Kingston Fire and Rescue Numeric Paging

[gfdfortynine]

I'm currently in the process of trying to monitor Kingston Fire and Rescue Numeric Paging.
I'm not sure what the frequency is or the format. I've checked the TAFL site and it lists 420.850Mhz as a paging link so I'm starting there first but so far nothing. I just hooked the scanner to my roof antenna today, so maybe that will work.
I've hooked and old pro-82 up to PDW and been able to monitor 140.160 and 149.770 with success.

There was a brief thread a while back which touched on this. I'm wondering if the OP had any luck or if any one else knows the info.

http://forums.radioreference.com/ea...orum-archives/57740-kingston-fire-rescue.html

Thanks

 

[DaveH]

What do you hear on 155.610?

Dave

 

[gfdfortynine]

I'll give it a try, Kingston's pretty quiet tonight.

 

[DaveH]

In TAFL if you do what I did, look up Licensee Name, then look up the callsigns
of instances of 420.850 RX, you'll find them paired with 155.610 TX at ~100W at
several sites; now what does THAT suggest ?

Paging links probably use a format different from that on the actual paging
TX's, which can't be decoded by the software you mention, so I'd skip them.

Dave

 

[gfdfortynine]

thanks for digging that up

 

[DaveH]

So what's the outcome? Can you hear digital paging on 155.610? Can
it be decoded? Nothing like going to the trouble of digging this info (which
anyone in Kingston could have) and not hearing back.

Dave

 

[gfdfortynine]

sorry I was away for the weekend and to top it off, the batteries died on the old pro-82 scanner I'm using which I had left on to monitor

Thanks again for helping

 

[gfdfortynine]

Well it wasn't the batteries that died, it was the old pro-82
Had my feed scanner on for awhile and no traffic but Kingston had no calls either.
Will have to find another scanner which I can leave hooked up.

 

[gfdfortynine]

got to take a look at a KFR pager today
DAVISCOMMS Br802 serial# indicated Pocsag

 

[DaveH]

got to take a look at a KFR pager today
DAVISCOMMS Br802 serial# indicated Pocsag

OK, all that's left is for someone to confirm the frequency and that it can
be decoded. Usually the frequency is marked on the pager. This system
appears similar to that used in Ottawa (for paging out the rural areas).
Anything which decodes POCSAG should work.

Dave

 

[gfdfortynine]

I took a pic of the pager with my cell phone of the details but it didn't focus and the pagers owner was in a hurry. Part of the name plate did show 4800Mhz. Will try to get another look at it when I see him again.

BTW I did hear some digital traffic last night on 155.610 while the full time trucks where dispatched. I assume this was for the data terminals in their trucks.
I'm on the hunt for a scanner.

 

[DaveH]

The frequency would not be 4800MHz so it's probably part of it...could be
152.4800 MHz which is used as a paging channel but TAFL doesn't show
anything specific. If this pager was used before on another frequency, and
the plate wasn't changed, might explain it (or not).

I also don't think 155.610 would be used for MDT/MWS which would need
a 2-way path whereas TAFL shows it as 1-way paging. The bandwidth of
the VHF channel probably would not support transmitting maps etc. if indeed
that's what happens. I'll still betting 155.610 is paging.

Dave

 

[gfdfortynine]

Had another look at the pager and it is 152.4800
I also see another number under the frequency 0037137. Could this be the address?

Is it possible that the 151.610 is paired with 420.850, TAFL shows same call sign.

 

[DaveH]

Had another look at the pager and it is 152.4800
I also see another number under the frequency 0037137. Could this be the address?

Is it possible that the 151.610 is paired with 420.850, TAFL shows same call sign.

I think the 7-digit number is probably the Cap code (address). The frequency
152.4800 might be valid, check that one after 155.610. I still think it may be
a previous marking. My impression is 152.4800 is primarily a US paging channel.

Yes, 155.610 and 420.850 are paired in a way that looks exactly like Ottawa's
UHF-linked VHF paging system.

Dave

 

[SCPD]

I think the 7-digit number is probably the Cap code (address). The frequency
152.4800 might be valid, check that one after 155.610. I still think it may be
a previous marking. My impression is 152.4800 is primarily a US paging channel.

Yes, 155.610 and 420.850 are paired in a way that looks exactly like Ottawa's
UHF-linked VHF paging system.

Dave

Do they still voice page at all over the radio or say where they are going once out of the hall on the VHF radios?

 

[gfdfortynine]

Do they still voice page at all over the radio or say where they are going once out of the hall on the VHF radios?

Yes they do voice page for the full time and volunteer trucks on the dispatch freq. . Alpha numeric data is transmitted at the same time to the trucks and or pagers. Once the trucks respond, dispatch repeats call details. Volunteers were also given handheld scanners so they could monitor dispatch and tac channels.

 

[gfdfortynine]

I think the 7-digit number is probably the Cap code (address). The frequency
152.4800 might be valid, check that one after 155.610. I still think it may be
a previous marking. My impression is 152.4800 is primarily a US paging channel.

Yes, 155.610 and 420.850 are paired in a way that looks exactly like Ottawa's
UHF-linked VHF paging system.

Dave

155.610 it is...... I hooked up the good scanner for a bit and there it was, a message

Thanks again for your help.

 

[DaveH]

Great! Another minor mystery solved.

I take it you're looking to replace the PRO-82. There are still lots of older
cheap scanners out there which are good for tapping. Some are cheaper as
they don't cover 800MHz, which is OK in many cases. I see them at ham
fleamarkets (one coming up in Nov. in Kingston); even found a very decent
PRO-2023 20-ch base-type scanner for $3 at a Salvation Army store. It's
hit and miss though; usually you find other items which you "never knew you
needed", until they appeared.

If you don't have a "good" scanner with P25, are you considering one to
listen to Belleville (and in future Leeds and Grenville) FS etc.?

Dave

 

[gfdfortynine]

Great! Another minor mystery solved.

I take it you're looking to replace the PRO-82. There are still lots of older
cheap scanners out there which are good for tapping. Some are cheaper as
they don't cover 800MHz, which is OK in many cases. I see them at ham
fleamarkets (one coming up in Nov. in Kingston); even found a very decent
PRO-2023 20-ch base-type scanner for $3 at a Salvation Army store. It's
hit and miss though; usually you find other items which you "never knew you
needed", until they appeared.

If you don't have a "good" scanner with P25, are you considering one to
listen to Belleville (and in future Leeds and Grenville) FS etc.?

Dave

Yes I am looking to replace the pro-82, it's only working at about 20%. I am currently using a pro-2040 (the good scanner) for my feed. BTW my PDW signal for KFR was 99.2% with the pro-2040 without a tap, hooked to my outdoor antenna.
Currently I'm looking through Ebay and I am trying to determine what will meet my needs.
I would like another portable so I can monitor on the street. Another base unit for numeric page to cell text message.This whole thread is really about getting ready for when Leeds and Grenville goes digital and keeping the current analogue page to cell phone capabilities that Gananoque Fire members currently enjoy.
I am also looking into exploring the trunking world for the first time starting maybe with local EMS. As for P25 yes sir in the future I will buy one off them. I'm kinda waiting to see if they are going to encrypt Leeds and Grenville.
I have discovered quickly why folks have many scanners in their shacks

 

[gfdfortynine]

Just an update
I was given an old pro2003 scanner which I have hooked up to monitor KFR paging with PDW. Its working pretty good. After a day I figured out some the cap codes for various stations. The next issue I have is with the PDW itself. It doesn't seem to support secure email protocols ie. I get a "must issue a STARTTLS command first" error. Anybody have a work around for that? I searched the forums a bit, but not finding to much.