Hancock County radio system upgrade

[calwxman]

Hancock County has been in the process of upgrading their radios. It appears that they are about to go live with the system in the next few weeks. I believe they are staying on the same frequencies.

Hancock County to test upgraded radio equipment
By EMILY SCOTT

NEW CUMBERLAND - Over the next two weeks, Hancock County's police, fire, and emergency crews will be testing upgraded radio equipment that should allow for greater coverage throughout the county.

Tom Zielinsky, executive director of the Hancock County Office of Technology and Communications, said the equipment the county previously had, an analog system, was over 25 years and that he had heard complaints from the sheriff's office and fire departments that were many dead spots in the county where the radios' signal would cut out.

When they began to replace the equipment, Zielinsky said it was their goal "to have as near 100 percent coverage in the county as possible."

Zielinsky said they have gone from seven towers to 10 to create an overlapping effect that should eliminate most of the dead spot problems. That includes using water tanks at Oakland, Rolling Acres, and Mountaineer as towers.

Zielinsky said the towers work on a voting system, in which they all key up at the same time, and the one with the strongest signal "votes" and relays the information. "This will allow for improved communications where the signal was lacking or nonexistent," Zielinsky said.

The project to upgrade the equipment began at the beginning of the year with the equipment being changed out a piece at a time "kind of in a slow, methodical way," Zielinsky said.

During the testing period, people in the field will report any glitches, static, or noise on the line that can then be cleaned up. All county agencies that use the radios must sign off on the new equipment before the final payment is made to Lauttamus, the company who provided the equipment.

"During this two week period, we have to be trouble free," Zielinsky said.

Zielinsky said the new equipment should make it easier for the county's agencies to get grants for things like digital radios in police cars because the infrastructure will be in place to use them.

Zielinsky said that once the equipment has been tested and signed off on, the next step would be to approach cell phone providers to see if they would be interested in paying for the use of Hancock County's towers.


http://www.reviewonline.com/page/content.detail/id/503420.html?nav=5008

 

[calwxman]

Some more information, I found the older article printed in The Review back in late August. I can't find it online but do have a hard copy of it. According to the article, they are going to upgrade to P25 digital technology. The system will be compatible with the current radio system and once the current radios start going bad they will replace them with digital radios. The base station at the Sheriff's office is also going to be replaced. They money for the project was coming from either 911 money or the county general fund (from this article they had not decided on which fund). A.V. Lauttamus Communications of Weirton received the winning bid to replace the equipment. This is going to help communications within the county for the sheriff's office, volunteer fire departments, EMS, and the city of Weirton.

They are hoping that this helps remove several dead spots across the county. This is replacing 20 year old equipment that they can no longer find parts for when problems arrive.

(Source: East Liverpool Review)

 

[mike_s104]

Some more information, I found the older article printed in The Review back in late August. I can't find it online but do have a hard copy of it. According to the article, they are going to upgrade to P25 digital technology. The system will be compatible with the current radio system and once the current radios start going bad they will replace them with digital radios. The base station at the Sheriff's office is also going to be replaced. They money for the project was coming from either 911 money or the county general fund (from this article they had not decided on which fund). A.V. Lauttamus Communications of Weirton received the winning bid to replace the equipment. This is going to help communications within the county for the sheriff's office, volunteer fire departments, EMS, and the city of Weirton.

They are hoping that this helps remove several dead spots across the county. This is replacing 20 year old equipment that they can no longer find parts for when problems arrive.

(Source: East Liverpool Review)

Why would they not join the state on the WVIRP? I understand it's up the county/agency to use it or not, but to me it just makes sense.

 

[colliers_628]

somebody said they are going to keep the same frequencies?? does anybody know the new TX frequency weirton fire went too? they are not using 153.770 as a TX frequency, the chief sent out a letter to area vfd's that they were changing TX frequencies and that would have to have the chief's permission to get it. now i've done some scanning when weirton fire gets a call and nothing comes up, just the 154.145, it used to be that when you scan them 154.145 and 153.770 would both have traffic. anybody got any info on that issue??? now both hancock and brooke counties are uhf why wouldnt u upgrade your system to uhf just the same as the counties??? that never made sense to me. weirton volunteers used to have a uhf frequncy 460.575 (weirton cove co #2, but let the weirton transit sneak in on the system and when they did the big fire consolidation you never heard them on the frequncy, that would have been an ideal uhf frequency to use. also new cumberland ems went to a uhf system, they broke off of the 155.235 used by weirton area ems a long time ago from what i'm told, anbody got any info on new cumberland ems frequencies??? and as far as going to the WVIRP system i have no clue why but maybe one issue......money money money, it all centers around money and funds why they dont convert or upgrade to that system.

once again before i ask any of my questions i do check the database. now i checked the DB and got some corrections, additions and deletions that if someone would be grateful and do that for i have sumbitted several times and still hasnt been changed.

Hancock County.....
need to delete weirton fire 460.475------not a frequency, it was 460.575, but that frequency is used only by weirton transit authority

under the EMS agencies...... 155.235- Weirton Area Ambulance and Rescue Squad 155.265- Brooke Co. EMS and 155.280 is used by NOVASAR and as a disaster channel. i cannot confirm the uses of 463.125-hancock co ems there is no traffic on that frequency, 462.125 hancock co oes there is no traffic on that frequency, 463.1125- Lifeteam EMS, now they use 155.175 and 155.160 is not used by NOVASAR or disaster. 462.500 was weirton steel fire but now it's just security they disbanded their fire dept awhile back weirton fire handles all calls in weirton steel which is just about defunct anyways.

Weirton EMS is not station 3 for hancock co, they are a separate entity and the new weirton fire lineup is this....

HQ- E3, T1, SQ5, RB9
2- E21, SQ22, RB29, Ski28
3- E4, T2(used to be Q24, they changed it), SQ6 (SQ6 replaced SQ3)
4- E2, Fire Safety HOuse

Now for Brooke Co.
Not sure about all those uhf frequencies listed most if they used are rarely used. Bethleham and WEst liberty frequencies need to be deleted, they are in ohio county not brooke. the 39.98 low band frequency is used to only open our bay doors (pretty neat setup) no traffic on low band fire

undr ems agencies the 454.250 needs to be removed, brooke co ems runs the 155.265 as dispatch and ops. The 155.220 frequency is used by ASI steubenville ems. the only frequency that needs to be there is 155.265, there are no other frequencies used by Brooke Co. EMS, if you hear brooke co ems on fire band that is because one of the EMT's or medics is also a member of the fire dept, that dont happen often though.

all the low band frequencies and uhf frequencies under law enforcement u can delete them they dont use them 154.845 is the used for all law traffic 159.270, 159.405 are tac or TX frequencies and 154.710 and 154.770 are follansbee tac and ch2 frequencies and 156.090 is the TX for 154.800 and the 154.830 is Weirton PD ch 2.

under the fire dept station numbering...... station 1 short creek has been disbanded, covered by beech bottom and windsor heights. stations 2 and 3 are under weirton they dont exist and are not used, station 40 is west liberty but they are in ohio co not brooke.

I think that about does it, if someone could update that and give me feedback on the above it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mike_s104]

is there anything here that might help you?
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?stid=54&search_entity=weirton&action=sae

 

[southernpaw]

454.250 is ACTIVE

undr ems agencies the 454.250 needs to be removed, brooke co ems runs the 155.265 as dispatch and ops.

I just heard Hooverson Heights tone out for an auto accident on 454.250 ...and Squad 6 talkin to "Brooke"

 

[mtindor]

Agreed. 454.25 sees activity quite a bit, or at least has over the past two or so weeks i've been monitoring it.

mike

 

[colliers_628]

ok.........454.250 is fire, 155.265 is ems. Squad 6 is colliers VFD, if you hear ems on fire band IT is because the personell on board the ambo belong to the fire dept and have been issued a radio. They also have been know to carry fire band radios for direct patient updates and info on first responder calls.

so once again, what is so confusing?

 

[mtindor]

ok.........454.250 is fire, 155.265 is ems. Squad 6 is colliers VFD, if you hear ems on fire band IT is because the personell on board the ambo belong to the fire dept and have been issued a radio. They also have been know to carry fire band radios for direct patient updates and info on first responder calls.

so once again, what is so confusing?

All you said was that 454.25 needs removed from EMS - You didn't say it needs added instead under Fire So, I took it that you think 454.25 should be removed completely from the RRDB. And that wouldn't be the case because it is a public safety frequency that is in use in Hancock. Just maybe needs to be put in a different place if it isnt' already.

It's all in how you worded it.

Mike

 

[colliers_628]

no no no not completely from RRDB. just EMS. I thought i worded it just right, but maybe i should wake up before replying, lack of sleep causes lack of intelligence. I can tell you how colliers has their radios programmed. we have 16 ch radios with only 10 ch programmed.
1- Brooke north
2- Colliers private
3- Page (will only go off when toning our dept)
4- Brooke South
5- simplex (which for some GOD aweful reason keeps pickin up weirton transit)
6- FG 1
7- FG 2
8- Hancock fire
9- Weirton Steel
10- FMRS Ch 1

now other depts have more channels programmed, we dont have the two channels that hooverson heights have, we dont carry beech bottom, or bethany channels.

now the EMS radios i believe are 4 ch radios, i now they were when i was at WAARS.
1- Brooke 265
2- Waars 235
3- disaster 280
4- hospital 340

the problem with 340 is, most ambos are using cell phones instead of the radio to relay patient information. but there is still traffic on 340, but mostly they only use for trauma's or really bad patients

 

[southernpaw]

Nice. My first post & I woke up a thread from July. lol

 

[Mylan]

but there is still traffic on 340, but mostly they only use for trauma's or really bad patients

So when you say really bad patients do you mean bad medically or bad temperament ? :lol:

 

[colliers_628]

mylan,

what i meant was traumas, patient updates, or patients that were stable then decided to take a turn for the worse. alot of ambo to hospital communication is done now by phone or nextel communication beep beep. the medical profession is startin to get away from patient relay information over the radio due to scannerland peoples

 

[firedrum]

also new cumberland ems went to a uhf system, they broke off of the 155.235 used by weirton area ems a long time ago from what i'm told, anbody got any info on new cumberland ems frequencies???

454.175 is one of our repeaters, can't remember the other but they are trunked which means that you may also hear a taxi service on this frequency

 

[mtindor]

454.175 is one of our repeaters, can't remember the other but they are trunked which means that you may also hear a taxi service on this frequency

This is an LTR trunked system - Thanks for posting that freq. I had logged it but had not identified the LCN for it yet. I logged somebody saying "code one to Weirton" on 454.175 a while back.

One of the other frequencies you might be thinking of, firedrum, is one of these:

The LTR frequencies i've logged that are possibly around here are:

454.050 - LTR (LCN2)
- 1-02-006 TG - taxi cabi company homed on this one

454.175 - LTR (unknown LCN)
- unknown TG - heard "Code 1 to Weirton" on here

454.350 - LTR (unknown LCN)

454.400 - LTR (LCN5)
- probably not "local" to us

454.450 - LTR (LCN1)
- 0-01-035 - heard "en route to AGH, Code 1" on here


So my guess is that it's a 2- or 3-channel LTR Trunked system consisting of:

454.450 LCN1
454.050 LCN2
xxx.xxx LCN3 (perhaps 454.175)

I'll program this LTR system in like this and see if it tracks well and see what I can pull. I believe the transmitters would be in Hancock or Brooke co. Do you know, firedrum?

Mike

 

[mtindor]

454.175 is one of our repeaters, can't remember the other but they are trunked which means that you may also hear a taxi service on this frequency

Reference my post directly above.

I think this would be it:

Type of System: LTR Trunked

454.175 LCN1
454.050 LCN2

Talkgroups:

1-01-004 New Cumberland Ambulance
1-02-006 some taxi cab co over in Chester / Newell / Weirton / E Liverpool area

Is this radio system owned by Lauttamus? I'm guessing it is.

Mike

 

[mtindor]

Incidentally, you don't _have_ to program that LTR system in your scanner per my previous post. It seems that 99% of the time New Cumberland ambulance is on 454.175 and that taxi cab company (who cares about taxis, right?) uses the 454.050. You can program either one in conventionally and listen to it just fine 99% of the time.

Mike

 

[firedrum]

454.175 - LTR (unknown LCN)
- unknown TG - heard "Code 1 to Weirton" on here

454.450 - LTR (LCN1)
- 0-01-035 - heard "en route to AGH, Code 1" on here
Mike

Ok these are definitely us (NCAS), for any of them that you hear "Code 1, 3, or 99" or "Enroute, Responding, On Scene, or Clear and Returning" is a freq used by the ambo...(btw...code one means enroute no lights, no siren; code 3 means lights & siren; and a "code 99" is a cardiac arrest) they are owned by lauttamus and our repeaters are label "Chester" and "Weirton" in our radios....and to the prior post that says most ambo transmissions are made by cellphone...Alot of them are in fact made that way unless we have to contact "MedCom" down at WVU which is on the HEARS freq of 155.340, across the river many of the Ohio ambos still use HEARS on a day to day basis in communication with the hospitals

 

[firedrum]

Here are ALL the frequencies that NCAS is capable of

Chester:
RX/TX
454. 175/459. 175
454. 050/459. 050

Weirton:
RX/TX
454. 450/459. 450
462. 050/467. 050
464. 050/469. 050

 

[mtindor]

firedrum,

You've provided a wealth of information, at least for me - and I thank you. Since those LTR systems are in use by others besides NC, it is nice to now know for sure who owns them, where they are located, etc.

I'll start documenting them in the DB.

Mike