Thursday, June 17, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
NHP radio system hits glitches
By BRIAN HAYNES
REVIEW-JOURNAL
The Nevada Highway Patrol moved one step closer to a legal radio system last week when it switched Las Vegas operations to a statewide communications system.
But the switch has had its hitches.
In some areas, troopers have experienced problems with radio coverage, dropped calls and clarity, leading to grumbling in the ranks.
However, it's only a matter of time before technicians fix the bugs and the new system's superiority becomes apparent, said trooper Dean Buell, president of the Nevada Highway Patrol Association.
"Once the system is up to full par, this is going to be the ... Cadillac of radio systems," Buell said.
Since switching to the new system June 9, troopers have been tracking problems so technicians can fix them, said Capt. Chris Perry, who is coordinating the change in Southern Nevada.
In some rural areas, troopers have made conflicting reports about radio troubles, making the problems tougher to solve, he said.
Until the problems are solved, troopers will continue using their old systems as backup, he said.
The patrol had to abandon its 150-megahertz radio system because the agency never got licenses to operate on the system's frequencies. The Federal Communications Commission, which regulates radio frequencies, ordered the Highway Patrol to get off the frequencies or face massive fines.
The patrol has yet to hear whether it will be fined, Perry said.
With nearly $10 million in new equipment from M/A-Com, the patrol joined the Nevada Shared Radio System, a statewide network run by the Department of Transportation.
That system runs on 800 megahertz, which will give the new radios better range and clarity, Buell said.
It also allows troopers to talk to each other across the state. Troopers in the Reno-area switched to the new system several months ago.
"Most troopers really don't care" about the technology, Buell said. "They just want it to work."
That's what Perry wants, too.
"I'm not going to put my officers in jeopardy," he said, adding he will keep the old system running until he's comfortable with the new system.
The old Motorola equipment eventually will be sold to recoup some of the $14 million it cost to install just three years ago.
