APX APX non-affiliated scan help

[peq387ab]

Alright, so I just recently got an APX 7k and was able to program the conventional channels I want without issue. For context, I'm an EMT and being able to scan my local sheriffs office, who's on a p25 phase II trunked system would be extremely helpful. I was able to successfully program a NAS on a harris xg-100p, but I've heard it's significantly harder and riskier to do so on an APX. There doesn't seem to be any concrete instruction on how to do this, and I've only found one youtube video. If anyone's able to help me (and all the people like me in the future) out, and give me a proper tutorial I'd REALLY appreciate that. If someone also just wants to help me program it, or do it for me I'm more than willing to slide some cash in your direction.

I'm currently on CPS version r29.01 and have programmed it using that.

Thank you in advance!

My suggestion is you contact your system technician or admin for your TRS. If your ambulance service is on the system, I would contact your supe

Alright, so I just recently got an APX 7k and was able to program the conventional channels I want without issue. For context, I'm an EMT and being able to scan my local sheriffs office, who's on a p25 phase II trunked system would be extremely helpful. I was able to successfully program a NAS on a harris xg-100p, but I've heard it's significantly harder and riskier to do so on an APX. There doesn't seem to be any concrete instruction on how to do this, and I've only found one youtube video. If anyone's able to help me (and all the people like me in the future) out, and give me a proper tutorial I'd REALLY appreciate that. If someone also just wants to help me program it, or do it for me I'm more than willing to slide some cash in your direction.

I'm currently on CPS version r29.01 and have programmed it using that.

Thank you in advance!

My recommendation is with working or a EMS service I would contact your supervisor or EMS director to see who your county/local system administrator is for whatever trunked system your inquiring about. Then once you get in touch with them you can see what they are willing to program or not to program into a radio. From experience, usually EMS and Fire radios typically don’t have Law talkgroups in them for various purposes, but rather use a set of interoperability talkgroups that are assigned during a multi-agency response or incident. Thats what I would start with is finding out and getting in touch with your system tech admin.

My recommendation is I would look at getting a Unication G4/5 pager or a scanner if you’re wanting to monitor/scan. There is no risk of a mistake of programming a Motorola radio to go rouge onto a system.

In hindsight, I would look contact your local system admin or better get a scanner or Unication pager.

 

[ElroyJetson]

No agency should be "issuing" Baofengs to ANYBODY for any purpose whatsoever. They're not even FCC type accepted and thus CAN NOT legally be used on MOST frequencies. Certainly not on any public safety frequencies.

 

[Asunakiyori]

No agency should be "issuing" Baofengs to ANYBODY for any purpose whatsoever. They're not even FCC type accepted and thus CAN NOT legally be used on MOST frequencies. Certainly not on any public safety frequencies.

I'm guessing its a private Medic company

 

[DeoVindice]

Okay, so, I should clarify. This is not my issued radio. My agency issues us baofengs, but strongly encourages us to purchase our own radios.

They what?!

 

[Jparks2093]

No agency should be "issuing" Baofengs to ANYBODY for any purpose whatsoever. They're not even FCC type accepted and thus CAN NOT legally be used on MOST frequencies. Certainly not on any public safety frequencies.

I fully agree. I hate the fact that we're issued baofengs, hence why I ended up purchasing an APX. I came from a big city agency where we were issued APXs, so it's incredibly frustrating working with **** tier equipment.

I did manage to program in my NAS and it works fine though, wasn't too hard, just a little weird

 

[Jparks2093]

Is this a "rural thing" because at my PSAP/ECC, fire/EMS stages until WE INSTRUCT THEM the scene is safe and that's the decision of the LE officer/commander who arrives on scene and makes it secure. We don't self-dispatch at any of our agencies so they don't need to be listening to the po-po anymore than the fire guys want CopSounds™ blasting out of their radio. In fact, they find ways to SILENCE radios and alerting hardware in the station so much so we had to put the alert controller and associated hardware in locked NEMA enclosures.

Just interesting to hear how people do it. As far as NAS, as I said, you are on your own. Those of us who manage systems frown upon unauthorized subscribers on systems. Can it be done? Yes. But if one has to ask or expects spoon feeding, a scanner or Unication really is a better option.

So, depending on the LE agency we're responding with, we can have separate dispatch centers, occasionally leading to a 5-10 minute delay in getting cleared to enter, cancelled, requested, etc. When we're requested by PD our cad notes are extremely minimal, usually with no info on what's going on, other than whatever agency is requesting EMS needs an ambulance. From my experiences, it's pretty helpful to have some idea of what we're going into, based on radio traffic and PD cad notes.

There's been other times where we have long response times, 30 minutes to an hour to PD/SO requests. It's super nice to get live location updates as well as to know what's happening on the call before we get there

 

[Asunakiyori]

I fully agree. I hate the fact that we're issued baofengs, hence why I ended up purchasing an APX. I came from a big city agency where we were issued APXs, so it's incredibly frustrating working with **** tier equipment.

I did manage to program in my NAS and it works fine though, wasn't too hard, just a little weird

Guess it worked out in the end?

 

[Jparks2093]

Guess it worked out in the end?

Indeed it did

 

[ElroyJetson]

It would ACTUALLY be ILLEGAL for a department to be issuing out non-FCC type accepted radios for use on frequencies that require FCC type acceptance. This is something that I would recommend you casually mention to the county's legal counsel. Or maybe not so casually. It's sure that no department or the county that runs it wants to be slapped by the FCC with the relevant fines.

 

[cavmedic]

Tried, nobody seems to know who the hell this guy is or where I can contact him at

That’s by design. The Radio Techs don’t want people tracking them to their favorite tower site hideout.

 

[ElroyJetson]

If your agency "strongly encourages us to purchase our own radios." as you say, that's quite unusual.
So I must ask, if they are so willing to allow you to have your own radios, do they have established (written) policies regarding what can be programmed into them, and how it is to be done? For example, do they demand that the county's contracted radio shop handle the programming, to cite but one possible condition?

 

[Jparks2093]

If your agency "strongly encourages us to purchase our own radios." as you say, that's quite unusual.
So I must ask, if they are so willing to allow you to have your own radios, do they have established (written) policies regarding what can be programmed into them, and how it is to be done? For example, do they demand that the county's contracted radio shop handle the programming, to cite but one possible condition?

It would ACTUALLY be ILLEGAL for a department to be issuing out non-FCC type accepted radios for use on frequencies that require FCC type acceptance. This is something that I would recommend you casually mention to the county's legal counsel. Or maybe not so casually. It's sure that no department or the county that runs it wants to be slapped by the FCC with the relevant fines.

Actually no, there's no written policies about what can/can't be on our radios, as well as how to program them. I spoke to our chief, and he basically just sent me the master list of all the county owned/operated frequencies, and told me which ones we use.

And that's good to know, I'll send over an anonymous email. I hate the baofengs. My agency's solution to us not being able to TX 90% of the time over the baofengs was to install APXs in the trucks with a DVRS. I guess it's better than nothing, but it'd be nice if we were just already on the county trunked 7/800 system instead of the VHF system which is progressively being phased out

 

[ElroyJetson]

1. Title 47
2. Chapter I
3. Subchapter D
4. Part 90
5. Subpart I
6. § 90.203
   
   That's the relevant FCC regulation.

 

[RocketNJ]

One other thing to consider. If your main “job” is to be listening to the EMS dispatch channel and you are off listening to an officer make a vehicle stop, then you can miss calls. Scan has some inherent delays and we encourage to Not use scan if you want to ensure receiving your calls completely.

when I was System Mgr, I would look for radios that were affiliated where they don’t belong. I still remember the one guy whining because he now had a “brick” he bought off eBay. We refused to unbrick his radio.

 

[KE4ZNR]

My agency issues us baofengs, but strongly encourages us to purchase our own radios.

Jebus tapdancing christos.
Just WTF.

 

[MTS2000des]

Jebus tapdancing christos.
Just WTF.

I know right. Never ceases to amaze me at the level of "get her done" displayed. I never in a million years would put a BOWELTURD in any IDLH or life safety user. Especially when analog VHF/UHF QUALITY REAL radios can be had for the asking or close to it if one takes a little time and contacts mutual aid groups. I gave 400 XTS2500 and XTL2500s to a county near me, all they had to do was pull up a trailer, load up and go.
Those folks who put improper equipment in the hands of firefighters never had to deal with OSHA, workers comp boards, attorneys, etc.
"It's all good...until it's not"

 

[buddrousa]

When had Mutual Groups show up at our scene with non-standard radios we would tell them to leave them in their vehicle and assign them to work with one of our crew members with our radios.

 

[AK9R]

That's the relevant FCC regulation.

I'll add that some cheap, Chinese radios do have FCC IDs. One must be careful with this information, though:

• Careful scrutiny is required to make sure that the manufacturer or importer isn't simply putting a fake or made-up FCC ID on their radios. I'll add that I've been seeing some CCRs lately where the punctuation on the FCC ID label doesn't match the punctuation in the FCC database.
• Careful scrutiny is required to make sure that the manufacturer or importer isn't simply using an otherwise legitimate FCC ID on a different model of radio.
• Careful scrutiny is required to make sure that the FCC ID actually shows an equipment authorization grant for the radio service where you plan to use the radio (Part 80, Part 90, Part 95E, etc.).
• Careful scrutiny is required to make sure that the FCC ID actually shows an equipment authorization grant for the emission designator and power output that your license authorizes.

As for the guy being issued Baofengs to use in public safety applications, I think I'd find another job. I'm not sure that your employer gives a flying firetruck about doing things properly. If they are cutting corners this severely on their radios, what else are they cutting corners on?

 

[ElroyJetson]

1: The FCC maintains a publicly accessible database on every type accepted product. You can type in the FCC ID number and review all the documents for yourself which will include photos of the equipment, both external and internal. They should be quite sufficient to ensure that the radio you are checking matches the radio the FCC tested and type accepted.

2: Any agency that encourages or even officially allows users to provide their own radios should absolutely definitely establish written policies and protocols governing the usage of those radios. Failure to do so is somewhere between neglect and negligence.

A sample policy to be submitted for consideration:

"As a cost saving measure, this agency allows individuals in our employ to purchase their own portable and mobile radio equipment to facilitate the performance of their duties as (defined job positions, such as volunteer firefighter or auxiliary deputy). Refer to Attachment A below for the essential technical requirements that are required for the radio equipment to be functional and acceptable in the agency's radio network."

(Attachment A includes a list of acceptable radios that can be used on the system and supported by the radio shop)

All radios that the users own which they wish to use on our network shall be submitted to the agency's designated radio shop, (insert shop name and address) for evaluation to ensure that the radio is compatible with the network, is tested, aligned, and tuned to meet technical performance standards, meet FCC type acceptance requirements, and programmed by the radio shop to meet the operational needs of the AGENCY and its employees who are authorized to employ said radios on the network. The user may request the programming to include certain functions, frequencies, scan lists, and features, but it shall be the final authority of the radio shop and agency supervisory staff to decide which if any of those requests shall be honored, for reasons of legal compliance and for other reasons.

The user shall be required to pay the test, repair, and programming charges billed by the radio shop for work done on his or her radio(s). The radio shop shall provide these services at the negotiated contract rates for equivalent service performed to the agency.

The radio shop's technical staff shall have final authority as to whether or not a specific radio is suitable for use on the network. If they reject a radio, the rejection shall be final and that radio SHALL NOT be used on our network.

The radio shop is under no obligation to support a radio type that is not and has not been procured for use on the agency's system now or at any time in the past. (We've never seen it, we're not helping you with it.)

Upon leaving employment by the agency, the user shall submit the radio to the shop for removal of agency transmitter frequencies or full deprogramming, at the option of agency command staff. "

That's just a basic sample agreement. It is by no means complete. Allowing users to provide their own radios can get very messy. Most departments simply don't allow it not because they hate you, but because of all the red tape it generates. Very inefficient.

 

[APX8000]

That’s by design. The Radio Techs don’t want people tracking them to their favorite tower site hideout.

99% of people that would track them have never been and will never be there....too busy doing TPS reports at their desks.