New radio tower improves Vance land-radio system Published Jan. 9, 2014 By Senior Airman Frank Casciotta 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The new 150-foot radio tower near the Baker Gate is part of a new Enhanced Land Mobile Radio system Air Education and Training Command bases are testing before it goes Air Force-wide. The new state-of-the-art system upgrades the ground-to-ground communications used here to the current standard in land mobile radio systems. "With the old system each channel had its own frequency, so if we needed a new channel we would have to get approval through the Federal Communications Commission, which could take up to a year," said Tim Larsen, a personal-wireless communication systems specialist with PAE, Vance's support contractor. The new system is a bank of eight channels that everyone on the base shares, making it seamless to the user. "Let's say someone makes a call on channel eight. The next call they make could be on channel seven and they won't even notice, because the channels switch themselves as operators use them," said Larsen. The nearly $1 million system also offers 200 "talk groups," which are like a new frequency. But instead of waiting a year, technicians can get one up in a matter of hours. "This system also has twice as much power, greatly increasing the range," said Larsen. "We had some dead spots -- like basements -- on base. With this increase in power we now have crystal clear communications in those locations." Over the last two years technicians at Vance have upgraded the ground communications equipment to make them compatible with the new system. The system is scheduled for implementation sometime in February.