ICALL and ITAC use in Ohio

[ctpd845]

I have a question about the 800 ICALL and ITAC channels. Our department recently has had these channels added to our radios. After the channels were added I began to wonder what good are they really. I talked to a buddy that is dispatcher on a department that uses 800 and asked if he had access to these channels and he didn't but the mobile and portable radios do. My question is does any department monitor any of these channels because we can't monitor without taking our radios off the trunked system. Or are these just worthless channels added for "interop" reasons.

 

[Grog]

They are only "worthless" if you never use them or if you never have any training/planning for how to use them.

Do you have any repeaters setup of them in your area or are they all simplex? Does the state have any portable repeaters than they will roll out for their use?

I have lots of stuff pre-programmed into my ham gear that I never see using, but one day that might be a very useful thing

 

[jpryor]

The State of Ohio maintains 800 MHz conventional analog repeaters on both 8ICALL (866.0125 MHz) and 8ITAC1 (866.5125 MHz) at select locations. See the following call sign and map that includes the two sites in our area:

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?cs=WPQF736

Both the Toledo and Castalia tower sites would provide coverage for Ottawa County users. The Ohio State Highway Patrol maintains a listening watch on these repeaters and can be raised on those channels.

All Lucas County users have access to both the repeater mode and simplex talk around for all five 800 MHz interoperability channels. This is the same for State of Ohio MARCS users, and hopefully they've added all the repeater and talk around channels for Ottawa County.

Usually these channels would not be used or needed unless a specific incident would call for direct interoperability. Generally a command/admin or dispatch unit would be responsible to steer users to a specific channel as needed. So for example for an incident at Davis Besse, command units from Ottawa County, Lucas County, State of Ohio could all switch radios to a particular repeater (8ICALL, 8ITAC1) and any simplex channel to facilitate communications.

Also both Toledo Life Flight and ProMedica Air helicopters are supposed to be getting radios (and/or getting their existing programming updated) to have access to the 800 MHz interoperability channels. A pair of the simplex talk around channels have been generally accepted for use as "Air Med 1" and "Air Med 2" (I think it's 8ITAC3TA and 8ITAC4TA) for use with Landing Zones.

Also, if you're needed to provide some form of support or assistance for an area outside of the range of your normal system, chances are that other folks may have access to these channels as well. I believe the state has mobile equipment than can deploy additional repeaters to specific areas if needed. The state's mobile communications unit actually has the capability of providing a stand alone digital voice MARCS trunking site as well.

Our Lucas County emergency communications trailer has an old 800 MHz analog repeater on board. We need to look into the feasibility to see if it can be reprogrammed to provide the possibility of an additional 8ITAC repeater pair.

Here are some additional notes from the MARCS Statewide Interoperability procedure regarding the simplex talk around channels:

· 8ICALLTA, 8ITAC1TA through 8ITAC4TA.
These are the five National Public Safety Analog Talk-Around Frequencies. All five of these talkgroups are available for local, off the system, analog “walkie-talkie” communications. (Due to being analog, static may be noticed. Range is three miles or less, depending on terrain. Allows MARCS radio users to talk to ANY 800 radio programmed with these talkgroups.)

So I would say for the sake of testing, pick up the microphone and call for the Ohio State Highway Patrol on 8ICALL for a radio check . . .

 

[bvankl]

These are also very handy to have if you are involved with a location that does not have good or questionable converage. From you name I would assume police, these will come in handy if you are in a building that does not have good coverage. Granted your dispatcher may not be able to recieve, but could come in handy if you and a partner were doing a search.

This is used frequently for fire service when buidlings have poor coverage. Generally programmed to one side of the selector (channel 16) so a gloved hand can easily find this in the event of radio failure. Once again, someone would have to monitor the predetermined Itac from outside.

I would include this training procedure atleast once a year (preferably more), if that was the intention.

Bob

 

[jasonk]

We recently responded to Warren County from Greene County .....Edacs vs. motorola System - it was a 2nd Alarm fire - All Ops were on 8iTac 1 - ran smooth as ever. All was simplex ....That was my first time using it. Greene and montgomery counties both have repeaters established for these channels as well ...we have them in our radios as both simplex and also on the repeater. It allows any 2 800 mhz radios to communicate .....without a Computer in the middle.

Jason

 

[medic611]

Pickaway Co has placed I tac 3 in service in chilicothe for use as mutual aid for hocking, ross county , been used a few times , however the other night on a confined space rescue in hocking we tired to use Mcomm 4 for interop with medflight to no avail during a confine space rescue , bugs still need worked out in all areas

 

[SLWilson]

Training

It boils down to TRAINING, more TRAINING and PRACTICE.

The MARCS guys have told us, USE it, PRACTICE with it, LEARN about what it will do for us.

We do that. It's a great system to be a part of....

As far as the state bringing down "portable" tower sites, YES, they do have those available.

Also, for a localized emergency, they have PORTABLES that they will send down for locals to use for the duration.

Steve/Gallia

 

[jpryor]

To "ctpd845", I heard your radio test with OSP Turnpike dispatch last night on the ICALL repeater. Sounded decent enough to get the communication across. There was a handful of extra noise and such though between your transmissions, possibly because of the way they're patching things together or possibly multiple repeaters being keyed up. Were you hearing some of that noise on your end as well?

 

[ctpd845]

To "ctpd845", I heard your radio test with OSP Turnpike dispatch last night on the ICALL repeater. Sounded decent enough to get the communication across. There was a handful of extra noise and such though between your transmissions, possibly because of the way they're patching things together or possibly multiple repeaters being keyed up. Were you hearing some of that noise on your end as well?

Yes I heard the noise after my transmissions and I'm pretty sure that from where I was at the I was going off the Toledo and Castalia towers. I was also a little disappointed that post 87, post 48 and Lucas County SO didn't answer me. At least somebody heard me.

 

[jpryor]

I don't think any Lucas County dispatch units are monitoring the ICALL/ITAC1 repeaters, but somebody probably should be. All mobiles and portables can access those channels, but wouldn't be listening unless the user specifically switch there. It would not be too difficult for the dispatchers to leave their backup radios on the ICALL channel--or maybe even programmed into the consoles.

I've heard OSHP Post 48 transmit and respond before on ICALL, maybe things are still mixed up since the dispatch consolidation. All the OSHP dispatch locations should still have access.

You should probably escalate to the individual within your department/county that is responsible for communications interoperability--to at least have the issues of non-responsiveness addressed. Also to have some practical training information and exercises developed to further familize users and test capabilites would be a good next step as well.

 

[fyrfyter33]

I know in SW Ohio they monitor the 8ICALL channel. They primarily use the 8ITAC channels for communication between units on scene, and air medical units. When the windstorm swept through Cincinnati the Trunked system quickly became overloaded, both in the City and the County (Separed Apco 25 Digital systems, sharing towers for coverage). The 8ITAC channels were used as firegrounds for a couple of incidents, although they didn't work any better than line of sight, which is normal for them. Those channels are not repeated in our area. Simplex only, but did well enough to use when the trunked system was loaded out, and all you repeatedly got was a busy tone.