If Fleetnet crashed

[SCPD]

Just curious if anyone knows what would happen if the fleetnet system crashed...say like when the Royal bank updated software and crashed it's entire banking system.

Is there a fallback on the system for simplex operations or are units equipped to head back to provincial common channels?

I'm sure they say it can't happen but then the power shouldn't be able to go out in most of North America at the same time either. :shock:


thx

 

[Jay911]

Theoretically there is a backup known as "failsoft" where the system will default to conventional radio operation. One of the frequencies in the system (or more, depending on how many separate users you have) will lock open as a continuous transmitter and ALL talkgroups with that frequency set as the failsoft frequency will use that as the 'conventional channel'. There'll be indication when failsoft is in use, both as an indicator on the radio and a tone on the channel.

(This is my understanding of it. I haven't experienced failsoft here in Calgary yet (touch wood!) so I am not 100% sure that everything is as I specified.)

 

[I_10_92]

I think it would be interesting to see what happens if Fleetnet goes down.. But rest assured, i'm sure there is a really expensive back up

 

[mikewazowski]

If the zone controller goes down then the system will revert to Site Trunking. Each site will continue to operate as it's own little trunking system. Users will be able to talk to other users on the same talkgroup as long as they are on the same tower.

If it went completely down then chances are failsoft (where the trunking channels become conventional repeaters) would not work either.

The likelyhood of every Fleetnet site crashing at once is pretty unlikely. Most sites will just continue on in trunking mode but the connections between the sites will be lost.

If this ever happened, then the officers could probably switch to SIM11 and continue on.

There was a test a few years back where officers were stationed at the detachments and at the tower sites. I believe the system was put into Site Trunking mode and system was tested using the wide area channels.

 

[SCPD]

That makes a lot of sense Mike. I guess depending on what type of back up power they're running chances really would be remote on downing the whole thing. I know in this area during "the big out" the bell mobility cell towers only lasted about 4 hours before there was no more signal...Not even the normally available alternate towers from Orillia across the lake.

Let's hope we never really have to find out for sure.

 

[mikewazowski]

During the Big Out BMR lost a lot of sites. They were ill prepared to handle the lack of power for an extended duration. Many Fleetnet sites had power but the intermediate link sites did not.

Luckily the powers that be took notice and forced BMR to come up with a contingency plan should this happen again. Backup power has been considerably beefed up and hopefully it won't happen again.

 

[GrumpyGuard]

Trunk system crash

About two weeks ago we suffered a system wide crash, due to a powerfailure. The emergency generators failed to kick in and the system went down. We have over 300 radios on this system with four subfleets and about twenty five to thirty talkgroups. We all had to use one channel listed as a talk around channel. This made for an interesting weekend.
The systems fail safe does kick in when needed.

 

[SCPD]

I think there were a lot of people and systems that were not set for such an outage. I'm all set for the next one. I've had a 12 Kw genny installed that runs 90% of my house...especially my scanners

I can tell you that I was lost without the cell phone. House was under renovations for wheelchair access and I was stuck at a hotel with their phone system down. No way to let people know if I was ok or needed help. I did end up "borrowing" some emergency power from the police station to recharge my chair though. As I said, lots of lessons learned.

 

[RBerezowski]

Theoretically there is a backup known as "failsoft" where the system will default to conventional radio operation. One of the frequencies in the system (or more, depending on how many separate users you have) will lock open as a continuous transmitter and ALL talkgroups with that frequency set as the failsoft frequency will use that as the 'conventional channel'. There'll be indication when failsoft is in use, both as an indicator on the radio and a tone on the channel.

(This is my understanding of it. I haven't experienced failsoft here in Calgary yet (touch wood!) so I am not 100% sure that everything is as I specified.)

What happens in Failsoft is every transmitter keys up, and stays keyed up. The transceiver then operates as a conventional repeater, repeating everything picked up by the receiver. Also, you will hear a soft beep tone broadcast every 10 seconds on all channels.

The user radios are programmed with a failsoft frequency to go to when failsoft is detected. All of the user radios can then communicate in conventional mode over the failsoft repeater to other users on the same frequency. This will continue until trunked operation is restored.

Also, I don't know if dispatch consoles will operate, but if they're hardwired to the trunked system they will probably not be in service. That means pull out the backup portable radios for the dispatchers.

Rob

 

[mikewazowski]

For the Ontario Fleetnet systems, there are backup mobile radios installed at the OPP console positions in case of problems.

 

[Jay911]

That's a much better description than I could give. Also explains why we have not only our Centracom consoles but also mobiles set up as base stations, and a rack of portables as well.

 

[RBerezowski]

That's a much better description than I could give. Also explains why we have not only our Centracom consoles but also mobiles set up as base stations, and a rack of portables as well.

The Regina Police, Fire, and EMS have that as well. Mobile radios are set up as backup to the dispatch consoles, and there are portable radios in the Comm Centres as well.

Rob

 

[paramedic101]

All ambulance radios still have a conventional channel folder, with all old frequencies in them in case they need to revert back to old system and old towers anytime

 

[mikewazowski]

Keep in mind that in some areas (Georgian), the frequencies have become part of the trunk system now and reverting back will not be easy.

 

[paramedic101]

If fleetent goes down the system gets deactivated and the old towers still programed with the old frequencies will be able to go back using them. That is my understanding anyway.