Migration to MARCS-IP for OSP?

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SCPD

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When the switch happens, will the current control channel for a county be the freq. listed for the IP at this time? And then will new talk groups be involved or will the old ones be used?
I am not a pro at knowing this and I am sure many will want to know what to do. My example is lets say Clark County just as an example, will OSP be using the same Control channel that is in use for the Sheriff now for the IP system, as well as all other 88 counties. And when it happens will we know what happened or will it go away.Like it did when they came to Marcs from Low Band?
And in response to this, is the best thing to do is SEARCH all TGs in a particular control channel to find what went where??The old 800 Marcs channels will be deactivated and only IP in the 700 range will be used, but Im trying to figure how will one know they made the switch?? Thanks to all those who can give a fairly simple answer.
 

budevans

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When the switch happens, will the current control channel for a county be the freq. listed for the IP at this time?

MARCS history has been to keep the CC's constant.

And then will new talk groups be involved or will the old ones be used?

Should be new TG's.

And in response to this, is the best thing to do is SEARCH all TGs in a particular control channel to find what went where??

Yes.

The old 800 Marcs channels will be deactivated and only IP in the 700 range will be used,

For the vast majority that's accurate. There are a few Counties that remained on 800 Mhz. Lake and Geauga are two examples. But if your county already has MARCS-IP up and running on 700 Mhz, that's where they will stay.

but Im trying to figure how will one know they made the switch?? Thanks to all those who can give a fairly simple answer.

Typically you will hear users from the old MARCS testing on the new MARCS-IP. Once the testing has completed successfully those users will stop using old MARCS and be exclusively on MARCS-IP. So it's all about the monitoring.

Simple enough?:D
 

W8RMH

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They will use the control channel for whatever site the are affiliated with. If using a Clark County site it will be the same CC. They will have new talk groups.

The old 800 MARCS frequencies will be converted to the new IP system as new frequencies are needed. MARCS-IP is not exclusively 700 MHz. it will use both 700 and 800 MHz. frequencies.

There is already a sticky thread for the MARCS-IP system. http://forums.radioreference.com/oh...entified-new-marcs-ip-talkgroups.htmlMARCS-IP. News and new frequencies, sites, and talk groups are announced there.

Follow the above thread closely and monitor your closest sites in search mode for OSHP communications. If you have the capability to monitor Radio IDs OSHP will be using 90xxxxx.

Click on the Wiki tab on the page below for more information on MARCS-IP:

Ohio MARCS-IP: Multi-Agency Radio Communications (P25) Trunking System, Various, Ohio - Scanner Frequencies
 
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SCPD

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Migration to IP

Thanks Bud great info, sometimes trying to follow info on the official page is too difficult especially if you are NOT proficient to know what to look for. So I guess when I hear others are switching I need to start to Search the CC and see what new pops up. I got great reception on 853.9875 Marcs not so good on the IP, sorry to see the old marcs go away but its better than Phase 2, LOL Thanks again
 

budevans

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Thanks Bud great info, sometimes trying to follow info on the official page is too difficult especially if you are NOT proficient to know what to look for. So I guess when I hear others are switching I need to start to Search the CC and see what new pops up. I got great reception on 853.9875 Marcs not so good on the IP, sorry to see the old marcs go away but its better than Phase 2, LOL Thanks again

Stephen,

Just for grins I took a look at the map for MARCS-IP. I found the following MARCS-IP P25 tower/sites and control channels that you might be in range of.

Clark, Springfield 774.70625
Madison, London 774.08125
Montgomery, Dayton 774.83125
Green, Simulcast 858.88750
Champaign, Urbana 774.80625
Miami, Troy 773.83125
Fayette, Washington Crt House 773.43125

Depending on how you have your scanner setup you can create individual Favorites/Scanlists or just put them all in one List. Then sit back and see what if any traffic you hear. One other thought, if you don't have a 800 Mhz antenna for your scanner. You might consider picking one up at Radio Shack, if the there's one in your area and it hasn't closed. The RS 800 Mhz antenna does a good job on both 800 and 700 Mhz. Plus it's on sale for $19. You'll also need a SMA to BNC adapter.

I would expect that towards the end of March activity should start to increase on MARCS-IP.

Goodluck.
 

SCPD

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marcs migration

I currently use two of these, I provide the feed from the 800 antenna on the west side of my home and get spotty on the east side, location, location, location. I use on a 5 foot jumper quality RG6 BNC with a suction cup window mount It's a pain getting consistent radio traffic on the IP system. I have tried the other CC's system but with such a low bar reception its not grabbing enough to get in. I have an 800 beam on tower when Spring comes I'm going to point one east and west to combine on a splitter and see what happens .I was told by a Springfield Fire command one time the State want the water tower for an antenna site, so when city drops Edacs and goes to Marcs maybe the reception will be better. And if they pump up the power with all the added traffic, we will have to see. Living near South Vienna IP reception is spotty. Thanks for update, and hope this info helps others who wonder when the transformation will happen.
 

mtindor

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I'd advise against E/W 7/800 mhz yagi antennas combined with a "splitter", depending upon what you mean when you say splitter. A simple TV splitter will ruin your already mediocre receive performance.

And if you're using a decent 800 mhz yagi right now, it will not perform nearly as well on 770 if its designed for something like 845-960. Decent 700 mhz or 800 mhz yagi really lose performance quick when you get 80 mhz or so away from their sweet spot. So for MARCS-IP, in your area, if you are really interested in it then invest in a 700 mhz antenna like one of the 748-806 mhz antennas listed here: 700 MHz Yagi Antenna | Excel Wireless

LMR-400 for as much of the run as you can, quality connectors, antenna(s) as high as you can get them. Multiple runs of LMR-400 if you have multiple antennas, unless you want to spend a fortune on a coax switch designed and guaranteed to operate at 700 mhz without degredation and with low insertion loss.

Mike
 

w8prr

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Most if not all IP sites run lower profile than their associated 3.5 (old) MARCS sites. I use good beam antennas with LMR 600 and 1/2 hard line. I have good signals on Springfield and Columbus sites on 3.5 and no signal whatsoever on IP ( I used to get the first Columbus 700 site on the north end fine, but can't get a blip on the current IP Columbus system, yes I know its multi site, but so is the current 3.5 Columbus system that I hear fine). Interestingly, since I got my new 436 I can hear Greene Co system just fine, and that's the other side of Springfield!
 

SCPD

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Migration

Interestingly enough I can vouch for the fact the IP isnt as strong, Are they gonna boost power to the tower so OSP can get out as good as they do now? I find it hard to believe that they will just tolerate a mediocre system. I will do some research on that antenna, and a run of good RG6 coax. I got a 5-1000 splitter combiner but until spring Im not climbing a tower to actually confirm. One more thing, the Radio Shack rubber duck 800 antenna, is that a good alternative to place outdoors on my tower to grab whatever it can with out being directive??
AS for my reception Ive been told weather affects signal quality and I have a large groupn of trees close by taht can block a signal as well asa hill just east to me that blocks out Columbus reception
 

SCPD

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marcs migration to IP

that explains why the
Phonetone 11db Outdoor directional Yagi 800Mhz/850MHz/900MHz GSM Antenna with N female connector for Mobile cell phone signal Repeater Booster Amplifier


by Phonetone
I got on amazon is such a poor performer. Now will these Yagi I looked at in the IP range , are any of these omnidirection or am I going to have to point one to Columbus to get Franklin and will any residual signal bounce of the back as well as anything from the sides when I point it into Springfield for that tower. I currently pick up only Clark CC. The prices are affordable but is there that much gain from 10 db to 14 tp pay the extra?
 

firemantom26

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Most if not all IP sites run lower profile than their associated 3.5 (old) MARCS sites. I use good beam antennas with LMR 600 and 1/2 hard line. I have good signals on Springfield and Columbus sites on 3.5 and no signal whatsoever on IP ( I used to get the first Columbus 700 site on the north end fine, but can't get a blip on the current IP Columbus system, yes I know its multi site, but so is the current 3.5 Columbus system that I hear fine). Interestingly, since I got my new 436 I can hear Greene Co system just fine, and that's the other side of Springfield!

When you say lower profile, do you mean power? I had a 10 DB Yagi before I went with a 700 16 DB Yagi a few weeks ago like the one Mike has mentioned in his post. What I can tell you is some ip towers signals are much stronger and some are weaker than the 800 mhz towers. I am not sure, but I would guess when the old system is turned off this new IP system needs to be tweaked.
 
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