Same here
Alabama Interoperable Radio System (was: Alabama First Responder Network)
Same here
RADIO-251
Member
(4) Baldwin county Municipalities are now using the Kenwood Nexedge system, Bay Minette, Daphne, Foley, Fairhope with a total of 8 Tower sites, all networked together as one system. Not sure who and how many but there are also Volunteer Fire Dept's around Baldwin county also using the Nexedge system.
I was wondering if Fairhope had already made the switch, haven't heard them at all today, but have been hearing Daphne on their 800 LTR today. I didn't know any of the Volunteer Fire Departments had switched over also.
RADIO-251
Member
Fairhope (all city departments, as best i can tell) made the switch to Nexedge this week. Daphne Fire Dept has been on Nexedge for a few months now. You still hear them on the 800 LTR system because they have a patch in place. You can hear the same transmition on 154.160.
Daphne Police , Public Works & Utilities are still using the LTR system for now, and will move to the Nexedge system when funding becomes avalible. At that point they will turn the LTR system off and remove it.
I plan to keep the Daphne Fire & Police feed up as long as they keep traffic on the LTR system. When they remove the LTR i will no longer have access to their radio traffic.
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?action=wp&feedId=4174
Daphne Police , Public Works & Utilities are still using the LTR system for now, and will move to the Nexedge system when funding becomes avalible. At that point they will turn the LTR system off and remove it.
I plan to keep the Daphne Fire & Police feed up as long as they keep traffic on the LTR system. When they remove the LTR i will no longer have access to their radio traffic.
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?action=wp&feedId=4174
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Well, that bites for me. My son lives in Fairhope and I liked listening to the system when I was down there.
Yeah that does bite, but I did notice yesterday I could still hear Fairhope Fire on 154.445 so they must have a patch also. Maybe they will keep that patch along with Daphnes 154.16 so we will at least be able to monitor fire.
I remember that patch from my trip down there. In fact, I don't remember hearing the FD on the LTR system.
Oh well, maybe someone will come out with a Nexedge capable scanner.
That's the problem with digital, everyone can come up with their own system and unless there is a P25 standard compliant requirement, we're out of luck.
ScannerWayne
Member
KE5TLF,
After being away for a couple of months it would seem that there are a number of new things brewing in the area. Just got caught up on the previous posts and got my scanner programmed with the two sites (101 and 202) that you've found. Interesting.
Like you I did an FCC search and found nothing in their database for the freqs you have. I found the control channels with my scanner by doing a band search. They are weak here at the house with only the telescoping whip I am using. I'm getting 1 or 2 bars signal strength in the house and outside it goes up to 3 bars if I hold the scanner in the right spot. If one of those systems were on the McGregor tower I would think I would get a solid 4 or 5 bars signal strength. Next time I'm out and about I'll take the scanner with me and see if I can get closer to one of them and determine the location.
I do have a question though. Since there is no data forthcoming from the FCC database at the moment, how did you get the other three freqs for each of the systems? That has me puzzled.
Wayne...
After being away for a couple of months it would seem that there are a number of new things brewing in the area. Just got caught up on the previous posts and got my scanner programmed with the two sites (101 and 202) that you've found. Interesting.
Like you I did an FCC search and found nothing in their database for the freqs you have. I found the control channels with my scanner by doing a band search. They are weak here at the house with only the telescoping whip I am using. I'm getting 1 or 2 bars signal strength in the house and outside it goes up to 3 bars if I hold the scanner in the right spot. If one of those systems were on the McGregor tower I would think I would get a solid 4 or 5 bars signal strength. Next time I'm out and about I'll take the scanner with me and see if I can get closer to one of them and determine the location.
I do have a question though. Since there is no data forthcoming from the FCC database at the moment, how did you get the other three freqs for each of the systems? That has me puzzled.
Wayne...
KE5TLF
Member
Hey Wayne, good to hear from ya, and good to have another pair of experienced ears back "in pocket". 
Everything so far as to locations is just me guessing really. Based on relative signal levels in comparison to the EDACS site locations. I can get a signal from 101 and 202 under any but the worst of conditions at pretty much the same levels as the EDACS sites 2 and 11. That is ASSUMING they are hanging the new stuff on the same towers the EDACS is using. Again a guess, but until something else comes along to indicate otherwise it's as good a guess as any.
As far as the other 3 (actually 4 counting 606) sites go, a good antenna and the right atmospheric conditions delivered those to me a few nights ago. Also they have been rotating the control channels, on 101 and 202 at least, so be sure to program in the alt CC's too.
Everything so far as to locations is just me guessing really. Based on relative signal levels in comparison to the EDACS site locations. I can get a signal from 101 and 202 under any but the worst of conditions at pretty much the same levels as the EDACS sites 2 and 11. That is ASSUMING they are hanging the new stuff on the same towers the EDACS is using. Again a guess, but until something else comes along to indicate otherwise it's as good a guess as any.
As far as the other 3 (actually 4 counting 606) sites go, a good antenna and the right atmospheric conditions delivered those to me a few nights ago.
Also they have been rotating the control channels, on 101 and 202 at least, so be sure to program in the alt CC's too.ScannerWayne
Member
Ok... I opened your zip file and gotten the 4 freqs for each tower from there and built a system with two sites; each site containing the four freqs you had listed. I've had the scanner going for the past hour or so and nothing on it so far. About 10 minutes ago I set the scanner up to auto capture any TG's that come active on the two systems.
But what I really want to know is how did you find the other three freqs for each site? Finding the CC is easy: but since the FCC database doesn't show these and there related freqs I'm sitting here wondering how you found those other three freqs?
Wayne...
But what I really want to know is how did you find the other three freqs for each site? Finding the CC is easy: but since the FCC database doesn't show these and there related freqs I'm sitting here wondering how you found those other three freqs?
Wayne...
KE5TLF
Member
I guess you mean the freqs in the Pro96Com log files? Alternate CC's are broadcast as a part of the data stream. Now to find other freqs that aren't primary or alt CC's you just have to log a site long enough, and hope it becomes loaded to the point that others are pressed into usage. (for voice, data, whatever.)
The current CC for neighbor sites are also a part of the info broadcast, but in the case of this system, so far, the actual frequency isn't being properly calculated by Pro96Com in some cases. I guess because the trunking tables, which are also part of the CC broadcast, haven't been entered into the site controllers properly. 4 of the sites have a base of 769.0 but 202 has a base of 770.0 and 505 a base of 773.0...
EDIT: Oh and as far as actually hearing anything, including some pretty foul mouthed things, that seems to pretty limited to weekdays, during "normal" working hours mostly for the moment. Though over the couple of days I did monitor 202 closely some pretty frequent voice "test, test, tests" were heard well into the evening/night hours.
The current CC for neighbor sites are also a part of the info broadcast, but in the case of this system, so far, the actual frequency isn't being properly calculated by Pro96Com in some cases. I guess because the trunking tables, which are also part of the CC broadcast, haven't been entered into the site controllers properly. 4 of the sites have a base of 769.0 but 202 has a base of 770.0 and 505 a base of 773.0...
EDIT: Oh and as far as actually hearing anything, including some pretty foul mouthed things, that seems to pretty limited to weekdays, during "normal" working hours mostly for the moment. Though over the couple of days I did monitor 202 closely some pretty frequent voice "test, test, tests" were heard well into the evening/night hours.
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KE5TLF
Member
Just gonna throw this out there as another possible site location. Seems to be a pretty much empty tower given the proximity search results. One active State of AL license, and one expired Hurricane license. This site is like 1 mile closer to me than the BLB site. (i'm about 3 miles SW of the Black Creek Cooling Pond at the left edge of the map)
FCC Callsign Proximity Search: N 30.60417 W -88.31611 Range: 0.5
FCC Callsign Proximity Search: N 30.60417 W -88.31611 Range: 0.5
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ScannerWayne
Member
Ok.. WQPC353. I noticed that it is on Red Fox W.. That jumped right out at me. Remember back about 6 months or so ago that a new tower went online for the Choctaw Indian Reservation? That is the tower. Someone mentioned that eventually it would house communications for Mobile County EDAC's system. Allowing the Mobile County SD better coverage of the northern part of the county.
As for the other tower on Jack Hamilton Rd. Not aware of it. On occasion I've looked at the AL state freqs for the local area trying to make sense of what they are doing, and I don't recall seeing that tower listed. Interesting. One of the things that has really bugged me is why this part of the state isn't tied into the rest of the state. State Police here in Mobile have been using the same system for the past 30 years. Even the Public Works department is using the same system they had installed 30 years ago. I've always wondered why they haven't upgraded.
Wayne
As for the other tower on Jack Hamilton Rd. Not aware of it. On occasion I've looked at the AL state freqs for the local area trying to make sense of what they are doing, and I don't recall seeing that tower listed. Interesting. One of the things that has really bugged me is why this part of the state isn't tied into the rest of the state. State Police here in Mobile have been using the same system for the past 30 years. Even the Public Works department is using the same system they had installed 30 years ago. I've always wondered why they haven't upgraded.
Wayne
KE5TLF
Member
Yeah I noticed that too, and figured it was the "MOWA" site mentioned way back in your Mobile City to County thread. Though sadly, being mentioned, is about as far as that ever went. As you well know, and as I've stated before, trying to figure out the licensing for the EDACS is a eye crossing, hair pulling, maddening ordeal. The recent filings for the rebanding of "Site 11" are hard proof of that, as it concerns licenses for the State, County, AND City......grrrr...LOL
I've also wondered, and scratched my head many times about the State EDACS stuff too. Mobile County really needs to be removed from the DB entry for it too. As we both know, even though licensed to the State of AL, they are not in use for the actual State of AL system, but for the Mobile County system, or not used at all. With the end of EDACS it will all be a moot point eventually anyway though. I can only assume all the actual "State" sites will eventually be converted to Harris P25IP too and the whole thing will then actually include Mobile, and now Baldwin, County.
I've had an eye on the Jack Hamilton Rd location for quite a while. Mostly when I've went on LTR binges, and have NEVER, EVER, knowingly heard a thing from it. Seems like it's doing nothing but sucking up electricity for lighting. LOL I looked up the ASR listing for it and it was granted June 2005, and has never even been submitted as constructed. Most likely a post Katrina administrative oversight. You can clearly see it has been built in satellite view. I figured I would mention it though since it seems to have plenty of room to hang new stuff on. No idea what the loading levels of the some of the other well established towers are and if there is any space left for new stuff.
I've also wondered, and scratched my head many times about the State EDACS stuff too. Mobile County really needs to be removed from the DB entry for it too. As we both know, even though licensed to the State of AL, they are not in use for the actual State of AL system, but for the Mobile County system, or not used at all. With the end of EDACS it will all be a moot point eventually anyway though. I can only assume all the actual "State" sites will eventually be converted to Harris P25IP too and the whole thing will then actually include Mobile, and now Baldwin, County.
I've had an eye on the Jack Hamilton Rd location for quite a while. Mostly when I've went on LTR binges, and have NEVER, EVER, knowingly heard a thing from it. Seems like it's doing nothing but sucking up electricity for lighting. LOL I looked up the ASR listing for it and it was granted June 2005, and has never even been submitted as constructed. Most likely a post Katrina administrative oversight. You can clearly see it has been built in satellite view. I figured I would mention it though since it seems to have plenty of room to hang new stuff on. No idea what the loading levels of the some of the other well established towers are and if there is any space left for new stuff.
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ScannerWayne
Member
Michael,
I have taken a look at the added freqs for Mobile County and am getting ready to add them to my scanner. I noticed in the RR database they have not been added to the listing for the McGregor site. Have they not been confirmed yet?
Wayne
I have taken a look at the added freqs for Mobile County and am getting ready to add them to my scanner. I noticed in the RR database they have not been added to the listing for the McGregor site. Have they not been confirmed yet?
Wayne
KE5TLF
Member
Been a few months since I've looked at site 1 in depth. Not real sure calling it McGregor is even proper since that is allegedly one of the 3 sites in the simulcast. No idea what else to call it really though LOL I did 100% verify the rebanding changes to site 11 that I found and submitted the other day. I'll make a effort to go through and reverify all the others when the opportunity presents itself, depending mainly on how atmospheric conditions are.
ScannerWayne
Member
The information in the RR database is of course good. However when I searched the callsign in the FCC database and looked at the freqs I noticed the addition of 8 freqs. I put those freqs into the scanner in a conventional system to see what, if anything, was appearing on them and indeed heard traffic on them.
I went ahead and added them to my current Mobile County system and for a while kept a watch to see if the new freqs would come up. They hadn't as of this writing. I may have to connect the scanner to the computer and log the activity to get a better idea of which freqs are being used. If they do I'll go ahead and add the other new freqs to the other sites and check them as well.
Wayne...
I went ahead and added them to my current Mobile County system and for a while kept a watch to see if the new freqs would come up. They hadn't as of this writing. I may have to connect the scanner to the computer and log the activity to get a better idea of which freqs are being used. If they do I'll go ahead and add the other new freqs to the other sites and check them as well.
Wayne...
ScannerWayne
Member
Fox Hunting. Tower 101 and 102.
Hey Michael,
You know computers and the internet make it so much easier to gather data on radio sysytems. Yet every once in a while you run across something that just requires you to get off your butt and go look in person. Towers 101 and 202 are a case in point. We know they exist; yet they aren't in the FCC database, yet. We know some of the freqs being used and we have a pretty good guess as to where they are. But we aren't sure of their location.
Well, we do now. I had a major chore to take care of this morning that required me to do some traveling around the southern part of Mobile county. So I took the scanner along with me. As I accomplished the several tasks I had to do, I managed to wander down to Bayou La Batre. Watching the signal strength steadly increasing on the scanner as I got closer to the tower location in question I got that warm feeling of success.
When the signal strength maxed out I removed the antenna from the scanner and continued towards my goal. Soon the signal strength was maxed out again so I turned on the Attenuater and as I got to within a half mile of the tower in question the signal strength maxed out again. As I drove up to the tower I was pretty certain that the Bayou La Batre tower is the home for the 769 Mhz signals (tower 101). Good guess on your part Michael.
Switching over to the 770 Mhz freqs associated with tower 202 I set out towards Mobile. I was intending to go to McGregor Ave but as I got into Tillmans corner it occured to me that perhaps I should head over to Lumsford Circle and see what happens. With the antenna connected I was getting a full 5 bars, so I pulled the antenna off. That reduced the signal strength so I went ahead and turned on the attenuator; signal strength went to one bar. As I got closer to the Lumsford Circle tower the signal strength rapidly maxed out.
Just to make sure I headed over towards McGregor rd but the signal never returned. I would say that these signals are definately coming from the Lumsford Circle tower.
Been a while since I went hunting and I throughly enjoyed it. Now, if the FCC would update their database we might be able to make some headway as to who is using the new 700 mhz system coming on-line here in Mobile County.
Wayne...
PS. Almost forgot to mention this. When I got to the tower in BLB I noticed that they had cameras mounted on the side of the building. I've been to a couple of towers over the years but this is the first time I've seen a camera mounted on the side of the building. So now no doubt I've been seen by the authoritys and they know everything there is to know about me by now.
Hey Michael,
You know computers and the internet make it so much easier to gather data on radio sysytems. Yet every once in a while you run across something that just requires you to get off your butt and go look in person. Towers 101 and 202 are a case in point. We know they exist; yet they aren't in the FCC database, yet. We know some of the freqs being used and we have a pretty good guess as to where they are. But we aren't sure of their location.
Well, we do now. I had a major chore to take care of this morning that required me to do some traveling around the southern part of Mobile county. So I took the scanner along with me. As I accomplished the several tasks I had to do, I managed to wander down to Bayou La Batre. Watching the signal strength steadly increasing on the scanner as I got closer to the tower location in question I got that warm feeling of success.
When the signal strength maxed out I removed the antenna from the scanner and continued towards my goal. Soon the signal strength was maxed out again so I turned on the Attenuater and as I got to within a half mile of the tower in question the signal strength maxed out again. As I drove up to the tower I was pretty certain that the Bayou La Batre tower is the home for the 769 Mhz signals (tower 101). Good guess on your part Michael.
Switching over to the 770 Mhz freqs associated with tower 202 I set out towards Mobile. I was intending to go to McGregor Ave but as I got into Tillmans corner it occured to me that perhaps I should head over to Lumsford Circle and see what happens. With the antenna connected I was getting a full 5 bars, so I pulled the antenna off. That reduced the signal strength so I went ahead and turned on the attenuator; signal strength went to one bar. As I got closer to the Lumsford Circle tower the signal strength rapidly maxed out.
Just to make sure I headed over towards McGregor rd but the signal never returned. I would say that these signals are definately coming from the Lumsford Circle tower.
Been a while since I went hunting and I throughly enjoyed it. Now, if the FCC would update their database we might be able to make some headway as to who is using the new 700 mhz system coming on-line here in Mobile County.
Wayne...
PS. Almost forgot to mention this. When I got to the tower in BLB I noticed that they had cameras mounted on the side of the building. I've been to a couple of towers over the years but this is the first time I've seen a camera mounted on the side of the building. So now no doubt I've been seen by the authoritys and they know everything there is to know about me by now.
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KE5TLF
Member
Good to know my intuition still has a fairly keen edge on it. Even better to have 100% confirmation.
I guess for now the Lumsden's Circle site is all they've been able to install, or need, for intial testing purposes. That, or some of those others I've logged are the McGregor/Springhill and/or Government Plaza sites and are using their own sets of freqs. presently. I think you've ruled that out though if you've checked the freqs. from all 6 sites logged so far. It stands to reason that the P25IP changeover will pretty much follow the same physical layout as the EDACS eventually though.
The users on the Mobile County side of the bay will be everyone on the EDACS eventually since that is a dead end. For the Baldwin County side, other than Orange Beach, who knows.
Yep it is a lot of fun going on the hunt for this stuff. At least until you have to fill up the gas tank these days. But if you can incorporate it into other travel obligations then that's the best situation of all.
Been to a ton of MSWIN and some other sites and have never seen any obvious cameras at any of them. Given the sensitive nature of these things, (along with all the copper stealing nut jobs) it seems a logical, relatively low cost, easy to implement, enhancement to their security though.
I guess for now the Lumsden's Circle site is all they've been able to install, or need, for intial testing purposes. That, or some of those others I've logged are the McGregor/Springhill and/or Government Plaza sites and are using their own sets of freqs. presently. I think you've ruled that out though if you've checked the freqs. from all 6 sites logged so far. It stands to reason that the P25IP changeover will pretty much follow the same physical layout as the EDACS eventually though.
The users on the Mobile County side of the bay will be everyone on the EDACS eventually since that is a dead end. For the Baldwin County side, other than Orange Beach, who knows.
Yep it is a lot of fun going on the hunt for this stuff. At least until you have to fill up the gas tank these days. But if you can incorporate it into other travel obligations then that's the best situation of all.
Been to a ton of MSWIN and some other sites and have never seen any obvious cameras at any of them. Given the sensitive nature of these things, (along with all the copper stealing nut jobs) it seems a logical, relatively low cost, easy to implement, enhancement to their security though.
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ScannerWayne
Member
Good to know my intuition still has a fairly keen edge on it. Even better to have 100% confirmation.
I guess for now the Lumsden's Circle site is all they've been able to install, or need, for intial testing purposes. That, or some of those others I've logged are the McGregor/Springhill and/or Government Plaza sites and are using their own sets of freqs. presently. I think you've ruled that out though if you've checked the freqs. from all 6 sites logged so far. It stands to reason that the P25IP changeover will pretty much follow the same physical layout as the EDACS eventually though.
Now I haven't checked the added freqs to the other sites. I'm still not convinced that the new freqs added to the McGregor site are actually being used by the system. Being the weekend there is not a lot of traffic so the previous 10 freqs are all I'm seeing being used at the moment. However, during the week when I get a chance to look when traffic is heavier I should be able to see if they are indeed being used.
Wayne...
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