BCAS pagers

[bm_north60]

Just wondering if anyone has had any luck decoding the alphanumeric pagers that BCAS uses? It appears, at least for my area, that paging is done using the same frequencies as voice. Thanks for any info.

 

[beeperboy]

Can you attach a wav file sample of the paging data?

 

[kayn1n32008]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8350i/4.6.1.294 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/126)

Hmmm, I know they use MDC1200 for 'request to talk' and ptt-id, or did at one time, and possibly 2tone to alert on call crews, alpha paging would probably be done over Telus network as Rogers is 'less bars in more places' kinda coverage off main roads

 

[Jay911]

Rogers is 'less bars in more places' kinda coverage off main roads

LOL! I couldn't agree with you more, and you don't even have to include the last three words. I just dumped Rogers a month or so ago, and the CSR (cash saving rep?) didn't know what to say when I told him one of the reasons was that they didn't have coverage where I needed it.

Like you I think I recall BCAS having two-tone paging. bm_north60, do you hear anything like the POCSAG samples on this page? -> Digital Modes Samples

 

[smason]

For those of us with AO (Acronym Overload) can someone tell us what BCAS is?

 

[Jay911]

British Columbia Ambulance Service

 

[EG]

For those of us with AO (Acronym Overload) can someone tell us what BCAS is?

British Columbia Ambulance Service

 

[HDMechanic]

If i remember correctly the first tone opens the RPTR and the second is the actual page. I remember when I use to live in BC and did some work with BCAS that with the pager you would only hear the second tone and not the first.With a scanner you can here both. You get a tone and here dead air for about 5 seconds then a tone and then the page like 419 kilo code three call. From their the people on call will phone into dispatch for the details on the call.I will try and record it next time i am in BC.

 

[kayn1n32008]

...the CSR (cash saving rep?) didn't know what to say when I told him one of the reasons was that they didn't have coverage where I needed it.

I hear ya. CSR: Cash Stealing Rep) If you do not leave major population centres or main highways then Rogers is fine, but go into the sticks (CLAWR for example) your SOL. Rogers called me and tried to sell me a plan and give me an Iphone and told him that Rogers did not have coverage in alot of places where I work, he asked me where, so I told him to make a box that goes from Hinton to Edson to Whitecourt to Valleyview back to Hinton and pick a point in the middle. The call ended very shortly afterwards thankfully.

On topic, I do not ever remember hearing POCSAG over the VHF system (In the Okanagan where I did most of my listening). POCSAG pager management would be very difficult with so many different frequencies used through out BC. Because of that it would make better sense to use Telus FLEX 900Mhz for Alpha Paging.

 

[bm_north60]

Thanks for the responses. I'll try to make a recording and posting it this weekend.

 

[BC_Scan]

It has been accomplished in the past, there was a local website (since shut down) but if I recall it was easily accomplished with store bought Radio Shack parts back in the day , circa 1997, I have scoured my records for the orginal url but found it was taken down , I could refer you to the original posters of this information fi you need, and could supply you wioth the freq's if you don't allready have them, dispatched on their own network.