Is MIRS down?

[2500HDuramax]

I havent heard MIRS in a few days on my radio (ic-F70) I don't know if its down of if a frequency has been changed. Anyone know whats up, standard FD/EMS page is up and it almost sounds like coms on the scanner I found here are coming through analog.

 

[DannB]

Mirs

I havent heard MIRS in a few days on my radio (ic-F70) I don't know if its down of if a frequency has been changed. Anyone know whats up, standard FD/EMS page is up and it almost sounds like coms on the scanner I found here are coming through analog.

Im hearing traffic just fine here...

 

[RocketNJ]

Control channels switched last week. I bet you do not have all of the control channels programmed in your scanner.

 

[2500HDuramax]

thats what i figured, its not like they notify us normal folks lol. i wish icom would get on the ball and get their programming software up to speed on 64 bit computer systems. any idea as to which control they are using now? I have transmit disabled for obvious reasons lol, someday i will sit down and put all the crap into the radio...thanks for the info though!!

 

[RocketNJ]

Hmmm. Icom makes a UHF SmartZone 4.1 trunked portable?

How do you have it programmed? Typically with trunked portables you can enter a control channel list which should include all 12 control channels. The portable must also be capable of SmartZone operation.

Be careful with transmit! Don't let it affiliate with the system.

 

[APX8000]

Don't affiliate. I've bricked a few radios...as the bricker, not brickee. And took great joy in doing it !

 

[2500HDuramax]

Hmmm. Icom makes a UHF SmartZone 4.1 trunked portable?

How do you have it programmed? Typically with trunked portables you can enter a control channel list which should include all 12 control channels. The portable must also be capable of SmartZone operation.

Be careful with transmit! Don't let it affiliate with the system.

I don't think its actually snmartzone compatable, though they are working on new radios that may. Its been a while since I looked at the software so ill have to see, no transmit no affiliation on the public service freq's unless im authorized to use it

 

[SCPD]

Wouldn't the radio ID have to be programmed at the control point?

 

[RocketNJ]

If a radio comes on with an invalid ID the system does show it as invalid. Just need to activate the ID then stun the radio. I've done a couple too.

I tell people to use a scanner.

 

[kenisned]

I'm far from an expert, I thought you needed some key to program a radio for MIRS?

 

[SCPD]

I'm far from an expert, I thought you needed some key to program a radio for MIRS?

I think you're referring to an encryption key to decode an encrypted system. I'm no expert either but I believe a radio affiliates with a trunk system by it's radio id. It's what we see on the scanner if you have it set to show it. If the "system" does not recognize the radio id, it does not allow affiliation hence no transmit.

 

[W2SJW]

Yeah, this doesn't add up. Icom does not make a portable capable of doing Motorola Type-II, and you need a system key to program the info into the CPS for the system & load it into the radio...

 

[RocketNJ]

Only thing I can think of is he was listening to the trunked channels in conventional mode. Some of the channels were shuffled around and now he doesn't receive anything

 

[kenisned]

Only thing I can think of is he was listening to the trunked channels in conventional mode. Some of the channels were shuffled around and now he doesn't receive anything

Sounds like it.

In that case, I don't think they could affiliate, right?

Are the other posters, who referenced stunning a radio, doing that on MIRS or on the state TRS?

 

[RocketNJ]

Both. Any good system manager can see when an illegal radio affiliates.

That's why I always recommend to use a scanner.

 

[APX8000]

We used software that will tell you several things called Clone Watch from Genesis:

Read all about it here: CloneWatch

Some features (not all inclusive):

1. invalid radio ID's,
2. duplicate radio ID's
3. radio ID's on talkgroups not authorized.

The invalid one's were easy. You use a radio ID not authorized on the system. You affiliate, you get zapped.

The duplicate ID...sometimes people will program radios using the same ID as a valid user. The software would show two ID's on the system at the same time usually on different sites. Once we figure out the good one, we call that radio in and issue it a new ID and zap the duplicate. What alot of people don't realize is by using the same ID, you can actually force the good ID off his site making that radio unable to transmit and call for help. Very dangerous.

Talkgroups not authorized,..Fire/Rescue guy decided he wanted to listen to the Sheriff's Tac channel on his portable. So he took his radio to someone with CPS and "some" knowledge and added the talkgroup. He sent his radio into the shop when it went dead on him. He gave up the guy who programmed his radio when his job and criminal charges were on the line.

What amazes me is the entire system was in the clear, unencrypted. Anyone with a scanner could hear everything on the system.

I'm dating myself but I've even bricked a few radios using MDC-1200 on an analog repeater!

 

[2500HDuramax]

I'm far from an expert, I thought you needed some key to program a radio for MIRS?

only the lawtac user group needs an encryption key

Yeah, this doesn't add up. Icom does not make a portable capable of doing Motorola Type-II, and you need a system key to program the info into the CPS for the system & load it into the radio...

I just have the general control frequencies in now, before i didnt, its up and running just fine now.

Only thing I can think of is he was listening to the trunked channels in conventional mode. Some of the channels were shuffled around and now he doesn't receive anything

i dont know what they did, but its working just fine now. i have the smarttrunk feature turned off and mixed mode is not activated either...just the straight digital.

We used software that will tell you several things called Clone Watch from Genesis:

Read all about it here: CloneWatch

Some features (not all inclusive):

1. invalid radio ID's,
2. duplicate radio ID's
3. radio ID's on talkgroups not authorized.

The invalid one's were easy. You use a radio ID not authorized on the system. You affiliate, you get zapped.

The duplicate ID...sometimes people will program radios using the same ID as a valid user. The software would show two ID's on the system at the same time usually on different sites. Once we figure out the good one, we call that radio in and issue it a new ID and zap the duplicate. What alot of people don't realize is by using the same ID, you can actually force the good ID off his site making that radio unable to transmit and call for help. Very dangerous.

Talkgroups not authorized,..Fire/Rescue guy decided he wanted to listen to the Sheriff's Tac channel on his portable. So he took his radio to someone with CPS and "some" knowledge and added the talkgroup. He sent his radio into the shop when it went dead on him. He gave up the guy who programmed his radio when his job and criminal charges were on the line.

What amazes me is the entire system was in the clear, unencrypted. Anyone with a scanner could hear everything on the system.

I'm dating myself but I've even bricked a few radios using MDC-1200 on an analog repeater!

my radio is not affiliated on the mirs system, there are no transmit functions activated nor is there a radio id programmed. No talk groups are programmed either, basically for mirs I am using this radio strictly as a receiver. As for 440 it is set for t/r in analog, digital on some talkarounds, and mixed mode on a local quantar.

just for s&g here is a link to the radios i use for my APCO needs

portable: IC-F70 / F80 VHF / UHF transceiver - Features - Icom America

mobile: IC-F1721 / F2721 VHF / UHF transceiver - Features - Icom America

 

[RocketNJ]

The problem with that programming is it does not follow a specific talkgroup, just whatever conversation pops up first. Kind of hard to follow a conversation with the increased municipal activity on the system.

Sell it and get a good digital trunk tracker scanner!

 

[2500HDuramax]

The problem with that programming is it does not follow a specific talkgroup, just whatever conversation pops up first. Kind of hard to follow a conversation with the increased municipal activity on the system.

Sell it and get a good digital trunk tracker scanner!

I basically have the mirs programmed as a "gimmick" as most people, hams included, have no access to it. I use the radio for other purposes such as normal ham operation and also OEM public service. Its also great for showing the d-star boys how real digital audio sounds. As I said earlier, there is a local Quantar here so it works well for it.

 

[kenisned]

only the lawtac user group needs an encryption key

I'm not talking about encryption.

To program the radio as a fully functioning radio, you need a key of some sort (password, login...something).

As you point out, you are not affiliating and are really just monitoring, so we're talking about two different things, I guess.