NHSP Consolidating Communications?

[emsflyer84]

Hey all,

I just noticed there is a note in the database section on this site for NHSP that says they are working on moving all communications to Concord. Does anyone know if this is still in the works? Just curious. Thanks.

 

[jmarcel66]

The Department of Safety page needs some updating. The last I knew, Troops A-E would be dispatched out of the Communications Center in Concord and Troop-F would continue to handle their troop. All of the channels/frequencies were going to remain the same.

 

[12dbsinad]

The Department of Safety page needs some updating. The last I knew, Troops A-E would be dispatched out of the Communications Center in Concord and Troop-F would continue to handle their troop. All of the channels/frequencies were going to remain the same.

what ever happened to the big statewide upgrade for SP anyway? I thought I read a RFP a few years back but haven't heard anything about it.

 

[jmarcel66]

I think it's pretty much complete. It was mainly to upgrade the existing systems. I believe there was a lot of behind the scenes infrastructure work done. But nothing much in way of scanning.

 

[jmfirefighter]

NHSP used to have local dispatchers at each troop station location (except D/HQ). A number of years ago NHSP began consolidating dispatchers to the IPOC in Concord for Troops A-D. The consolidation was occurring with retirements and resignations of the troop station dispatchers until the system upgrade was completed in late 2019 and the remote consoles were discontinued. Troop F in Tamworth currently dispatches for troops F and E. Marine Patrol is also dispatched out of both locations depending on where the MP officer is located. Laconia's 911 center, along with the Radio Shop, NH State Hospital, and Fish and Game HQ also have dispatch consoles present. There also also 10 laptop dispatch consoles that can be used at incidents or other situations such as social distancing.

As for the system upgrade question, NHSP's radio system is now managed and maintained by the DOS division of Emergency Services and Communications and the licenses are being slowly transferred to the division. Dispatchers remain NHSP civillian employees. The system itself was upgraded from the 1996/2001 ASTRO/Centracom circuit based V.24 system to a Motorola ASTRO25 all-IP system. The system features geo-redundant (and self redundant) Motorola M3 cores, MCC7500e dispatch consoles, and G-Series site equipment (GTR8000, GGM8000, etc.) The only portions of the old system left are the Quantar transmitters that operate LP North and LP South, along with Fish and Game's Quantars. They are in process of being upgraded slowly. No additional sites were added to the system, as that is an additional phase of the upgrade program going forward. There were also no changes in system coverage from the upgrade, it was equipment only, although some changes may be noted because of improved equipment and audio quality as a result of the M3 Core audio processing (all IP codecs)....no more V.24 or analog audio!

 

[jmarcel66]

What he said LOL. I should've remembered to wait for Josh cause I knew he'd know.

But I do still love analog LOL.

 

[emsflyer84]

NHSP used to have local dispatchers at each troop station location (except D/HQ). A number of years ago NHSP began consolidating dispatchers to the IPOC in Concord for Troops A-D. The consolidation was occurring with retirements and resignations of the troop station dispatchers until the system upgrade was completed in late 2019 and the remote consoles were discontinued. Troop F in Tamworth currently dispatches for troops F and E. Marine Patrol is also dispatched out of both locations depending on where the MP officer is located. Laconia's 911 center, along with the Radio Shop, NH State Hospital, and Fish and Game HQ also have dispatch consoles present. There also also 10 laptop dispatch consoles that can be used at incidents or other situations such as social distancing.

As for the system upgrade question, NHSP's radio system is now managed and maintained by the DOS division of Emergency Services and Communications and the licenses are being slowly transferred to the division. Dispatchers remain NHSP civillian employees. The system itself was upgraded from the 1996/2001 ASTRO/Centracom circuit based V.24 system to a Motorola ASTRO25 all-IP system. The system features geo-redundant (and self redundant) Motorola M3 cores, MCC7500e dispatch consoles, and G-Series site equipment (GTR8000, GGM8000, etc.) The only portions of the old system left are the Quantar transmitters that operate LP North and LP South, along with Fish and Game's Quantars. They are in process of being upgraded slowly. No additional sites were added to the system, as that is an additional phase of the upgrade program going forward. There were also no changes in system coverage from the upgrade, it was equipment only, although some changes may be noted because of improved equipment and audio quality as a result of the M3 Core audio processing (all IP codecs)....no more V.24 or analog audio!

Thanks for the great explanation! So as of right now, Troop F dispatches for Troop F and E, and HQ dispatches the rest? Thanks for the clarification. Some communications I’ve heard here in Carroll County make more sense no that I know their dispatch is up in Twin Mountain...

 

[jmfirefighter]

Correct. Every now and then Troop E dispatch is at the IPOC in Concord depending on staffing in Twin Mountain, but 99% of the time it's up there. Everything else is in Concord.

If you want a fun game to play: If you're monitoring and can see ASTRO ID numbers, each console has a unique ID number assigned to it. Try and map them out to their location over the air....they are all five digits in the 11XXX range.

 

[NEK1213]

Back in the early 70's NHSP HQ dispatched Troops B, C, D and G (interstate). E was a mix of daytime troop station and remainder of the day via HQ. Both A & F had their own dispatchers. HQ had the ability back then to talk to F troopers off MT Washington. The radios were either GE 2 or 4 channel manual units.

 

[wizardofid]

At the present time I am able to receive NHSP Troop E and Marine with little to no issue.

However, still being somewhat of a newbie... I am wondering how this change (to Concord dispatch) will effect the reception of NHSP Troop E in southern Carroll County, for those of us who are running a scanner with an indoor antenna?

 

[jmfirefighter]

At the present time I am able to receive NHSP Troop E and Marine with little to no issue.

However, still being somewhat of a newbie... I am wondering how this change (to Concord dispatch) will effect the reception of NHSP Troop E in southern Carroll County, for those of us who are running a scanner with an indoor antenna?

The location of the transmitters has not changed. Troop E is simulcast from the summits of Belknap Mountain in Gilford and Mt. Whittier in Tamworth. The dispatch point is irrelevant, as the console is merely a graphical user interface allowing control of the transmitters on the mountain. Troop A can be dispatched from Twin Mountain if the situation requires, and for a period recently, Troop C was being dispatched out of Twin Mountain on the overnights.

 

[jmfirefighter]

Back in the early 70's NHSP HQ dispatched Troops B, C, D and G (interstate). E was a mix of daytime troop station and remainder of the day via HQ. Both A & F had their own dispatchers. HQ had the ability back then to talk to F troopers off MT Washington. The radios were either GE 2 or 4 channel manual units.

That would have been the old Low Band system with the 1 kW transmitter on Clinton Street in Concord. I believe I have photos of it somewhere in the archives.

 

[garys]

The good old days of Low Band.

Back in the early 70's NHSP HQ dispatched Troops B, C, D and G (interstate). E was a mix of daytime troop station and remainder of the day via HQ. Both A & F had their own dispatchers. HQ had the ability back then to talk to F troopers off MT Washington. The radios were either GE 2 or 4 channel manual units.

 

[wizardofid]

The location of the transmitters has not changed. Troop E is simulcast from the summits of Belknap Mountain in Gilford and Mt. Whittier in Tamworth. The dispatch point is irrelevant, as the console is merely a graphical user interface allowing control of the transmitters on the mountain. Troop A can be dispatched from Twin Mountain if the situation requires, and for a period recently, Troop C was being dispatched out of Twin Mountain on the overnights.

jmfirefighter, thank you for your response. I wasn't aware that we had any simulcast systems in southern Carroll County.

 

[jmfirefighter]

Believe it or not DOS still maintains a low band repeater system. It is mostly used for Seabrook Station and EPZ testing. Locations of repeaters are Saddleback in Deerfield, Oak Hill in Loudon, Mt. Kearsarge in Warner, Hyland Hill in Westmoreland, Mt. Washington, and Prospect Mountain in Lancaster. All are on the state dispatch console and can be used/patched/etc. as needed!

 

[NEK1213]

HQ (KCA999) was 44.94, car to car was 44.82, F was 45.26, F&G was KRE261 of most of those towers mentioned by jmfirefighter. Clinton Street was a radio repair and installation only facility.

 

[n1das]

HQ (KCA999) was 44.94, car to car was 44.82, F was 45.26, F&G was KRE261 of most of those towers mentioned by jmfirefighter. Clinton Street was a radio repair and installation only facility.

I remember those days back in my early days of scanning. I remember callsigns KCA999 and KRE261 very well. I grew up in Hanover and F had a transmitter on North Peak, aka Moose Mtn, in Hanover. I heard F talk out on 45.26 and heard SP units talk back simplex on 45.26. There also was a UHF link from Moose to F on 462.45/467.45 that repeated what was heard on 45.26 back to F. I assumed F talked to Moose on 467.45 to talk out on 45.26 from Moose. The callsign for the 462.45 link was WLG56 if memory serves. 462.45 is a Part 90 I/B freq, which I found interesting at the time. The 462.45 link is long gone. A friend of mine in VT has that frequency pair (462.45/467.45) licensed to his business today.

I also remember the old unit numbers before the change to the numbering system NHSP uses today. A memorable and frequently heard unit number under the old numbering system was 370. The same Troop F unit under the new unit numbering system was 617.

 

[jmfirefighter]

I'm going to correct my earlier statement....the 1kW transmitter on Clinton Street was the old AM transmitter on 1682 kHz, not Low Band. Here's some photos and history of the NHSP radio system from the 30's until the late 80's. I'll be making another post with some more photos and documentation

 

[jmfirefighter]

Here's some photos of the Communications Section of the NHSP 50th Anniversary book.......

 

[ecps92]

Memories of the old 462/467 links made hearing units easier, just like the LRMFA 456 link from Waterville Valley

I remember those days back in my early days of scanning. I remember callsigns KCA999 and KRE261 very well. I grew up in Hanover and F had a transmitter on North Peak, aka Moose Mtn, in Hanover. I heard F talk out on 45.26 and heard SP units talk back simplex on 45.26. There also was a UHF link from Moose to F on 462.45/467.45 that repeated what was heard on 45.26 back to F. I assumed F talked to Moose on 467.45 to talk out on 45.26 from Moose. The callsign for the 462.45 link was WLG56 if memory serves. 462.45 is a Part 90 I/B freq, which I found interesting at the time. The 462.45 link is long gone. A friend of mine in VT has that frequency pair (462.45/467.45) licensed to his business today.

I also remember the old unit numbers before the change to the numbering system NHSP uses today. A memorable and frequently heard unit number under the old numbering system was 370. The same Troop F unit under the new unit numbering system was 617.