“who broadcasts from where” on MPSCS

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N8SHA

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Greetings all -
I was wondering if there is any information available about “who broadcasts from where” on the MPSCS system?

For example, I got back into listening about a year ago with a BCDx36 scanner. After getting it setup for Genesee County, the performance was pretty abysmal using the Genesee County simulcast tower. Only through some searching did I stumble on the fact that I could use the Holly tower, which is much closer.

I know that some IDs can be used Statewide. Others are more localized. I don’t plan to try and listen to the entire state. :) But, it could be useful info when you’re in these bordering areas, which always seems to be my case.

Regards,
-Matt
 

iMONITOR

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Matt, that's the million dollar question! I've tried for years to find that information. It's certainly documented but apparently not available to the public. Are you scanning from a static location like home or office, or are you mobile?

Try setting up your scanner using the zip code method of scanning, set the radius to just 2 miles then set the services you desire and use something like ProScan or ARC-536, do a talk group search (not scan) and start the logging function of the software. Let it run 24/7 for a couple of days. You end up with a detailed log of what talk groups were received and from what site(s). I was amazed of what turned up in my logs.
 

scanmanmi

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Are you guys really up at 1 & 2 am like the post says?
Are you wondering which entities will pop up on a certain tower like Holly? So like why bother programming in a group if they are not licensed there? If you're not asking it I guess I will :)
 

GTR8000

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So like why bother programming in a group if they are not licensed there?
Talkgroups are not "licensed"; they can be used anywhere in the system/state as long as the system admins allow it. It's a waste of resources to do so, therefore talkgroups are normally restricted to particular sites within a geographic area, but there's absolutely nothing preventing the system admins from allowing the Chippewa County Fire/EMS Dispatch talkgroup being active on the Monroe County Simulcast site.
 

iMONITOR

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Are you guys really up at 1 & 2 am like the post says?
Are you wondering which entities will pop up on a certain tower like Holly? So like why bother programming in a group if they are not licensed there? If you're not asking it I guess I will :)

:sleep: Yes I keep crazy hours. After two open heart surgeries in six years, peripheral nephropathy, arthritis, NO PAIN medications and being 68 years old, I don't sleep so well. But I'm doing better than before and still able to do many things and enjoy the hobby!

I think N8SHA is having problems with the Genesee County simulcast system and wanting to use the Holly site because it works better, and if so will he still hear all the talk groups that he heard on the Genesee site. If they're affiliate with both sites he will. I have a similar situation with an occasional problem with Macomb Countie's simulcast site, then I switch to the Lakeville (Romeo) site located in Oakland County.
 
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scanmanmi

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Talkgroups are not "licensed"; they can be used anywhere in the system/state as long as the system admins allow it. It's a waste of resources to do so, therefore talkgroups are normally restricted to particular sites within a geographic area, but there's absolutely nothing preventing the system admins from allowing the Chippewa County Fire/EMS Dispatch talkgroup being active on the Monroe County Simulcast site.
I understand what you are saying and that's exactly what I meant. I just used the word licensed as standard. What is it called when a talkgroup is "allowed" to be on a certain tower?
I'm assuming the Holly tower is part of the Gennesse Simulcast. I would also assume that if a talkgroup were "allowed" on a certain simulcast system they would have to be "allowed" on all of towers of that system. Could someone could be "allowed" on the Holly tower but not the whole Simulcast? Wouldn't that mess it up?
 

iMONITOR

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Could someone could be "allowed" on the Holly tower but not the whole Simulcast? Wouldn't that mess it up?

Yes, talk groups can operate outside of a particular simulcast system if programmed to do so. I hear some Wayne County/Detroit talk groups on the Macomb simulcast system. The Feds, Border Patrol, Customs, USCG/Military's TG's work all over Michigan for the most part.
 

GeneseeCoMI

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I understand what you are saying and that's exactly what I meant. I just used the word licensed as standard. What is it called when a talkgroup is "allowed" to be on a certain tower?
I'm assuming the Holly tower is part of the Gennesse Simulcast. I would also assume that if a talkgroup were "allowed" on a certain simulcast system they would have to be "allowed" on all of towers of that system. Could someone could be "allowed" on the Holly tower but not the whole Simulcast? Wouldn't that mess it up?

Holly's not part of the Genesee Co simulcast (Holly is in Oakland Co), it just simulcasts the Genesee Co dispatch TG's and others and has different frequencies, as part of the "safety belt." The towers in the other counties that surround Genesee Co. do the same.
 

N8SHA

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:sleep: Yes I keep crazy hours. After two open heart surgeries in six years, peripheral nephropathy, arthritis, NO PAIN medications and being 68 years old, I don't sleep so well. But I'm doing better than before and still able to do many things and enjoy the hobby!

I think N8SHA is having problems with the Genesee County simulcast system and wanting to use the Holly site because it works better, and if so will he still hear all the talk groups that he heard on the Genesee site. If they're affiliate with both sites he will. I have a similar situation with an occasional problem with Macomb Countie's simulcast site, then I switch to the Lakeville (Romeo) site located in Oakland County.

For me, insomnia is a fickle bedfellow...

Indeed, part of the problem was the Genesee County simulcast. Discovering that Genesee Co. also broadcast on Holly helped tremendously, but just got the wheels churning. Part curiosity, part practicality. I commute about an hour south and I'm hoping to setup my quick keys, etc. so that I can quickly switch between systems and so forth, but still get as much of my local traffic as I can. (If all that makes sense...)
 

tdeater

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There really is no guarantee as to who you hear on what towers on the MPSCS system. What is broadcast on each tower is decided by what radios are registered to what tower, and what talkgroups they are on. They are not pre-assigned to specific towers.

So, for example, up in Traverse City you would typically not hear my county's radio chatter. Now, if I travel up there with my radio, you may suddenly start hearing my dispatch radio chatter as my radio roams to the towers up there. In my county, there are 3 towers in the county, not simulcast. For scanner listeners, monitoring one of those towers may or may not hear everything, totally depends on where my users are in the county. During the day, all 3 carry all of our main dispatch chatter because there are users all over the county. At night with a lot less users on, they could very well all be in the same area on the same tower, leaving the other 2 quiet.

Now there are exceptions. Simulcast is a big one, everyone on that system broadcast from every tower in the simulcast subsystem. Paging talkgroups are another exception. They are setup to always transmit on specific towers every time.

As you travel around, you will want all of the towers in the areas you travel to in the quick keys. You would most likelypick up whatever local stuff that way.
 

a29zuk

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Up until about 2014, the Holly tower did broadcast all or most of the Genesee Co. talkgroups. When I bought my 396T back in 2006 I was frustrated by the simulcast distortion. Somehow I stumbled upon the Holly tower having most of the Genesee Co. talkgroups that I was interested in listening to, so I was a happy camper. I now have the 325P2 and it handles the simulcast a lot better then the 396T. YMMV for the simulcast depending where you are located in the county.

Generally speaking, when traveling throughout Michigan, county towers will broadcast their neighboring counties main dispatch channels(police,fire, EMS dispatch). That is why you can monitor those Genesee Co. dispatch channels on the Holly tower.

Jim
 

gpp10x

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I understand what you are saying and that's exactly what I meant. I just used the word licensed as standard. What is it called when a talkgroup is "allowed" to be on a certain tower?
I'm assuming the Holly tower is part of the Gennesse Simulcast. I would also assume that if a talkgroup were "allowed" on a certain simulcast system they would have to be "allowed" on all of towers of that system. Could someone could be "allowed" on the Holly tower but not the whole Simulcast? Wouldn't that mess it up?

I think the word you are looking for is Affiliate. A talk group will affiliate with a particular tower. If you click on the Holly site it will list the site neighbors. Hope this helps.
 

iMONITOR

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Up until about 2014, the Holly tower did broadcast all or most of the Genesee Co. talkgroups. When I bought my 396T back in 2006 I was frustrated by the simulcast distortion. Somehow I stumbled upon the Holly tower having most of the Genesee Co. talkgroups that I was interested in listening to, so I was a happy camper. I now have the 325P2 and it handles the simulcast a lot better then the 396T. YMMV for the simulcast depending where you are located in the county.

Generally speaking, when traveling throughout Michigan, county towers will broadcast their neighboring counties main dispatch channels(police,fire, EMS dispatch). That is why you can monitor those Genesee Co. dispatch channels on the Holly tower.

Jim

(y) On the BCD325P2
 

krokus

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I think the word you are looking for is Affiliate. A talk group will affiliate with a particular tower. If you click on the Holly site it will list the site neighbors. Hope this helps.
Almost...

A radio affiliates with a site.

A TG might be carried on a specific site, if authorized on that site, and if an affiliated radio selects that TG as its primary.

Sent using Tapatalk
 
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