Asheville TRS status?

[INDY72]

When I lived there, they had approved funding and purchasing for digital radios for FD, and were working on getting PD set up also..... They had also approved the full outgrowth to the multi site Smartzone mixed mode. Has any progress towards that goal occurred in the last 2 years?

 

[C138NC]

I thought asheville was on this system 4 years ago after one of their captains came over here but i guess i was wrong

Im guessing ashville will be apart of the new VIPER system...

 

[INDY72]

They do have tg's assigned on the VIPER, but are going to maintain their own TRS with full interoperability to the VIPER. At least that was the plan that madame mayor and city council voted on.. lol. I know there are locals that monitor as someone has a live scanner feed on scanamerica from there. Just wondering if maybe financial issues slowed own the buildout.

 

[trumpetman]

I haven't heard a peep from any Asheville units on VIPER, and I'm constantly searching VIPER for any new activity. I talked with one of the officers from the Sheriff's department and he said they're waiting to upgrade to digital 800....but APD hadn't even gotten radios yet, so they weren't getting their hopes up anytime soon. I'll ask around and see what I can come up with and I'll pass the info along.

 

[C138NC]

arent they UHF or VHF? Havent checked the database in a while on asheville, been paying more attention to triad area.

 

[trumpetman]

BCSO is VHF, there was talk of a UHF LTR net set up like 4 years ago but it never went into play. Asheville is on an 800 MHz Motorola Type II Smartzone. The only UHF agency in Buncombe/Asheville area is EMS.

I do know that AFR has VIPER set up in their radios because they used them for a mutual aid response a while back. So they do have the capablities, but do not utilize them as of right now.

 

[INDY72]

OK so they are waiting on the digital capable radios for APD, they had bought and were installing them in AFR units when I lived there. And since the system has grown out to a full Smartzone, this info needs submitted so that the database can be updated to reflect that and all the sites entered.

Yeah, Buncombe County was working on installing a UHF LTR Passport system, glad that didn't work out. SO/EOC is also waiting on VIPER radios for full interop capability, are they going to abandon the VHF net?

EMS has patches in place on the VIPER on the state MED freqs, and Mission/St. Jo has VIPER-MED TG's assigned now, and MAMA also has access to the Rescue TG's.

 

[trumpetman]

Well, I'm not too sure about the difference in Smartzone / Smartnet so idk what to look for when explaining the upgrades and simulcast mess, if someone will get me up to speed with that, I'll get the skinny on it.

I imagine that they will at least keep the VHF net intact, mainly for interop purposes. Just like any other county in NC, the big FDs with money have 800 capability, but the outskirt VFDs are doing good to keep radios in the trucks. There was an upgrade not too long ago to the radio system as well, back when VIPER was known about, so I don't think (if our local leaders have a brain) will spend all the extra $$$ and trash a system which seems to be working extremely well already.

I've been keeping an ear on VIPER constantly lately and even "searching & storing" while at school, but the only activity I get is the local SMAT check in & SHP. No VMN TGs or MAMA contact or anything as of right now. I'm hoping that will start changing soon.

 

[INDY72]

Has Troop G SHP gone full time VIPER yet or still using low band?

 

[N8IAA]

Has Troop G SHP gone full time VIPER yet or still using low band?

On my last visit to NC in February, they were still on Lo-band VHF. I always run the VIPER system just to check and see if they change.
Larry

 

[WA4MJF]

My understanding is that NCSHP will still keep VHF-LB system until the entire VIPER system is built out and burned in. They have to because never know when a patrolman will be temporarily or permanently assigned to an area which doesn't have VIPER.

 

[kd8x]

Has Troop G SHP gone full time VIPER yet or still using low band?

I have some G 4 hits on Viper so I know they are active.

 

[trumpetman]

Troop G Districts 2,4, & 6 are the only talkgroups active as of right now. I monitor off of the Meadows site which is the closest to Troop G HQ and that should contain all of the talkgroups used if I understand the radio affiliation setup. I'll do a search and store over night and tomorrow to see if the other district talkgroups even pop up and let y'all konw.

 

[trumpetman]

I talked with an officer from APD tonight and they hadn't even heard anythign about digital upgrades recently. He still had the same ol' radio (idk why I didn't check to see what it was), and they weren't sure of much anymore cause the communications experts never gave a straight forward answer. We'll have to see how it plays out.

 

[INDY72]

LOL same ole XTS3000 either Mod I, II, or III depending on the rank of the officer.... Though all thats needed to go digital is some reprogramming with them.

So APD got put on hold. TY for the info.