East Central Emergency Network (Columbia/Montour Counties)

[W7FDX]

What model scanner? Early P25 phase 2 capable models don't handle simulcast well and the ECEN site is simulcast.

I have the SDS200 and even that has trouble with VHF simulcast at times. It seems to do better on 700/800MHz systems for some reason.

 

[Bobsquatch]

I have the SDS200 and even that has trouble with VHF simulcast at times. It seems to do better on 700/800MHz systems for some reason.

It's hit or miss, seems to work ok with the squelch all the way down
first time programming P25, so on thought I did something wrong

 

[r3wt]

I have the SDS200 and even that has trouble with VHF simulcast at times. It seems to do better on 700/800MHz systems for some reason.

Interesting. I thought simulcast issues were mostly a thing of the past on new hardware. Although, I've not tried newer models after the disaster that was the BCD536. Couldn't even reliably monitor a DMR system half a mile away with that thing.

So far, SDRTrunk with a cheap $20 SDR beats anything else I've tried. Just not very portable.

 

[alexguf]

154.055 the old EMA frequency, is used for dispatch also. Our pagers had to get reprogrammed to it a few weeks ago from 156.015. Not sure why if 156.015 is still active
I am halfway between Bloom and Berwick, EC1, the new dispatch P25 channel, cuts in and out during a dispatch. Being so close with a outside antenna, signal strength shouldn't be an issue for me.

Is there a interop channel for non digital radio fire departments that would respond mutual to either Montour or Columbia Counties

 

[LGolder]

From a field user point of view, on paper the system is great a lot like the old OpenSky system was but we all know exactly how that turned out.. I have my own Minitor 6 I was told to switch over to 154.055 I will do so if or when they stop dispatching on 156.015 I have my own programmer so I can do so any time. I'm Fire Police at the Department I'm a member at I also own my own APX7000 I use. So far I have not had many issues, I also have only used the system for 3 calls since the system went live.

 

[KB3ZI]

From a field user point of view, on paper the system is great a lot like the old OpenSky system was but we all know exactly how that turned out.. I have my own Minitor 6 I was told to switch over to 154.055 I will do so if or when they stop dispatching on 156.015 I have my own programmer so I can do so any time. I'm Fire Police at the Department I'm a member at I also own my own APX7000 I use. So far I have not had many issues, I also have only used the system for 3 calls since the system went live.

I belong to a fire company but not active anymore so I rely on personal scanners…I struggle with programming and my radios have not heard much since the changeover …I’m wondering if just quiet days or my programming is bad….since police are scrambled does that mean I hear nothing or should I hear garbage

 

[alexguf]

I belong to a fire company but not active anymore so I rely on personal scanners…I struggle with programming and my radios have not heard much since the changeover …I’m wondering if just quiet days or my programming is bad….since police are scrambled does that mean I hear nothing or should I hear garbage

If someone could confirm that 156.015 could be the contact frequency for out of county departments some of those used that channel before to contact Columbia or Montour co units

 

[LGolder]

KB3ZI you will not hear anything on those scrambled TGs. ALEXGUF 156.015 is still fire analog 1 for M/A

 

[alexguf]

UC co 15 still had Col fire 1 at least in the command unit

 

[KB3ZI]

KB3ZI you will not hear anything on those scrambled TGs. ALEXGUF 156.015 is still fire analog 1 for M/A

Ok thanks I thought I would hear unintelligible garbage….dang I miss that…since Montour went back to their sys are they digital and scrambled…

 

[LGolder]

Montour are on ECEN as well that post was from awhile ago.

 

[LGolder]

ECEN has the ability to patch any if the old tac channels into any new TGs however its the is it gonna work correctly in an emergency situation is the big what if...

 

[KB3ZI]

Montour are on ECEN as well that post was from awhile ago.

If you look at the latest montour county listing here they note that police have gone back because of portable radio issues…

 

[alexguf]

There has been no transmission on the old Montour P1

 

[W7FDX]

There has been no transmission on the old Montour P1

That's because when they went P25 they went 100% encrypted as well. (AES-256)

 

[LGolder]

I did see that and asked a Delta Officer he has an APX radio he uses to talk to ECEN so I'm not sure why that was posted they switched over the same day everyone else did according to him.

 

[alexguf]

That's because when they went P25 they went 100% encrypted as well. (AES-256)

A previous post was commenting on the Montour co RR page about going on their old P1 I think that was sometime back because of radio problems

 

[W7FDX]

A previous post was commenting on the Montour co RR page about going on their old P1 I think that was sometime back because of radio problems

I remember the radio issues you're talking about. When Montour County PD units first switched to Columbia P-1 they were having issues with portable radio coverage especially in Danville and some parts of Mahoning Township once they got it straightened out it seemed to work ok.

 

[SlipNutz15]

I know they were testing paging on EMA channel for the last few weeks but can anyone confirm what frequency and PL, if applicable, they are using for Fire and/or EMS paging throughout?

 

[SlipNutz15]

I programmed my scanner for the new P25 channels
It stops on EC 1 during a dispatch, but the audio cuts in and out. Why is this?
I live right outside of Bloomsburg towards Berwick
So coverage shouldn't be a problem
Any one else experiencing this?

Your issue is probably simulcast distortion if the system is using more than one tower. If it is a single tower then your issue may be P25 sensitivity or your scanner is being overloaded being too close to the tower. You'll have to adjust your scanner P25 threshold and squelch and see how that helps with interference or clearing the signals up. What scanner are you using?