2008-2012 VIPER Discussion (Archive)

[jthorpe]

Exactly what Marshall said.....

You wouldn't want incoming ambulances talking on the WakeMed police talk group or any other internal channel they use. It has to be split for that reason.

 

[SKYNET156]

Control Channels?

Thank you for your help with this system,
I see how complex this system can be,

So I guess my direct question is,

Can I program the voice channels into my XTS Radio in P25 mode and monitor different sites?

I know in this mode that I can not monitor specific talkgroups, but moreless monitor the specific site itself...is this possible to do with the VIPER System?

I am not sure what frequencies are the voice channels for each site?
I see the contol channels, but I am not sure what the voice frequencies are?

 

[KE4ZNR]

I wouldn't recommend programming any transceiver (or two way radio) for use in monitoring VIPER as situations like that almost always never end well...all it takes is for one accidental affiliation with the zone controller and you could end up with a nice paperweight ...I would recommend purchasing at least an Analog Trunktracking Scanner and programming it for VIPER...if you have the extra $$ buy a digital scanner...
Marshall KE4ZNR

Thank you for your help with this system,
I see how complex this system can be,

So I guess my direct question is,

Can I program the voice channels into my XTS Radio in P25 mode and monitor different sites?

I know in this mode that I can not monitor specific talkgroups, but moreless monitor the specific site itself...is this possible to do with the VIPER System?

I am not sure what frequencies are the voice channels for each site?
I see the contol channels, but I am not sure what the voice frequencies are?

 

[SKYNET156]

It would not be trying to "affiliate" with the system because i would be programming the Voice channels Conventionally,

EX: I put "868.1125" into the scanner and i get all the voice transmissions, but i cant listen to specific talkgroups,

i did this when i was done in fla with the FT lauderdale system, but at the time i did it the system was still analog Type II and they had not yet began to broadcast P25 Talkgroups,

I would put a voice channel into the STX800 and i would get all the transmissions on 1 or 2 voice channels, but there would be no talkgroups, because the channel would just get every talkgroup at 1 time, it would be something like a line of conversations,
The only downfall was that you could not monitor talkgroups, as i was just explaining, the voice channel would just cycle through all the conversations at the minute on all active talkgroups because programming the voice channel would not hold on a talk group,

If anyone knows what i am talking about, any help would be appreciated,

I currently have the System programmed for a few sites in my 396T, but i am looking to put my XTS2500 to use,

 

[KE4ZNR]

If anyone knows what i am talking about, any help would be appreciated,

I currently have the System programmed for a few sites in my 396T, but i am looking to put my XTS2500 to use,

Well now that you have explained what you want to do, I know exactly what you are talking about. And your idea might work in a small traffic area where the site only has 5 freqs but forget doing Wake County where you have 24 freqs in use...it would be useless to try to conventionally monitor that many freqs...but if you have the time and patience by all means have a blast
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[SKYNET156]

Lol, with the wife on vacation for 2 weeks with her parents, i have all the time in the world after work,
I am looking to program cabarrus county site and a few other sites,

What would the Voice Channels be for this system that i can program into my radio?
and do i program them in P25 Open Squelch or Analog?

I want to think that i would program the voice channels in P25 Open Squelch b/c the system is P25 format,

any advice is appreciated,

 

[xmanniac24]

Possible Lee County????????????

Does anyone know of a new tower/site in Lee county? Last night while searching I got a control channel with Viper sys id and a site number 09 and name 'Tramw'. The freq was 868.6375. I searched the database, and the closest thing to me with that freq is Duplin Co. However , the 'Tramw' wouldn't fit that site name. More research revealed thst there is a town called Tramway just outside of Sanford in Lee Co, so I'm putting 2 & 2 together. Again this was last night and it lasted for about 30 mins. Decode quality was in the 40 to 50 range. Any thoughts/help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[KE4ZNR]

Does anyone know of a new tower/site in Lee county? Last night while searching I got a control channel with Viper sys id and a site number 09 and name 'Tramw'. The freq was 868.6375. I searched the database, and the closest thing to me with that freq is Duplin Co. However , the 'Tramw' wouldn't fit that site name. More research revealed thst there is a town called Tramway just outside of Sanford in Lee Co, so I'm putting 2 & 2 together. Again this was last night and it lasted for about 30 mins. Decode quality was in the 40 to 50 range. Any thoughts/help would be appreciated. Thanks

Good detective work! It actually is the Lee County Tramway Site...I will get it added to the database...
One way to help us ID sites not yet listed in the database is to go to the main database page here at RR.com:
RadioReference.com - Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference Database
Choose the "Advanced Search Options" near the bottom of the page (you will need to click on it to get the options to show up)...
Then enter your CC frequency into the "Search FCC Licenses by State" box and make sure your state is shown as NC then click search...
You will usually find your result from the search above...
I will get the Lee County site added to the database.
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[KE4ZNR]

Also: just a heads up: This weekend I am going to start moving the Site Alias's names from the inital site listing and move it to the site details under "Site Notes"...see the new Lee County site for an example:
RadioReference.com - Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference Database
Hopefully this will clean up the site listings a little bit and make the database site importing feature with software work better...
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[KE4ZNR]

Step 1 of site organization completed...I went through and did some much needed cleaning up of site names...
Step 2 will be to group sites by zones (Radioreference.com 4.0 has that capability) but I need to get some more site info figured out...if we decide to group sites by zones then it is all or nothing...I can't just do 5 at a time...all or nothing baby
Anyway, I am tired as crap and gonna sit back, pop open a brew and do some passive radio monitoring for a little while...
73
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[trumpetman]

It's already looking great Marshall! Good luck with the rest of the organization; with all the information, you've gotta go through, you've got my blessing.

 

[Searay]

Site Coordinates

Is there any plan to, or the ability to, have the coordinates for the sites in the database so when you import the system via scanner software it will bring the coordinates over as well?

Matt

 

[KE4ZNR]

Is there any plan to, or the ability to, have the coordinates for the sites in the database so when you import the system via scanner software it will bring the coordinates over as well?

Matt

Matt-
I am glad you brought this up....we do have a place for Lat/Long in each site listing and I do plan on integrating that info during this whole process the only thing I have to be careful about is that the Lat/Long listed with the FCC license has been known to be off from the actual site location...so I want to double check the coordinates before I list them for each site so that the info in the database can be as accurate as possible.
Any help anyone can provide about ACCURATE Lat/Long coordinates for sites will be appreciated.
Believe me I want our VIPER database listing to be an example for other statewide systems.
Happy Monitoring!
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[airbear21200]

site coordinates

Marshal, I don't know if anyone has done this yet, but I did something similar to the Ohio MARCS site, and may when time permits start something for VIPER..... I used Street Altas 2009 and found the site locations on the mapping and used pushpins to identify them. I also have all of my companies tower sites located and labeled as well. I also labeled each site with the lat/long that the software provides. I have found that some sites are not quite correct on FCC licensing, either because they were moved or error in filing..?? I have also played with Maps.live and Google Earth, which using the imagary, you can usually see the tower (shaddow mostly), but be able to tell right where it is located. Usually the licensing works well and by using the coordinates given makes it easier to find. The difficult part on the sat image programs is that there are a lot of new towers out there that have sprung up since the last image was updated. Food for thought !
Dave

 

[n4yek]

I have a question concerning a Viper site I can hear from time to time.
I know its system ID is C92D and the freq I hear is 868.2375.
I believe I am hearing Madison Co Mars Hill site 412.
Now here is my question, when my 396T show me a system ID it shows: C92D-0012
Can someone explain the last four digits for me and how they would correspond to the listings in the database?
Thanks.

 

[KE4ZNR]

I have a question concerning a Viper site I can hear from time to time.
I know its system ID is C92D and the freq I hear is 868.2375.
I believe I am hearing Madison Co Mars Hill site 412.
Now here is my question, when my 396T show me a system ID it shows: C92D-0012
Can someone explain the last four digits for me and how they would correspond to the listings in the database?
Thanks.

Danny,
When we first added VIPER to the RR.com database sooo long ago there was not an easy way to tell which site(s) belonged to which zone(s). This became problematic whenever the NCSHP brought the 3 other (4 total) zone controllers online and started to divide the VIPER sites in the 4 zones.
I had to come up with a way that people could tell which sites belonged to which zone. Hence my Numbering system for the sites & Zones.

From the VIPER Database listing:

Site numbers 101-199 are located in Zone 1 with a system ID of 6038.
Site Numbers 201-299 are located in Zone 2 with a system ID of C123.
Site Numbers 301-399 are located in Zone 3 with a system ID of C508.
Site Numbers 401-499 are located in Zone 4 with a system ID of C92D.
Site Numbers 901 and above are active working sites with site numbers/zones still being verified.

So what you are hearing does match up to what is in the database.

So Site # 412 in the database can be broken down as follows:
4xx = Site located in Zone 4 with sysID of C92D.
x12 = Site 12 in Zone 4 (C92D).

Alot of the confusion will go away once I reorganize all of the sites using the new Sites by Zone feature of Radioreference.com 4.0.
However, Until I can get everything formatted properly we will use the above to organize the sites.
As always all of us database admins are open to any ideas that can make the NC section of the database more user friendly.
Hope this helps!
Happy Monitoring!
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[trumpetman]

What is the new layout going to look like for the VIPER sites? Is it going to split Zone 1 into it's own table and Zone 2 into it's own, etc...or will there be subgroups in a large table, or have I just completely missed the jist of things again?

 

[KE4ZNR]

What is the new layout going to look like for the VIPER sites? Is it going to split Zone 1 into it's own table and Zone 2 into it's own, etc...or will there be subgroups in a large table, or have I just completely missed the jist of things again?

Well hell, Cory...I know I have seen one another database admin converted over to zones in the database but I can't find it at the moment..I am sure there is a few others in the database somewhere....
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[Robbyboy]

Well hell, Cory...I know I have seen one another database admin converted over to zones in the database but I can't find it at the moment..I am sure there is a few others in the database somewhere....
Marshall KE4ZNR

I am almost done with conversion of Progress Energy... Take a look at that and you will see what the zone usage looks like! (Not the 882B but plain ole Progress Energy)

 

[whitehelmet1202]

I know, for the Holly RIdge VIPER site, the Lat/Long on the license is wrong. The license says it is on a Jones-Onslow EMC tower at the intersection of Hwy 17 & Folkstone Rd.

However, the site is currently on the old AT&T Long Lines (Microwave) tower inside the city limits of Holly Ridge, just southwest of the intersection of NC Hwy 50 & US Hwy 17.

Its Lat/Long is 34° 29.462'N 77° 33.763'W.

I know I provided this information once before, but I think it was in the old database and older version of RR...