The Customer

Fire and Police services in four Southern Idaho counties - Lincoln, Gooding, Jerome and Twin Falls - decided to improve communications and reduce costs by consolidating to just one despatch system.

The Challenge

The Services chose a TaitNet Quasi-Sync Simulcast system that simultaneously broadcasts from many transmitters on the same frequency. The users of these emergency services' mobile radios are spread across a large area and with the simulcast system they all have access to the same radio channel.

Traditional simulcast systems can be expensive to buy and maintain because precise control of the transmitters is required to receive anundistorted audio signal in coverage overlap areas. Over time the transmitter frequencies drift and the audio signals that modulate the transmitters have to be corrected.

The Solution

The TaitNet QS system has key advantages over traditional technology. It uses advanced computer technology to virtually eliminate servicing. TaitNet QS uses high stability oscillators to maintain a very stable transmitter frequency. Digital signal processing based Line Equaliser Modules that route audio to each transmitter, analyse the characteristics of the neighbouring transmitter and automatically adapt their own signal to match.

The new system provides high audio quality as well as coverage to areas not previously reached. Tait North America, in conjunction with dealer Teton Communications, installed a four-channel system with a total of 20 sites for the emergency services in Southern Idaho.

  • One is a Police data channel (five sites)
  • One channel for Fire voice despatch (six sites)
  • Two are Police voice despatch channels: one for the northern area (five sites) and one for the southern area (four sites)

The network uses 45 Tait base stations/repeaters across the four counties.

For more information

QS² Simulcast Systems

A cost-effective, dependable communications solution for mobile staff spread over a wide area.