Mass State Radio Sytem question

[BabaDude77]

Hey all , quick question about the Mass State Radio System used by MSP and alot of FD and PD around the state. Do the towers or sites talk to each other like the Rode Island P/25 system, meaning when I cross the border coming from Conn I switch my scanner to the RI system and can hear Providence Fire basically on the other side of state? I am asking because I have a lot of the Cape and Island fire departments programed which I listen to while on the cape and wasn't sure if Boston area departments could also be heard on the local C&I sites or towers.

Thanks

 

[ecps92]

Short answer is NO

However, then we need to add a Depends.

Cape TG's are not generally going to be heard off the Cape [maybe a few on the D-Troop Zone] on a regular basis. Mutual Aid TG's yes, as folks travel [first major use of this was the Worc Cold Storage Fire]

Then add in the exception, of if it is a $4!t hits the fan event, maybe the tech's might allow them or like the Boston Bombings, they will Disallow many TG's from affiliating and causing additional traffic loads in other Zones.

Then add to the confuzzlement.
a. Does the System Admin allow TG xyz to
b. Affiliated with Tower ###
c Then yes, and maybe only during certain hours

Too many Variables, but from a Scanner perspective don't expect to hear Cape Cod dept's on Boston Area Zones....

Hey all , quick question about the Mass State Radio System used by MSP and alot of FD and PD around the state. Do the towers or sites talk to each other like the Rode Island P/25 system, meaning when I cross the border coming from Conn I switch my scanner to the RI system and can hear Providence Fire basically on the other side of state? I am asking because I have a lot of the Cape and Island fire departments programed which I listen to while on the cape and wasn't sure if Boston area departments could also be heard on the local C&I sites or towers.

Thanks

 

[unleashedff248]

The Cape FDs as a whole are only on zone 4. Zone 3 broadcasts only Falmouth and Sandwich FD's (since they're close enough to be used while in zone 3 territory). Zones 6 and 11 are fill-in sites and I believe only broadcast the local FD's to that site, like Wellfleet and Truro. Most of the time my radio stays on zone 4 no matter where I am on the upper Cape. The few times it's affiliated with 6 or 11 I've heard nothing for a while, did a forced site search, and gone back to 4. You won't hear any Boston area FD's in zone 4. AFAIK Boston FD is the only one on the system in that area, and they're on the newer P25 system not the smartzone system. Most eastern Mass depts are on UHF conventional with some on VHF and a few 800. Many Cape depts still do recall paging on low band and some have conventional repeaters to rebroadcast the trunked talkgroups. Sometimes fireground comms with go to the county fireground channels which are simplex 800 conventional. This isn't very common though.

As ecps92 said mutual aid TG's are different and can be manipulated and patched based on current needs.

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[garys]

Sums it up nicely.

BTW, I hear a lot of Cape traffic on Zone 3.

Short answer is NO

However, then we need to add a Depends.

Cape TG's are not generally going to be heard off the Cape [maybe a few on the D-Troop Zone] on a regular basis. Mutual Aid TG's yes, as folks travel [first major use of this was the Worc Cold Storage Fire]

Then add in the exception, of if it is a $4!t hits the fan event, maybe the tech's might allow them or like the Boston Bombings, they will Disallow many TG's from affiliating and causing additional traffic loads in other Zones.

Then add to the confuzzlement.
a. Does the System Admin allow TG xyz to
b. Affiliated with Tower ###
c Then yes, and maybe only during certain hours

Too many Variables, but from a Scanner perspective don't expect to hear Cape Cod dept's on Boston Area Zones....

 

[BabaDude77]

Thanks for the replies all. Great info and I appreciate it I think I will just leave the scanner as is, as I hear everything just fine and I’m not in the area all that often just when visiting family on cape. Thanks again guys.

 

[unleashedff248]

Forgot to mention Bourne on zone 3. So Sandwich, Falmouth, and Bourne. Falmouth PD too now that they've started simulcasting on the trunked sys. Other than Barnstable County Control and the 3 Cape Ops channels I haven't been able to access any other talkgroups while in zone 3.

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