Hybrid Paging System

[ocguard]

I am interested to know if anyone knows of a paging system that utilizes one transmit frequency (multi-site simulcast) to broadcast paging signal that combines both tone and voice paging, and alphanumeric paging, specifically for public safety (fire/EMS dispatch) use.

I was once aware of a similar system on the Eastern Shore of MD, where numeric paging and voice paging were done on one frequency, but this was for commercial use, using telephone paging. The major fault of this system was that, regardless of what order a voice page request was recieved in the queue, it was always "bumped" to last whenever a numeric page was recieved in the queue.

The system I contimplate in my head is something like this.

Call is recieved by the fire/EMS dispatcher. Dispatcher decides which units/stations need to be alerted. Dispatcher enques each station's tone. When sent, the paging transmitter sends out the alphanumeric pages (tones and data burst) as well as the two-tone paging sequences, all in fast succession. Once all tones and data are sent, the dispatcher is able to transmit the voice dispatch to voice pagers that are already open.

Basically this system would allow users of a single system to decide whether they want to utilize tone and voice or alphanumeric (or both) paging to recieve emergency calls. Any help/suggestions/examples?

As an addition, in POSCAG format, the very rapid two-tone that is sent out before the data burst (I believe it is called a preamble), is this tone format sufficient to activate standard tone/voice pagers (Minitor or like).

[N_Jay]

Originally Posted by ocguard

I am interested to know if anyone knows of a paging system that utilizes one transmit frequency (multi-site simulcast) to broadcast paging signal that combines both tone and voice paging, and alphanumeric paging, specifically for public safety (fire/EMS dispatch) use.

I was once aware of a similar system on the Eastern Shore of MD, where numeric paging and voice paging were done on one frequency, but this was for commercial use, using telephone paging. The major fault of this system was that, regardless of what order a voice page request was recieved in the queue, it was always "bumped" to last whenever a numeric page was recieved in the queue.

The system I contimplate in my head is something like this.

Call is recieved by the fire/EMS dispatcher. Dispatcher decides which units/stations need to be alerted. Dispatcher enques each station's tone. When sent, the paging transmitter sends out the alphanumeric pages (tones and data burst) as well as the two-tone paging sequences, all in fast succession. Once all tones and data are sent, the dispatcher is able to transmit the voice dispatch to voice pagers that are already open.

Basically this system would allow users of a single system to decide whether they want to utilize tone and voice or alphanumeric (or both) paging to recieve emergency calls. Any help/suggestions/examples?

As an addition, in POSCAG format, the very rapid two-tone that is sent out before the data burst (I believe it is called a preamble), is this tone format sufficient to activate standard tone/voice pagers (Minitor or like).

The digital preamble will not activate a two tone pager, nor would you want it to as then the pager would open on every page.

I don't see why Zetron could not get one of their paging terminals to do what you want.

[MINDSHOCKER]

what you are talking about is a normal paging system. zetron makes them. you can have the dispatch set up any way you want. at one time it was a commerical system these days only public safty or large business buy these systems

[ocguard]

So if a communications center already had a Zetron paging terminal capable of alphanumeric paging, it could be set up for tone and voice paging as well? Does anyone know of an example system?

[NeFire242]

Zetron Model 15 allows for all of what you'd like to do. You can check out more info by going to this website.

[ocguard]

Thanks for everyone's input!

[benrussellpa]

In the past year or so, Lehigh County (PA) has started sending voice and alpha paging on the same frequency.

I don't know what equipment they use. The tones are dropped for voice, the voice dispatch goes out and then the final thing to go is the POCSAG data burst. Not all fire/ems departments use alpha paging yet, so you don't hear the data after every dispatch.

Dispatching is on VHF-Hi.