Future of OKC radio

[kbeeg]

I have put in a few of the frequencies and talk groups others have listed in this thread in a new OKC system favorites list. I have gotten a few hits from Springlake and Hefner, but they are pretty sporadic and definitely muffled sounding. I experimented with some settings including attenuation and digital AGC.

This is on a Uniden BCD-536 and I have the ProVoice EDACS, and that favorites list still works well, although I have noticed some of the same muffled sound on some of the mutual aid channels in recent months.

Any suggestions on settings that I might need to adjust for this type of problem?

 

[kbeeg]

Also in addition to above, when I entered this system, I put in as a P25 Trunk. Is that correct? P25 x2-TDMA? Some other type of system? When I do get hits on what I put in, they do not say P25 on the display anywhere.

 

[simpilo]

Also in addition to above, when I entered this system, I put in as a P25 Trunk. Is that correct? P25 x2-TDMA? Some other type of system? When I do get hits on what I put in, they do not say P25 on the display anywhere.

APCO P25 PHASE II has its own TDMA. Jot down these frequencies in the image and enter them in for now. These are the only ones being used until the cutover finishes. Something tells me you don't have Phase II programmed into that scanner, I hope to be wrong on that. x2 TDMA seems to be another type of system separate from APCO P25

 

[plaws]

APCO P25 PHASE II has its own TDMA. Jot down these frequencies in the image and enter them in for now. These are the only ones being used until the cutover finishes. Something tells me you don't have Phase II programmed into that scanner, I hope to be wrong on that. x2 TDMA seems to be another type of system separate from APCO P25

P25 is P25. Older sites aren't up-to-date with the latest TDMA ability but scanners don't care. The sites don't care, either - if a pre-TDMA "subscriber unit" (that's marketing for "radio") connects to a talkgroup, it just drops back to non-TDMA.

If your (Uniden) scanner is capable of P25 with TDMA (aka "Phase 2") then it should just work when it's set to P25 Trunk. Not sure if I've listened to OKC's new system yet, but it's in my 436. Can't hear the system at work on a rubber dummy load (even though it's a Remtronix) but I'm sure it will be fine.

 

[simpilo]

P25 is P25. Older sites aren't up-to-date with the latest TDMA ability but scanners don't care. The sites don't care, either - if a pre-TDMA "subscriber unit" (that's marketing for "radio") connects to a talkgroup, it just drops back to non-TDMA.

If your (Uniden) scanner is capable of P25 with TDMA (aka "Phase 2") then it should just work when it's set to P25 Trunk. Not sure if I've listened to OKC's new system yet, but it's in my 436. Can't hear the system at work on a rubber dummy load (even though it's a Remtronix) but I'm sure it will be fine.

I am not listening on a scanning radio with trunking abilities. My setup is 100 percent software defined radio. DSD+ FastLane sees TDMA slots when there is a transmission on a frequency on the new system. The current units will be reprogrammed for the new system saving Oklahoma City tax payers a ton of cash. That's according to the project schedule I posted some days ago.

 

[simpilo]

Some new talk groups have appeared on the new system

275 Santa Fe
369 Oklahoma County Sheriff Ch 1 Link
353 OHP Troop A Metro 1 Link
Mostly unique radio identifiers appear per talkgroup with an occasional external in the source column.
I am guessing they are now reprogramming more radios in preparation for acceptance in a month.

 

[GeoFenceFound]

Some new talk groups have appeared on the new system

275 Santa Fe
369 Oklahoma County Sheriff Ch 1 Link
353 OHP Troop A Metro 1 Link
Mostly unique radio identifiers appear per talkgroup with an occasional external in the source column.
I am guessing they are now reprogramming more radios in preparation for acceptance in a month.

Other than 275 they have all been on before but then were removed so i dont anticipate these staying I wouldnt get too excited for a long while.
On the flip side when I ran a call yesterday with PD their dispatch sounded very much like muffled P25 audio but not sure just going by sound.

 

[simpilo]

Its muffled here using DSD 2.169 FL. I labelled them. Springlake tg274 was appearing but nor now. Tg275 santa fe is there. It shows supergroup when i load it. I think this phase of testing is about to complete and soon system cutover. I been trying to follow along with the project schedule. Kind of next to impossible to figure out what they are doing. The traffic is increasing.

 

[GeoFenceFound]

They arent on schedule anymore it appears. Seems they are behind.

 

[simpilo]

They arent on schedule anymore it appears. Seems they are behind.

Thats what I was thinking in the back of my mind. Couldnt be sure unless someone said the same.

 

[simpilo]

Just wondering what's up. Seems to be only monitoring OHP Metro A. Any news?

 

[GeoFenceFound]

Just wondering what's up. Seems to be only monitoring OHP Metro A. Any news?

Nothing new yet. It will be several months.

 

[simpilo]

As usual we can only hurry up and wait.

 

[Sparky_one]

I have put in a few of the frequencies and talk groups others have listed in this thread in a new OKC system favorites list. I have gotten a few hits from Springlake and Hefner, but they are pretty sporadic and definitely muffled sounding. I experimented with some settings including attenuation and digital AGC.

This is on a Uniden BCD-536 and I have the ProVoice EDACS, and that favorites list still works well, although I have noticed some of the same muffled sound on some of the mutual aid channels in recent months.

Any suggestions on settings that I might need to adjust for this type of problem?

Lets hope they don't do what Vegas did when they converted over to P25 Phase II. Scanning Vegas was one of my favorite pass times. And ironically, scanning the resorts and casinos is also fun. I had the Mandalay LTR system in my scanners. I hazard to think what I would have done on that fateful late night. I know for a fact I would have heard the commotion because the hotel I had just stayed in before that event was only a couple blocks from the I-Heart Radio grounds where it took place. So what happened after the event? Well, police scanning in Vegas went dark. They claim it was planned that way. LVMPD used non-encrypted comms up to that event on P25 PhaseII. They had upgraded from Open Sky. So in my trip out there a few weeks ago, I decided to plug everything I could into my BCD-325P2. As scanning goes, it was a bust. You know what I heard the most? 99.99 percent of my hits was just one Hospital ER making page calls. We know that probably won't happen here because we don't have a metro police force. Imagine OKC joining up with Norman, Moore, Yukon, Edmond, County, Bethany, Village...etc. But this is a topic of discussion at times.

 

[simpilo]

Don't know who all else is monitoring this new system but I just noticed the Harris Techs at work again. It's been a while since I seen their talk group lit. This morning I noticed talk group 325 and 326 came online. Looks like they are programming the system and test keying the talk groups with 2 second transmissions. Doen't mean we will hear anyting on the talk groups. Just looks like they are activating talk groups in the system preparing for cutover.

 

[GeoFenceFound]

TG 1652 has been added and is active this evening but im not able to listen right now so not sure what it is.

 

[GeoFenceFound]

TG 1652 has been added and is active this evening but im not able to listen right now so not sure what it is.

This appears to be the OKC Housing Authority. I did notice everyone having a unique radio ID and it sounds like actual TDMA traffic. I do not believe this is a link/patch but could be wrong. Audio sounds like Normans system when they first switched.

Also the patch for OHP Troop A M has been removed it seems.

 

[simpilo]

At 5:30am or so this morning when I fired up DSD+ FL onto 851.9875MHZ CC I didnt see anything that said simulselect. supergroup, or the other simulcast. Dispatch RID was different than mobile RID. They all begin with 510 so its still patched from EDACS Provoice. OKC Housing Authority Security isn't the busiest. We need to see 4 or 5 digit RID's to know it's actually being used directly. Although some other systems use 7 digit RID's is only because they are linked to another system. As for our new system we should only see 4 or 5 digit RID's in its own site. The system it will be linked to in the future will show OCPD as 7 digit RID's on that system site.

 

[GeoFenceFound]

The only difference I see right now is the radio ID's on the new system are different now. The previous patches had the same ID show up regardless of who is talking. I did notice that the last 4 numbers on the new system match the radio IDs that are shown on the provoice system. If I remember right the new system in Norman which is also Harris uses 6 or 7 dig radio IDs and that system is fully active.

 

[simpilo]

Here we go again. Another waiver was filed on 7/12/2019 but the City of Oklahoma City letter to the FCC is dated July 4, 2019. According to the letter the equipment is ready testing is complete but zoning for construction isn't ready. They are having to go to zoning hearings which are protracting construction. I have no idea if this is the final site. Taxpayers expect this to be done sooner. Whoever handles the zoning needs to get on with it!

Letter is at https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/ApplicationSearch/applAdmin.jsp?applID=11608088
Scroll the the attachments section. Attachments....Waiver- "Request for Extended Implementation-Location 4"