AFRRCS - Alberta First Responders' Radio Communication System - INFO HERE

[Jay911]

Could Northern Alberta be 05A if the system is broken into two areas?

That's entirely possible - I'm trying to think of another system that does it this way.. nothing comes to mind so far but that doesn't exclude the possibility.

With 400 sites, the apparent desire to have each site have its own RFSS, and the limitation of no more than 255 RFSSs per system, that is a valid workaround.

 

[bruce1225]

monday testing ponoka is still in progress.

 

[harryshute]

I'm hearing CC in West Edmonton on 773.3187 which I believe in Legal north of Edmonton.

 

[Jay911]

That frequency is indeed licensed to Legal (at least, in pending status). If you can run Unitrunker or PRO96COM that would be most helpful.

The latest licenses also include another 12-channel site on Bell Tower in Edmonton, presumably meaning that the 5-channel "Prototype 1" site will eventually cease to exist.

I'm working on the Google Map right now, when it is up-to-date I'll let this thread know so people can look at where sites near to them might be. I've removed all the satellite and backhaul links from the map so it's only VHF, UHF, and 700 locations.

 

[harryshute]

I am working on a Unitrunker set up but off the 996XT it is 005Ah-5353.

 

[Jay911]

Okay! The map is up to date (and thanks for the above info too).

AFRRCS - Google Maps

Bruce - I would think you might be able to get Pigeon Lake and/or Leduc depending on where you are (and, of course, if they're switched on yet).

Harry - Wabamun and Leduc might be in your range too.

 

[harryshute]

Jay, I've got the new Edmonton, Legal and Leduc in a test bank. I'll add Wabumun, Camrose and Pideon Lake. So far only data channel is the Legal one. It's coming in like I'd expect the Bell Tower to come in. I guess most of the new towers are much higher than the VHF counterparts. The Legal RCMP tower comes in well here but not as clean as 700 is sounding.

 

[kayn1n32008]

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I see a sit between lodgepole and Cynthia, will be in the area today, and I will see if they have deployed anything there yet. I will also confirm if it is the Rogers site or the Telus site that is just a touch east and north of where you have the pin. The Rogers tower is significantly taller than the Telus one. Will report back later today.

 

[kayn1n32008]

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Okay! The map is up to date (and thanks for the above info too).

AFRRCS - Google Maps

Bruce - I would think you might be able to get Pigeon Lake and/or Leduc depending on where you are (and, of course, if they're switched on yet).

Harry - Wabamun and Leduc might be in your range too.

Leduc, maybe, Wabamum probably not with out some high gain antennas, there is lots of bumps between wabamum and Edmonton, even the VE6HM repeaters do not do very well out that way.

 

[kayn1n32008]

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Site visited. Nothing on either the Telus site, or Rogers site.

 

[Jay911]

I see a sit between lodgepole and Cynthia, will be in the area today, and I will see if they have deployed anything there yet. I will also confirm if it is the Rogers site or the Telus site that is just a touch east and north of where you have the pin. The Rogers tower is significantly taller than the Telus one. Will report back later today.

I'm using the lat/long data provided in the Industry Canada licenses. Some of it is very precise, and some of it... not so much. Worse yet, a handful of sites in the most recent batch have had duplicate or incorrect lat/long data (example: Lavoy, Lamont, and Drayton Valley all have the same exact position data - correct only for Lavoy - in the licenses).

 

[kayn1n32008]

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I see a sit between lodgepole and Cynthia, will be in the area today, and I will see if they have deployed anything there yet. I will also confirm if it is the Rogers site or the Telus site that is just a touch east and north of where you have the pin. The Rogers tower is significantly taller than the Telus one. Will report back later today.

I'm using the lat/long data provided in the Industry Canada licenses. Some of it is very precise, and some of it... not so much. Worse yet, a handful of sites in the most recent batch have had duplicate or incorrect lat/long data (example: Lavoy, Lamont, and Drayton Valley all have the same exact position data - correct only for Lavoy - in the licenses).

The Drayton site you have on google is a Telus site, and by far one of the tallest in the area. That is most likely where it will end up going.

Jay, have you found any co-locates at sites other than Telus yet? Not saying that they will not use other owners, but most have been Telus if it is a co-locate, except for the Edmonton sites...

 

[Jay911]

The flag for the Drayton Valley site is literally just dropped in the middle of town. If it happened to hit a tower, that's completely by accident. As I say, the IC data has no indication of where the site is (unless it's in Lavoy).

There are many colos that are non-TELUS. Corridor Communications appears to be a frequent one, and SRD and AXIA SuperNet are of course also involved. IIRC there are a few on ATCO Gas and/or ATCO Electric towers as well.

A recent meeting implied that site selection is nowhere near complete so there will still be a lot of sites to come. I get the impression that negotiating for rights to be on so-and-so's tower is a large part of the "delay" in some areas.

 

[kayn1n32008]

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Drove by (on Hwy 16) the Wabamun site, and I did not see any new antennas since I was by there last, unless they are below the tree line when viewed from the highway.

 

[beeperboy]

There are many colos that are non-TELUS. Corridor Communications appears to be a frequent one, and SRD and AXIA SuperNet are of course also involved. IIRC there are a few on ATCO Gas and/or ATCO Electric towers as well.

I suspect the RCMP's security dept will take major issue with co-locates, and secure site access. This may end up being a deal breaker, unless the equipment is housed in a separate building.

 

[SCPD]

I suspect the RCMP's security dept will take major issue with co-locates, and secure site access. This may end up being a deal breaker, unless the equipment is housed in a separate building.

All equipment is in a separate shelter for the co-locates.

 

[mikewazowski]

The RCMP have no problem doing colocates. We've got several here in Ontario. They do request upgraded security but most vendors are willing to do it as long as the RCMP pay for the upgrades.

 

[Jay911]

All equipment is in a separate shelter for the co-locates.

Yes, the entire shack is built off-site and delivered as a single piece, and installed to the power (main & backups of course) and comms like a drop-in modular unit; to the best of my knowledge, they don't share rack space at any site installed so far, even the rooftop skyscraper sites.

 

[Jay911]

Can I get someone/someones to check 772.95625 in their area?

That frequency is showing up on my SDR# display with a distinct P25 control channel audible, but I'm getting stymied at getting it to be read by Unitrunker.. I think my SDR#<>UT configuration is flawed.

At my home in Bragg Creek it's slightly stronger than the signal for Crossfield on 771.90625.

The only licenses for 772.95625 in the database are for Magrath (south, in Cardston county), Lodgepole (north), and Edmonton.. I'm kind of skeptical at any of the above being correct, partly due to my distance from them, and partly due to the fact that they're all still showing "pending" in IC license data (although you guys in the north have discovered sites which are still "pending" as of late, so maybe that's irrelevant).

Unrelated: A microwave link for Drayton Valley has shown up in the DB, and its location is a lot more sensible than the data that the Drayton 700 site had. 53.21305556,-114.9719444 puts it on 47 St, just west of the hospital, where the Google Earth view shows a radio tower already present.

 

[SCPD]

The Ponoka site has a nice footprint, picking it up at home this morning near Ardrossan.