activity on AA County FIB and PIO channels

[troymail]

I noticed a staff unit active for a brief time during
today's 3 alarm dwelling fire near Arundel Mills Mall.
Both times, TRUNKER indicated digital encryption
but the attempts were so short, I don't think the unit
made contact with anyone (I believe it was FM-1).

FM units continue to utilize Nextel to comunicate privately
instead of the encrypted county channels... I really
don't understand why -- the Sheriff's department seems
to use digital encrypted private calls all of the time....

 

[TinEar]

Troy, are you talking about digital, encrypted I-Calls or do you mean the stuff that uses TG 32208? I've neve gotten a handle on who the user is of 32208 (32216 as it appears with the status bits).

 

[troymail]

From my information, 32208 is Police Narcotics.

Other info I have says that the AACoFD PIO (Public
Info Officer) channel is 33712 and the Arson Investigators
is 33616.

I was watching TRUNKER closely during the
3 alarm house fire because "unusual" units always seem
to appear during other than routine calls. While watching,
I saw either FA-1 (Fire Alarm 1) or FM-1 (Fire Marshall 1)
jumping around on these special channels but he was
there for such a short time, he either didn't reach anyone
or, I suppose, he could have been using it as some type
of paging.


Everytime I've seen one of these come up, it is encrypted
digital comms (TRUNKER).

I'm suspecting at this point that all 32000+ talkgroups
are either digital, encrypted, or both.

Not that it matters allot since the encryption does it's job...
it's just the idea that the channels become active once in
a while.

The I-Calls the Sheriff's use all of the time are digital
voice but not encrypted. I have also seen AAPD "managers"
using digital I-Calls from time-to-time as well.

 

[Admin0140434]

THERE ARE NO DIGITAL TALKGROUPS!!! (at least not yet). about the 32xxx talkgroups, some are encrypted ones, others are data channels. enjoy scanning!!!

 

[FPO703]

If Trunker shows a 'g' that's encrypted. If it shows 'G' it's Analog. If it shows 'Gd' That's Digital. If it shows 'gd' that's digital and encrypted.

 

[troymail]

"THERE ARE NO DIGITAL TALKGROUPS!!! "

What makes you say this?

A friend of mine who works for Motorola informed
me that the AA system has no analog encryption...
and there clearly has been encrypted conversations -

between that and what I'm seeing on TRUNKER,
I say there are digital talkgroups - just aren't being
used much. The Narc channel is used quite frequently
though.

The I-Call (private call / radio-to-radio) has most definately
been active using digital.

 

[Admin0140434]

What makes you say this?

first, let me apologize on 2 points... took another look at my post...
1) for seeming to yell... shouldnt have used all caps
2) for not being clear

me, my brother, and my father all work for A. A. Co. the county doesnt have the towers needed for digital. there is digital TESTING going on, but not used in everyday comms (as you said). A. A. County is already 6 million over budget for this new radio system... so they dont have the money either go put digital on the system. i am not doubting what you saw on trunker (as i dont have the resources for it yet). let me ask around and i will see what i come up with.

also on a side note (and in another post...), i submited the AACo zone plans to eric, who informed me it will be awhile till he can get them on the DB (january 2005?). so just to let everyone know, they are already submitted.

 

[wadeless28]

Hate to say it admin. What Troymail said is correct. There are digital and encrypted channels active on the system. All operational channels are currently in analog mode due to problems with the coverage in certain areas. The system could be flopped to digital at anytime if wasn't for the coverage.

 

[troymail]

Guys -

I agree that the system isn't ready for prime time
and that wide-spread digital won't be ready until
more towers are built (I've been told and posted/
mentioned the current 4 should/will be 9 towers in
the future).

However, I think there is some limited use of digital
for the encrypted users as well as some of the police
supervisors (sgts? Lts? Capts?) including the Sheriff's
department - but I'm pretty sure that's limited to I-Calls.

It just kills me that the system is sitting here waiting to
be used and it can't be used to its full capabilities because
the county accepted half of a system. By the time they
upgrade the towers, the system itself will probably be
outdated.

There is a repeater capability in the fire department units
that is sorely needed because of continued poor communications
(dead spots) in the county and inside buildings but that too
cannot be used until the system is upgraded.

In the mean time, people continue to use cell phones to
get around the problems....

 

[Llwellyn]

Yep, and isn't it just a terrific ***** that the only available solution to the problem is to use the problem? :lol:

I've been told that by 2007 we should be fully covered. The first new tower is *crosses fingers* supposed to go live first quarter 2005. Hopefully they're still on target for that.

 

[Admin0140434]

i apologize... troymail was right, went to next door neighbor's house, asked him to run trunker (or was it etrunker) on the AACo system and sure enough up poped up digital. ::shameful face:::

There is a repeater capability in the fire department units that is sorely needed because of continued poor communications
(dead spots) in the county and inside buildings but that too
cannot be used until the system is upgraded.

marley mall

 

[troymail]

... not a problem ... all I can say at this point is "Trunker
is the coolest thing this side of my first trunk tracking
scanner"!!!!

I'd love to figure out a way to run my trunker display
on a web server so others can see it...