Phoenix Fire A Channels?

mesocyclone · Jan 24, 2015

How do the A channels work on Phoenix Fire Department (PFD)?

For that matter, what are they - hazard incidents (fires, etc)?

Are they still simplex? Do they use mobile repeaters, or are the on the RWC main sites?

Are they rebroadcast over a wide area?

Tks... it's been years since I followed PFD and things have changed.

KB7MIB · Jan 24, 2015

A Deck is the simplex VHF channels. They're used for fires and haz-mat incidents. Some of the more outlying departments (Buckeye, Buckeye Valley, Tonopah, Harquahala Valley, Gila Bend), however, use it for everything, including medical calls.

The alarm room can be heard Valley-wide, and then some, because the tansmitters are on a few mountain tops around the Valley.

Mobile radios can be heard for a few to several miles, such as the first arriving unit giving their on-scene report, or when a BC or DC takes command.

Portable radios can be heard for a mile or so.

John
Peoria

mesocyclone · Jan 24, 2015

Thanks for the response. Do you know why they have talkgroup numbers in RWC? That confuses me.

Is there a listing of the frequencies?

mesocyclone · Jan 24, 2015

I did find the A freqs (PFD VHF listing). I still don't understand the talk group listing for the A channels.

Phoenix805 · Jan 24, 2015

mesocyclone said:
I did find the A freqs (PFD VHF listing). I still don't understand the talk group listing for the A channels.

Welcome to the world of scanners, the RWC, and RadioReference!

The A channels are analog - the old simplex system - used primarily for fires and haz-mat calls. The K-deck talkgroups are the new trunked system and used primarily for medical calls. The RR database shows A channels assigned to Talk Groups. I have never heard anything on those TGs. I suspect it was intended to be used as a patch to allow the new digital radios to talk on the analog channels, but as far as I know I don't think it's ever been used.

rpgaun · Jan 25, 2015

The only crosspatch that I have heard is A1 & K1, other than that all the other crosspatch TGs are silent.

AA6IO · Jan 25, 2015

Thanks for some useful information. Out here from Los Angeles visiting daughter and grandson. Been monitoring RWC, TOPAZ, and other stuff with. 536HP. Located near Camelback and 22nd East.
Steve AA6IO

KB7MIB · Jan 25, 2015

In addition to the RWC talkgroups that were originally supposed to be patched to the VHF A-deck channels, but never were, there are encrypted "A-deck" talkgroups in the RWC. I have heard activity on at least a few of these.
However, I do not believe that they are actually patched to the VHF A-deck channels. The activity on the VHF A-decks does not correlate to the activity on the encrypted RWC "A-deck" talkgroups. Or vice versa.

John
Peoria

Kars10az · Jan 26, 2015

KB7MIB said:
In addition to the RWC talkgroups that were originally supposed to be patched to the VHF A-deck channels, but never were, there are encrypted "A-deck" talkgroups in the RWC. I have heard activity on at least a few of these.
However, I do not believe that they are actually patched to the VHF A-deck channels. The activity on the VHF A-decks does not correlate to the activity on the encrypted RWC "A-deck" talkgroups. Or vice versa.

John
Peoria

First of all, A1 and K1 are not patched. When the dispatcher (or Samantha) transmits, they are transmitting on two separate transmitters at once. It's like hitting two PTT switches at once. A1 and K1 are only linked on the dispatcher's console so that both can transmit at once. One does not rely on the other in any way.

The VHF tac channels ARE patched on the RWC, but are encrypted, as you stated.

Ed

AZScanner · Jan 26, 2015

Kars10az said:
The VHF tac channels ARE patched on the RWC, but are encrypted, as you stated.
Ed

Any particular reason given as to WHY? Or does someone high up at PFD just have it out for scanner listeners?

-AZ

Kars10az · Jan 26, 2015

I'm sure they have a reason, I just can't imagine what it might be. It is, after all, a government agency. All logic goes out the window.

Ed

KB7MIB · Jan 26, 2015

Ok, A-1 and K-1 are multicast, then. I think that's the proper terminology.

I've tried in the past, when they were first reported, to correlate activity on the VHF A-deck channels to activity on the encrypted RWC A-deck talkgroups, and was not able to do so. Which is why I said they don't patch them. I can only go by what I was hearing, or in this case, not hearing. Sorry.

John
Peoria

AZScanner · Jan 26, 2015

Kars10az said:
I'm sure they have a reason, I just can't imagine what it might be. It is, after all, a government agency. All logic goes out the window.

Agreed. I think they've lost the spirit of the "Be Nice" part of their mission statement, what with all the encryption of stuff that makes no sense to encrypt and the hiding of calls off of the CAD page that also defies logic and reason (I mean really, why should the MEDIA know where a GAS LEAK is, right? Heaven forbid we alert the public to stay out of the area, right?) Seriously, whoever made these decisions needs to at least explain themselves, just so it's not such a great big joke.

-AZ

mesocyclone · Jan 27, 2015

Is there any system of assigning the A channels - like per area or whatever? There's a working fire near here right now, and I notice they are on A5. Will they likely be on A5 the next time if it's nearby?

Kars10az · Jan 27, 2015

Generally speaking

A5 - North Valley (Phoenix)
A6 - NW Valley (Glendale)
A7 - SE Valley (Tempe)
A8 - South Valley, including Ahwatukee
A9 - NW Valley (Peoria and further NW)
A10 - Far North Valley (New River, Anthem, etc.)
A11 - East Valley (Scottsdale area)
A12 - SE Valley (Chandler area)
A14 - Hazmat valleywide

The channels not listed aren't typically used as primary TAC channels.

Ed

mesocyclone · Jan 27, 2015

Thanks. The call I just heard at Paradise Valley Mall was on A5, which corresponds to this.

KB7MIB · Jan 27, 2015

A-13: Far southwest, Tonopah and Harquahala Valley

From my own monitoring:
A6 is the northwest Valley, north of Northern Ave, west of I-17.
A9 is the southwest Valley, south of Northern Ave, west of I-17. Includes Buckeye, Buckeye Valley and Gila Bend.

John
Peoria

Kars10az · Jan 28, 2015

My apologies. I guess I had a brain fart.

A9 is Glendale and Southwest. The border on the north is Northern, south is Buckeye Rd east of 83rd Ave and infinity west of 83rd Ave. The east border is I17

A6 is north of Northern up to the CAP Canal, I17 on the east and infinity on the west (whatever the jurisdictional boundaries are).

A10 picks up north of the CAP Canal and goes from east to west along the canal alignment until it hits Pinnacle Peak Road going east, and then roughly follows PP Rd. to the eastern boundaries. A10 covers everything north of the CAP Canal, including New River, Desert Hills, Anthem, etc

Ed

P.S. This is from an old map I have, so things may have changed since then. I'll see if I can locate a newer map to confirm.

Phoenix Fire A Channels?

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