Multiple sites and Fleetnet in Ontario.

[wyldman]

Great info,it made it real easy to get Fleetnet set up and working.Reception isn't great here without a good antenna (the rubber duckie sucks),but it does work.

My question is regarding using multiple towers.When travelling the other day,once I got out past Mississauga,I lost a lot of the Fleetnet stuff.I need to program in some of the other towers to make it work better.

Do I create a new system for each tower ? or can I just add all the control channels for the different towers into one system.I asked a similar question here ( http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?p=324409&posted=1#post324409 ),and I'm still unsure of which way to do it.

Of course,I would like to just have it set up as one system,with multiple towers,that switch automatically as I travel.

Oh,and would I add all the primary control channels first,then all the secondary ones? or primary,then secondary,then primary,and secondary,and so on for all the towers ?

 

[mikewazowski]

It all depends on what scanner you have.

Most scanners require systems to be put into separate systems. The BC996T does not.

 

[jellotor]

Here's my explanation again for how I set up all of Zone 1 in my BC250D...

I split the sites into 5 different groups, roughly set up by geographic distance but I also tried to keep sites that share a control channel (for example Owen Sound and the new Guelph West share a CC) in different groups. I then programmed the frequencies for those sites into the respective banks, grouping the control channels and alternate control channels near the top of the channel list (ie. ch 1,2,3,4 and ch 101,102,103 etc etc etc) followed by each site's voice frequencies. After weeding out duplicates (ARC250 is good for that) I locked out any of the control channels and alternate control channels that would not normally be in range (Windsor) and left only the closest site control channel to me enabled per bank.

Obviously, setting up the talkgroups was a bit of a hassle outside of the OPP tgs. But with som revisions it works pretty well. Switching monitoring between sites when mobile is as simple as dropping out of trunking, unlocking one CC and locking another and resuming trunktracking. You could consider this the manual, non-GPS-enabled way the 996 does it, I guess. Only sheer brainpower required.

 

[newbie]

I am over here in Michigan and I just setup Fleetnet.

If you have a 396 or 996 I can send you my usad file. I get pretty decent reception up by Port Huron but not great in Detroit.

Now if we can get some of the co-ordinates for the towers.

 

[wyldman]

Sorry,I should have been more clear.

I am mainly going to be using it on my 396,as it does digital.I may add it later to my 246 for EMS and stuff.

Will the 396 allow all the control channels in one system like the 996 ?

I guess this brings up another question.........

Are all the talkgroups broadcast on all towers ? I think I read that they are not.The reason I ask,is I get some hotshot notifications of stuff going on out in guelph,or other areas ,and don't seem to get any of it out here in Brampton (NW of Toronto).If they don't come across all towers,then I guess I will have to set up different systems for different towers,so I can pick what I want to hear.Right now i am using mostly the Toronto and Mississauga towers.

Also,will it work any better if I program in all the voice frequencies as well,or just stick to the control channels ? It seems to work OK with just the control channels so far.

 

[newbie]

Or you can put your scanner into ID Search mode and let it find TG's you do not have programmed. I use this when travelling but keep all the TG's I am interested in programmed.

I am attaching my Zone 1 usd file.

 

[MetalCarnage]

i have all of Fleetnet Zone 2 divided into 3 banks on my bc250d, then i duplicated all three. So for each bank and its duplicate i have all OPP in one and EMS in the other. I am not too concerned about clashing towers as i dont get 130km radius with my mobile setup, i just planned the banks so everything is as far away from each other as possible...besides, i find out in Zone 2 its not that busy anyways so i dont have a lot to worry about. This setup works for me, and will have to stay that way until i get my hands on a 396...thats my only peeve about my 250D/796D..i wouldnt think about getting a 396 if the dumb things could do more talkgroups per bank

 

[mikewazowski]

Will the 396 allow all the control channels in one system like the 996 ?

No, only the 996T does multisite. With the 396T, you must separate each site into a separate system.

Are all the talkgroups broadcast on all towers ? I think I read that they are not.

Correct, they are not. Normally you would only hear what's local to you.

Also,will it work any better if I program in all the voice frequencies as well,or just stick to the control channels ? It seems to work OK with just the control channels so far.

If you have control channel only turned on then you don't need the voice channels.

 

[wyldman]

Thanks Mike,that was exactly the info I was looking for !