Help monitoring Onslow Fire?

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gobigkahuna

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Hi,

I'm a volunteer fire fighter in Onslow County and would like to be able to monitor radio traffic for my local and county fire departments. We're issued pagers which monitor VHF and monitors the initial dispatch, but all the follow up traffic is on UHF (800 Mhz band). Although I'm a ham operator, I'm new to "trunked" communications and VIPER. I've scoured the internet for frequencies and talk group names but haven't found much information. Can anyone help?

Would I be able to use a ham handheld radio (such as the Yaesu FT60R) to scan just my county VIPER frequencies? Or would I need one of those fancy Uniden scanners?

Thanks, Paul
 

N8IAA

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Fortunately, GA
Hi,

I'm a volunteer fire fighter in Onslow County and would like to be able to monitor radio traffic for my local and county fire departments. We're issued pagers which monitor VHF and monitors the initial dispatch, but all the follow up traffic is on UHF (800 Mhz band). Although I'm a ham operator, I'm new to "trunked" communications and VIPER. I've scoured the internet for frequencies and talk group names but haven't found much information. Can anyone help?

Would I be able to use a ham handheld radio (such as the Yaesu FT60R) to scan just my county VIPER frequencies? Or would I need one of those fancy Uniden scanners?

Thanks, Paul

Or, a plain and simple Whistler scanner like the WS-1040 handheld, or the WS-1065 mobile scanner. No fancy Uniden needed. Been using a Pro-106 RS version of the 1040 for 9 years monitoring the VIPER system. Why spend more when it's not necessary?
Larry
 

KC4YIN

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Kinston NC
Here is a link to the database section for Onslow Co.

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=8184

And here is a listing of all the 800 Mhz talkgroups listed for Onslow co. fire.

Onslow Fire Talkgroups

TG 34299 (Onslow Fire Dispatch) is simulcast on 155.8800 MHz 141.3 PL
DEC HEX Mode Alpha Tag Description Tag
34201 8599 T BackSwamp FD Back Swamp Fire Department Talk Fire-Talk
34202 859a T BCFD Talk Bear Creek Fire Department Talk Fire-Talk
34203 859b T Belgrade FD Belgrade Fire Department Talk Fire-Talk
34204 859c T Half Moon FD Half Moon Fire Department Talk Fire-Talk
34205 859d T Haws Run FD Haws Run Fire Department Talk Fire-Talk
34206 859e T Haws Run RS Haws Run Rescue Squad Talk Fire-Talk
34207 859f T HollyRdge FD Holly Ridge Fire Department Talk Fire-Talk
34209 85a1 T Hubert FD Hubert Fire Department Talk Fire-Talk
34210 85a2 T Loco FD Loco Fire Department Talk Fire-Talk
34211 85a3 T Nine Mile FD Nine Mile Fire Department Talk Fire-Talk
34212 85a4 T Nine Mile RS Nine Mile Rescue Squad Talk Fire-Talk
34213 85a5 T NTB FD Talk North Topsail Beach FD Talk Fire-Talk
34219 85ab T PGFD Talk Piney Green FD Talk Fire-Talk
34220 85ac T PCFD Talk Pumpkin Center VFD Talk Fire-Talk
34221 85ad T Rhodestwn FD Rhodestown Fire Department Talk Fire-Talk
34223 85af T Richlands FD Richlands Fire Department Talk Fire-Talk
34224 85b0 T Richlands RS Richlands Rescue Squad Talk Fire-Talk
34225 85b1 T Southwest FD South West Fire Department Talk Fire-Talk
34227 85b3 T Swansboro FD Swansboro FD Talk Fire-Talk
34228 85b4 T SWBRO Rescue Swansboro Rescue Squad Talk Fire-Talk
34229 85b5 T TCFD Talk Turkey Creek Fire Department Talk Fire-Talk
34230 85b6 T Verona FD Verona Fire Department Talk Fire-Talk
34271 85df T AIRPORT FD Albert J Ellis Airport FD Talk Fire-Talk
34299 85fb D OC Fire Disp Onslow Fire Disp Fire Dispatch

The letter "T" in the 3rd column designates the mode of operation which in this case is Phase 2. This indicates of course a phase 2 capable scanner is needed. Which of these departments are you working in?
If you can I would check with the radio shop that maintains the system for verification. Last time I was through there this summer on the way to Topsail I heard traffic on the system but did not hear a fire call so I cannot say if it was phase 2 or not. I'm using a Whistler 1095 scanner BTW.

Another question. Since you are a ham, are you on DMR?
Hope this helps.
 

gobigkahuna

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Swansboro, NC
I'm a new member here so my posts are delayed because they have to be approved by the admin first. The link you posted is the same one I found. :)

I'm a volunteer with Swansboro FD but we also do "mutual aid" with Western Carteret (Carteret County is on VHF 150 Mhz), Hubert FD (Onslow County) and others. We're all smallish stations and rely on each other in the event of a big fire.

If you can I would check with the radio shop that maintains the system for verification.

I'm told that all our radio gear is maintained under contract with Motorola so we don't have a radio shop nor any real radio "experts". I can't even get a personal radio for FD use because everything is done through the county and through the contract.

Another question. Since you are a ham, are you on DMR?

I haven't done anything with VHF / UHF for over 15 years. My only rig is an Icom HF xcvr sitting in a box while I decide how to get around our HOA's no antenna rule (that's a whole other topic...).

I'd hoped to be able to just get one VHF / UHF hand held for 2m repeater / ARES and monitor the local FD calls, but the digital trunking throws a wrench in that plan. So I'll probably have to get two hand helds, one to monitor VHF / UHF FD traffic and another for 2m work.
 

rescue161

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You should come to our next breakfast meeting at the Golden Coral in Jacksonville. We have the meetings the first Saturday of every month. That will be on August the 5th. I can answer any question you have about the Onslow and/or Camp Lejeune trunking systems.

Onslow County P25 Phase II is not part of VIPER and it is true that they have a tight leash on their programming and/or adding radios to their system. Camp Lejeune is utilizing a multi-site 380 MHz trunking system that is fully encrypted, so listening to that one is out.

As far as amateur radio goes, there are several VHF/UHF repeaters in the area and you are free to use them any time. We hold nets at 2000 on the 147.000 repeater on Tuesday for a rag-chew and Thursday for ARES.

NC4OC - 147.000 (-) 88.5 PL - Hubert - 270'
KE4FHH - 146.760 (-) 88.5 PL - Swansboro - 150'
KE4FHH - 444.675 (+) 88.5 PL - Hubert - 290'
KE4FHH - 441.8375 (+) DMR (Linked to ncprn.net) - 290'
KE4FHH - 443.3125 (+) P25 (Linked to N4JDW P25 network) - 290'
WD4FVO - 145.190 (-) 88.5 PL - Onslow Memorial Hospital - 150'

As far as listening to County Fire on VHF, you will only hear the dispatchers. This is only done so the pagers can get the initial call. Welcome to the forum and I hope to see you at the meeting.
 

gobigkahuna

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Location
Swansboro, NC
You should come to our next breakfast meeting at the Golden Coral in Jacksonville. We have the meetings the first Saturday of every month. That will be on August the 5th. I can answer any question you have about the Onslow and/or Camp Lejeune trunking systems.

I've put the date in my calendar and hope to attend. I tend to be busy most weekends but will do my best to be there. Incidentally, I met some of the club members during the field day at Swansboro soccer field.

Onslow County P25 Phase II is not part of VIPER and it is true that they have a tight leash on their programming and/or adding radios to their system. Camp Lejeune is utilizing a multi-site 380 MHz trunking system that is fully encrypted, so listening to that one is out.

I'm not as interested in following Camp Lejeune. We don't work with them very often.

As far as listening to County Fire on VHF, you will only hear the dispatchers. This is only done so the pagers can get the initial call. Welcome to the forum and I hope to see you at the meeting.

Right. That's why I only hear the initial dispatch for a call on my pager because it is patched to VHF. Carteret County, on the other hand, is still on VHF so my pager picks up all their traffic.

TNX DE KF6TIL
 
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