FleetConnect in Windsor

[tilt404]

I'm sorry if this post sounds like its about programming. I'm here more hoping to find someone from my area in Essex County Ontario who is familiar with this system though.

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=7079

I've been out of scanning for a few years and just got back into it. I was happy to see new scanners that can monitor DMR now and other things. I got a Uniden BCD325P2 and paid for the DMR firmware upgrade. I have that system in with the Windsor Downtown (site) frequencies and my main focus is trying to monitor the Essex County Fire talk groups on there.

I will hear the dispatch on my other scanner from the main fire and rescue service dispatch on 153.7700 or 469.9375. They will dispatch to the particular town or city, but then I will hear nothing monitoring those talk groups on FleetConnect.

43001 T AHFD Amherstburg Fire Dispatch
43021 T EFD County Fire Dispatch
43031 T Lakeshore FD Lakeshore Fire Dispatch
43212 T LaSalle FD LaSalle Fire Dispatch
43011 T TFD Tecumseh Fire Dispatch

I know the system and site is programmed right since I hear every other TG on it clearly. I have heard some talk once even between Windsor Fire dispatch and a unit in Essex. Maybe there just hasn't been a fire big enough but just heard another dispatch go out and nothing on FleetConnect where I would expect that station to reply.

Sorry this is long. I used the Butel software and RR input to program the system. I wasn't sure if I should have used 'CC only' checked or keep all the frequencies listed for the site I am using. I left it as it was input from the software and it programmed in every frequency for that "Windsor - Downtown
site I monitor.

I've been into scanning for years but DMR is still new to me and just wanted to hopefully hear from someone who maybe monitors this same system locally so I can find out what settings they have in for it.

I'm picking up many talk groups in the same system I have programmed in so all seems well. Maybe I'm just lacking self confidence and doubting myself.

 

[slicerwizard]

I doubt that CC only is a viable option on DMR systems.

 

[tilt404]

I doubt that CC only is a viable option on DMR systems.

Thanks, I thought so also so left all the frequencies in. I keep wondering if they switched to some privacy mode or whatever DMR has. I keep hearing dispatches on the main conventional frequencies but then nothing on the DMR one replying. I have heard some talk on there though. I've only had the scanner for a week now so maybe I just need to give it more time.

I just thought I would ask here in case someone else that lives here is familiar with the system and how its used. Its so odd how some in this county are dispatched from other towns or cities on conventional frequencies, then on DMR or P25. Such a small area but nothing is consistent.

 

[gwtc199]

Most likely the fire talkgroups are only affiliated to the other Essex towers. For example Amherstburg Fire talkgroup is only available through the Amherstburg tower and so on for all the departments.

 

[tilt404]

Most likely the fire talkgroups are only affiliated to the other Essex towers. For example Amherstburg Fire talkgroup is only available through the Amherstburg tower and so on for all the departments.

Thank you for that since I was wondering if this was the case but strange. Like if something bad happened each town wouldn't be able to talk to the other? I should be able to get them all still though so I will put in each site's frequencies.

 

[FoeHammer]

I have only monitored this system on my sdr dongle , my antennas are down for now , I have to get around to getting some new cable ,..I have heard fire activity , with dispatch & responses , I think I had all freqs for all sites put in ,..but cannot track any single tg , which is why I was considering the sds100 , as well as wondering if it would pick up the Detroit system properly , If I get my system back up I will be able to look at it again & see where the responses are coming from

 

[tilt404]

I have only monitored this system on my sdr dongle , my antennas are down for now , I have to get around to getting some new cable ,..I have heard fire activity , with dispatch & responses , I think I had all freqs for all sites put in ,..but cannot track any single tg , which is why I was considering the sds100 , as well as wondering if it would pick up the Detroit system properly , If I get my system back up I will be able to look at it again & see where the responses are coming from

I put in all the sites listed in that group and all are coming in or at least showing full receive strength on the meter so will see how this goes since I only had the downtown Windsor site in before. Maybe that's why I only heard Windsor dispatch.

I heard some other fire related talk last week though while a fire was going on but not sure what town/city it was. Those TGIDs weren't on RR yet and in the same range as other fire ones. I will keep listening and try to confirm more. Its still so much easier than before trying to decode DMR on my computer while hooked to the scanner.

I'm surprised this Uniden BCD325P2 keeps dropping in price so much on amazon.ca. It was down to $380 yesterday and up to $410 today. Sadly it was $516 when I got it a week or so ago. I never thought to look there. I miss Durham Radio. Radioworld still prices things so high.

 

[tilt404]

Thank you

Thank you to all who replied here. Putting in the frequencies for all the sites near me worked. So far picking up Lakeshore now hearing them talk with Windsor fire dispatch. Hearing Tecumseh Fire now also.

 

[gary123]

Please log the TGs and the Fleetconnect towers where they are active. That way others can just enable the tower and have the proper TGs available.

 

[tilt404]

Please log the TGs and the Fleetconnect towers where they are active. That way others can just enable the tower and have the proper TGs available.

I will try. The county isn't very active it seems compared to Windsor in terms of fires. The listed tower sites on RR currently seems accurate though. I'm in a high spot and my antenna reaches all but Belle River. I only have a Diamond X30A at the moment. I may try to get a X50A again since it has a little more gain on UHF, 2db more than my X30.

At least I seem to understand how dispatches work now. I still hear the main tone out on conventional VHF/UHF frequencies then the station/portables pick up on the DMR. I'm no radio tech but have been into scanners for decades off and on. Not steady. Last time I was deep in was a few years ago before any of these new scanners came out with DMR/NXDN/P2 and stuff. So I have a lot of catching up to do.

With these new scanners I feel optimistic again in a way which is nice.

 

[gary123]

I have both DMR and NXDN enabled on my personal and work scanners. I agree their performance is excellent when programmed properly. I am using Unden product and when compared to real (Motorola or Kenwood) hardware their performance is 99%. The missing 1 percent could easily be just the processor speed or whatever.

I travel quite a bit for work related issues and I do like to be able to just load in a file ready for the area that I am in or traveling to.

 

[DaveH]

I doubt that CC only is a viable option on DMR systems.

From one of the DMR specs, system has ability to transmit absolute frequencies, but whether the ones we listen do actually do it is doubtful; and whether DSD+/scanners could decode and use that info is another matter.

Dave

 

[gary123]

CC is not an option in DMR. The closest you can come is trunked discovery for TGs and using the Analize/LCN finder for the freq order.

 

[slicerwizard]

From one of the DMR specs, system has ability to transmit absolute frequencies, but whether the ones we listen do actually do it is doubtful; and whether DSD+/scanners could decode and use that info is another matter.

Dave

There are no published specs for Motorola's proprietary Connect Plus trunking protocol.

 

[tilt404]

CC is not an option in DMR. The closest you can come is trunked discovery for TGs and using the Analize/LCN finder for the freq order.

On my Uniden BCD325P2 when scanning this FleetConnect system it will often show a "CC" on the display with a number next to it when someone is talking on a DMR system I have programmed in. Like for Tecumseh Fire it will show CC5 when they are talking but for that site there are only 3 frequencies. So I'm not sure what the CC5 is telling me. Maybe through the 3 frequencies listed on RR its finding a 5th.

Other systems like the Enwin one here:

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=9223

it will show CC1 when they are talking so its as if it thinks the first frequency is a CC. I know so little of DMR though. Maybe its not so much the CC but just the frequency in use. I don't have it set to use CC only though and put in all the frequencies for each site close to me.

 

[DaveH]

System may have 3 RF channels but there are 6 LCNs, so LCN 5 is the first timeslot of the 3rd frequency.

Dave

 

[Muxlow]

The fleetconnect system changes alot it seems around essex county. There is talk of changing the talkgroup format to some dumb new setup.. Would do away with each towns own tac/ops group and have a county wide tac channels assigned on a per call request.

I like how its setup now, but that could change. And yeah you need to have all the essex county towers in as a tecumseh truck could start on this site, then get closer to another and youd loose the talkgroup as its only active when a radio is locked onto a specific tower and drags the group over.

So say a essex county chief drives to... toronto. he could still listen/talk on the system all the way from essex to toronto. and anyone along the way would be able to hear his talkgroup while that radio is connected to each site along the way.

Wish they would ditch the UHF and go V like the rest of ontario for county depts. Leamington and Kingsville are still vhf and dont think they will be joining the UHF side as they would loose interop with coast guard and other city services who use vhf

 

[FoeHammer]

Ok I managed to split an antenna line & make some patch cables so I can get dmr with my usb dongle ( wish I could get it to ignore control channel data in a scan ) Its a little clumsy for me to use & not as smooth as a scanner but allows me to at least get some system data ,....anyway On this setup using sdr# & DSD+ for decoding My display shows Im monitoring site 158-1 DCC 1 (Which I believe means they are using color code 1)
It also shows that neighbor sites are 158-2, 158-3 ,158-33, 158-34,158-35 , haven't really had much time to listen , but was disappointed to see some encrypted talk groups , but much still in the clear , Its really cool to monitor the OnQue system though because at least with this setup it shows the custom names they use for the radio ID's ,..like RID# SnowPlowKing1 or whatever

 

[FoeHammer]

Please log the TGs and the Fleetconnect towers where they are active. That way others can just enable the tower and have the proper TGs available.

I think the database is pretty accurate for the tower sites ,..There are quite a few unlisted tgids though , the only problem is many of them Its hard to tell exactly what they are & getting the time to sit down & listen long enough to make a guess , I would assume it would be easier for those with a dmr scanner using ID search , Thats why I really want either the sds100 or the 436 I cant decide ,...I may be missing something , but this usb sdr dongle is great for getting info on the system , but not so great for use as a scanner like scanning & searching I have to babysit it & skip data all time

 

[gary123]

tilt404 the CC your seeing is the color code for the site/system. Its like a PL tone. On fleetconnect different sites have different color codes. Generally speaking it looks like each radio shop has chosen their own CC for their sites. This makes it a bit easier to know who owns the site. Obviously this is not a rule but just something I have observed.

FoeHammer: I like the tagged RIDs too often they can be used to identify a user. If you can check other local sites to see what their neighbors are this is usefull info to have.h

Im mobile right now but if someone wants to update the Fleetconnect site 1 neibour info to include site s 2,3,33,34 and 35. that would be great.