Im in itasca and get pretty good signals monitoring the new p25 channels whith the best reception coming from my rooftop antenna but also get very good results with my xts3000 and 396xt also, You can actually put all those frequencies in one single freq trunked system it will scan them all, i have it set up with all the new digital channels in one system and the gqks are assigned to each frequency 1 is ems north ids 2 is ems south ids and 3 is oem ids and so on but I only have one system so it scans all the frequencies and stops on active ones and displays the radio ids and so on just like a trunk systems and talk groups any way that setup has been working pretty good for me while monitoring this 30 day testing period. And i would also like to thank werinshades for all of his information if it was not for him we would really be behind in this game but he has kept us up and running so thank you.
Bob
Bob, Ace and everyone else, you're very welcome for the information. Since I have some inside knowledge as far as radio signatures and so on, i'd rather have everyone on the same page when the fire switches so this won't be such a shock to our monitoring systems..lol.
One thing i'd suggest though to all that want to make the best of their XT's, it can work as Bob has it set up, but you'll run out of ID's when the fire side switches. I have experimented with two scanners one set up the way Bob has it, the other way I have it know (One system per channel...6 seperate systems/sites) , to see how the scanner behaves. I have discovered alot of missing transmissions with the method Bob has. I have set the System Hold Time and Delay to 0, and have Radio ID's set up as a Group on each System.
I previously mentioned one of our "issues" is the quick responses by our dispatchers "ok, 42" may result in you thinking your scanner is not working correctly, which it is not to worry. Since this is a "30 day evaluation period" , we have free reign to bring up issues to our higher-ups, and this one I did mention. On the user end, we have portables only and sometimes if the OEMC audio is low (we keep complaining too..lol) , and quick responses, we're not sure we can be heard. They're asking us to report all status changes via MDC and radio during the evaluation period, so the system can be evaluated properly. At a recent meeting, I said this won't be a problem when the fire side switches as their is more radio traffic and they hopefully will remember to speak up at louder fire scenes...remains to be seen.
One more thing I clarified from a previous post, the radios will be re-programmed and Zone TZ (Test Zone we're currently using), will be eliminated. From a chart I had seen with the new Radio Zones, it looks much more simplified. Their will be an Administrative Channel 3, but it will be UHF. This may mean one of the UHF simplex frequencies will be used, or maybe the Fire City-Wide will be re-designated...i'm not sure. Fire North & South, EMS North & South, two seperate Special Event Zones also. Channel 2 on the fire zones will be their respective EMS Channel...(EMS Main or EMS Englewood). Here's the bad word we all worry about...encryption. The only radios that will have encryption capabilities will be chief officers and command staff. I was happy to hear this.At a meeting, I said when they make the final programming of radios decision, use the K.I.S.S. theory...Keep It Simple Stupid. Based upon the chart I saw, they were way ahead of me. If we have to keep switching Radio Zones to take full effect of this system, it won't work. The key word for this switch is Interoperability...they seem to be making sure it will hold true.
My best guess is, the fire companies will report somewhere to pick up digital portables. I originally heard all firefighters will have one, which would make sense. If the current pattern holds, we should be able to figure out the radio ID's prior to the switch.
I'll keep RR updated here, then if anyone wants to add it to the database please feel free. I know their's some discussion on CARMA about it, so if Rich or Ted want to add it to the database their, please do. I'm trying to catch a Radio ID off an ALS Truck so I can start programming my Fire Company Groups on the Main & Englewood fire channels. I've copied the previous post if anyone wants to start programming Radio ID's..:
Originally Posted by werinshades
Decided to try this on my 996XT to watch the radio ID's. Pretty easy format to figure out, but a little different programming then I was used to. Each Channel had to be programmed seperately as a P25 Single Frequency Trunk as per the Uniden site. I'm still tweaking the Delay and System Hold time so not to miss transmissions. Previously mentioned 2 radios per ambulance so each one had their own ID. Here's the ambulance ID format on the portables :
i50xx001 (Officer's Portable)
i50xx002 (Fire Paramedic or FF/EMT's radios on BLS Ambulances)
The x's represent the ambulance number. Example (i5042001-Amb. 42 Officer's radio) (i5042002-Amb. 42's FPM radio)
If they do decide to convert the ambulance radios, i'd suspect the last 3 numbers will be 000. Ex (i5042000...Amb. 42 apparatus radio ?)
The OEMC is coming up as ID 65535, while the apparatus are all coming up as ID 1. Each individual console at the OEMC has an ID starting as i911xxx. X's represent each console. Right now, i911009 is EMS North-Dispatch and i911010 is EMS South Dispatch.
Radio Techs are extensively testing again today, and are getting all the OEMC consoles on line. ID's i911003 and i911004 are popping up on the OEMC channel.
EMS Field Chiefs have ID's i4xxx001...X's represent which Field Chief it is. Ex (i4453001-453's portable)That's what I have so far, if anyone has additional information, please add on.
Some additional Radio ID information for those that want to text tag.
i6xxx001...Command Staff with 3 number radio signatures Ex: (i6213001...Fire Commisioner (2-1-3) portable)
i6xxxx01...Command Staff with 4 number radio signatures Ex: (i6441201...Asst. Dept. Chief Paramedic (4-4-12) portable)
i90000 series...seems to be the pattern for spare portable radios so far...
Motorola Radio Techs are working now at the OEMC to increase the audio on the dispatch end of things. Very and only common complaint so far.
****System has to be in ID Search Mode to function.****
Picked up a Radio ID today for an ALS Engine..Engine 129 and Engine 74 tested on the digital today and came up as :
i1129005, i1074005....That shows radio #5 for the Engine (Firefighter/Paramedic), so it looks like the pattern will be the same when the Fire Companies make the switch...i1129001, i1074001 (Officer's Radio)...i112900x., i107400x...x represents each firefighter on the company. Awaiting for an ALS Truck to test and will be able to start setting up my ARC software for Radio ID's for this system.
