ScanDiego.com

1.) This item is for informational briefing only. On the next board meeting in May,2023, a request will be presented to the NextGen RCS Board to approve a Policy to require all primary system use talkgroups on the RCS to be converted to P25 Phase 2 by December 2025. Primary system use talkgroups are talkgroups that are in excess of 1000 calls per month.

Staff background: On February 10, 2016, the RCS Board approved a Policy to require all newly purchased P25 radios for use on the RCS to be equipped for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 operation. RCS has allowed time for customers to upgrade or replace legacy radio equipment. To increase the capacity of the system and prepare for future system growth, December 2025 has been selected as the date to transition primary talkgroups to P25 Phase 2 operation. By updating this primary system use talkgroups to P25 Phase 2, the RCS system has projected 40 to 45% capacity increase. The system averages 4M calls per month so this update would conservatively increase system capacity to over 5.6M calls a month without increasing infrastructure or operating cost.
The policy is intended to inform all Primary system use talkgroups that all subscriber radio equipment on the system must operate in Phase 2 TDMA modes by December 2025. An advisory informing the user agencies of this new policy will be distributed after the adoption by the RCS Board.

https://www.rcs800mhz.org/home/showpubl ... 2453596310

Great info Brian.

Phase 2 is very seductive for system managers as you double the number of simultaneous voice transmissions without adding any base stations, combiner legs, or antennas. If your tower loading is maxed out, it's even more attractive. Everybody gets grumpy when they get a busy tone. I can't prove it by scientific measurement but there seem to be more "repeat your last"s with Phase 2. Professional equipment reproduces the audio pretty well but there is a difference. I was happy to see one of the giant systems in northern California adding base stations to their Phase 1 system instead of "going over" to Phase 2.