Columbus City vs. Columbus MARCS vs. Franklin County

[wa8pyr]

I have a setup in progress. I just thought of putting my "Favorites 2" as "System 2" under Favorites 1. Would there be an advantage to putting the suburbs as a 2nd system in Fav 1?

FAVORITES 1 - Columbus
SYSTEM 1 - Columbus City
DEPARTMENTS -

1. CPD Zone 1 (N)
2. CPD Zone 2 (SE)
3. CPD Zone 3 (SW)
4. CPD Zone 4 (N. Central)
5. CPD Zone 5 (Central)
6. CPD Traffic Enforcement
7. CPD SWAT
8. Helicopter & Canine
9. Special Events
10. Columbus Fire
11. CFD Battalion 1
12. CFD Battalion 2
13. CFD Battalion 3
14. CFD Battalion 4
15. CFD Battalion 5
16. CFD Battalion 6
17. CFD Battalion 7
18. CFD Battalion 8
19. MECC Fire/EMS

FAVORITES 2 - SUBURBS (EAST)
SYSTEM 1 - COLUMBUS MARCS
DEPARTMENTS -

1. Gahanna Police
2. New Albany Police
3. Whitehall Police
4. Pickerington Police
5. Bexley Police
6. Hospitals

FAVORITES 3 - LICKING COUNTY
SYSTEM 1 - Pataskala
DEPARTMENTS -

1. Licking County Fire
2. Licking County Sheriff
3. Pataskala PD

As others have noted, putting agencies which share a tower site in separate systems can slow down scanning somewhat as the scanner reacquires the (same) control channel. What I've often done is keep it all in a single system but group by tens, ie 1-10 are CFD, 11-20 are suburbs, 21-30 are service departments and so on. However, I've not found putting it in a separate system to slow it down an unreasonable amount, and it is much easier to keep track of for keypad enable/disable of departments. YMMV, so give it a try.

For agencies which are on a separate site (such as Pataskala or Columbus MARCS), putting it in a separate system doesn't make much of a difference; the radio still has to acquire a new control channel, so it's six one way, half-dozen the other.

 

[Bswartz95]

As others have noted, putting agencies which share a tower site in separate systems can slow down scanning somewhat as the scanner reacquires the (same) control channel. What I've often done is keep it all in a single system but group by tens, ie 1-10 are CFD, 11-20 are suburbs, 21-30 are service departments and so on. However, I've not found putting it in a separate system to slow it down an unreasonable amount, and it is much easier to keep track of for keypad enable/disable of departments. YMMV, so give it a try.

For agencies which are on a separate site (such as Pataskala or Columbus MARCS), putting it in a separate system doesn't make much of a difference; the radio still has to acquire a new control channel, so it's six one way, half-dozen the other.

Thanks for the tips.

Unfortunately, if I move the Gahanna PD and New Albany PD talk channels to the Columbus City system, I don't get anything. Can I just add the MARCS control channel to the frequency list for System 1 (as a new site? ? In other words, have both control channels (city & MARCS) in the same system? If so, do they have to be separate sites?

I hope I'm following you. Haha.

 

[Bswartz95]

As others have noted, putting agencies which share a tower site in separate systems can slow down scanning somewhat as the scanner reacquires the (same) control channel. What I've often done is keep it all in a single system but group by tens, ie 1-10 are CFD, 11-20 are suburbs, 21-30 are service departments and so on. However, I've not found putting it in a separate system to slow it down an unreasonable amount, and it is much easier to keep track of for keypad enable/disable of departments. YMMV, so give it a try.

For agencies which are on a separate site (such as Pataskala or Columbus MARCS), putting it in a separate system doesn't make much of a difference; the radio still has to acquire a new control channel, so it's six one way, half-dozen the other.

Thanks for the tips.

Unfortunately, if I move the Gahanna PD and New Albany PD talk channels to the Columbus City system, I don't get anything. Can I just add the MARCS control channel to the frequency list for System 1 (as a new site? ? In other words, have both control channels (city & MARCS) in the same system? If so, do they have to be separate sites?

I hope I'm following you. Haha.

Ok.. update.

I added the MARCS control channel to System 1 (with Columbus City) and I am now receiving Gahanna PD. So that was successful. I added the MARCS control channel as Site 2. I guess my question now is, does it have to be a separate Site 2? Could I enter the MARCS control channel right next to the Columbus City control channel in the same Site?

Sooooooo many layers here. Just trying to get optimized performance. I really appreciate you tutoring me. Something even the 'easier to read manual' cannot do. Haha.


EDIT to the edit...
I'll keep MARCS as "SITE 2" under SYSTEM 1. I'm missing a lot when I combine control channels in the same site.

 

[wa8pyr]

Unfortunately, if I move the Gahanna PD and New Albany PD talk channels to the Columbus City system, I don't get anything. Can I just add the MARCS control channel to the frequency list for System 1 (as a new site? ? In other words, have both control channels (city & MARCS) in the same system? If so, do they have to be separate sites?

Gahanna, New Albany, Whitehall and Bexley use a separate tower site (Columbus MARCS) so Note 1 does not apply. Reynoldsburg uses Columbus MARCS, but if I recall correctly also has access to the Columbus City site. As you discovered, you can add Columbus MARCS as a separate site under the Columbus system, but you cannot combine control channels for different sites as a single site in the scanner.

Remember, the hierarchy for the scanner is Favorite > System and Site(s) > Department. You can put as many MARCS sites as you want under what you call the "Columbus" system, but the more sites you add, the slower scanning gets due to the number of control channels the radio has to cycle through. In addition, putting in sites you cannot receive or which you cannot receive well just makes it worse as the scanner goes through all those control channels. It's best to keep it as simple as possible.

 

[Bswartz95]

Anyone know which talkgroup the Columbus Bomb Squad uses? They're currently being called in on a Battalion 5 incident, but i don't hear any of their communication. Battalion 5 said "bomb squad in command." Do they use a county or state channel?

 

[wa8pyr]

Anyone know which talkgroup the Columbus Bomb Squad uses? They're currently being called in on a Battalion 5 incident, but i don't hear any of their communication. Battalion 5 said "bomb squad in command." Do they use a county or state channel?

The assigned Battalion fireground or fireground tac, or cell phones. I don't recall that they had a separate talkgroup.

 

[amcferrin90]

Anyone know which talkgroup the Columbus Bomb Squad uses? They're currently being called in on a Battalion 5 incident, but i don't hear any of their communication. Battalion 5 said "bomb squad in command." Do they use a county or state channel?

There's a LOT of undisclosed TGs on the Columbus system for various purposes. All kinds of obscure things. Quote a few for surveillance that aren't encrypted. I've got a dozen I listen to off and on to try and figure them out. Their transmissions are so obscure though. Maybe the BS has one like SWAT and maybe it's encrypted too. I do see encrypted communications every day, you can't hear them.

 

[DualReverse]

Anyone know which talkgroup the Columbus Bomb Squad uses? They're currently being called in on a Battalion 5 incident, but i don't hear any of their communication. Battalion 5 said "bomb squad in command." Do they use a county or state channel?

IIFC, there used to be a secure talkroup on the analog 800 trunked system called like '10EOD' or similar that the Bombers used. Now-a-days, they use cell phones mostly. But, honestly, if it's a real, REAL, run with a device confirmed, they're not gonna use any communication devices, radio, phones, or other.....

 

[Bswartz95]

Anyone else notice the fuzzy/static sounding Columbus Fire Dispatch channel? All other channels are fine. I noticed it's like that for the online feeds too. Wonder what could cause that?

 

[baj76]

I'm a day late and a dollar short, But 10 FIRE always sounds awful

 

[TyvekTodd]

I came for some clarification, as I'm about to get the SDS100, or maybe not now. I'm sooo technologically challenged, but want to get another scanner. Grew up listening to Dad's CPD walkie daily, now I'm old and bored.
Is there someplace/someone that will correctly & efficiently program for me? Not expecting free.. Wanting CPD, Fairfield Co, Dublin, CFD, FCSO, and a couple in FL.
There's just no possible way that I can accomplish this on my own, gimme a hammer & a square and I'm good.
I really want better than Broadcastify, but unless I can get the SDS programmed for me, I'm out, which sucks.

 

[northernsummit]

I came for some clarification, as I'm about to get the SDS100, or maybe not now. I'm sooo technologically challenged, but want to get another scanner. Grew up listening to Dad's CPD walkie daily, now I'm old and bored.
Is there someplace/someone that will correctly & efficiently program for me? Not expecting free.. Wanting CPD, Fairfield Co, Dublin, CFD, FCSO, and a couple in FL.
There's just no possible way that I can accomplish this on my own, gimme a hammer & a square and I'm good.
I really want better than Broadcastify, but unless I can get the SDS programmed for me, I'm out, which sucks.

if you can’t find anyone local and don’t want to pay the scanner retailers to do it (I feel like they over configure) PM me and we can work something out. I could either work with you via zoom / Webex or mail you a configured SD card

 

[KC8LEA]

I wish I could help you, but I live clear over in Auglaize Co. However, the SDS 100 - SDS 200, you should be able to program by entering your zip code. Watch some Youtube videos on it. After that you will have to probably lockout those unwanted stations. Unless, you use the free software.

 

[maus92]

if you can’t find anyone local and don’t want to pay the scanner retailers to do it (I feel like they over configure) PM me and we can work something out. I could either work with you via zoom / Webex or mail you a configured SD card

Windows 10 has a built-in desktop sharing tool that you could literally configure his scanner / Sentinel remotely - it's very easy to use. Look up Quick Assist.