Albany NY Changed Again?
- Thread starter Ken_Allen
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Nothing has changed...
I'm not sure what your decode problem is (decoding okay for me)...but it is fairly normal for the control channel to move around on a trunked system. It's done to spread the "wear and tear" around, since the control channel is 100% duty cycle. Theoretically it should make the RF parts (power amplifers mostly) last longer.
I currently hear it on 857.4375 MHz. Go to that channel manually and open the squelch. Do you hear white noise or data? Try 859.4375 MHz, which is current control channel on the other Albany system (general services).
Perhaps you are on the fringe of coverage...or they dropped their output power (perhaps due to a hardware failure). Although from your location on Sand Creek (from the Troy post), I'd think you'd be okay to receive the system.
Perhaps you are on the fringe of coverage...or they dropped their output power (perhaps due to a hardware failure). Although from your location on Sand Creek (from the Troy post), I'd think you'd be okay to receive the system.
I'm in schenectady now, I can usually get a very good signal from here. Everything clear as can be. My grandpa can't pick it up from sand creek. Colonie comes in fine though =\
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DaveNF2G
Guest
I have noticed that the lower frequencies (856 and 857) on all of the capital area trunked systems are noticeably weaker than the higher ones. It must be a tuning issue with the amplifiers or the duplexers.
rewise
Member
Dave
Although this makes sense I'm still very confused with the APD/AFD, as the others have said the signal is there and then nothing, BTW when the signal was good I was picking up the APD/AFD down Route #9 in Valatie
Although this makes sense I'm still very confused with the APD/AFD, as the others have said the signal is there and then nothing, BTW when the signal was good I was picking up the APD/AFD down Route #9 in Valatie
Something is up. I use to pick APD/AFD fine in the upper end of Guilderland now I have to wait till I crest the hill past the 20 Mall. The audio seems lower too once I do finally get it. I noticed one of the feed providers must be having difficulty too because nothing is coming over his feed and its on
When Albany rebanded their trunking system, they changed a few things around. First they went from 20K0F3E modulation, which was wide-bandwidth analog voice, to 16K0F3E, which is the same thing, but more narrowbanded. However, they did add 16K0F9W, which has been used on a lot of Project 25 trunking radio system for digital voice and data. This leads me to believe that they might be making some significant changes.
I know that several trunking systems have been using two sets of antennas for rebanding on their radio towers. Likewise, this has been done when several agencies went from analog to digital. Case in point, one of the counties in Florida has three radio towers that are 152 meters tall, with the antennas mounted at 145 meters above ground level. During the changeover from analog to Project 25, they moved the analog transmitters over to the several temporary antennas that were mounted at a height of less than 90 meters up the tower from the bottom. Likewise, their was a gain factor decrease, which ultimately dropped the ERP down so it would be safe for the technicians to climb the towers, and make the necessary infrastructure modifications and upgrades. Finally, when the new P25 system went online, they were using the new antennas up at 145 meters above the ground at full power. The only difference is you now need a digital scanner to decode their radio traffic.
It will be interesting to see how this all plans out in the next few months. I would occasionally search their licensed frequencies for any "new" data channels that might pop up out of the blue.
73s
Ron
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DaveNF2G
Guest
No, Albany will be adding P25 CAI talkgroups to its Motorola Type II system.
dave and the rest of the board i believe they have already began the switch over back in 07 or 08 thats why they albany went to the type II hybrid system i thought correct me if iam wrong but thats why all the tgids and the fleet map change?
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DaveNF2G
Guest
Albany's DPS system (BB37) started out as a Motorola Type I, as did CC2F (the DGS system). Both systems were upgraded to Type IIi in the early 2000s.
The DPS system was upgraded again to Type II in preparation for a future transition to mixed mode digital/analog operation. The plan was/is for the police to go digital first. If their transition is successful and free of unanticipated problems, then the fire department is supposed to follow suit.
The digital transition has progressed to the point of having digital capable radios installed into all of the police vehicles and issuing of dual-mode portables. The City is out of money and needs additional federal support to finish the changeover.
IMO, Albany could have gone directly from Motorola Type I to P25 Exclusive at less cost and in less time, but they probably got sucked in by the SWN hype like many other jurisdictions did.
The DPS system was upgraded again to Type II in preparation for a future transition to mixed mode digital/analog operation. The plan was/is for the police to go digital first. If their transition is successful and free of unanticipated problems, then the fire department is supposed to follow suit.
The digital transition has progressed to the point of having digital capable radios installed into all of the police vehicles and issuing of dual-mode portables. The City is out of money and needs additional federal support to finish the changeover.
IMO, Albany could have gone directly from Motorola Type I to P25 Exclusive at less cost and in less time, but they probably got sucked in by the SWN hype like many other jurisdictions did.
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