800mhz Mutal Aid

[DGroves]

I have a couple questions about these 700mhz and 800 mhz mutual aid channels listed in the database.

1. They list a frequency and an input. Should I be programming the input frequency also? Does that do anything for me?

2. On the APCO 25 Digital Simplex. If I have those frequencies programmed in to a conventional database on my 396 will it decode them should they be used?

3. Are those all the mutual aid channels. I heard Fort Lupton fire call out the ground contact would be on STAC "B" tonight at this crash at 85 & 22 1/2? Could have been an error on his part. I never picked anything up even though it's just down the road. What am I doing wrong? I've got this helicopter within a stones throw over here across the highway (Fredrick Firestone station 3).

I drive by that firestation every day. When I remember I look over, but I never see the helicopter. Is that thing hidden on the west side of the building or what?

Thanks,

Doug

 

[NorthCOVideo]

As far as the mutual aid chs go I wouldn't worry to much about that, yes he was incorrect on the ch he said it would be STAC 5, but they never did use it they instead used the Weld fire A dispatch freq. Also the heli you're thinking about is Airlife 72 and its in fact the building to the west of the station. Both Medevac 1 and 2 responded to the call tonight, evac 1 being off of NCMC and evac 2 being out of Erie, I think AL 72 was busy on another call.

All you can for the mutual aid chs is just program them all and keep an open ear.


If you want I can send you a programing file from my 396 to see how I have mine, I'm just down the road from you in Lupton.

 

[DGroves]

I'm trying to interperate "but they never did use it they instead eli you're thinused the Weld fire A dispatch freq." Help me out =)

Is Weld Fire A an analog channel cause I think I have all the digital talkgroups for Weld Fire programmed in? I never heard a chopper come up on the digital system. I think I remember reading some time ago that they didn't have the digital radios in the helicopters. Something about that making too much sense!

I know where your at. I was going to run down there and buy your 396 a while back. I was down there tonight for my sons first baseball game. They've really cleaned up those baseball fields out there. It felt like an international baseball game though.

 

[NorthCOVideo]

Oh sry about that my computer went wacko like usual or I was typing to fast for my own good. But anyways yes they do tend to default to the weld fire A freq if they cant get anything else to work, they do have digital capable radios but under CCNC rules they are not allowed to use them in the air dont quote me on that though. It all seems stupid to me, because they never have it locked down on which freq to use, I wish they would get it figured out. Every time they get a call they go through the same thing, if they can't gain ground contact they usually land where ever they dam well please, they were better off when they were dispatched from Weld.

Hey you have 396 program what suits you, its got the space for what ever you may need, maybe. I run 2 scanners, my 396 and a RS Pro-83 so I don't miss out on much, yet it still happens.
Rambling now. Oh and guess I'll try and fix that.

 

[scanlist]

Typically the Medevac helicopters use "Simplex 1" 851.100 digital for landings in Weld County. However some fire departments in the county, particularly in the Northern part of the county, still have VHF only in their rigs or station houses and use Fire-A or Fire-B instead.

It's not uncommon to hear Johnstown, Eaton, Ault-Pierce and Nunn talk in to dispatch on VHF. It's my understanding that all Weld fire agencies have 800 portables.

Phil.

 

[jfab]

DGroves,
Like scanlist said, simplex 1 is used a lot for Weld Chopper Landings, which would explain why you wouldn't hear them unless you were on-scene or close to it. STAC is also a simplex channel.

 

[DGroves]

I think I got it all figured out now. After I got sunburned at the airshow we went up to Johnstown for the fireworks tonight. I heard fire call out for everyone to use Simplex 1 so i turned on my simpex group and sure enough they were there. So Simplex is just radio to radio I'm guessing. I wonder what the rang on that is. It sounded real clear. I was hardly picking up a CC up in Johnstown but I got five bars with the simplex channel.

 

[NorthCOVideo]

Yea the simplex chs are pretty much radio to radio, as far as range that would depend on the radios and where they're at. I think the most common cc's up there would be like the Mead site and/or the Greeley 35th site.

I think I remember the call you are talking about, just don't remember a location, if you had 5 bars it had to of been fairly close.

 

[jfab]

I think I got it all figured out now. After I got sunburned at the airshow we went up to Johnstown for the fireworks tonight. I heard fire call out for everyone to use Simplex 1 so i turned on my simpex group and sure enough they were there. So Simplex is just radio to radio I'm guessing. I wonder what the rang on that is. It sounded real clear. I was hardly picking up a CC up in Johnstown but I got five bars with the simplex channel.

I might be wrong, but I believe the range is 100ft. Simplex is a radio to radio channel. I know, in my neck of the woods, North Metro Fire will use simplex inside of buildiings that have poor DTRS coverage. The FF's will go inside and relay info to command on simplex outside, who will relay info to Dispatch using the regular digital TG. Dispatch does not have access to Simplex channels.

 

[NorthCOVideo]

Interestingly enough, dispatch many not have access to the chs but I have notice that dispatchers listen to some of those freqs, I might be wrong though. Like said before it would also depend on you're location from the TX. Recently I've started hearing more from more things from freqs I haven't before or a clearer signal, this is due to the antenna I put up the other day, so that might be one thing to think about too.

 

[jfab]

Interestingly enough, dispatch many not have access to the chs but I have notice that dispatchers listen to some of those freqs. Like said before it would also depend on you're location from the TX. Recently I've started hearing more from more things from freqs I haven't before or a clearer signal, this is due to the antenna I put up the other day, so that might be one thing to think about too.

That is interesting! Thanks!

 

[RodStrong]

I might be wrong, but I believe the range is 100ft. Simplex is a radio to radio channel. I know, in my neck of the woods, North Metro Fire will use simplex inside of buildiings that have poor DTRS coverage. The FF's will go inside and relay info to command on simplex outside, who will relay info to Dispatch using the regular digital TG. Dispatch does not have access to Simplex channels.

The distance that simplex works largely depends on the power of the radio, the frequency and it's attributes, the conditions in the coverage area, and some other things, such as the antenna. 100ft would not be the norm for most public safety radios, or for that matter, just about any radio. Many mobiles can range many miles on simplex, and handhelds a few miles, again, depending on several factors. Think about the little FRS radios that first came out. They were way less than 1 watt in power, and boasted a 2 mile range (ideal conditions). Most public safety handhelds range from 3 watts to 5 watts, and most mobiles range from 15 watts to 100 watts or so, so you can imagine the distance they could probably get out to.

Simplex is sometimes referred to as "talkaround" or "direct" as well. Hope this helps.

 

[jfab]

The distance that simplex works largely depends on the power of the radio, the frequency and it's attributes, the conditions in the coverage area, and some other things, such as the antenna. 100ft would not be the norm for most public safety radios, or for that matter, just about any radio. Many mobiles can range many miles on simplex, and handhelds a few miles, again, depending on several factors. Think about the little FRS radios that first came out. They were way less than 1 watt in power, and boasted a 2 mile range (ideal conditions). Most public safety handhelds range from 3 watts to 5 watts, and most mobiles range from 15 watts to 100 watts or so, so you can imagine the distance they could probably get out to.

Simplex is sometimes referred to as "talkaround" or "direct" as well. Hope this helps.

There is a reason I put "I could be wrong.."because most of the time I am! lol! Thanks RodStrong! You made a very good point!