Forsyth county

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SD70MAC

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Does Forsyth county simalcast to thier old VHF channel for fire ? I have not heard anything on it when I have been monitoring it .


FORSYTH FIRE 1 154.205 107.2
 

CCHLLM

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Yep, the dispatch is multicast, but there's no PL on it, it's carrier squelch. If you have PL programmed into your receiver, that's probably why you haven't heard anything. PL can interfere with the QC tones in some of the older pagers and rumor is that some of the elders in the fire comm food chain didn't want it, so no 107.2 on the output.

The transmitter is on the Winston Tower building, by the way, so it has no problem with coverage.
 
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KE4ZNR

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I updated the database to reflect the use of CSQ....thanks for the update wx4cbh!
Happy Monitoring!
Marshall KE4ZNR
 

CCHLLM

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Just as a bit of info for those interested on the database for Forsyth County, none of the Winston-Salem PD UHF or Forsyth County Sheriff UHF frequencies are in use. In fact, all of that equipment was removed and disposed of.

There's also a license shown for 155.205 for Vienna Fire that has the call sign attached that was listed to Forsyth Rescue. Forsyth Rescue was dissolved in 2003 and the license expired before that. Can't say that Vienna Fire doesn't actually have 155.205 as a frequency, but the FCC database doesn't show any license in Forsyth for that frequency.

I don't have the other VHF frequencies listed for fire and LE in the county programmed in anything, so if these are still active, I don't know. The EMS still has the requisite VHF radios with 155.280 and 155.340 in the transport units, but as to whether any of the FDs are still using their own licenses and equipment on the old VHF freqs is only a guess for me. I'm not sure that any of the K-Vegas VHF frequencies are still patched to the TRS either. Maybe someone who does know will post up.
 
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SD70MAC

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Thanks

Yep, the dispatch is multicast, but there's no PL on it, it's carrier squelch. If you have PL programmed into your receiver, that's probably why you haven't heard anything. PL can interfere with the QC tones in some of the older pagers and rumor is that some of the elders in the fire comm food chain didn't want it, so no 107.2 on the output.

The transmitter is on the Winston Tower building, by the way, so it has no problem with coverage.

Thanks !! I do have the PL programmed.
 

CCHLLM

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Be prepared for the "digital audio effect." The dispatch audio is great, and the repeated audio from the digital side of the system sounds OK most of the time, but it is definitely "digital." Then there are times when it sounds like SH#T, especially when there's another digital radio on in the background of the one talking. You'll hear multiple echos and garbling sounds. If there's a great deal of noise in the background on scene, the audio may well be incomprehensible.

I used to hate SSB receive audio on HF and chasing the adjustments to keep it where you could copy the traffic. Digital receive audio on the trunked systems makes SSB on HF seem not so bad. Now where's that clarifier knob on my XTS5000.......?
 
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yardbird

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The old saying applies here! IF IT IS NOT BROKE THEN DON"T FIX IT.

The thing I don't understand is why everybody is on this mad rush to go to 800 Mhz digital. Sure it is great, but you are still going to have the cost of rebanding the vhf frequencies and then buy equipment that will except the new freqs.

Same thing is happening here in Cabarrus. The law enforcement agencies all went to 800 Mhz and have gotten rid of there old uhf equipment. I have asked this question more than one time what happens when you get into a chase or assist another county and they don't have 800 Mhz. I mean they should have at least kept one 2 channel uhf radio in the cars with 453.700 Mhz for special situations. The answer I seem to get is we never have really thought about it. DU HUH what happens when an officer is killed or seriously hurt because his radio doesn't work and can call for help.

I guess the State Viper System is supposed to solve all this, but the way it looks the Viper System probably will not be completed for another 3-4 years and then it will be time for it to be updated or replaced with some thing new and improved. Also some of the poor counties will have trouble with funding, not to mention the county's and city's that have invested millions in there own dedicated system and may not want to be a part of the state system.

I know in the meantime I have left our old vhf radios in our ambulances, just in case there is ever an 800 Mhz system failure, we still will have a way to communicate when everybody else will not.

Just my thoughts

David
 

CCHLLM

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The reasons are numerous for going to 800 in NC, and the frequency range by itself isn't really the reason. It's the desire to have a unified effort toward interoperability, and somebody in the frequency allocations stage sold 'em 800 MHz for the frequency availability and trunking as the most efficient technology. They had to pick a frequency range and a technology, and based on the info at the time, what we're seeing built out is what they chose. Trouble is, the control and interconnection for a wide area zoned system is complex, and 800 MHz requires more sites due to it's propagation characteristics, which means the infrastructure is even more obese. The more complex and radical the new is compared to the status quo, the more complex and time-consuming the process will be.

I'm sure there are plenty of opinions circulating about better ways to accomplish the goals, if only because there are some very good examples of local poor planning and execution as the system build out progresses. No one person or mega-committee can foresee all the political and legislative obstacles and complexities in financing and carrying out a radical changeout of technology, protocol and infrastructure, especially one that requires local food chains to unite and form new relationships and relinquish some power.

Most of the problems in these situations come from the inadequate understanding of the technology and requisite education on its use, the inadequate financing due to lack of local, state, and federal monies, and the ever present reluctance of the old guard to pay for something they can no longer completely control.

Let's just hope that the changeover processes don't result in life dangers getting the upper hand.
 
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