Heath,Ohio Police Dept.
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steveh552
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I do not have lowband capility since I use my 2m radio as my scanner locally, but I like the fact that Madison has a link to 33.86 that rebroadcast it on 155.13 which means I can hear both ends of the conversation.
Any idea on a timeline for this switch?
One repeater is operational (no link), another at a MARCS site is on hold due to some "technical" issues with MARCS. There is no planning with timelines in writing. Any guess at a date would be just a guess at this point.
steveh552
Member
Is there any plans to PL tone the VHF freqs? I tend to always hear Harrison and a few others that are out of county being re-broadcast on the 155.13 link.
LiberaFan08
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City of Heath Update
As it stands now, I have heard the police on 855.2125, the fire on 856.2125 and have heard the police dispatcher attempting to make contact with the street department on 858.2125. I have heard the police and fire departments talking to each other several times on 856.2125. At this point it appears obvious that this is going to be a conventional APCO-25 system and nothing more. The voice quality on this system still sounds awful most of the time, especially the police dispatcher. Most transmissions sound garbled, muffled and sound like they are talking with their head under water. I can't wait till they try the encryption! By the way, I know that the problem is with their new system and not my Unidens because the officers are saying the same thing that I just said.
As it stands now, I have heard the police on 855.2125, the fire on 856.2125 and have heard the police dispatcher attempting to make contact with the street department on 858.2125. I have heard the police and fire departments talking to each other several times on 856.2125. At this point it appears obvious that this is going to be a conventional APCO-25 system and nothing more. The voice quality on this system still sounds awful most of the time, especially the police dispatcher. Most transmissions sound garbled, muffled and sound like they are talking with their head under water. I can't wait till they try the encryption! By the way, I know that the problem is with their new system and not my Unidens because the officers are saying the same thing that I just said.
LiberaFan08
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Correction on Post#26
I have not heard any traffic whatsoever on 855.2125. I am hearing the Police on 856.2125, Fire on 857.2125 and Streets on 858.2125. I believe that 855.2125 has been abandoned. Also, I can confirm that the Police were using analog FM (NOT APCO-25) on 858.2125 for the fireworks traffic control as reported by ibagli. Because of this, I have set my scanner to receive "ALL" modes instead of "DIGITAL ONLY".
I have not heard any traffic whatsoever on 855.2125. I am hearing the Police on 856.2125, Fire on 857.2125 and Streets on 858.2125. I believe that 855.2125 has been abandoned. Also, I can confirm that the Police were using analog FM (NOT APCO-25) on 858.2125 for the fireworks traffic control as reported by ibagli. Because of this, I have set my scanner to receive "ALL" modes instead of "DIGITAL ONLY".
Heath hasn't been licensed for a fourth frequency for several years; they were one of the lucky departments who had to give up a frequency after the FCC checked into channel loading during an audit cycle, found that Heath didn't even have enough mobiles running to qualify for three channels, much less four, and made them give one up.
As I understand it, they were originally told to give up two, but when they protested and told the FCC that would make their trunked system useless (one voice channel), the FCC relented. So they were left with a control channel and two voice channels, which isn't much of an improvement in my mind.
Using three conventional channels rather than trunked is a much better and lower cost use of assets.
Last edited:
LiberaFan08
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More Radio Problems
The City of Heath continues to have serious problems with their new P-25 radio system. At this time they are again using the EMA Mobile Command Post.
The City of Heath continues to have serious problems with their new P-25 radio system. At this time they are again using the EMA Mobile Command Post.
Does anyone know if they're they still on their 800 frequencies? I haven't heard any traffic on there (or on the EMA channel they were using) tonight.
Edit: Nothing at all in the last hour or more. I'm going to check the public safety bands later.
Edit2: Nothing for over three hours.
Edit: Nothing at all in the last hour or more. I'm going to check the public safety bands later.
Edit2: Nothing for over three hours.
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They must have been using it unlicensed, as they lost the license for it at least a couple of years ago.
LiberaFan08
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800 Mhz Blues
I really don't have any answers, only questions.
I really don't have any answers, only questions.
Heath to county: Can you hear me?
The backup for the Licking County 911 Center itself needs a backup until all the bugs are worked out in Heath’s new communications system.
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In the meantime, the county’s command-center vehicle has been moved from the West Licking Joint Fire District to the Heath facility on Hebron Road just in case Heath is called on to serve as the 911 center.
Heath Police Chief Tony Shepherd has been battling emergency-communications issues for more than a year.
First, the city’s old system broke down in May 2007, forcing upgrades to be made. Then, the new system, originally to be installed in January, was delayed until June.
Now, there are problems coordinating Heath’s new technology with the older systems throughout the county. In an emergency, the 911 center or its backup sends out paging tones to 18 departments, which activates the pager of each responder with a verbal message.
“We’re getting mixed reviews,” Shepherd said. “Some say they hear the tones and not the verbal instructions. It’s very painstaking to test the tones of each agency because they’re not all manned 24/7. Each agency has got their own tone.”
Three departments — Utica, Homer and Mary Ann Township — have particular difficulty receiving the tones from Heath, Shepherd said, requiring use of the command vehicle or a phone call to the Utica Police Department.
“The three agencies use such an old format (to signal the pagers), manufacturers don’t make them anymore,” Shepherd said. “Our fiber-optics link is so efficient and a speedy deliverer of signals, it’s difficult to set digital and fiber-optics to work with old equipment.”
Utica EMS chief Mike Evans said he does not see the situation as much of a problem for Utica.
“It’s a new system and they’re working on it,” Evans said. “We’ve got 24-hour dispatching here, and our dispatchers listen to all radio traffic. All they’d do is re-send our tones and go from there. I feel comfortable with it. There’ll be things you’ll have to work around.”
Jeff Walker, director of the Licking County Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security, said the communications need to be improved but it’s not a serious concern.
“I talked to the Heath mayor and said we’d like it to be a priority and he said it is,” Walker said. “As long as our 911 center is operating, it’s not an issue. We’ve put our mobile command post out there, and they’re working with their vendor.”
Shepherd said he hopes everything will be working by the middle of next week, but said the public should not be alarmed.
“We’re not concerned anyone’s safety is in jeopardy,” Shepherd said.
The backup for the Licking County 911 Center itself needs a backup until all the bugs are worked out in Heath’s new communications system.
Advertisement
In the meantime, the county’s command-center vehicle has been moved from the West Licking Joint Fire District to the Heath facility on Hebron Road just in case Heath is called on to serve as the 911 center.
Heath Police Chief Tony Shepherd has been battling emergency-communications issues for more than a year.
First, the city’s old system broke down in May 2007, forcing upgrades to be made. Then, the new system, originally to be installed in January, was delayed until June.
Now, there are problems coordinating Heath’s new technology with the older systems throughout the county. In an emergency, the 911 center or its backup sends out paging tones to 18 departments, which activates the pager of each responder with a verbal message.
“We’re getting mixed reviews,” Shepherd said. “Some say they hear the tones and not the verbal instructions. It’s very painstaking to test the tones of each agency because they’re not all manned 24/7. Each agency has got their own tone.”
Three departments — Utica, Homer and Mary Ann Township — have particular difficulty receiving the tones from Heath, Shepherd said, requiring use of the command vehicle or a phone call to the Utica Police Department.
“The three agencies use such an old format (to signal the pagers), manufacturers don’t make them anymore,” Shepherd said. “Our fiber-optics link is so efficient and a speedy deliverer of signals, it’s difficult to set digital and fiber-optics to work with old equipment.”
Utica EMS chief Mike Evans said he does not see the situation as much of a problem for Utica.
“It’s a new system and they’re working on it,” Evans said. “We’ve got 24-hour dispatching here, and our dispatchers listen to all radio traffic. All they’d do is re-send our tones and go from there. I feel comfortable with it. There’ll be things you’ll have to work around.”
Jeff Walker, director of the Licking County Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security, said the communications need to be improved but it’s not a serious concern.
“I talked to the Heath mayor and said we’d like it to be a priority and he said it is,” Walker said. “As long as our 911 center is operating, it’s not an issue. We’ve put our mobile command post out there, and they’re working with their vendor.”
Shepherd said he hopes everything will be working by the middle of next week, but said the public should not be alarmed.
“We’re not concerned anyone’s safety is in jeopardy,” Shepherd said.
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