Understanding Fleetnet and the Conv channels left?

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Inssomniak

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Im trying to understand how the trunked bell fleetnet for OPP works, as well as the conventional channels listed on this site. (Canada-Ontario) (NOR)

I have programmed in the conventional frequencies, some VHF and some 400 mhz channels to see what was on them, and to my surprise I find a lot of traffic both digital and analog. I don't know if the frequencies overlap frequencies in the trunked fleetnet, so Im just picking up ones close to me, but it also seems that 2 OPP officers are talking to each other but alternating from 400 mhz analog, to VHF digital.?

Im still new to this. And after a solid week, Im still unsure how this all works. The NOR frequencies are the same as bell fleetnet trunked frequencies for my area, is the NOR system not used at all around my area? What about these 400 mhz frequencies?

What is a media access channel?

Sorry for n00b questions :(
 

IdleMonitor

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Fleetnet activity from the digital system (OPP) you will hear on the VR (Vehicle Repeater) Channels. They're always analog and is usually the same as the home talkgroup as to what's on fleetnet. You may hear the OPS tg, but not necessarily a TAC tg, unless they're on the TAC and the VR is turned on and they're close enough to you.

Fleetnet does use the same frequencies as the old NOR system, which area are you in? because with the NOR frequencies, you may be losing the old system soon to the new system, in which case, you'll have to get a trunking scanner.

Media access ch. is only used in and around the Toronto area I believe.

I'm sure someone else can chime in here and give a bit better explanation of things.

Inssomniak said:
Im trying to understand how the trunked bell fleetnet for OPP works, as well as the conventional channels listed on this site. (Canada-Ontario) (NOR)

I have programmed in the conventional frequencies, some VHF and some 400 mhz channels to see what was on them, and to my surprise I find a lot of traffic both digital and analog. I don't know if the frequencies overlap frequencies in the trunked fleetnet, so Im just picking up ones close to me, but it also seems that 2 OPP officers are talking to each other but alternating from 400 mhz analog, to VHF digital.?

Im still new to this. And after a solid week, Im still unsure how this all works. The NOR frequencies are the same as bell fleetnet trunked frequencies for my area, is the NOR system not used at all around my area? What about these 400 mhz frequencies?

What is a media access channel?

Sorry for n00b questions :(
 

jellotor

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Jan 6, 2004
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Hamilton, ON
IdleMonitor said:
Fleetnet activity from the digital system (OPP) you will hear on the VR (Vehicle Repeater) Channels. They're always analog and is usually the same as the home talkgroup as to what's on fleetnet. You may hear the OPS tg, but not necessarily a TAC tg, unless they're on the TAC and the VR is turned on and they're close enough to you.

Fleetnet does use the same frequencies as the old NOR system, which area are you in? because with the NOR frequencies, you may be losing the old system soon to the new system, in which case, you'll have to get a trunking scanner.

Media access ch. is only used in and around the Toronto area I believe.

I'm sure someone else can chime in here and give a bit better explanation of things.

Well, just as an addition to your VR info...those vehicular repeaters are what the OPP use to allow their portables to work on Fleetnet. Typically when on scene an officer will activate his/her vehicular repeater and use the portable...the VR then repeats the traffic to/from the talkgroup on the trunked system. The same principle applies to BEAT, URBAN and Queen's Park repeaters but on a larger scale: they're all for use in areas where officers patrol on foot, away from cruisers and thus use portables.

The media access channels are somewhat misnamed in my opinion. I've only ever heard requests for the first available tow to attend a given scene sent out on those channels and usually only in the GTA as mentioned before.

Most of the conventional SIM channels listed in the database are in use at one point or another. Others can say for sure but I believe the OPP radios are programmed with those channels as a matter of course. Of all the conventional channels, SIM 11 is the handiest as it is used as a backup channel if there are any problems with Fleetnet or maintenance occuring on the system and the OPP chopper also uses SIM 11.

As for the NOR system, Zone 1 and 2 are switched to Fleetnet and I believe Zone 3 is in the process so NOR is as good as dead and the frequencies are being recycled into Fleetnet in southern and eastern Ontario.
 

Inssomniak

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Oct 25, 2006
Messages
74
IdleMonitor said:
Fleetnet activity from the digital system (OPP) you will hear on the VR (Vehicle Repeater) Channels. They're always analog and is usually the same as the home talkgroup as to what's on fleetnet. You may hear the OPS tg, but not necessarily a TAC tg, unless they're on the TAC and the VR is turned on and they're close enough to you.

Fleetnet does use the same frequencies as the old NOR system, which area are you in? because with the NOR frequencies, you may be losing the old system soon to the new system, in which case, you'll have to get a trunking scanner.

Media access ch. is only used in and around the Toronto area I believe.

I'm sure someone else can chime in here and give a bit better explanation of things.


Thx for the reply.. Im in an area that has gone full digital, and have a digital trunking scanner, but just for the sake that I thought I might be missing something, I added in those conventional channels, so its safe to say that Ill get everything by programming the bell fleetnet trunking system in, and leaving out the conventional systems?
 

jellotor

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Jan 6, 2004
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Location
Hamilton, ON
No, you'll get all the traffic that's on Fleetnet and none of the traffic that's on the sim channels. They're separate in the sense that though (I believe) all or most of the OPP radios have the sim channels programmed they're not normally used in conjunction with Fleetnet.

What you are missing on the conventional sim channels depends on your location, your antenna and all the other usual conditions. I leave the conventional channels programmed in one of my scanners just so that they're available to me...but I don't always hear traffic on them and sometimes its encrypted.
 

als_medic

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Jan 14, 2005
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jellotor said:
As for the NOR system, Zone 1 and 2 are switched to Fleetnet and I believe Zone 3 is in the process so NOR is as good as dead and the frequencies are being recycled into Fleetnet in southern and eastern Ontario.

NOR is alive and well in North Western Ontario.
 
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