Police radio triggers a wet problem

All was going well with the testing of a new police communication system in the Texas cities of Cedar Hill, DeSoto and Duncanville, until it was found to be producing an unwanted side-effect in the city of Plano some 30 miles away.

The police transmissions have been setting off an expensive network of radio-controlled sprinklers used for parks and road median strips.

Worse still, the issue took on a life of its own through radio talk-back programs and other media outlets trying to point blame for the technical hitch.

Then came news that the new emergency system also interfered with radio equipment that monitored the levels of three water towers.

Attempts to find a mutually agreed solution appear to have failed so it is off to the Federal Communications Commission for a determination.


Jim Linton VK3PC

Wireless Institute of Australia