PRWC & Topaz VHF channels

Status
Not open for further replies.

cfsimmont

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 4, 2015
Messages
339
Location
Arizona
Had an opportunity to monitor a few calls today that were on the VHF Tac channels but was not able to on either of the digital systems. If I am reading correctly Mesa's VHF channels are simulcasted onto the corresponding talkgroups? Also with the PRWC they have talkgroups that link the vhf channels to the digital system but heard nothing. In both cases I put the scanner on the correct talkgroups and monitored the vhf freq with a dual band ht, heard the traffic on the vhf side but nothing on the digital side. I can hear the Mesa Simulcast and Simulcast C rather well so I'm not sure where the snag is?
 

KB7MIB

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Messages
4,194
Location
Peoria, AZ.
The Phoenix FD RDC TG's that are linked to the VHF channels probably only carry traffic if someone has a radio turned to one of those TG's, rather than being patched full time. Secondly, it could be possible that only the simulcast that a particular radio is affiliated to is carrying the patch. If they're affiliated to Simulcast B, they may not be heard on Simulcasts C/F/G/H/J. Lastly, they are also encrypted, so you won't hear anything but encryption noise, unless you're using a Uniden scanner which skips over encrypted transmissions while in scan mode. In which case you won't hear anything, unless you hold on a TG that is active. (There are also the old TG's that were patched years ago, and the current TG's that are patched now. Be sure you're trying to listen to the current TG's.)

I don't believe that Mesa FD RDC patches channels between VHF and the TOPAZ RWC other than dispatch.

John
Peoria
 

JohnSpartan

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Messages
212
Location
BEE08
Correct, Mesa does not patch their VHF to TOPAZ or the other way around. PRDC used to patch their A deck full-time, but in the last couple of years, they seemed to have abandoned the practice and the A talkgroups are encrypted as mentioned.
 

cfsimmont

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 4, 2015
Messages
339
Location
Arizona
Ok well that explains a lot. Thought it was something I had programmed wrong, I just need to program the vhf freqs into the scanner
 

kmrounds

Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2008
Messages
25
Location
Queen Creek, Arizona
Mesa simulcasts their channel 1 from the 800 system to the VHF channel 1. You should be able to hear alarm and the crews. The VHF tacticals channels do not link to any current talk groups. Phoenix does link their VHF tactical channels to encrypted talk groups for crews that may be responding from a distance to monitor.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top