Anybody in SE WA?

[eastwa]

New guy here, have been lurking trying to educate myself. Would like to talk to somebody locally about what handheld equip they are using in the Lewiston / Clarkston area. Will use from Spokane to the north, TriCities (west), Missoula (east), Grangeville (south). Basically in the middle of no-mans land. Any recommendations appreciated, the local RS knows less about them than I do. Equal duty between home and PU. 90% of time @ 99403, and 83501. $200-250 range. Would like weather alerts, DNR, Fish & Game, USFS? .( I dont see much info posted there). Spend a fair amount of time in the Blues and Clearwater mountains. Considering the Pro 97 (on sale next week for $150), and the Uniden BC246T.

 

[icom1020]

If your travels or listening take you into Idaho or Montana, I would consider a digital scanner that will also trunk VHF. Montana has a P25 VHF system being installed, may take years but it is on its way. Idaho has a 700 mhz system which is being built out as well. The pro96 will not do VHF or 700 trunking. If you're not in a hurry or don't care about those 2 states then a tripple trunking scanner will probably be ok for awhile. (Pro433/528)

Tri-Cities is easy to monitor, the fire depts that were on 800mhz (Benton County) are scheduled to go back to VHF next year. They are looking at P25 the rest of the 800 system in the future however. I don't know where Idaho is in relation to the Lewiston area going to 700mhz. If you are looking to buy a new radio and 500$ is not a problem then Uniden or the new GRE500/600 soon to be released hopefully in Oct. are your options.

Everywhere else you mention is mostly analog VHF or UHF. I have Tri Cities and Umatilla/Morrow Co talk groups(UHF) that I can send if you have a trunking scanner. Both of these systems were federally funded through the CSEPP monies. I use a pro97 and a 2055 that no one knows for sure what will happen when 800 systems are "rebanded" but that process is behind and I can always upgrade to a better scanner. Any other questions just ask.

 

[eastwa]

Thanks for the reply. I will do some more research, and PM you if that is OK, so I dont tie up the board with 2nd grade questions. Thanks, Marty

 

[morrowcounty]

Tri-Cities fire

Tri-Cities is easy to monitor, the fire depts that were on 800mhz (Benton County) are scheduled to go back to VHF next year. They are looking at P25 the rest of the 800 system in the future however.

Is this correct?? Benton County Fire Units going back to VHF. I know that the main dispatch-tone outs are on VHF and 800.
Why are they going back to VHF???

Also, did Pasco PD switch freqs or something. I was up in the Hermiston area on Sunday and didnt hear Pasco PD.

I am not able to listen to the Tri-Cities channels all the time due to living in southern part of Morrow County in Oregon.

 

[icom1020]

Is this correct?? Benton County Fire Units going back to VHF. I know that the main dispatch-tone outs are on VHF and 800.
Why are they going back to VHF???

Also, did Pasco PD switch freqs or something. I was up in the Hermiston area on Sunday and didnt hear Pasco PD.

I am not able to listen to the Tri-Cities channels all the time due to living in southern part of Morrow County in Oregon.

Read in the July 27th issue of the Tri City Herald, the local chiefs do not like the lack of interoperability with neighboring fire districts , they also claim the 800 radios do not do well in smoke and dust....This scheduled to take place in Jan. The upgrade back to VHF is predicted to cost between 500,000 and 750k. They will use two current VHF freqs and have a 3rd to talk to law enforcement. They have 7 million allocated to upgrade the rest of the 800 system to P25 and need 11 million to complete this.

155.910 was still Franklin/Pasco law dispatch when I was there on the 12th. It may be weak in Hermiston, the FCC database shows a tower on Jump Off Joe and Rattlesnake.

 

[morrowcounty]

Delete message... Error

 

[morrowcounty]

Benton Co Fire VHF

Read in the July 27th issue of the Tri City Herald, the local chiefs do not like the lack of interoperability with neighboring fire districts , they also claim the 800 radios do not do well in smoke and dust....This scheduled to take place in Jan. The upgrade back to VHF is predicted to cost between 500,000 and 750k. They will use two current VHF freqs and have a 3rd to talk to law enforcement. They have 7 million allocated to upgrade the rest of the 800 system to P25 and need 11 million to complete this.

I can see this now. Morrow and Umatilla Co both share a Trunked System but all of the agencies have both radios in there vehicles. I think that all the law enforcement in the area also have both the VHF and the Trunked radios in there patrol vehicles.

It also says that they are going to have a 3rd call to talk with law enfocement... Why dont they just patch both the VHF and 800mhz channels together. The fire Dept can use the VHF and the patrol can just switch there radios to what ever channel the fire dept is using. Just an idea.

155.910 was still Franklin/Pasco law dispatch when I was there on the 12th. It may be weak in Hermiston, the FCC database shows a tower on Jump Off Joe and Rattlesnake.

155.910 is very powerful. I can usually start to pick up the channel as soon as a get outside of Lexington headed towards Hermiston on Hwy 207 with my Pro-97.