How do MAC channels work?

[poltergeisty]

I heard an ambulance transport a patient from MCR to Lakewood and dispatch had them assigned to a MAC channel. How do the towers relay the transmission all the way down there to Loveland?

Thanks!

 

[n0nhp]

On the DTRS system, If a radio on a talkgroup is affiliated with a tower, the traffic anywhere in the state on any tower on system will be relayed by the "backbone", usually microwave but can be copper, to any other tower with that talkgroup affiliated. With the academy in Delta, I am often listening to traffic from CSP all over the front range. Anytime a Loveland schoolbus brings a team to a game in Grand Junction, I get to hear all about "Johnny isn't on the bus this evening" etc. That is the beauty of the system and the failure of the system. The user doesn't have to worry about what towers he affiliates with and what their coverage is. The administrators have to size the system so they can handle the traffic load when we have supervisors from all over the state monitoring their home talkgroups.
MAC channels are just another talkgroup, if a radio in Loveland is on MAC X and another in Lakewood is on that same MAC, the computer knows it and makes the connection.

Bruce

 

[poltergeisty]

I figured microwave or copper would have something to do with it. Thanks!