arriva buses kent and medway

[trainspotter375]

hi, i noticed a few arriva buses now being fitted with radios at gillingham northfleet etc, no idea what system it is, whether digital or analoge, busses have the old cb mic type thingy above their heads, anyone know anymore, system freq etc

[morgan306]

I've not seen them but I'd be keen to know too as I'm in Kent. Can you get a picture of one?

[trainspotter375]

this is the base unit, think the mobile is shut away in an overhead locker as only thing on show is the ZKMC-30 mic can you tell if its digital or clear analoge by the pic?

[scanking1]

Apparently it's provided by our old friends Fleetcomm.

Or should I now say "London Radio Networks" / LRN.

Apparently all the Band 3 assets were siezed by HMRC due to fraud, so they have now gone over to Nexedge because it was the cheapest thing out there for them.

[trainspotter375]

Hi Scanking1, thanks for that, found some old frequency listings for london radio network around the 177-182 band, am i likely to pick these up on a uniden 3500 or would it be scrambled?

[scanking1]

It is a new nexedge system on 165/170mhz.

If you look on the WTR you will soon find it, it is running from the bus depot in Gravesend.

They also have some about 8 other sites on this new nexedge system, some new to LRN, others are old favourites come back up again.

Old sites such as Farnham, Tunbridge Wells back on air on Nexedge.

New ones at Harlow, Southend, suchlike.


I am surprised they are still having a go - Push to Talk systems have a huge MotoTRBO network going now and Maxxwave have their Ambitalk lowband network covering from Nottinghamshire to Dover. Odd at this late hour that they should think there is still some life in it.

I think it was a back-hander for them to get this Arriva contract. But it's probably all they do have.

It's been going on for ages also - was on Band 3 originally, but then all their Band 3 equipment may be siezed by HMRC so they have no choice but to go Nexedge as previously mentioned.

[phillmobile]

How would you get a photo of the base radio and the bus radio microphone unless you are an employee and thus would know about the radio ?

[thelad]

Iv worked for a bus company, aint got a clue what radios they used, i expect the drivers are in the same boat.

[phillmobile]

I notice they have many simplex licenses they must be pairing up with hire channels and then using the licensed ones for the inputs.

[trainspotter375]

can someone show me some pointers how to find the details on the wtr as having no luck finding anything. thanks

[scanking1]

It is licensed to "Minc Webb". Graham Webb is the contact. Graham Webb was/is the salesman for LRN (London Radio Networks) and Fleetcomm.

Search for between 165 and 175mhz in the SE and it comes up. However you will have a load of rubbish to sift through first.

They seem to have quite a few sites which tallies with the Arriva SE coverage area. Probably all running well beyond the -104dBm limit that Ofcom give you, so they will get loads of co-channel interference and potentially give lots of interference to other users.

Another 6.25khz NXDN system recently had to turn down their power because their mobiles were going so far and giving problems to another system miles away once the vehicles drove over there, so the entire advantage of NXDN was lost.

[phillmobile]

Well who ever these people are the read Hello magazine

[phillmobile]

Ah right ok this company looks to have shut down already

[ambitalker]

not possible is it tell us more my friend is doing some work for them he wont be happy

[phillmobile]

Any one wanting salacious gossip should read the Hello magazine under the radio !