How Many repeater sites shoud I program into my new BCD536HP?

[paulfc]

Good Afternoon,

I am setting up my new scanner in the southeast suburbs of Phoenix and am wondering if I need to program in any repeater sites beyond the closest one in Chandler or will one repeater site be sufficient? If I wanted to listen to FD Fire ground traffic on the other side of the valley, would I need to include a west side repeater? This will be a stationary unit. I realize this is a newbie question, but I appreciate the advice and guidance. Thank you.

 

[Delta33]

Well,

As many as you wish.

 

[rwier]

" .... If I wanted to listen to FD Fire ground traffic on the other side of the valley ... "

If the fire ground activity you are referring to is that issuing from the "K" channels/TGs (usually medical calls), monitor Site "B" (someone close to your location may have a better suggestion).

Fire ground activity involving active fire communications such as "on-the-scene-inside-the-structure" is much more difficult to predict as to listening success. As I recall, over many years with a multitude of radios, "inside-the-structure" communications start to break squelch anywhere from as far as 5 miles away to as near as a few hundred feet.

I only remember listening to distant analog traffic from calls actually on local mountains. These would be mostly rescues, and brush fires. One interesting exception was a structure fire reported high on Shaw Butte. It was the "Cloud Nine" restaurant. This was around the mid '60s and the PFD had no apparatus capable of making the trip up the paved road to the fire scene. The guys reported the were hiking up to the scene, and later stating they were going to watch it burn. All comm's from the hike up and the fire watch were crystal clear from 31st Avenue and Roosevelt. This was after dark and the fire was visible valley wide from more than 20 miles away.

 

[KB7MIB]

Simulcast C should carry all of the K-deck talkgroups. If not, program in Simulcast B as well. This will cover the medical responses. Be aware that for most of the typical EMS calls on K-decks 6-9, you won't hear much communications from units, as they will use their MCT's to indicate that they are responding, on scene, and going available. Medic-to-hospital comms, if any are needed as the medics follow a standardized protocal and don't typically need to contact a doctor for permission to administer drugs like you may have seen on "Emergency!", are conducted via cell phone or encrypted talkgroups. You may hear the occassional request to dispatch an ambulance/rescue if one is needed. The only other time you'll really hear any extended comms from units is during a mountain rescue or a large scale incident with multiple patients on K-decks 10-15.
For hazard zone comms at a fire or a haz-mat situation, units will use the A-deck analog VHF channels, and you won't be able to hear anything except the alarm room beyond several miles away. The alarm room will give regular elapsed time announcements to the command officer, and will repeat/relay comms from them, but you're not going to hear any units on scene.

John
Peoria