2008-2012 VIPER Discussion (Archive)

[NCFireman11]

While visiting a buddy of mine in McDowell County recently , I got a chance to talk with him about VIPER in his county. Apparently, each VFD in the county has one XTS portable along with EMS and Rescue but Emergency Management and EMS are the only users at this point unless there is a large incident such as a search or similar multi-agency incident. The radios have talkgroups for the McDowell EM, EMS, SO, and VFDs plus the statewide calling, MED, and EM regional talkgroups. The next time I'm in Marion I'll listen in to see if I can find anything to submit to the database.

 

[jeffmulter]

Events D1 In Use - Burke Co

Searchers trying to locate a drowning victim at Lake Rhodhiss are using Events D1 for some communications at the scene.

Charlotte Fire is one of the agencies at the location.

I've been listening to the traffic via the Pineville / Mecklenberg Co Viper site.

 

[KE4ZNR]

Searchers trying to locate a drowning victim at Lake Rhodhiss are using Events D1 for some communications at the scene.

Charlotte Fire is one of the agencies at the location.

I've been listening to the traffic via the Pineville / Mecklenberg Co Viper site.

Good catch Jeff...also hearing this same traffic on DELTA1 off the Blue Ridge site here in Western Wake County...
and also found out that the DELTA1 Activity can be heard in New Hanover County area...
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[afdengine3]

Clingman Peak?

Marshall,
Have you heard of a site named Clingman Peak somewhere near Mount Mitchell in Yancey County area?
Chris

 

[CCHLLM]

There are three major peaks on the Black Mountain that people call Mt. Mitchell. The south peak is a double peak, and the south side of it is called Clingman Peak and is where the state radio site is located. The peak ~1300 feet to the north of Clingman Peak is called Mt. Gibbes. You can see Clingman and Mt. Gibbes and the towers on the left side of the road into Mt. Mitchell State Park as you climb from the BR Parkway to the turnoff at the entrance gate to the state park. The road to the left at the gate turnoff goes to Clingman and Mt. Gibbs and is off limits to the public for driving, but you can hike it part way until you come to the no trespassing area. The Mt. Mitchell amateur radio repeaters are located there, too, BTW.

Mt. Mitchell is the center and highest peak (6684 ft) and is the one next to the parking lot and concession area and has the stone and concrete observation tower. Once upon a time the low band SHP site and its UHF links were on that tower and a low concrete building down the hill to the south of the observation tower.

The northernmost peak is called Mt. Craig.

 

[barefootdipole]

Good catch Jeff...also hearing this same traffic on DELTA1 off the Blue Ridge site here in Western Wake County...
and also found out that the DELTA1 Activity can be heard in New Hanover County area...
Marshall KE4ZNR

hearing it on Newport (Carteret County) too....analog Charlotte Fire and divers and Wildlife...

Barefootdipole

 

[KE4ZNR]

I knew CBH could describe it better than I could...thanks for the detailed info about that area!
Happy Monitoring!
Marshall KE4ZNR

There are three major peaks on the Black Mountain that people call Mt. Mitchell. The south peak is a double peak, and the south side of it is called Clingman Peak and is where the state radio site is located. The peak ~1300 feet to the north of Clingman Peak is called Mt. Gibbes. You can see Clingman and Mt. Gibbes and the towers on the left side of the road into Mt. Mitchell State Park as you climb from the BR Parkway to the turnoff at the entrance gate to the state park. The road to the left at the gate turnoff goes to Clingman and Mt. Gibbs and is off limits to the public for driving, but you can hike it part way until you come to the no trespassing area. The Mt. Mitchell amateur radio repeaters are located there, too, BTW.

Mt. Mitchell is the center and highest peak (6684 ft) and is the one next to the parking lot and concession area and has the stone and concrete observation tower. Once upon a time the low band SHP site and its UHF links were on that tower and a low concrete building down the hill to the south of the observation tower.

The northernmost peak is called Mt. Craig.

 

[Searay]

Hello,
I have a PSR500 and would like to setup my radio to use the multisite feature to track the conversations from tower to tower. I setup my radio with the trunking information with the closest tower and only programmed the control channels for it. I set it up for multisite and was thinking that if i roamed outside of the coverage area (which I do) than the radio would search for a new CC and use that. The radio just sits there with no signal like it is still trying to search for that one tower. What do I need to do to get the radio to roam on each tower that is in different locations? If this is in the wrong section please move accordingly?

Thanks,
Joey

I do he same thing in SC on the Palmetto system in my police vehicle, except I have a BC996T set up with a Trimble GPS with the entire state system programmed in. As I roam through the state the different sites will automatically turn on and off based on location data. Works like a CHAMP! The scanner scans much faster since it only scanners the frequencies and/or trunk site that are within the set parameters not to mention it block out sites/frequencies that are too far away to hear clearly. Not sure if the PSR500 offers that, I am not familiar at all with that line of scanners.

Matt

 

[afdengine3]

Thanks for the info. So the Black Mountain site would be on Clingman Peak. I understand that it went live this week.

 

[trumpetman]

That is correct. It is live. C92D-011 with a CC of 868.6125. WQJH890 indicates it is in fact on Clingmans Peak.

Just a heads up.

 

[CCHLLM]

I knew CBH could describe it better than I could...thanks for the detailed info about that area!
Happy Monitoring!
Marshall KE4ZNR

Only because I have spent many, many, many hours there and at most of the sites around the state more than a couple of years old doing antenna configuration and propagation studies.

 

[KE4ZNR]

Only because I have spent many, many, many hours there and at most of the sites around the state more than a couple of years old doing antenna configuration and propagation studies.

Is that how they describe wandering away from the retirement home during Matlock? :lol:

I thought they put a monitoring ankle device on ya so you would quit getting lost in the mountains!

Thanks again for the info brother!
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[CCHLLM]

I've never been lost anywhere.....just turned around a bit from time to time.... If you know anybody named Matlock, you're already in trouble, deep trouble, and showing your age since all the girls who played his daughter look old now. Now then.....how do I get this "thing" off my leg......

With the renovation/replacement of the observation tower, I'm not sure if there are any plans for adding an 800 MHz site there, but at one time there were low band sites at both Clingman and Mitchell due to the terrain issues. The Mitchell site was linked by UHF and the Clingman site had the advantage of the microwave which has always been at Clingman.

Clingman Peak and Mt. Gibbes actually block the old Mitchell site in the direction of Henderson/Rutherford/Polk/Transylvania areas, but Mitchell covered the Toe River valley and areas to the north and northwest better. Since there was already a state TV tower at Clingman with microwave access, it made more sense to put a transmitter site there rather than just a receiver because that would mean that more than one low band frequency could be worked from that location if necessary. The Clingman site's microwave access, no RF proximity to tourists, and old equipment at Mitchell led to the abandonment of the Mitchell site, but the last time I was there, there were still remnants of the old low band antenna made out of mobile whips to withstand the winds and icing. Guess they're gone now......sniff.....sniff

 

[dow35]

Just to let everyone know rockingham co went active on the viper yesterday

 

[bonus1331]

Have a 396XT on pre-order and wondering how the new multi-site will work.
Wondering if anyone would know...Marshall;-)
Will we be able to create a VIPER system with 1 SK and then enter multiple sites under the one system?
I would then assume that we will only have to enter TG's once and it will reference the one list of TG's irregardless of the site we are able to monitor?

 

[dow35]

Been hearing activity on all rockingham co viper sites all day today.think its time to add the frequencies to the database i have them if needed

 

[RMPDCOP]

Been hearing activity on all rockingham co viper sites all day today.think its time to add the frequencies to the database i have them if needed

They are already there. Marshall added them some time ago.

 

[KE4ZNR]

Have a 396XT on pre-order and wondering how the new multi-site will work.
Wondering if anyone would know...Marshall;-)
Will we be able to create a VIPER system with 1 SK and then enter multiple sites under the one system?
I would then assume that we will only have to enter TG's once and it will reference the one list of TG's irregardless of the site we are able to monitor?

Rumor has it that is exactly how it would work....say in a hypothetical pretend made up example one could in theory load every VIPER talkgroup systemwide (somewhere in the neighborhood of almost 2420 TGIDs)(the 396xt has more than enough memory, only cavaet being that each system has a limit of 500 TGIDs...so you would need to create around 6 systems so you have some give & take room) and then just enter the sites that are nearest to that pretend individual...in this pretend example
rumor has it that it works great and is easy & a blast to use...
Of course though how much faith can ya put in rumors?
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[dow35]

dont see the frequencies anywhere only see the ids

 

[dow35]

If anyone needs the frequencies for the new rockingham viper sites let me know i have them the ids are already in the database