Air Canada Trunked System

[hypersight]

For those who are close enough to Pearson to receive this system, can anyone confirm that this is actually a Motorola Type ii system? The DB says it is, but my scanner (pro96) cannot track this properly when programmed - it just keeps flashing random TGs rapidy but doesn't stop on any TG to hear any voice comms.
When I'm monitoring the CC, my scanner says it is a Motorola 3600 with a sys ID of 642C like the DB states.
When I monitor the voice channels in conventional mode I hear the comms loud and clear.
I have no problems whatsoever in monitoring other Moto Type ii systems, which makes me wonder if this system is actually a Type i that needs the proper fleet map programmed. Anybody else have any experience in monitoring this particular system?

 

[mbstone99]

Air Canada Trunk

For those who are close enough to Pearson to receive this system, can anyone confirm that this is actually a Motorola Type ii system? The DB says it is, but my scanner (pro96) cannot track this properly when programmed - it just keeps flashing random TGs rapidy but doesn't stop on any TG to hear any voice comms.
When I'm monitoring the CC, my scanner says it is a Motorola 3600 with a sys ID of 642C like the DB states.
When I monitor the voice channels in conventional mode I hear the comms loud and clear.
I have no problems whatsoever in monitoring other Moto Type ii systems, which makes me wonder if this system is actually a Type i that needs the proper fleet map programmed. Anybody else have any experience in monitoring this particular system?

When I was up at Pearson late last year I had the system in my radio and did confirm it is a Motorola Type II. I noticed that it's very low powered and only really receivable within the confirms of the airport.

Matt

 

[exkalibur]

It's transmitted only on the DAS. It's very weak outside the terminal as Matt stated.

 

[Jay911]

I was at YYZ in May and not only was the signal weak inside the main terminal, I got shuttled over to the "satellite" terminal for a connecting flight to Nashville (stupid CRJs.. VW buses with wings, I tell ya) and I couldn't get any comms from there at all.

 

[mbstone99]

AC Trunk

I was at YYZ in May and not only was the signal weak inside the main terminal, I got shuttled over to the "satellite" terminal for a connecting flight to Nashville (stupid CRJs.. VW buses with wings, I tell ya) and I couldn't get any comms from there at all.

The is strange, the last time I was at Pearson I think was back in October of last year making a trip down here to TX and I was able to get comms just outside of the airport property and on the roads leading off the property without any problem.

On a side note, I personally like the CRJ/ERJ's. Is it the CRJs that have the back of the seat the screens? I remember the last few flights I made down here when I was still living in Ontario had them but can't remember if those where the CRJs.

Matt

 

[hypersight]

Thanks for the replies guys. I do realise that this is a weak system, but let me assure you, I get the CC and voice channels loud and clear when I scan the freqs in conventional mode. (I work beside the airport.....so weak signal strength is not an issue in my case)
The problem I'm having is that I can't properly follow the system when I program it in MOT trunk mode.
It must be something on my end....I will use win96 to import the system in the scanner instead of me doing it manually and I'll see what happens tommorow when I try again at work....maybe I was missing something when I did it manually.

 

[Jay911]

The is strange, the last time I was at Pearson I think was back in October of last year making a trip down here to TX and I was able to get comms just outside of the airport property and on the roads leading off the property without any problem.

On a side note, I personally like the CRJ/ERJ's. Is it the CRJs that have the back of the seat the screens? I remember the last few flights I made down here when I was still living in Ontario had them but can't remember if those where the CRJs.

Matt

Sorry to the OP for the thread hij.. er, divert (don't use the 'h' word in a topic about airports! )

I was using a BCD396T with an aftermarket antenna I bought from Scanner Master. I don't recall its name or model, but it's a thin whip and about 12 inches long.

As for the CRJs... this was my first time flying in them and I'm a big guy. I got put in a window seat both times, on a flight with approximately 53 out of 48 seats full.. yeah, kinda cramped. Jazz has them in a 2+2 configuration.. I understand other airlines actually use a 2+1 configuration to help at least some people have some headroom. The ones I flew in didn't have TVs of any kind; the A320/319 Airbus that took me to/from Toronto/Calgary did, though.

 

[DaveH]

For those who are close enough to Pearson to receive this system, can anyone confirm that this is actually a Motorola Type ii system? The DB says it is, but my scanner (pro96) cannot track this properly when programmed - it just keeps flashing random TGs rapidy but doesn't stop on any TG to hear any voice comms.
When I'm monitoring the CC, my scanner says it is a Motorola 3600 with a sys ID of 642C like the DB states.
When I monitor the voice channels in conventional mode I hear the comms loud and clear.
I have no problems whatsoever in monitoring other Moto Type ii systems, which makes me wonder if this system is actually a Type i that needs the proper fleet map programmed. Anybody else have any experience in monitoring this particular system?

Tracking a Type I system using Type II settings will not cause the behaviour
you describe. You would see TGs, but each RID would show as a different
one.

Looking at the frequencies, it's a bit of an uncommon setup. All channels
are on even 12.5kHz steps. I'm not sure if the correct classification is
"splinter" system. I don't know if th PRO-96 can handle these systems,
but it might require special setup (channel plan); check the manual.
Some older GRE scanners like the PRO-92 couldn't track this type of
system.

Dave

 

[Jay911]

Could this possibly be a system with an odd plan, like Red Deer in Alberta?

We discovered last year that the Red Deer system is incompatible with the current batch of scanners - at least, the 246T for sure - because the scanner, when told to go to channel so-and-so, goes to a frequency that's 12.5khz higher than the actual in-use frequency. This was confirmed with UniTrunker.

The 246T user in Red Deer described the radio as stopping when a transmission was made, and showing the TGID, but not playing any audio - because it was trying to go to the wrong freq.

 

[hypersight]

Could this possibly be a system with an odd plan, like Red Deer in Alberta?

We discovered last year that the Red Deer system is incompatible with the current batch of scanners - at least, the 246T for sure - because the scanner, when told to go to channel so-and-so, goes to a frequency that's 12.5khz higher than the actual in-use frequency. This was confirmed with UniTrunker.

The 246T user in Red Deer described the radio as stopping when a transmission was made, and showing the TGID, but not playing any audio - because it was trying to go to the wrong freq.

Yes, this is exactly what is happening with my PRO 96. The scanner is trying to tune to frequencies that end in .0125, but the frequencies in this particular system end in even .025 increments.
I will try experimenting with some custom band plans in WIN96 and I will see what happens.

 

[mbstone99]

AC Trunk

I think when I did have this system in my radio I had it in CC only mode so maybe that is why I didn't have the problems ya'll are but then again who knows they might of did something between then and now too.

I was wrong about the ones with the TV screen in the back of the seat being on CRJ's. I just checked my old online ticket reservations and it was an regular AC flight but it was the Embraer ERJ series that have the TV's in them but those plane are similar to the Canadair CRJ series.

Matt

 

[DaveH]

Could this possibly be a system with an odd plan, like Red Deer in Alberta?

We discovered last year that the Red Deer system is incompatible with the current batch of scanners - at least, the 246T for sure -.

Sorry I can't given any comment on recent issue-scanners but I note the
BC780 in CC-only mode has 4 selectable 800MHz plans, one of which should
work. Surely some of the similar models would have the same capability.
I wonder if anyone's tried this.

Dave

 

[hypersight]

I think what was happening in my case, I wasn't properly programming the system in my scanner as a splinter system. (I was programming it without the aid of my owners manual and I couldn't remember the all the correct steps to do it.)That's why my scanner keeps trying to tune to freqs that end in .0125 instead of .025....well that's what I think anyway.....I'm quite new to trunking so I have lots to learn yet.
Now that I am home with my beloved owners manual, I have programmed it properly as splinter system, I will give it another shot tommorow morning when I will be in the area of Pearson.

 

[hypersight]

Ok I have figured it out. It was because my scanner wasn't setup for splinter mode. I am now properly tracking the system. I was actually receiving it from Bolton this morning.....didn't expect this kind of range from this weak system.

 

[mciupa]

Took a listen to the system tonight and bagged these talkgroups:
(N.B. - there may be control channels used on a rotational basis as tonights was 853.1500
rather than 852.0500 as listed in the DB)

For the most part , it sounds like "ramp rat" chatter,especially those "700's"

• 
  16
  32
  48
  80
  144
  160
  176
  192
  208
  272
  320
  384
  448
  464
  496
  512
  624
  668
  672
  704
  720
  736
  752
  768
  784
  832
  992
  1152
  1472
  ( also heard these two that got to be errors - 6480 and 17152)

If I could tag them , I'd submit them . Hopefully , someone else can fill in the blanks.
DaveH we could use your suggestion for an un-id section now, right ?

 

[mciupa]

Today's control channel is 852.825

 

[hypersight]

Took a listen to the system tonight and bagged these talkgroups:
(N.B. - there may be control channels used on a rotational basis as tonights was 853.1500
rather than 852.0500 as listed in the DB)

For the most part , it sounds like "ramp rat" chatter,especially those "700's"

• 16
  32
  48
  80
  144
  160
  176
  192
  208
  272
  320
  384
  448
  464
  496
  512
  624
  668
  672
  704
  720
  736
  752
  768
  784
  832
  992
  1152
  1472
  ( also heard these two that got to be errors - 6480 and 17152)

If I could tag them , I'd submit them . Hopefully , someone else can fill in the blanks.
DaveH we could use your suggestion for an un-id section now, right ?

Here are few more that I got today...
96
112
128
256
336
352
688
880
960
This is a very busy system!

 

[mciupa]

CC rotation continues as 852.725 being used today.

 

[hypersight]

CC rotation continues as 852.725 being used today.

Did you mean 852.825 as the CC for today?
I've been monitoring this system since last Saturday and I've only seen 852.825 and 853.150 in rotation for the CCs.

I'm actually finding a lot of these Air Can comms to be quite entertaining at times!

 

[hypersight]

Did you mean 852.825 as the CC for today?
I've been monitoring this system since last Saturday and I've only seen 852.825 and 853.150 in rotation for the CCs.




I'm actually finding a lot of these Air Can comms to be quite entertaining at times!

Ooooops...sorry, it is actually 852.725 as well. Just checked this morning. So far there are 3 CCs. 853.150, 852.725, and 852.825. Will keep checking if anything new pops up.