Making sense of MEMA VHF

[fog]

I haven't traditionally monitored MEMA, but have been plugging some of the frequencies in my radio and am trying to make sense of it.

MEMA - Scan New England Wiki is the best resource I've seen, but it's kind of information overload. It seems like they have scores of frequencies. Do they just operate a bunch of local repeaters as it suggests? Are they linked or all independent?

The way I'm making sense of it right now -- and I might be totally wrong! -- is that there are basically two channels, a statewide simplex one and a regional one, which is linked. I live in Merrimack Valley, and have heard traffic on 155.955 and on 153.965, which is marked as Boston and Tewksbury. But on 153.965, I've heard people from central MA, so I strongly suspect it's linked.

155.955 is listed as simplex. Another source suggests it also gets reused in some areas as a repeater input. (???) Is it worth monitoring this frequency normally, or will I only hear close-by activity? I.e., are there strong base stations using this as well?

Are the MSP trunk talkgroups linked to the VHF system, or do they operate independently?

 

[ecps92]

Yes - MEMA has a Bunch of Repeaters, Linked for each Region and then Patched (can be disabled for an event or not) to the other Regions, there-by giving them Statewide Coverage

If you look at the SNE Wiki the "R" is for a Repeater and the "S" is for Simplex in the Type field.

AS for the LOW Band and 700/800 TRS that MEMA has access to, it's all dependent on the OP going on as to if the Disp and/or COML decide to patch them, this also include the Conventional Interops VHF, UHF, 700 and 800

You might get a better feel during an event to monitor
April 18th and July 3/4 are coming up.

Freq's get re-used as it is impossible for someone on Simplex in Pittsfield to trip the Boston Repeater

I haven't traditionally monitored MEMA, but have been plugging some of the frequencies in my radio and am trying to make sense of it.

MEMA - Scan New England Wiki is the best resource I've seen, but it's kind of information overload. It seems like they have scores of frequencies. Do they just operate a bunch of local repeaters as it suggests? Are they linked or all independent?

The way I'm making sense of it right now -- and I might be totally wrong! -- is that there are basically two channels, a statewide simplex one and a regional one, which is linked. I live in Merrimack Valley, and have heard traffic on 155.955 and on 153.965, which is marked as Boston and Tewksbury. But on 153.965, I've heard people from central MA, so I strongly suspect it's linked.

155.955 is listed as simplex. Another source suggests it also gets reused in some areas as a repeater input. (???) Is it worth monitoring this frequency normally, or will I only hear close-by activity? I.e., are there strong base stations using this as well?

Are the MSP trunk talkgroups linked to the VHF system, or do they operate independently?

 

[fog]

Thanks! I'll spend some time listening when there's more going on.

 

[blueonesparky]

Another good time to listen in would be the first non-holiday Monday of the month. For Eastern MA that is the routine RACES/ACS communications test night. Since many communities have their RACES radio operators operate from their EOC, they often also take that opportunity to do tests of the MEMA VHF equipment since they are already in the room and have the hood up so to speak.