MPSCS System Different Department for Tower Locaction

[jbudget3]

I live in Clinton County, however I can receive all radio Transmissions from the county north of me. I have the countys talk groups programed in my radio but I do not have that countys site programmed in. I use the Clinton County site. Why is that happening?

 

[PMSCAN]

I live in Clinton County, however I can receive all radio Transmissions from the county north of me. I have the countys talk groups programed in my radio but I do not have that countys site programmed in. I use the Clinton County site. Why is that happening?

The county north of you units are affiliating with the Clinton County tower.

 

[scannerman5000]

You should be able to hear 19P911 (TG 1191) on the tower, only because they are simulcasting the EDACS channel to the MPSCS system. As far as I'm aware, there are no other Clinton Co. channels being broadcasted over the MPSCS system. Not yet anyways. Soon they will change to MPSCS.

 

[west-pac]

I live in Clinton County, however I can receive all radio Transmissions from the county north of me. I have the countys talk groups programed in my radio but I do not have that countys site programmed in. I use the Clinton County site. Why is that happening?

That is how large, multi-county P25 systems work. Each county's radios will work on their county's tower/s, and typically 1 or 2 surrounding counties in each direction. They do that for several reason, a few of them are: when a unit gets close to a county line their radio may have a better radio signal from a neighboring county's tower; if a police officer gets into a pursuit and the pursuit crosses into another county they still want their radio to work, so if the radio finds a better signal on another tower it will connect (affiliate) to that tower and the officer will still be able to talk to their own dispatch; if a fire department is called for mutual aid in neighboring county that department will be able to connect to the tower in the neighboring county, and still will be able to talk their own fire dept members at their station, as well as their own dispatch from the scene in the neighboring county.

On some statewide P25 systems, like Indiana (not sure about Michigan) their are local talkgroups for each county, that will work on that county's tower/s and each surrounding county's tower; then there are 'regional' mutual aid talkgroups that work for entire regions of the state (in Indiana the regional mutual aid talkgroups are assigned to the state police districts. All of the counties within each state police district can use the same regional mutual aid channels, if multiple counties are working a large incident. (You may hear a unit from 3 or 4 counties away talking to the state police, on your tower, if your county and that other county are both assigned to the same state police district.)) That explains 'local' and 'regional' talkgroups, and then there are also 'statewide' talkgroups for state departments/agencies and statewide mutual aid channels. So its possible that you may hear counties on opposite ends of the state talking to each other, on your tower, if somebody in your county has their radio on that channel.

Before digital radio systems, if you had a scanner sitting on your desk, you would hear your county and maybe a neighboring county; but with the way digital radio systems work, nowadays you can potentially hear several counties all over the state, from a scanner sitting on your desk.

 

[krokus]

That is how large, multi-county P25 systems work. Each county's radios will work on their county's tower/s, and typically 1 or 2 surrounding counties in each direction. They do that for several reason, a few of them are: when a unit gets close to a county line their radio may have a better radio signal from a neighboring county's tower; if a police officer gets into a pursuit and the pursuit crosses into another county they still want their radio to work, so if the radio finds a better signal on another tower it will connect (affiliate) to that tower and the officer will still be able to talk to their own dispatch; if a fire department is called for mutual aid in neighboring county that department will be able to connect to the tower in the neighboring county, and still will be able to talk their own fire dept members at their station, as well as their own dispatch from the scene in the neighboring county.

On some statewide P25 systems, like Indiana (not sure about Michigan) their are local talkgroups for each county, that will work on that county's tower/s and each surrounding county's tower; then there are 'regional' mutual aid talkgroups that work for entire regions of the state (in Indiana the regional mutual aid talkgroups are assigned to the state police districts. All of the counties within each state police district can use the same regional mutual aid channels, if multiple counties are working a large incident. (You may hear a unit from 3 or 4 counties away talking to the state police, on your tower, if your county and that other county are both assigned to the same state police district.)) That explains 'local' and 'regional' talkgroups, and then there are also 'statewide' talkgroups for state departments/agencies and statewide mutual aid channels. So its possible that you may hear counties on opposite ends of the state talking to each other, on your tower, if somebody in your county has their radio on that channel.

Before digital radio systems, if you had a scanner sitting on your desk, you would hear your county and maybe a neighboring county; but with the way digital radio systems work, nowadays you can potentially hear several counties all over the state, from a scanner sitting on your desk.

Most talkgroups in Michigan work as described. They work in the county of assignment, and one ring of towers around that county.