Hmmmm???

[mark2117]

Tonite I was scanning the local EDACS system here in Prince Albert and on my BC246T I got a hit and it showed up as 2 TGIDS side by side on the screen. I saw this previously in Saskatoon, but that was on a Motorola system and I had never scanned that system before so I was expecting something different, but tonite I saw somewhat the same thing on our system. What does that mean?

 

[richster]

Hmmm is right. I would say it was probably an I-call, but it only shows both radios on a motorola system, not EDACS. Maybe with your system up there the 246T shows both LIDS, but not for down here.

You say 2 TG's? Are you sure they were TG's and not LID's. If it was actually TG's you were seeing, I don't know what the hell it would be. Did those numbers show up the group you have your I-Call Wild ard in? If they did, it was an I-Call you were looking at.

I don't know if you can hear TG 1180 up there, but give it a try right now. Earlier a driver on that TG was robbed and they took his car and radio. The driver is beakin at them (the robbers) right now, and it's pretty interesting.

Regards,
Richster.

 

[mark2117]

I'm positive it was 2 TGIDs, its never done this before thats why I noticed it. I don't understand that wildcard stuff so it wouldn't have been that. The conversation was really odd too, it was a really gory converstation.

 

[richster]

Hmmm again. The nature of the conversation suggests I-Call as well. Do you have I-Calls turned on for Fleetnet? If you have I-Calls turned on and while in "ID-Search" you still pick up I-Calls. Do you remember the ID number? Here's something that might help ya.

On Fleetnet the highest TG number is 2040, which is a patch TG. If the numbers you saw displayed were higher than 2040, then it HAD to be an I-Call.

TG's = 1 to 2040
LID's = 1 to 14600 (approx)

As you can see it's fairly easy to mistake an I-Call for a TG. What gives it away is that when it's an I-Call the number displayed will have a small "i" in front. Example="i1180". Also LIDS and TG's can have the same number on an EDACS system. For instance LID 1180 is a Sask Power employee in Saskatoon, and TG 1180 is Fox Delivery systems in Regina.

On a Motorola system RID's (radio id's) and TG's cannot have the same number, and TG's are usually divisable by 16. Thank God for Status Bit option on the 246T. Alot of times on the 245 I would get these wacky ID's come up because of poor reception. With that status bit option I get no more of those.

Sounds like your have fun with the new radio.

Regards,
Richster.

 

[mark2117]

My system is programmed to "AFS Format" so I don't read TGIDs like that, but if i remember correctly the 2 talkgroups that were on my screen were 13-063 - 15-057 or something like that. They were saying something about blood all over that bathroom and someone coughing and something else about clots or blood clots? They were using medical terms as well. I do have I-Calls on and I've seen lots of them they all start with an "i" then the corresponding LID.

 

[richster]

Ahhh that explains it then.....the numbers you gave are definatley LIDS, and you were listening to an I-Call. I dont follow the AFS Format, because Sasktel Fleetnet has every service "all over the place". So I use decimal. I will convert my numbers to AFS for future posts for ya.

 

[mark2117]

But how is that possible? Talkgroups show up as 12-345 and LIDs show up as i12345 and what I had looked like 2 TGIDs side-by-side. :?
This is getting really confusing...
And how does a person know the numbers I gave were LIDs keeping in mind I'm not sure if they were the EXACT numbers. When I tried to quicksave I could only quicksave 1 of them, and I saved a total of 2 last nite so I can't remember which of the 2 it was.

 

[DaveH]

I don't know the 246T at all, but could this be a patch with two patch TGs displayed? A patch can have more than two TGs, so I don't know how that would be displayed (it may cycle quickly through the patched TGs).

A TG 15-xxx can be a patch, but may not necessarily be one. On the Ottawa EDACS system, all patches have been 15-xxx.

Dave

 

[richster]

I don't think it's a patch either. The 246T only shows the patch TG being used, not the TG's that have been linked to that patch TG. There are many instances where only 2 TG's are used in a patch on Sasktel Fleetnet (i'm still scatching my head why?), but I have seen many instances where several TG's are linked to a patch. In that case it would be impossible for the 246T to display all the TG's involved unless like DaveH said where it would cycle throught them, and the 246T does not do that.

It's just one of those things where you scatch your head and go hmmm. If it keeps doing this Mark, make note of the TG's or LIDS being used, the time and date as well. This way I can look at Etrunker and see whats actually going on. If it's one of the Povincial Gov't agencies, there is a good chance I'll be able to see it down here.

Also as a note, the 246T displays EDACS I-Calls very differently from the 250D or 296D. On the 250D and 296D it will actually cycle between the 2 LIDS being used, where the 246T will display only 1 LID, and it will be the "target" LID, and not the one who's actually talking. Kinda confusing trying to keep track on who's actually talking.

Regards,
Richster.

 

[mark2117]

If theres a long enough delay in the conversation you can catch the other LID when the other person talks while the scanner makes its rounds through to band again!

Another thing, OK I'm laying in bed about 5 minutes ago and I get a hit from Saskatoon EMS I know its them because I had them programmed from when I went to Saskatoon for the day a couple days ago so it showed up as "Saskatoon EMS". I'm still getting a crystal clear conversation from them as we speak. So it is true, radio signals do travel better at nite - These scanners really amaze me sometimes.....and they continue to do so daily :shock:

 

[richster]

If theres a long enough delay in the conversation you can catch the other LID when the other person talks while the scanner makes its rounds through to band again!

Another thing, OK I'm laying in bed about 5 minutes ago and I get a hit from Saskatoon EMS I know its them because I had them programmed from when I went to Saskatoon for the day a couple days ago so it showed up as "Saskatoon EMS". I'm still getting a crystal clear conversation from them as we speak. So it is true, radio signals do travel better at nite - These scanners really amaze me sometimes.....and they continue to do so daily :shock:

LOL. Don't be so shocked, it's normal and has nothing to do with night or day. I hear Saskatoon EMS from Regina here. I hear Sask Power units from P.A. all the time. I used to hear P.A. fire, but they went on hiatas for a bit around here.

Sasktel Fleetnet is a PROVINCE WIDE system and depending on the agency can be heard anywhere in the entire province. When you hear something on Fleetnet, don't be surprised that they are not located in P.A. That's why I asked you previously to plug in ID 09-034 (1180), you just might be able to hear them.

Regards,
Richster

 

[mark2117]

When I was listening to Saskatoon EMS I heard them say some sort of 10-code then PA. So the reason I could hear them is probably because they were coming here for something or someone. And the signal just carried like that.

 

[richster]

When I was listening to Saskatoon EMS I heard them say some sort of 10-code then PA. So the reason I could hear them is probably because they were coming here for something or someone. And the signal just carried like that.

It was probably 10-16 to ...P.A. 10-16 means on route. It doesn't matter where they are headed, or where they are in the Saskatoon-P.A. area, you can probably still hear them. I would even be as bold to say the entire Province.

It strange Saskatoon EMS would be transporting a patient to P.A. though, but hey health care is run by Gov't. :lol:

Regards,
Richster.

 

[Jay911]

It strange Saskatoon EMS would be transporting a patient to P.A. though

I don't know about SK, as they never come out this way, but I see ambulances from all over Alberta and BC in Calgary all the time. BCAS will drive patients to Calgary routinely (2+ times a week) especially if the air ambulances are down due to weather/etc.

Closer to home, there's almost always a Medicine Hat/Lethbridge/etc flight or drive happening.

Calgary EMS crews routinely fly to Cranbrook to pick up patients to be brought back to YYC too.

On the topic of scanning them, I think the only frequency any of the above have available to them in Calgary is 158.76 - provincial ambulance. I think in SK you have the same frequency for the same use, so if you encounter an ambulance that's out of its area, that may be where they are working. (If they're using radios at all, vs. cell phones.)

 

[emsguy]

As far as the two talkgroups go, I have the "13" talkgroup as Kelvington EMS and the "15" talkgroup as an unknown contractor. These are not confirmed.
I can offer a couple of explanations for hearing Saskatoon EMS on PA. #1, Saskatchewan air ambulance is dispatched from the Saskatoon EMS comm center. Once the aircraft is in the air, it would be activating lots of Fleetnet towers. #2, Saskatoon and PA EMS are owned by the same family and therefore they may have each others talkgroups programmed into their radios. Hope this helps.

 

[RBerezowski]

It strange Saskatoon EMS would be transporting a patient to P.A. though

I don't know about SK, as they never come out this way, but I see ambulances from all over Alberta and BC in Calgary all the time. BCAS will drive patients to Calgary routinely (2+ times a week) especially if the air ambulances are down due to weather/etc.

Closer to home, there's almost always a Medicine Hat/Lethbridge/etc flight or drive happening.

Calgary EMS crews routinely fly to Cranbrook to pick up patients to be brought back to YYC too.

On the topic of scanning them, I think the only frequency any of the above have available to them in Calgary is 158.76 - provincial ambulance. I think in SK you have the same frequency for the same use, so if you encounter an ambulance that's out of its area, that may be where they are working. (If they're using radios at all, vs. cell phones.)

158.760 was the provincial ambulance frequency in Saskatchewan. When all of the EMS agencies went to Fleetnet, 158.760 was all but abandoned. Some ambulances still have the VHF whips on them, so they may still have the radios in the ambulances, but I know not all ambulances have the VHF radios. Even if a VHF equipped ambulance drove into Calgary, I'm not sure the crew would be able to blow enough dust off the VHF radio to use it! They'll probably just use a cell phone.

And yes, patients are transferred back and forth all the time. In most cases the transfer is to the larger hospital for treatment, but in many cases the patient is sent back to their home community via ambulance as well, depending on their condition (i.e. perhaps bedridden, or not fully recovered from treatment).

Rob

 

[RBerezowski]

If theres a long enough delay in the conversation you can catch the other LID when the other person talks while the scanner makes its rounds through to band again!

Another thing, OK I'm laying in bed about 5 minutes ago and I get a hit from Saskatoon EMS I know its them because I had them programmed from when I went to Saskatoon for the day a couple days ago so it showed up as "Saskatoon EMS". I'm still getting a crystal clear conversation from them as we speak. So it is true, radio signals do travel better at nite - These scanners really amaze me sometimes.....and they continue to do so daily :shock:

What you are hearing is Saskatoon EMS traffic being carried over the Fleetnet radio tower in Prince Albert. This will happen if an MD Ambulance radio (i.e. an ambulance) is in or near Prince Albert. The same occurs for other users as well. If a radio on a given talkgroup is near a tower, all communications for that talkgroup will come over that tower. So, if an ambulance from say, Melfort, comes in, you'll start hearing Melfort EMS on the Prince Albert tower, until the Melfort ambulance leaves the area.

Now, Saskatoon EMS is a unusual case. We're not sure why, but all of their communications are generally carried over every Fleetnet tower, or so I'm told. I regularly hear them here in Regina, and you're hearing them in Prince Albert. Again, we're not sure why this is for Saskatoon EMS, but I'm not complaining.

Also, I don't think it's related to Air Ambulance being dispatched out of MD Ambulance. Air Ambulance has their own talkgroup, so why would it be necessary to carry MD Ambulance traffic province wide, when the air ambulance aircraft are on another talkgroup all together?

Speaking of Air Ambulance, I haven't heard much from their talkgroup lately. Are they still using Fleetnet, or are they totally using cell phones now?

Rob

 

[richster]

Speaking of Air Ambulance, I haven't heard much from their talkgroup lately. Are they still using Fleetnet, or are they totally using cell phones now?

You know that is a damn good question. I actually forgot about those people, thats how long it's been since I heard them.

I checked my Etrunker log and the last hit I got from them was on TG 1701 just before Christmas. In fact I remember that day too. They were flying in 2 trama alerts from Brabant Lake to Saskatoon's University Hospital. I made a mental note on this because the 2 people sounded like they were children in very bad shape, and it was so close to Chrismas time. Not sure what caused their injuries, but it made me damn sad.

Regards,
Richster.

 

[ladyblues]

question to anyone who will answer...........iam thinking of buying a digital scanner at radio shack or on line from texas.........proublem is i cant get the police i also live in regina saskatchewan..i would proubly have to get it modified somehow.....because here its encrypted.....would it be worthwhile buying one ....i have an older model netset pro 2032 bought from radio shack about 5 years ago. many a nights listen to all the action...any replys will be greatly appreiated.........ty 8)

 

[mikewazowski]

i would proubly have to get it modified somehow.....because here its encrypted

You cannot get a scanner modified to decrypt an encrypted signal.

If they truely are digitally encrypted, then I'm afraid you are out of luck.