Is Frederick County going to change to digital?

[RUSTY_SHACKAFORD]

09/12/2012

This is the new Frederick County Public Services Project 25 TRS. This new digital radio system will replace the old Motorola Type-II legacy system that has been in place for many years. The new P-25 TRS will become full operational on September 12, 2012 at 1000 hours. At that time, all of the subcribers on the old system will move to this new radio system. Once the cutover is completed, the old Type-II TRS will be deactivated. In addition, this system will be integrated into the Maryland FIRST Network in the future.


Tomorrow is supose to be the big day that it all changes over to there new system. Does anybody have any new news? I do have a list of TGID's not in Database but do not know what Use to put them under. I guess we will see.:wink:

 

[HarryWilly]

Frederick Communications just came over the air and advised all units to switch over to the new Project 25 system (this was after you could hear the trunking system doing something strange). Unfortunately I am still using an analog scanner so I can't hear how the system sounds in digital. Has anyone listened in yet? Are tones still going out over the dispatch channel?

EDIT: It's also kind of entertaining to listen to the dispatchers correct themselves.... "Respond on E-M-S TEN... correction NINE BRAVO".

 

[RUSTY_SHACKAFORD]

Are tones still going out over the dispatch channel?

Yes, But sound different.

It's also kind of entertaining to listen to the dispatchers correct themselves.... "Respond on E-M-S TEN... correction NINE BRAVO".

Fire/Ems have change from going to TG # to a Phonetic Alphabet. Carroll County using Phonetic Alphabet also now.

They are having trouble with some changinging over, Seems thay cant follow directions to change there radios. "Hold down the Home button" Witch one is the Home button" :lol:

 

[HarryWilly]

Yes, But sound different.

They probably sound different because digital voice doesn't properly synthesize them. Without getting too nerdy, what you are hearing is the each "packet" of sound being separated. With analog, sound is a continuous wave. I remember hearing that when PW/Manassas, VA switched over. I am sure when they kill off the analog system they will do what Loudoun, Montgomery and others do, which is broadcast the tones on the analog patch only.

I was hoping they would get rid of the tones because it is annoying to hear them, but I am sure that will happen soon.

Fire/Ems have change from going to TG # to a Phonetic Alphabet. Carroll County using Phonetic Alphabet also now.

The phonetic thing is adopted from the COG standardizations. Funny, MoCo already called the channels on their radios 9 Alpha, Bravo, Etc, but all of this is to simplify interoperability (the communications buzz word of the century). It's easy now because all the dispatch offices will sound the same, and everything is becoming so standardized that units can operate in other counties no problem. It's quite impressive compared to other parts of the country I have lived.

They are having trouble with some changinging over, Seems thay cant follow directions to change there radios. "Hold down the Home button" Witch one is the Home button" :lol:

Just because they idiot-proof the home button by putting a house on it doesn't mean they firefighter proofed it! :lol:

 

[WaveJam]

Wow... I'm puzzled... My Pro-197 is not a happy camper with the P-25 switchover. Transmissions are choppy, end short, start late, sometimes silenced in the middle. Sometimes garbled. That scanner should work, right? I just upgraded the firmware on it and pulled down a fresh set of frequencies from RR using GRE. Any tips?

 

[WaveJam]

Please listen in: Frederick County Airport, Highway, Police, Fire and EMS Live Scanner Audio Feed

 

[vhctruckie6]

Pete,
I am having the same issues here with my PRO-197...very tired and frustrated. I have talked to others that are using the same scanner and they say they are receiving great...not good here...anybody have an idea what is going on?...Help!
Bob

 

[WaveJam]

Pete,
I am having the same issues here with my PRO-197...very tired and frustrated. I have talked to others that are using the same scanner and they say they are receiving great...not good here...anybody have an idea what is going on?...Help!
Bob

I just saw this... Trying it now...

http://forums.radioreference.com/sc...052-win500-pro-197-p25-trunking-settings.html

 

[HarryWilly]

First off, turn down the volume on the scanner itself. Sounds way too loud. If people need to boost the volume, they can do it on their end. I am hearing some transmissions come in fine from Fire/Rescue

My first and biggest suggestion would be program manually. See if that helps.

 

[HarryWilly]

I just saw this... Trying it now...

http://forums.radioreference.com/sc...052-win500-pro-197-p25-trunking-settings.html

That would likely help. Since part of the reason for the switch was the frequencies being too crowded. Narrow FM lowers tolerance levels for data being received. You may be picking up digital signals from other systems in the area that are causing bad audio decoding.

 

[WaveJam]

First off, turn down the volume on the scanner itself. Sounds way too loud. If people need to boost the volume, they can do it on their end. I am hearing some transmissions come in fine from Fire/Rescue

My first and biggest suggestion would be program manually. See if that helps.

Volume is down now. I was turning it on and off to check and upgrade the firmware. Accidentally left it high.

The Fire/Rescue that you hear correctly is 153.845

 

[WaveJam]

That would likely help. Since part of the reason for the switch was the frequencies being too crowded. Narrow FM lowers tolerance levels for data being received. You may be picking up digital signals from other systems in the area that are causing bad audio decoding.

Sigh... No better after setting to Narrow FM... The transmisson sound almost like they are underwater.

 

[HarryWilly]

Heard you turn it down! Much better. Can also hear you programming it.

I guess that explains why the sound seems better, but I definitely hearing digital transmissions come through. The garbling sounds typical with most digital scanners I have heard on the live forums. Also hear the distinct noise that GRE scanners make at the end of a digital transmission.

 

[HarryWilly]

I am wondering if the database needs an update. I am not close enough to get a good decode from the Rockville area. There is no way that Frederick is using as few frequencies as are listed considering Fire, EMS, Police, and Government services are all on this system. Look at how many frequencies Montgomery uses:

Montgomery County, MD Trunking System, Montgomery County, Maryland - Scanner Frequencies

Now granted, they have a lot more talk groups, but the amount of frequencies seems disproportionate.

EDIT: Switch the scanner to control channel only for the time being, with narrow FM... see if that helps..

 

[ka3jjz]

A clue to the right freqs would be to go to the FCC database and use the search tools to look for the rebanded frequencies. I've forgotten what the correct service code would be, but I know there is a special one for rebanding.

Mike

 

[WaveJam]

I'm not saying that my scanner issue is the same as this dudes, but the audio is the same and I have good signal strength.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6au3SudX6Og

 

[redburgundy]

which trunking table to use?

The Frederick P25 frequencies are around 851 and 771 MHz.
I use Win500 to load settings to my Pro-197.
I have choices of these trunking tables:
800 MHz Standard
800 MHz Rebanded
P25 700MHz
P25 800MHz
Which one is correct?
I've tried them all and none seem to work, but I'm in Rockville, maybe too far away.

 

[vhctruckie6]

Here are the post rebanding freqs as received from Frederick DFRS
859.4875
858.4875
858.0875
857.4875
856.4875
856.1375
854.9875
853.7500
853.4750
853.2250
851.9125
851.6125

I have loaded these 100x's, set to narrow FM I have great signal strength and receive nothing. My scanners worked flawlessly on the Analog system till the 10 am switchover this morning. I am about 4-5 miles from the tower. I am at a total loss, seems like it trys to receive but it is so garbled and week and my only get a bleep. I have 800mhz coverage here as I was privy to a portable and was able to key up and check my programming...any suggestions? I am on an outside antenna have tried moving it outdoors with standard telescoping antenna and nothing. Do I need to do anything with the rebanding settings? I also imported a database from a friend in Frederick that says his is working fine and it won't work...Help anybody! Thanks Bob

 

[RUSTY_SHACKAFORD]

The Frederick P25 frequencies are around 851 and 771 MHz.
I use Win500 to load settings to my Pro-197.
I have choices of these trunking tables:
800 MHz Standard
800 MHz Rebanded
P25 700MHz
P25 800MHz
Which one is correct?
I've tried them all and none seem to work, but I'm in Rockville, maybe too far away.

The new Frederick system is P25 800MHz with 854.98750 cc and using some of the old vc freq's

I'm geting the Montgomery County (Rockville) System fine here.

 

[RUSTY_SHACKAFORD]

Here are the post rebanding freqs as received from Frederick DFRS
859.4875
858.4875
858.0875
857.4875
856.4875
856.1375
854.9875
853.7500
853.4750
853.2250
851.9125
851.6125

I have loaded these 100x's, set to narrow FM I have great signal strength and receive nothing. My scanners worked flawlessly on the Analog system till the 10 am switchover this morning. I am about 4-5 miles from the tower. I am at a total loss, seems like it trys to receive but it is so garbled and week and my only get a bleep. I have 800mhz coverage here as I was privy to a portable and was able to key up and check my programming...any suggestions? I am on an outside antenna have tried moving it outdoors with standard telescoping antenna and nothing. Do I need to do anything with the rebanding settings? I also imported a database from a friend in Frederick that says his is working fine and it won't work...Help anybody! Thanks Bob

The new Frederick system is P25 800MHz, Not set to narrow FM , No need to do anything with the rebanding settings. No Custom T- Tables.

Freq's (so far)
853.75000 vc
856.48750 vc
858.08750 vc
859.48750 vc
854.98750 cc