InterceptRadio.com Forums

Hi All-

In the last couple of months I have heard officers and dispatchers alike mention things like sending each other chat, sounding like they use some kind of instant messaging system. I have a couple of questions that maybe somebody could answer:

1) Do they really use an instant messageing system and if they do is it something COTS like AOL or MSN or something?

2) Are police cars network connected these days? I would imagine if they are using a chat system they must have some kind of network conectivity, how do they do it?

Curious minds want to know.. :) Thanks for any feedback.

-G

Everyonce in a while when a king county Seatac officer is talking on the radio I hear "UHH OHHH" in the background. It sounds just like the incoming message sound from the im program icq.

I wondered if they used that for business or family and friends.
I supose they may have just borrowed the wav file for something else.

That sound your hearing is what it sounds like when we get a message on our MDC's (Mobile Data Computer). So every time someone sends a message you hear that noise and a yellow button flashes on the screen.
Police and fire units use the computers to read about the calls there going on, or to get information about what other units are doing. Some police agencies have chosen to allow internet access over the system. The MDC's work off of the 800 system. So when you hear that sound in the background that officer has just received a message from someone on the system.

So in short yes we have an instant message system thru Tx Messenger and Motorola product. It works over the same 800 system our radios work on, thru a VRM, basically a radio modem.

Hope this helps. I believe almost all police agencies in the area use these and about half of the fire departments.

Thanks Kevin!

Yes I have heard the "Uh Oh" before too, I thought It might have been ICQ as well.. Maybe Motorola "borrowed" that sound from ICQ :) heh.

-G

I was always able to use different sound files for Wavesoft but I have no idea where the sounds for TxMessenger are stored. Anyone know? or are they built into the program.

TX Messenger doesn't appear to get much support from Motorola. This is a program they purchased from another company. When we first installed it on our units we wanted to make some small changes to the layout and what the buttons on the screen did. The only person we could find that would help reprogram some things was down in California. From what we found outside of some minor programming changes you’re very limited in what you can do. I believe at some time in the future we will see a windows based design that we will all go to. So for now were stuck with there sounds.

any idea what Tacoma PD is using, they have different sounds that what everyone is describing... more like a microsoft sound.

User agencies in the Valleycom service area (all of South King County) have the option of using different text messanger programs. Some use the Motorola Text Messenger program. Like one of the previous posts mentioned, this program is THE interface with CAD.

Valleycom uses PRC CAD, which is produced by Northrop Grumman. PRC CAD has their own CAD interface--which you'd think everyone would use, considering the CAD system is by PRC/NG, but some use Motorola's and also some other venders. The Northrop Grumman CAD interface is called PSI Mobile Software--which integrates with the Northrop Grumman CAD System.

Not many agencies use the above mentioned program yet, but Valleycom is most likely going to allow it's use soon.

The City of Bellevue wireless system is being installed now. It will have a car-to-car messaging capability - in an awkward form. The prime Vendor is ARINC, and it has a messaging system that consists of car-to-car only messaging, messaging to all cars, and a "conference room" that can be used for squad-wide meetings (in a rough sense).

It is still in the "testing" phase, and is not completely in place yet. When done, the whole system will have CAD dispatching, WACIC/NCIC/DOL capability, Automatic Vehicle Locating, and in-car report writing.

But..."they" have to work out the ever-present bugs first...

Brad.

_________________
Whatever.....

http://www.arinc.com/products/public_safety/index.html

if you want to peek.

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I generate Board Warnings

I get the impression that ARINC is an integration company - they build the system to your specs using all kinds of different software bundles. The actual Laptop Computer software is a package called PacketCluster made by Cerulean http://www.cisco-ps.com/interfaces/mdt.html, and that package interfaces with the other city systems (CAD, RMS, WACIC/NCIC/DOL, AVL). All different vendors, and all complicated to interface with.

In retrospect, PacketCLUSTER is a rather appropriate name for the system....

Brad.

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Whatever.....

Each different agency uses a different system. In our system, we can customize the sound prompts for different events.

Our system looks a lot like the old mIRC software blended in with our CAD/RMS system.

My login plays the bad boys theme on WACIC/NCIC hits, for example.

Our current system is an AT&T CDPD system, soon to be replaced with GPRS as CDPD is no longer going to be supported by AT&T.