700mhz National Interop…

[BMDaug]

I’m looking at the 700mhz National interop channel list on this website. These are all P25 Conv NAC293 channels… can I monitor safely with the XG-100P and XG-100M? Unit reg and Data are unchecked for each channel under channel options, and Unit Registration is unchecked for the whole P25 system. I guess if there was legitimate eminent threat to my life I could actually call on these channels, but I’m hoping I never have to test that!

Ia there anything I should know before loading this mission plan / personality into the XG-100P/M? I eventually want to program the entire National interop channel list but it’s gonna take awhile to get vhf/uhf/700/800 (analog and digital) all programmed in rpm…

Thanks everyone,
Brian

 

[ko6jw_2]

First of all we should ask if anyone anywhere can document any use of these frequencies. For a truly nationwide interoperability system a huge amount of infrastructure would be required. I doubt if it exists. The idea of interoperability has been a buzz word since 9/11. Yet the reality is that everyone does not need to talk to everyone. In real emergencies most traffic is local. There is an ICS comm plan. You don't talk on an ad hoc basis to anyone you decide to talk to.

In this area only one fire department has 700MHz radios and each vehicle also has a VHF radio so that they can talk to other departments.

Should you program these frequencies? By all means, if only to tell us what you hear, if anything.

Should you try to talk on these frequencies? Absolutely not. You are not an authorized user nor will you know the protocols for using these channels - assuming that anyone actually uses them.

If there is a legitimate threat to life or property call 911. If you are out of cell phone coverage on a regular basis get something like a Garmin In Reach.

 

[wtp]

i thought that to be prepared is to have them in the radio in advance.
i stuck them all in a 396T and heard very little in 15 years.

 

[mmckenna]

I’m looking at the 700mhz National interop channel list on this website. These are all P25 Conv NAC293 channels… can I monitor safely with the XG-100P and XG-100M? Unit reg and Data are unchecked for each channel under channel options, and Unit Registration is unchecked for the whole P25 system. I guess if there was legitimate eminent threat to my life I could actually call on these channels, but I’m hoping I never have to test that!

It's not a trunked system, they are just conventional channels. Unless you are licensed to use those frequencies, set them for RX only.
I've heard very little traffic on the 800MHz interop channels in the past, and I don't think I've ever heard the 700MHz interop channels used near me. We do program them into all our 800MHz radios for PD, but only PD. It's unlikely anyone would hear you if you did accidentally transmit, unless you know for sure a local agency/dispatch center is actively monitoring one in particular. I'd not program them into a radio and expect to get help via those channels in any sort of situation. That's not what they are intended for, and they are not universally monitored by anyone. They are there as a tool for large incidents.

Ia there anything I should know before loading this mission plan / personality into the XG-100P/M? I eventually want to program the entire National interop channel list but it’s gonna take awhile to get vhf/uhf/700/800 (analog and digital) all programmed in rpm…

You might want to check around and see if someone has a file already. I know the XL-200's I'm looking to buy in the near future can be shipped with a pre-loaded NIFOG file as a no cost (well, $0.01) option. It's listed as:

XL-FW2X

OPERATION,LOAD NIFOG PERSONALITY

You might find someone that has that file saved. It would save a lot of finger pain trying to type all that out. I did it for our Kenwood TK-5410's years ago. Took me the better part of a day to type it all in, check and double check it.

 

[Ravenfalls]

Fully agree on the inreach rather than using a radio on public safety. You will have less explaining. Good chance the officer want to run your radios serial #.

NIFOG is in everyone's radios in some form. Some have basics & others go deeper. Some areas use a mix of interop & locally licensed for inputs. You would never know that those existed as most rarely used or backups to a trunked syatem. Just because the nifog is neatly laid out, doesn't mean states have to use it or build infrastructure.

 

[BMDaug]

Thanks for the info. I definitely don’t plan to talk on these channels ever! I like my radios… I just want to see if there’s any activity in my area. I’m not out of cell range often enough to justify In Reach. It would be a total fluke if I were out trying to activate a summit and was suddenly in danger. Plus, local ham repeaters are monitored heavily so I’d just hit one of those!

Still, does anyone have a mission plan with NIFOG? Sure would save me a lot of typing!!

Thanks,
Brian

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

Still, does anyone have a mission plan with NIFOG? Sure would save me a lot of typing!!

Thanks,
Brian

Like this? https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/NIFOG_Ver_2.0_508_version_FINAL_9_23_2021.pdf

 

[BMDaug]

Like this? https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/NIFOG_Ver_2.0_508_version_FINAL_9_23_2021.pdf

That’s a great resource! Thanks. I was really looking for a mission plan or personality I could just load into a Harris radio, but that’s good info to have!

Regards,
Brian

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

That’s a great resource! Thanks. I was really looking for a mission plan or personality I could just load into a Harris radio, but that’s good info to have!

Regards,
Brian

But even still, this is just “if you’re going to use them, this is how you do it”, but doesn’t mean they actually do. More often than not, local agencies have an interop plan in place that’s unique to them, either being “access” channels/talk groups (seen in Southern California a lot), a region wide shared channel, or even just having the outside agency hoping on the primary agency’s channels and groups.

 

[sbk1982]

The NiFOG is very useful. I've used various channels within this book for patching end-user radios together in the field for events that range from a couple of hours to 10 consecutive days. You aren't going to hear massive repeaters broadcasting all of the time. The NiFOG's are more likely to be used locally through mobile communications vehicles in the immediate area of the incident.

 

[ecps92]

Not sure what you mean by a Mission Plan, as channels would be used in different areas by different agencies.
where-as the NIFOG could be considered all inclusive.

Have you viewed the NIFOG Page, as they do have 205's listed with all the needed RX info

Field Operations Guides (FOGs) | CISA

Field Operations Guides (FOGs) are technical references for emergency communications planning and for radio technicians responsible for radios that will be used in emergency responses.

www.cisa.gov

Thanks for the info. I definitely don’t plan to talk on these channels ever! I like my radios… I just want to see if there’s any activity in my area. I’m not out of cell range often enough to justify In Reach. It would be a total fluke if I were out trying to activate a summit and was suddenly in danger. Plus, local ham repeaters are monitored heavily so I’d just hit one of those!

Still, does anyone have a mission plan with NIFOG? Sure would save me a lot of typing!!

Thanks,
Brian

 

[rjschilder]

Not sure what you mean by a Mission Plan

Field Operations Guides (FOGs) | CISA

Field Operations Guides (FOGs) are technical references for emergency communications planning and for radio technicians responsible for radios that will be used in emergency responses.

www.cisa.gov

XG100p/M and XL radios support 10 mission plans (codeplugs...) which can be activated on-the-fly by the end user.

And like everyone else said, program them to listen sure, use them, no. Many jurisdictions will have analog repeaters that tie into their trunked system as a backup (via UAC or CCGW). These are logged, unless it's truly a standalone analog repeater. And the direct channels may be part of a standard response plan for fire or LE.

 

[IFRIED91]

XG100p/M and XL radios support 10 mission plans (codeplugs...) which can be activated on-the-fly by the end user.

And like everyone else said, program them to listen sure, use them, no. Many jurisdictions will have analog repeaters that tie into their trunked system as a backup (via UAC or CCGW). These are logged, unless it's truly a standalone analog repeater. And the direct channels may be part of a standard response plan for fire or LE.

we used a NIFOG at my previous assignment (worked a covid vax/testing site)

 

[wa8pyr]

First of all we should ask if anyone anywhere can document any use of these frequencies.

The direct channels are used in my area regularly.

For a truly nationwide interoperability system a huge amount of infrastructure would be required. I doubt if it exists.

There is no nationwide infrastructure for the 700mhz interop channels; installation of the repeaters is a purely local decision.

There are repeaters for some or all of the channels on various deployable vehicles around the country, however.

 

[UNITYXG]

we used a NIFOG at my previous assignment (worked a covid vax/testing site)

Very cool and very interesting! Nice radio btw.

 

[VFN05]

Like many others have said, the interop channels are not typically used for routine comms. They are made as “common ground” channels for different agencies to be able to communicate when other channels or communication paths don’t exist. They are “nationwide”, in that everyone can program them into their radios. They are standalone repeaters and are not interconnected.