Wierd AWIN

[poppafred]

I think understand how AWIN works. I live in Franklin Co (20 miles east of Ft Smith). While dinking around with my AWIN search list on my new PSR 500 (sweet rig!) I heard a Phillips Co SO deputy checking in with his dispatcher. That is literally on the other side of the state.

So, all it takes is a single radio from that talk group being in the area of my local tower and I will hear everything going on with that talkgroup way over there? What real purpose does that serve? Wouldn't it be more efficient for the deputy to call them on his cell when he picks up a prisoner rather than tying up the resources required to make a radio call that far away? What if he has a problem? Notifying his dispatch that the perp is giving him grief won't get him help any faster than calling 911 and telling a local LEO. As a matter of fact, it would probably take longer using AWIN.

This doesn't really make sense to me.

Or am I just trying to apply logic to an illogical situation?

 

[wrr20891]

As far as resources, it really does not take that much. It's no big deal to the controller to assign a tower to a talk group. Rarely are all the voice channels in operation at one time under normal circumstances. Now tomorrow, yeah, it might be an issue. If the forecast is correct the entire system will probably be pretty busy statewide.

It might just be a matter of convenience. Easier for him to pick up the microphone rather than try to drive, dial a cell phone and watch a prisoner all at the same time.

 

[davidgcet]

also it does not tie up every tower between you and his home site, tower to tower is all done over IP, so the audio only goes to sites with an affliated user. not all groups/users are setup to be sent system wide either, they can actually restrict a radio to a single tower only or any number of towers, and on a per TG basis too. so unit 1 could have Jonesboro PD Car to Car and it work only in the Jonesboro area, but switch over to JPD Dispatch or TAC and it work anywhere in the state.

local users are given priority, and some TG will have even more priority at sites. if a users with a higher priority level needs access, it can be setup so he interupts the current call and takes the slot if none are available, though this option is usually limited to such things as Emergency calls and maybe some higher ups in government.

 

[btritch]

There is a rule that says you're NOT supposed to talk out of your area, You can listen but you're not supposed to key up. However, They do sometimes, I hear A LOT of Phillips County SO here in Greene County As Well.

 

[wrr20891]

Uh Brian, that makes no sense. The tower is going to be transmitting anyway if a radio is monitoring a talk group assigned to the tower. A voice channel is tied up whether the mobile unit transmits or not. The goal is to minimize tying up a voice channel.

What the actual rule is: when outside your assigned area, you should put the radio on Mac Call instead of your home system, or a channel assigned to that area. But there are certainly times and situations where someone would need to talk with their home agency. As long as it is not involving a continuous basis, the AWIN powers that be don't seem to have a problem with it.

You may indeed hear Phillips County, but if you heard it regularly, it probably has something to do with the tower affiliations. I doubt Phillips County sends a deputy to Paragould on a daily basis.

 

[btritch]

Uh Brian, that makes no sense. The tower is going to be transmitting anyway if a radio is monitoring a talk group assigned to the tower. A voice channel is tied up whether the mobile unit transmits or not. The goal is to minimize tying up a voice channel.

What the actual rule is: when outside your assigned area, you should put the radio on Mac Call instead of your home system, or a channel assigned to that area. But there are certainly times and situations where someone would need to talk with their home agency. As long as it is not involving a continuous basis, the AWIN powers that be don't seem to have a problem with it.

You may indeed hear Phillips County, but if you heard it regularly, it probably has something to do with the tower affiliations. I doubt Phillips County sends a deputy to Paragould on a daily basis.

Ok I knew there was a rule somewhat to that nature...It's been awhile since I've delt with AWIN.. Phillips County Comes in now and then off Lake City Tower.. I assume it's probably them going to the State Police Troop C Area. I've also heard ASP A South, B, C of course and D, and I've also heard Watson Chapel FD and Jefferson County SO along with Phillips County SO and even heard Bryant PD a time or two. .So it's always a good thing to keep an eye out, Never know what you might hear.

 

[audiophile249]

Brian,
We have been told when we leave our area to turn off our radios. When we travel across someone else towers the radio traffic from our dispatch ties up one of their channels. I work in Jefferson County and and have been called by our OEM manager and told to turn my radio off when I was in Baton Rouge LA. We were showing off our radios they did not believe they would work that far away. Anyways their are unofficial rules to turning off or not using your radio when you leave your area also as far as Ive been told ADEM can figure out what radio is tying up the network and will call the network admins. When your listening and hear Jefferson county i am radio ID 4127 or just 127 when talking deputy to deputy.

 

[btritch]

Brian,
We have been told when we leave our area to turn off our radios. When we travel across someone else towers the radio traffic from our dispatch ties up one of their channels. I work in Jefferson County and and have been called by our OEM manager and told to turn my radio off when I was in Baton Rouge LA. We were showing off our radios they did not believe they would work that far away. Anyways their are unofficial rules to turning off or not using your radio when you leave your area also as far as Ive been told ADEM can figure out what radio is tying up the network and will call the network admins. When your listening and hear Jefferson county i am radio ID 4127 or just 127 when talking deputy to deputy.

I've actually head Jefferson county here in Greene County before off of Lake City Tower, Along with Watson Chapel FD and A few other Counties. I took one of our radio's here in the county with me a couple of weeks ago to Pope County but Didn't hear much. It only monitors ADEM Northeast Area Channels and our County OEM ID and we'd NEVER use it, I mean Never, it's been used twice I believe in 5 years. But I didn't know that about turning it off, Nice to know that they can track the system... Thanks for the info and I'll listen if I'm in Jefferson Co. area or hear them from here.

And Tying Up AWIN from Baton Rouge LA.. WoW!

 

[zzdiesel]

They may need to contact their local dispatch when they are transporting to let them about certain situations for CYA purposes.

 

[memph33777]

west memphis

i cant seem to find west memphis under awin. anybody else have this problem?