question about racom

[derrek_lee_25]

my brother mentioned it was one big network and if i was in one place i could listen to another place that also uses racom i was wondering how would i do this

[burner50]

Originally Posted by derrek_lee_25

my brother mentioned it was one big network and if i was in one place i could listen to another place that also uses racom i was wondering how would i do this

Well he is sorta right...

It is one big network, but the traffic is only repeated in areas where there are units on that talkgroup.

So if there is a Polk county car in mason city. You would hear that TG in mason city.

At least that's the way I understand it.

[w0fg]

That's about the simplest way to put it. If you have your local site programmed you'll hear the local traffic and on occasions you may hear units from other areas. Some TGs are regularly transmitted on an adjacent site, but that's not a sure thing.

[derrek_lee_25]

that must be why i was picking up scott county today in dubuque

[stummej]

burner50 funny you should pick mason, thats where im from and which does not use racom but motorolla... a good example of traffic being repeated on neighboring sites is waterloo and cedar falls, going to uni i get to hear the scary dark side of waterloo :\

[burner50]

Originally Posted by stummej

burner50 funny you should pick mason, thats where im from and which does not use racom but motorolla... a good example of traffic being repeated on neighboring sites is waterloo and cedar falls, going to uni i get to hear the scary dark side of waterloo :\

Well, That was just an example. I never claimed that Mason City PD Was on Racom.

[mikeydcg2003]

Some of the bigger city towers such as Des Moines, Quad Cities, Marshalltown you can normally hear lots of the network on due to their being lots of racom users there so it appears that all of the talkgroups are repeated on those towers. THe other towers such as the smaller city towers you will normally only hear local traffic

[burner50]

Originally Posted by mikeydcg2003

Some of the bigger city towers such as Des Moines, Quad Cities, Marshalltown you can normally hear lots of the network on due to their being lots of racom users there so it appears that all of the talkgroups are repeated on those towers. THe other towers such as the smaller city towers you will normally only hear local traffic

Thats funny.... I would think that they would be attempting the opposite


More local traffic = More statewide tg's on a site? Wouldnt you want less statewide traffic on a locally heavily used repeater?


hmmmm... something to ponder.

[fireside]

I can hear the Marshalltown site. With that being the home office for RACOM, you never know what talkgroups will pop up. I don't know if they will program radios for customers there, but i keep that site in open mode.

[Dak48]

I asked a similar question last week in the Nebraska forum. I was picking up Norfolk NE traffic in Lincoln NE. Most likely a PD or Sheriff's unit from Norfolk was in the tower range of Lincoln and affiliated, so all day I was listening to traffic for Norfolk PD and Madison County Sheriff.

It's a pretty amazing network I think. I copy a lot of Omaha medevac traffic in Lincoln too. It has to be one of the more shining examples of a M/A-Com network I'd think.

[timkilbride]

Lifeflight in Iowa is broadcasted on all the RACOM towers at all times.

[w0fg]

Originally Posted by timkilbride

Lifeflight in Iowa is broadcasted on all the RACOM towers at all times.

That's correct, and most of the Waterloo/BH county traffic is normally fed to the Benton county site for the benefit of the La Porte City PD who are just north of the Benton county line.