2018 - Kansas City Metro Area MARRS P25 Trunked Radio System

[PVPD730]

Seems NKC FD is using their old dispatch channel again. Anyone else confirm?

Original Reply: I listen to KCFD regularly and they were still dispatching NKC calls as of a couple days ago. They may still do the usual 7AM-ish roll call internally on that old channel. Could that be what you heard?

Updated Reply: Just read this on North Kansas City's Website: http://www.nkc.org/news/what_s_new/week_in_review_4_6_18
"Fire Department dispatch operations returned to the North Kansas City Police Department this week. On February 20, the City Council voted to end the City’s arrangements with the KCMO Fire Department (KCFD) to provide dispatching services for the North Kansas City Fire Department. Necessary logistical and technical steps were completed, and the changeover occurred on Thursday. The formal agreement with KCMO has not yet been changed, but because the agreement calls for the City to pay a set amount per call, and calls will no longer be transferred to KCFD, the arrangement is effectively ended. A revised agreement with KCFD removing the existing dispatch language will be submitted to the City Council in the future, once finalized."

What I heard the other day was probably Birmingham FD (numbering sequences were similar). So yes, It appears they have returned NKC Fire dispatching back over to the PD. I stand corrected.

 

[scannerowner]

Sounds good! Easier to keep track of for me. It's hard when KCFD does all the work. I know it's easier for them though.

 

[PVPD730]

Excelsior Springs and Lee's Summit

I heard through the grapevine (MARC) that Excelsior Springs will be joining MARRS later this year. Most of us already knew about Lee's Summit. Anyone have updates on them? I thought they would've been switched over by now...

 

[scannerowner]

While I was in Lee's Summit I saw an EMS rig, and it looked like the medics had APX radios, but I was too far away to tell.

 

[wbloss]

New MARRS site? - 856.3875 S3 R3 NAC 2b3

Heard today from Joplin with beam and great tropo into KC area a new site for MARRS:

Per Procom the zone/RFSS is 3 and site 3, indicating Kansas, the WACN BEE00, Phase 2 flavor
Site NAC 2B3 which is the same as Platte co but could be re-used

Control 856.3875,
Alt control: 855.4125, 857.3875
voice: 858.3875, 859.3375

In the "station ID' slot where the techs program the call sign it shows "CHANGME" Ha!!

Ok KC locals where is this??

Thanks

W

 

[PVPD730]

Heard today from Joplin with beam and great tropo into KC area a new site for MARRS:

Per Procom the zone/RFSS is 3 and site 3, indicating Kansas, the WACN BEE00, Phase 2 flavor
Site NAC 2B3 which is the same as Platte co but could be re-used

Control 856.3875,
Alt control: 855.4125, 857.3875
voice: 858.3875, 859.3375

In the "station ID' slot where the techs program the call sign it shows "CHANGME" Ha!!

Ok KC locals where is this??

Thanks

W

Site 3/3 would be the Johnson County, KS In-Building DAS site used to improve coverage at the county courthouse and jails. That one is not typically used for day to day dispatching. Everything is still running in Phase I (with Phase II capability for later use).

 

[kcbw]

I also picked up an identified site 004-014 as a neighbor of the 004-005 Lone Jack site recently, Control Channel of 853.7000. Any location info on this one?

 

[wbloss]

Site 3/3 would be the Johnson County, KS In-Building DAS site used to improve coverage at the county courthouse and jails. That one is not typically used for day to day dispatching. Everything is still running in Phase I (with Phase II capability for later use).

SO I heard an In-Building DAS in JoCo Ks from Joplin - 140 miles?
Yikes!

 

[bctrainers]

SO I heard an In-Building DAS in JoCo Ks from Joplin - 140 miles?
Yikes!

Sounds like you were the victim of atmospheric ducting with some amazing refraction going on.

It's what allows nearly all radio signals to propagate much farther than normal. AM 610 in kc did that a lot decades ago, audible all the way up to Minneapolis, MN and down to Austin, TX.

Doppler radar's phi and to and extent base reflectivity, can clearly show when ducting is ongoing.

 

[talkpair]

I also picked up an identified site 004-014 as a neighbor of the 004-005 Lone Jack site recently, Control Channel of 853.7000. Any location info on this one?

I just ran Pro96Com on the Lone Jack site.
The only neighbors it reports are 401,402 and 406

Unable to receive anything on 853.700

 

[woolvm]

KCMO/Jax CO

Hearing VERY little traffic from either of the two above-mentioned services here in OP. Did they change control channels here in JOCO??

 

[BigC801]

Just lots of encryption

 

[bctrainers]

Hearing VERY little traffic from either of the two above-mentioned services here in OP. Did they change control channels here in JOCO??

JaxCo agencies have been slapping more and more usage of encryption on their talkgroups over the past uear.

Some agencies are just full time encryption.

 

[PVPD730]

Phase II

I've been hearing through the grapevine that certain MARRS users will be upgrading to Phase II as early as next month. This is the first I've heard about it. Based on the source(s), I'm quite skeptical. Can someone please confirm if there is/isn't any validity to this?

 

[bctrainers]

I've been hearing through the grapevine that certain MARRS users will be upgrading to Phase II as early as next month. This is the first I've heard about it. Based on the source(s), I'm quite skeptical. Can someone please confirm if there is/isn't any validity to this?

While I don't know specifics, I do know that every P25 CC on the MARRS system is currently broadcasting in Phase 2 since December of 2017. However, all radio traffic (that i've seen) currently remains in Phase 1.

 

[nd5y]

While I don't know specifics, I do know that every P25 CC on the MARRS system is currently broadcasting in Phase 2 since December of 2017. However, all radio traffic (that i've seen) currently remains in Phase 1.

There is no such thing as a P25 phase 2 control channel.
The control channel broadcasts a band pland that indicates whether the site has phase 2 capability but the control channel itself is phase 1 FDMA.

At some point in the future when the P25 standard is revised it will be possible to have a control channel use one time slot and the other time slot as a voice channel, similar to how DMR tunking is now.

 

[wbloss]

Finally got approval on site 3-3 and the Admin found additional info on it. In the databse now.

W

 

[KCoax]

It appears all of the JOCO Corrections TG's are fully ENC. Also, haven't seen any Reg/Inter Op traffic.

 

[indepmo]

I've been told that Lees Summit is very close to encryption and it won't be long....

Here's what I don't understand and I'm sure all of you feel my pain. The box my scanners came in when I purchased them said, "WEATHER, MILITARY, POLICE" on the front of them. I expected to receive these transmissions when I purchased my equipment. To be specific, three scanners (and that doesn't include the previous equipment I already owned.)

Now, the same company has implemented encryption technology and sells it to the "MILITARY AND POLICE." I bet you feel robbed like I do. Why nobody hasn't filed a class action suit against Uniden is beyond my train of thought... I paid thousands of dollars for my equipment and now it appears to be worthless based on the advertisement on the packaging.

 

[PVPD730]

I've been told that Lees Summit is very close to encryption and it won't be long....

Here's what I don't understand and I'm sure all of you feel my pain. The box my scanners came in when I purchased them said, "WEATHER, MILITARY, POLICE" on the front of them. I expected to receive these transmissions when I purchased my equipment. To be specific, three scanners (and that doesn't include the previous equipment I already owned.)

Now, the same company has implemented encryption technology and sells it to the "MILITARY AND POLICE." I bet you feel robbed like I do. Why nobody hasn't filed a class action suit against Uniden is beyond my train of thought... I paid thousands of dollars for my equipment and now it appears to be worthless based on the advertisement on the packaging.

I've been told that Lees Summit is very close to encryption and it won't be long....

From my contact at LSPD, still unsure about encryption on dispatch but likely on everything else. Lee's Summit is apparently in the process of building out their own tower site (they won't be using the Independence/East Jackson County Site like Blue Springs, Sugar Creek, etc currently does). They want to have their own site to give other agencies the option to "rent" space from them if they so choose.

Here's what I don't understand and I'm sure all of you feel my pain. The box my scanners came in when I purchased them said, "WEATHER, MILITARY, POLICE" on the front of them. I expected to receive these transmissions when I purchased my equipment. To be specific, three scanners (and that doesn't include the previous equipment I already owned.)

Now, the same company has implemented encryption technology and sells it to the "MILITARY AND POLICE." I bet you feel robbed like I do. Why nobody hasn't filed a class action suit against Uniden is beyond my train of thought... I paid thousands of dollars for my equipment and now it appears to be worthless based on the advertisement on the packaging.

I understand how you feel and I don't disagree to an extent. As far as the lawsuit thing goes, that would be a waste of time and money. Uniden put the product out on the market so that consumers could monitor anything that isn't encrypted. There's a disclaimer somewhere in the product literature (should've been included in the box) that states the devices aren't capable of monitoring encrypted transmissions. Anytime a P25 system is deployed, there's always a chance encryption can be deployed. It's an option agencies have at their disposal. It sucks from a hobbyist standpoint, it really does!

When I purchased my equipment, I took a risk knowing darn good and well agencies could go encrypted with little to no advanced notice, essentially making those $500+ scanners an expensive paperweight. I understand, though, that I'm not entitled to access scanner traffic if any agency doesn't want to make it publicly available. Just something to think about. Uniden, Whistler, Unication, or any other manufacturer can't be held liable for this particular situation.