Cabarrus EMS no longer simulcasting on VHF?

[E-542]

Something I've noticed over the last couple days, actually. Cabarrus County EMS (155.0550, 146.2PL) is no longer active, and has been quiet; despite there being active EMS calls across the county.

Anyone know what's going on with that? Did they change frequencies(because I do know they were complaining about hearing some agency from the Mountains of NC on their VHF channel), or go strict-P25 only?

 

[trumpetman]

Looks like they're 800 only now, no more VHF. With the CAD changes and unit number changes lately it looks like they're mixing things up even more. Cabarrus EMS has been notifying their crews via call alert on the P25 system for years now, looks like with the surrounding agencies all being primary on 800 systems there's no need to maintain the VHF side.

Surry County EMS uses the same frequency and can be heard very easily on even a portable radio all over the area so I'm sure that'll create some added relief for those listening at the console.

 

[E-542]

Shame to hear, as I know they had the VHF channel for the pagers. Cabarrus Fire Disp and Kannapolis City still utilize their VHF channels for pagers, and I know Rowan EMS utilizes VHF for Paging/Backup.

Shame P25 scanners cost so much nowadays, bahah.

 

[yardbird]

The whole Cabarrus County P-25 system has been screwed up ever since the former system administrator has retired and passed away.

They have new people over the system that have no clue as to what is going on,

They have been screwing around with the county fire paging system for the last few days and some of the fire stations are having trouble with siren activations and the voice traffic has been scratchy at times.

As far as EMS goes they are going away from simulcasting across VHF.

Same thing is happening in Forsyth, Cumberland and Mecklenburg Counties as well. Don't know if Guilford is that way or not haven't been up that way in a while.

Give it time as the new P-25 Unication pagers become more popular I see a lot of VHF patches and paging going away.

The Unications new P-25 pager costs a little bit more than a Minitor VI does and it will do more.

As far as 155.055 Mhz. when I get South of I-77 on I-85 in Charlotte I start picking up Rutherford County as well.

Like I said time and again if it isn't broke then don't mess with it.

David

 

[drayd48]

Iredell county kinda did the same thing and cut the patch from EMS VHF to VIPER due to some bad issues with the simulcast and the radios. Radio people in Iredell also don't know anything they are doing except for the south end of the county. Only thing that goes over VHF now the tones and dispatches for EMS. Its honestly sad.

 

[CFP387]

The whole Cabarrus County P-25 system has been screwed up ever since the former system administrator has retired and passed away.

They have new people over the system that have no clue as to what is going on...

Could this possibly be because they went with the Charlotte UASI system instead of their own, stand-alone system like Rowan has?

and I know Rowan EMS utilizes VHF for Paging/Backup

The idea has been kicked around to look at eventually going to P-25 paging on 800 using Unication pagers. Personally, I don't see this happening for several more years at least.

Rowan's EMS Dispatch frequency 155.715 PL 146.2 is the same as the Boone, NC Fire Dispatch. Their transmissions bleed over very badly here at times but Unication pagers with the CTCSS enabled takes care of this problem. Those that carry Minitor pagers simply "reset" their pagers back to tone only after it's activated for a call.

Cabarrus EMS has been notifying their crews via call alert on the P25 system for years now, looks like with the surrounding agencies all being primary on 800 systems there's no need to maintain the VHF side.

It would also look like with the surrounding agencies all having access to VIPER, why would they not want to patch to their respective VIPER talkgroup?