Ohio MARCS Question - Troubleshhoting

First question: What is the difference between "Ohio MARCS", and "Ohio MARCS IP (P25)"?

Second question: My issue is I have several agencies programmed into a Radio Shack Pro-652 scanner using the WIN500 software. I performed the download of 10 Allen County agencies which included the Allen County Sheriff, Lima, Police, Lima Fire, LACP (4 channels), St Ritas, and Memorial Hospital. Of all these, only the two hospitals and LACP are heard. Lockout is off on all channels. I'm just wondering if they are in a different format or I have to do something else to get the police and fire calls.

Fred/W8HDU

MARCS and MARCS-IP are two separate systems with their own frequencies. MARCS is a Motorola Type II trunked system with a 3600 baud control channel and uses P25 digital for the voice channels. MARCS-IP is a full P25 system which uses a 9600 baud control channel and P25 digital for the voice channels. Currently the State of Ohio is in the process of converting everything from the MARCS system to the MARCS-IP system and reusing at least some, if not all, of the MARCS frequencies with MARCS-IP.

In Allen County all the public safety agencies, with the exception of the OSP, have switched to MARCS-IP. The hospitals and LACP have not switch to MARCS-IP yet. Right now you have to monitor both systems to receive what you were able to hear on MARCS a couple of months ago.

At some point in time MARCS-IP will probably switch to what is know as Phase 2 which will give them the capability to put two voice conversations on one frequency, effectively doubling their capacity to handle traffic.

Mike

OK. That makes sense. I guess I'll have to program the scanner with some being standard MARCS and other channels with IP. Probably putting them on separate "banks" to keep them straight. Thnx OM.

Yep two separate systems with their own frequencies and talkgroups, one that will be deleted at some point in time.

Mike