"The radios dying has nothing to do with "narrow-band" radios, the batteries have a 1 year life and must be replaced in the XTS 5000's. Narrowbanding basically means that the FCC mandated many years ago, all radio systems must be "narrow-band compliant" by Jan. 1 2013. It squeezes more radio spectrum by condensing frequencies to 12.5 mhz. compared to the 25 mhz. most systems were using. Zone 10 frequency of 460.100 would be 460.1125 for example(12.5 mhz. split). They're not changing too many frequencies, they're reprogramming the radios and checking the box when asked if radio is narrowband...Yes."
--4/07/2011 08:33:00 AM
I think you mean 12.5 kHz channel separation for the new system, and 25 kHz separation for the old way.
kHz -- kiloHertz, thousands of Hertz
mHz -- megaHertz, millions of Hertz.
Used to be called kilocycles and megacycles, KC and MC.
--The Radio Bug
Where can I get my own radio?
**********
eBay?
"I do not know way the radios are dieing but I know motorola contracted with Chicago communication to replace the connection points on the radio to battery
"I hope the person who wrote the above statement is not a Chicago police officer."
--4/07/2011 11:42:00 AM
He or she is probably a fine officer who's a little tired, or txting under a lousy pool car dome light that hasn't worked in three years. Relax.
Yeah, like everyone says, nickel cadmiums, nicads, are pretty much history -- can't sell 'em to anyone but a big city on a no-bidder. (grin). The lithium-ion (3 volts per cell -- MUST USE CORRECT CHARGER!) or NiMH -- nickel metal hydride cells have much less memory effect.
Tired now myself, have a few more battery tips but it'll have to wait.
God bless and stay safe.
"...we should have secure encrypted voice commo in this day and age."
We have officers that can not speak clearly into the fucking radio. Lets fix the important stuff first, then go on to radios.
07apr11. 3rd time today I had to change out batteries. WTF
Could someone explain why they changed the primary channel on every radio from the number 1 to the dial number that matches the zone number your on?
It was much safer to be able to check if you were on position 1 and switched to A without even looking at the radio. Now you have to pull the radio out and look to see what number it was bumped to!
It was also way too easy when the citywides were on the "C", (as in citywide),switch and the numbers on the dial matched the citywide numbers.
Was there any real purpose to change the radio dial numbers or was it just some inlaw's job to rethink a problem that never was and stay off the street????
This reminds me of the guys who complain the department does not supply them enough practice ammo.
A battery charger and a couple of spare batteries are not real expensive. If you think there is a problem of enough magnitude to make it an issue, just buy some yourself and keep them around in case you need to swap them out.
Or better yet, just make a point of going back to change it as necessary. You more or less get paid by the hour whether you are out doing useful police work or going to get a fresh battery. If you need to get a fresh battery, just go do it. Not any different really than going to refuel or stopping to take a leak.
You are not much use if you cannot be reached on your radio anyway.
Not a cop.
"does cpd need supervisors
give dispatcher more control"
You’re kidding, right kid?
Dispatcher’s job is to subsidize the Field Supervisor. Give out the job in a timely matter, monitor locations. Unfortunately, the replacing of Patrolmen with civilians who haven't clue #1 what it is like on the street has been bad practice. Most dispatchers think they are above reproach and if you knew anything, just try to file a beef against one of them and it is harder to get that through than getting through the front door.
Regarding monitoring job assignments for "fairness", that is the job of the Field Supervisor. A "fairness" that has to be handled gingerly as heaven forbid a Sgt tries to have some-one disciplined and is subsequently overwritten by the W/C.
Finally, your complaint is the same as so many, but so many are guilty of the same--ride jobs out to avoid others, make friends with dispatchers so they don't give you the nasty jobs, etc. How do you alleviate these problems, you ask? Let Sgt's be Sgt's with W/Cs and D/Cs backing them up when they want to discipline the strokes who abuse the system and hide behind the union. But don't think the dispatchers are the solutions, especially the ones who fall asleep on the job, the ones who can't pronounce street names or talk with marbles in their mouths, and my favorite--"stand by" because the dispatcher can't talk and type at the same time.
Regarding the equipment, it is only as good as you treat it and we all know what hi respect so many members of this Department have for it or each other for that matter.
Why is it we have a Captain in charge of radios?
I thought we were short of Captains?
They have a tech out in the field taking apart radios and cleaning the contacts and whatever else needs to be done. He has been in 24 for 2 weeeks.
batteries maybe old, but if all 3 watches don't have a system in place...least charged to the left, fully charged to the right, and they take batteries from the left....well
Remember when Jody Weis, aka J-Fled and all the rest said, "If you give a Chicago Cop a gold brick he'll complain how heavy it is."
Jody was not the first to say that. It comes from generations of the ways Chicago treats it Cops. Never in the history of this city did we ever get first pick of anything. Never did we ever get across the board "state of the art' tech anything for the troops on the street.
Superintendent Timmy O'Connor use to return unspent money to the
city to enhance his position. This while our predecessors had to beg, borrow and steal things like office furniture, supplies and typewriters from the Board of Education.
Always we got what was left over, garage sale crap that was unloaded on us while the politicians pocketed the "campaign contributions".
Our in-car computer system as well as our land based system is a cobbled together patchwork with pieces that were never designed to work together.
Stay Safe, and if you need to call for help, don't bother with anything except your location, LOCATION! L O C A T I O N! In as loud and clear of a voice as you can manage. We will figure it out when we get there.
"Anonymous said...
Anonymous said...
I do not know way the radios are dieing but I know motorola contracted with Chicago communication to replace the connection points on the radio to battery
I hope the person who wrote the above statement is not a Chicago police officer.
4/07/2011 11:42:00 AM" Why???
That modification may be so we can use a different, better battery on the same radio.
Where can I get my own radio?
**********
eBay?
4/08/2011 01:16:00 AM
--
Yeah, ask to post that info HERE, on this very PRIVATE blog that NO ONE reads.
You find out on your OWN, junior. And you always remember that, if caught with one, you're going to take a day, or five, for having it.
I had my own for a few years and it was a relief. But you better remember to sign out a CPD radio every day, regardless, or they'll figure you out in a minute. (The point may be moot, anyway, cuz once they correlate radios to GPS, you're screwed.)
And, you do know, every time you transmit, you send your radio number to 911. What happens when they realize only YOU never transmit a CPD readio number?
The new radios have gps trackers.
LADIES AND GENTLEPEOPLE>>>If I know nothing else,....I KNOW it's the doublevascularrebustible recepticle, that gives the canootin valve an inferior ability to propensicrate at the diggamens thats required to modulate at this circumspect!....and I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT.......
4/07/2011 06:28:00 PM
LOLOLOLOLoLoLOL!!! Yup, you know a bunch of nothin'! LOLoL! That is too funny!
Narrow banding is mandated by the FCC and the deadline for compliance is 01JAN13. The previous comments equating narrow banding with channel spacing are not entirely accurate. Until recently, all of our zones and city-wides utilized signals that were 12.5 hertz wide. As the department makes the transition to narrow band, our zones and city-wides will still be centered on the same frequencies, however, the signals will be 6.25 hertz wide. A narrower signal is weaker and the city chose to have the radios adjusted to transmit more watts to compensate, thus the recent change in battery life. The department uses Ni-Cad batteries because they are less expensive than the better alternatives. If the department was willing to spend more money on essential equipment, they could purchase Nickel metal hydride batteries or even lithium-ion batteries, both of which would have a significantly longer discharge time. Additionally, some have noticed more interference on the zones that have switched to narrow band. This is due to the fact that the squelch levels for radios and repeaters have been tuned to be more sensitive to receive the weaker narrow band signals.
For the conspiracy theorists out there: Cellular companies are not competing for radio frequency spectrum in the UHF T-Band range that we utilize. Narrow banding also has nothing to do with GPS. With the vehicle mounted cameras and GPS units currently in use, the department is already nearly capable of performing a colonoscopy without your consent.
How many HAM radio and/ or commercially licensed FCC guys in the department have any input with equipment purchasing???
Chirp, Chirp, -- thought so!
Chirp, Chirp, -- thought so!
4/08/2011 10:32:00 PM
uh, time to switch batteries.
Anonymous said...
>>>Anonymous 4/07/2011 01:40:00 PM
said...
Switching to narrow band allows more of a transmission also allows for the gps coordinates to be transmitted..check it out. The radios are probably dying out quicker because they are activating the gps hence the half battery life.<<<
Buy a roll of aluminum foil and wrap the radio with a minimum of 12 to 15 layers. If there is any foil left over, add as many layers as you can to the inside of your uniform cap.
4/07/2011 09:42:00 PM
I did that. I can get Minneapolis FM radio now through my dental implants.
Just buy your own radio and code it out if it that much of an issue. It's bad enough gps is in the cars, I would not be to worry about gps or tracker on a portable radio considering the fact that its off sightly off anyway. Either that or take a crap load of spares and throw them in the trunk of the squad. That's one way to make them buy new ones, what happen to the old ones, oh they died. Or better yet buy your own batteries for your duty gear.
Another necessary evil of the job because someone can firgure out an easy solution for something so simple
The XTS 5000 doesn't have a GPS receiver. Perhaps there will be one in whatever they give you next, but for now the only GPS is in your cars. Don't believe me, read the specs:
http://j.mp/et4GcQ
(The guy who says they can recognize a non-CPD radio is correct, the radio digitally IDs itself each time you transmit. Unless you have a pal in the radio shop who changes that ID for you...)
The decreased battery life is probably a programming error on the part of whoever did the narrowband switch--it may be in the handheld's programming, or it may be in the dispatchers' equipment. To save the battery, the unit turns off its radio receiver, waking it up on a regular schedule to check for traffic. Wake up too often, and it uses more power.
You don't want to charge the radio each time you return to the car. That will quickly wreck the NiCD batteries you have in your radios. (The lithium ones in your phones? No problem.)
The commenters talking about moving to "4G" are more right than they know. Several cell carriers are deploying a new technology called "LTE" as their "4G" data system. The industry is strongly proposing basing the next generation of public service radios on... LTE. The folks in Schaumburg and their Swedish partners are betting large on it:
http://j.mp/hnWqEA
This has been a chronic problem for Milwaukee PD. Check with the union there.
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