[FedCom] 282.425

Thu, 26 Dec 2002 16:28:24 -0600

Virtually all of the cellular providers to include NEXTEL have
programmed their systems for a major "emergency."  When this occurs,
your cell phone and my cell phone will be deleted off the system.  Only
authorized users will be allowed, i.e., police, fire and whoever else
the provider got together with and made their decision.  Prevents the
system from shutting down and allows essential traffic.

Of course we all know that when a really major disaster happens, the
only thing that will most likely be working is an amateur radio VHF or
UHF repeater.  Cellular systems are incredibly sensitive, right up there
with trunked systems.  

[email protected] wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 12/26/2002 1:04:38 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> [email protected] writes:
> 
> > From: "Blaine Brooks" <[email protected]>
> > To: <[email protected]>
> > Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2002 17:27:39 -0600
> > Subject: [FedCom] Re: 282.425
> > Reply-To: [email protected]
> >
> >
> > After having used NEXTEL in a business
> > environment (no I'm not a federal worker),
> > I would have to say I agree with earlier posts
> > that I would certainly not want it as my primary
> > means of communications, with all the system
> > busy signals you can get, especially in a life
> > threatening situation. Why a government agency
> > would throw away a perfectly good VHF/UHF
> > radio system for this, IMO, is pure stupidity. But
> > of course, we all know the government hasn't
> > always had a clear level of intelligence, has it?
> >
> >
> > Blaine Brooks
> > Flower Mound, Tx.
> 
>    It's pure stupidity to not consider the gov't (at least agencies involved
> with potential "life threatening" situations) might have a higher precedence
> of iDEN access for their Nextels, and to think that agencies have "thrown
> away a perfectly good VHF/UHF radio system" & replaced it with Nextels.
> 
>   Nextel is nice because their prevalence in society means you don't attract
> the same attention as you would talking into your sleevecuff or holding a
> relatively huge Saber III in your hand, are capable of Level I crypto, aren't
> really going to trigger an Opto Scout, the surveillance target isn't going to
> see/hear a full-strength signal on the traditional repeater input &
> comprehend what it could mean, and scanner geeks here aren't going to be able
> to post things like "I heard a cool FLEA operation on 162.475MHz here in West
> Overtown, but I ain't gonna tell you about it cuz it's sensitive stuff & I'm
> a patriotic, responsible guy" (as if there won't be other potentially
> sensitive ops on the freq he gave away in the future...).   And then of
> course, the Nextel also functions as a portable telephone instrument, pager
> device, etc.
> 
>   "Perfectly good" VHF/UHF land mobile radio capability is still retained,
> yet the usage is more along the lines of close-in, tactical communications on
> simplex mode, so there may be less repeater traffic, which in turn causes
> some people to think that the perfectly good, traditional radio systems have
> been phased out!
> 
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