2008-2012 VIPER Discussion (Archive)

[KE4ZNR]

Strange traffic occurring NOW on Statewide Events ALPHA on the Fairgrounds tower....

I've heard the phrase "chicken plant" 50 times in the last 5 minutes.

Check your PM
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[msigmon3306]

Strange traffic occurring NOW on Statewide Events ALPHA on the Fairgrounds tower....

I've heard the phrase "chicken plant" 50 times in the last 5 minutes.

Traffic like this makes me think someone's lost their VIPER radio and someone else has found it.............watch this video: Dude, where's my radio?

 

[KE4ZNR]

There was apparently a couple of different events on Alpha 1 yesterday:
--Early in the AM there was the situation described a few posts above with what sounded like crop dusting (?) and informal name usage such as "Dave you there?" BTW: Heard this type of traffic again this AM around 7am.
Discussing Weather conditions.

--Later in the day there was aerial surveillance between a certain agency following someone in a county pretty far away from Wake Co.

The 2 occurrences have almost nothing in common. The State EOC assigns the Statewide Events talkgroups so someone has to know about these situations.

Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[WA4MJF]

I think that there doesn't have to be an "assignment" for a TG to work, although it is good protocol.
When we check a radio we just dial up a vacant TG and check radio operation and it seems to work
alright. So I guess there is nothing to stop someone from using a TG. As to names, heck we do that all the time.
Not everyone in the department has an assigned number and even if they do sometimes it
is quicker just to say the name. Yesterday, for example, two traffic officers were directing
traffic and instead of saying 402 from 405 let your traffic through, I just said Bill send'um on.
Gets the job done and who really cares.

 

[KE4ZNR]

Actually Ronnie one does need to get approval from the state EOC before thinking of keying up on any of the Statewide Events Talkgroups.
I direct you to the "Statewide Event Talkgroup Management" document:

Effective October 1st, 2009, the NCEM 24 Hour Operations Center became the responsible
entity for assigning Statewide Event VIPER (Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency
Responders) Talk Group Channels.

Each radio programmed to operate on the North Carolina VIPER system is equipped with a
series of standardized Talk Groups which are broken down into the following unique
classifications:

• Statewide Calling Talk Groups
• Statewide Event Talk Groups
• State Highway SHP Common and Mutual Aid Talk Groups
• North Carolina Emergency Management Approved Talk Groups
• Statewide Roamer Talk Groups
• Statewide General Pool Talk Groups
• Statewide Domestic Preparedness Region (DPR) Talk Groups
• Statewide Aircraft Landing Zone (LZ) Coordination Talk Groups

GENERAL STATEWIDE EVENT VIPER TALK GROUP MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES:

VIPER Talk Group assignments are based on location/need and executed via Web-EOC using
the “VIPER Resources” board.

The Statewide Event VIPER Talk Groups serve as a means for all VIPER users to have a
method to direct radio traffic in the event of a multi-agency response that exceeds the scope of
a normal occurrence or covers a larger than normal geographic area.

Statewide Event VIPER Talk Groups are assigned on an as needed basis and not permanently
to any particular jurisdiction.

The Statewide Event VIPER Talk Groups are located in a zone or bank within the radio
identified as “EVENT” or “EVT” and also have the standardized channel naming listed below:

1. Alpha 1 9. Charlie 1
2. Alpha 2 10. Charlie 2
3. Alpha 3 11. Charlie 3
4. Alpha 4 12. Charlie 4
5. Bravo 1 13. Delta 1
6. Bravo 2 14. Delta 2
7. Bravo 3 15. Delta 3
8. Bravo 4 16. Delta 4


REQUESTING A STATEWIDE EVENT VIPER TALK GROUP ASSIGNMENT FROM THE NCEOC:

Statewide Event VIPER Talk Group assignment requests will come through the Local
Emergency Management Coordinator or the County 911 Center.

The preferred method for receiving a Talk Group assignment request should be in the form of an
email. The requestor should send the email to nceoc@ncem.org. Upon receipt of the email,
the NCEM 24-Hour Operations Center will acknowledge receipt and ensure the email has all the
appropriate and required information (see below).

If there is an urgent need to assign a Talk Group, requests can be taken over the phone by
calling the NCEM 24 Hour Operations Center (800-858-0368 or 919-733-3300).

All requests should include the following information:

Requestor Information
Agency (required)
Address
City, Zip
County
From: Date/Time
To: Date/Time
Event Type: Event, Exercise/Training, Incident
Explanation why Talk Group is needed

Requestor POC Information
First Name (required)
Last name (required)
Title
Office Phone (required)
Cell Phone
Fax Number
Email address (required)

All requestors should take note that there is no encryption on any of these Talk Groups.
For encrypted transmissions, contact the VIPER Control Group in order to have radios
programmed appropriately with encryption software. If an agency is using a Talk Group that
already has been assigned, the NCEM 24 Hour Operations Center may request the unassigned
agency to identify themselves and to contact the NC EOC via a land line. Once contact has
been made, the NCEM 24-Hour Operations Center may allow continued transmissions or make
a re-assignment to a different Talk Group.

Critical Operational Rules for Statewide Event VIPER Talk Group Management

During times of emergencies or disasters, the State EOC has the authority to recall previously
assigned Statewide Event VIPER Talk Groups in order to coordinate the emergency or disaster
response. If this is required, the requesting POC will be notified.

Talk Groups are not to be used as talk-around channels by any agency.

Talk Groups are not to be self-assigned.

Talk Groups are to be used for planned events, emergency incidents, or pre-planned training
events ONLY

If there was no coordination of the Statewide Events talkgroups you would quickly have chaos.
I have heard the state EOC ask an unauthorized agency to quit transmitting on the Statewide Events talkgroups
before due to the agency not coordinating things beforehand with the EOC.
Marshall KE4ZNR

I think that there doesn't have to be an "assignment"r a TG to work, although it is good protocol.
When we check a radio we just dial up a vacant TG and check radio operation and it seems to work
alright. So I guess there is nothing to stop someone from using a TG. As to names, heck we do that all the time.
Not everyone in the department has an assigned number and even if they do sometimes it
is quicker just to say the name. Yesterday, for example, two traffic officers were directing
traffic and instead of saying 402 from 405 let your traffic through, I just said Bill send'um on.
Gets the job done and who really cares.

 

[vkallen]

The later was surveillance of a female subject in Union Co. heading west on hwy 74, winding up going around and around the pva of a major retailer, then the chopper had to break off to refuel and I off to bed. It was good monitoring...

 

[WA4MJF]

I said that it was good protocol to get an assignment, Marshall, but that a TG could be used without assignment, that is, it would work.

 

[charles400]

North carolina highway patrol repeater sites in northampton county

I know their is a digital site at odom prison in northampton county.
Does anyone know what the frequency is?
Their is a viper repeater going up in margaretesville in northampton co also.
Does anyone have any information on any of these frequencies?
Thanks chuck n4ued
n4ued@arrl.net

 

[reconrider8]

not yet man but yea ive asked the same about Roanoke Rapids but Roanoke Rapids is trying to find a place to put their site up at.

 

[NCFireman11]

For VIPER listeners in WNC, there will be an full-scale emergency management drill in Yancey County next Saturday, April 24. We will be utilizing VIPER Yancey Fire and EM, as well as state fire and our VHF fireground channel (154.070). Just thought I would pass this along so you would know what you're hearing next weekend.

 

[kilowa22]

Winston-Salem VIPER Tower?

I looked in NC RR DB and could not find a VIPER tower for Forsyth County area. Does anyone know which tower serves that county? Or anyone just have the control channel(s) frequencies?

TIA.

 

[randyK]

I think the closest one is the Sauratown Mtn site. Control channels are 868.4500 & 867.9625.
Randy

 

[Webodisk]

Road Trip today to Outer Banks while montoring VIPER got the following TG's 23776,23760 both had to do with a burn drill, Comms were coming off Elizabeth City site and the Barco site along Hiway 168, it seems that all the sites for OBX and vicinty in zone 3 are inservice will submit info later tonite after I get callsigns and locations

 

[KE4ZNR]

Road Trip today to Outer Banks while montoring VIPER got the following TG's 23776,23760 both had to do with a burn drill, Comms were coming off Elizabeth City site and the Barco site along Hiway 168, it seems that all the sites for OBX and vicinty in zone 3 are inservice will submit info later tonite after I get callsigns and locations

Thanks for passing along any verified site info you came across
while travelling.
I went ahead and added the TGIDs to the database under Currituck County.
Thanks again for your submissions!
Happy Monitoring!
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[fcfd988]

Forsyth County VIPER Sites

I looked in NC RR DB and could not find a VIPER tower for Forsyth County area. Does anyone know which tower serves that county? Or anyone just have the control channel(s) frequencies?

TIA.

Currently there are no active sites in Forsyth County. Most VIPER comms in Forsyth are carried on the Sauratown Site in Stokes County. There is a site in Davie County that has good signal strength in the southwest part of the county as well.

From what I have heard, there are plans to place 2 VIPER sites in Forsyth County. One will be located on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County's 800 MHz tower located in Clemmons at I-40/Lewisville-Clemmons Rd. The frequencies for this site are already in the FCC's ULS database. The other one is supposedly going on the Town of Kernersville's 800 MHz tower near the intersection of Business I-40/Salisbury St. This site is also shared with the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County system. The last time I checked the FCC database, there was no VIPER listing for this site yet.

On a side note, we have a VIPER control station hooked to our console at Forsyth Communications, but is stays on SW CALL. The Forsyth County VIPER TG's are in there but have never been used and probably never will be.

 

[GB1952]

I am monitoring activity on tg#64880 cumberland county cars involved in a chase tg has been active all morning,dont know if they have switched to viper or just using this tg.traffic coming off the harnett/johnsonville tower

 

[p3nt4g0n]

anybody know when alamance county is switching to the viper system?

 

[KE4ZNR]

Sounds like a training exercise on Statewide Events Bravo 1 (912).

Possibly National Guard from the little traffic I have been able to
hear.

Monitoring the Camden Ave in Durham site.

Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[richardbritt]

45328 (Vance County FD) is coming in on the Chowan VIPER site load and clear. I think there must me some temperature inverson related skip going on tonight. It might be a good night to leave your scanner in open mode.

 

[KE4ZNR]

45328 (Vance County FD) is coming in on the Chowan VIPER site load and clear. I think there must me some temperature inverson related skip going on tonight. It might be a good night to leave your scanner in open mode.

Hey Richard,
Hope all is well!
Skip is not the reason you are hearing Vance FD off the Chowan site. Someone that is affiliated to the Chowan site has the Vance FD Talkgroup pulled up and is monitoring it.
Skip has nothing to do with what you are hearing.
I would still listen for skip on VHF & UHF though as the signals have been bouncing around lately.
Marshall KE4ZNR