Duke Energy P25 System

[reconrider8]

I know here in ne nc we are still using the analog 900mhz channels. I monitored them the other week with the ice storms. I wish they would hurry up and drop s digital system. I'm spoiled by digital trunking systems where it's clear vs static on the analog systems

 

[MSS-Dave]

Sites in FL are turning up quickly now. There will be a lot of drive testing once network connectivity is complete. Last I heard, system won't start going live until end of 2021 or early 2022, at least in Florida.

Typical trunked radio site design generally will have one transmit antenna on 1 5/8" rigid coax ( depends on number of channels and frequency separation) and one receive antenna with a TTA attached running 1/2" or 7/8" hardline. There may be an additional line running up to a test port on the TTA that provides a way to test system RX gain through the window filter and amplifier.

Certainly will be a big difference between narrow band analog audio and the latest vocoded P25 Phase 2 audio for sure.

 

[BigLebowski]

Sites in FL are turning up quickly now. There will be a lot of drive testing once network connectivity is complete. Last I heard, system won't start going live until end of 2021 or early 2022, at least in Florida.

Typical trunked radio site design generally will have one transmit antenna on 1 5/8" rigid coax ( depends on number of channels and frequency separation) and one receive antenna with a TTA attached running 1/2" or 7/8" hardline. There may be an additional line running up to a test port on the TTA that provides a way to test system RX gain through the window filter and amplifier.

Certainly will be a big difference between narrow band analog audio and the latest vocoded P25 Phase 2 audio for sure.

System ID, bandplan, etc?

 

[MSS-Dave]

Not a clue.......

 

[CCHLLM]

Considering the multiple weather-related infrastructure damages of the last two years, I'm surprised the increases aren't more than they are. Government fees and taxes are the federal, state, and local government regulation based golden geese schemes.

Anyway, the utilities comm systems are getting larger and becoming more complex and expensive with each upgrade in the never-ending battle to cover their own territories as well as their disaster mutual aid responsibilities.

 

[west-pac]

I drove past the Duke Energy substation near Greentown, IN (Howard county) yesterday and noticed they have their 2 teal-colored antennas on their radio tower. Apparently Howard county is going to have 2 sites, according to the license, WRJD601. One in Greentown, and one in Kokomo.

With FCC licenses in place, and tower installation completed (at least at 2 sites in different parts of Indiana, presumably more as well), I wonder why they applied an extended implementation of the system.

 

[scannerboy02]

I drove past the Duke Energy substation near Greentown, IN (Howard county) yesterday and noticed they have their 2 teal-colored antennas on their radio tower. Apparently Howard county is going to have 2 sites, according to the license, WRJD601. One in Greentown, and one in Kokomo.

With FCC licenses in place, and tower installation completed (at least at 2 sites in different parts of Indiana, presumably more as well), I wonder why they applied an extended implementation of the system.

Did you happen to check any of the site(s) frequencies for activity? Here in the Cincinnati area just about every site is now broadcasting a "test" signal on at least one frequency.

It does seem like they are moving along rather quickly, at least for now. That's a good thing in my book.

 

[west-pac]

Did you happen to check any of the site(s) frequencies for activity? Here in the Cincinnati area just about every site is now broadcasting a "test" signal on at least one frequency.

It does seem like they are moving along rather quickly, at least for now. That's a good thing in my book.

I've read people talking about "test" signals, but I don't know anything about them, other than they're not decodable. What does a test signal sound like on analog? Is it a tone, is it digital noise, is it Alvin and the chipmunks singing happy birthday?

 

[scannerboy02]

I've read people talking about "test" signals, but I don't know anything about them, other than they're not decodable. What does a test signal sound like on analog? Is it a tone, is it digital noise, is it Alvin and the chipmunks singing happy birthday?

It sounds like digital noise. Very similar to the sound of a control channel.

 

[west-pac]

It sounds like digital noise. Very similar to the sound of a control channel.

Then yes, there is a test signal on one of the frequencies for that site.

 

[INDY72]

Still test signals from the three I can pick up.

 

[scannerboy02]

Then yes, there is a test signal on one of the frequencies for that site.

Great, thank you!

It would be nice if we could get folks to start checking sites in their areas so we could get a listing of what sites have a signal transmitting and on what frequencies. I suspect most of them may be on the air by now.

I will try to revisit the sites in my area this week and get an accurate accounting for the Cincinnati area.

 

[west-pac]

According to the license, both of these sites (7.5 miles apart) use this same frequency (860.3625). The signal is roughly 11khz wide.

 

[scannerboy02]

According to the license, both of these sites (7.5 miles apart) use this same frequency (860.3625). The signal is roughly 11khz wide.

I'm wondering if this is an application error. My guess is it's only coming from one site but I could be wrong.

 

[west-pac]

I'm wondering if this is an application error. My guess is it's only coming from one site but I could be wrong.

Each site is a Duke property. Each site has different frequencies, other than that 1 shared 860Mhz freq. The Greentown site has antennas installed for sure. I actually drove past that other site yesterday as well, albeit unknowingly.

 

[usswood]

Does the test signal transmit for a few seconds, drop, then start again?

 

[scannerboy02]

Does the test signal transmit for a few seconds, drop, then start again?

I haven't noticed that. For the sites I have heard so far the signal is continuous.

 

[INDY72]

P25 test signal is a low power constant cc without any decodable data at least not decodable by scanner. It's basically a P25 version of an open carrier that lets the techs know a site/zone/region of an TRS is working and ready for true data load out.

 

[scannerboy02]

P25 test signal is a low power constant cc without any decodable data at least not decodable by scanner. It's basically a P25 version of an open carrier that lets the techs know a site/zone/region of an TRS is working and ready for true data load out.

On this note, I also get analog "kerchunks" every minute or so on the frequencies at the sites with the "test" signal transmitting.

 

[INDY72]

That's a form of beaconing. Once the system is live, that switch to the FCC CWID burst usually. Yes the timing changes etc. Beaconing is almost universal on systems from what I have seen. Like that NXDN system Lutheran has, the Indy site for it is still just beaconing with no cc of any kind.