Kent County Simulcast

[depster00]

So who determines the "Display/Alpha Tag" and description?

The database admin's usually determines the tag. Aeromed still operates 2 helicopters out of Grand Rapids, and a separate helicopter and plane out of Traverse City under NorthFlight. Submit your request with explanation. If they don't accept your position they will explain why. I believe that they try to keep the alpha tags the same as originally assigned, and update the description with notes.

 

[kf8lx]

What's up with Kent County Fire on simulcast? I haven't seen the on the call log since Feb. 1st.

 

[kasparek]

What's up with Kent County Fire on simulcast? I haven't seen the on the call log since Feb. 1st.

Looks like all PD and FD patches from Sheriff to MPSCS have been down for several days.

 

[kf8lx]

Looks like all PD and FD patches from Sheriff to MPSCS have been down for several days.

I did see a couple of 3326 hits on the log today. Nothing else since the 1st. With sheriff dispatch being encrypted I don't even bother scanning it.

 

[ScanKent]

Patches are back up for the dispatch channels. Additional patches for LEIN and KC Interop with 41INT1 are up.

 

[BSchaner]

Probably more testing. They are also using state event 47 for radio testing as well. Some testing is being done today it looks like. Early this morning there was traffic on Fire east and Sparta Fire paging and interop 1

and Now I see the post that was posted at the same time as me. These patches on fire sound a little better than before. I have yet to hear any additional traffic on 41int.

 

[bobw4]

Wondering if anyone else is picking up the GRFD dispatch on TG23335 on the Kent County Simulcast system. That particular TG is not listed in RR and seems to be used sporadically. Most of the traffic is on the C1 and C2 talkgroups.

 

[BSchaner]

Based on the call log from Broadcastify it appears only dispatch talks on them and they appear to be only for Med 1 Echo calls with CPR in progress.

 

[bergg]

I can't seem to get the Kent Co 800 MHz. I have the tower loaded and all Kent Co talk groups. If I get anything it is very weak and go off and then on again. Never get a clear broadcast. Even MSP is bad. It's not encrypted. I have monitored since 1966 and now use these radios. I get the same bad signal with all of these. Used to MSP loud and clear, but not now. BCD396T, and Pro96 and Pro2096. They do get all VHF freqs. well. Please advise if you have a solution to try. Thank you

 

[drdispatch]

I can't seem to get the Kent Co 800 MHz. I have the tower loaded and all Kent Co talk groups. If I get anything it is very weak and go off and then on again. Never get a clear broadcast. Even MSP is bad. It's not encrypted. I have monitored since 1966 and now use these radios. I get the same bad signal with all of these. Used to MSP loud and clear, but not now. BCD396T, and Pro96 and Pro2096. They do get all VHF freqs. well. Please advise if you have a solution to try. Thank you

It's probably simulcast distortion.
Check out this article in the RR Wiki:

Simulcast Distortion - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

 

[kf8lx]

I can't seem to get the Kent Co 800 MHz. I have the tower loaded and all Kent Co talk groups. If I get anything it is very weak and go off and then on again. Never get a clear broadcast. Even MSP is bad. It's not encrypted. I have monitored since 1966 and now use these radios. I get the same bad signal with all of these. Used to MSP loud and clear, but not now. BCD396T, and Pro96 and Pro2096. They do get all VHF freqs. well. Please advise if you have a solution to try. Thank you

I can't imagine it's a location issue, you're only 2 to 3 miles from the Honey Creek tower. I'm in Lowell and picked up from that tower without a problem before all the new sites when online. I have a Pro 106, Pro 197, and TRX-2. The TRX-2 is pretty good. I do have simulcast distortion on the 106 & 197. It's not bad and I can still hear everything. Possibly your radios aren't handling the simulcast very well.

 

[kf8lx]

Several Kent County Talkgroups popping up the last few days that are not in the RRDB. They are all 233**. I caught them on my log but have heard the audio. They are posted on the MPSCS: Kent County (MI) Unknown Talkgroups page along with radio id's.

 

[depster00]

Several Kent County Talkgroups popping up the last few days that are not in the RRDB. They are all 233**.

Keep in mind that these TG's may be for the Muskegon Simulcast system; some of these TG's were being tested in the past few weeks by a existing Muskegon Fire and Dispatch radio ID. Will see how it pans out in the next few weeks. Due to the Muskegon system not being operational yet, radio traffic may be "re-broadcast" on Kent County.

 

[kf8lx]

Keep in mind that these TG's may be for the Muskegon Simulcast system; some of these TG's were being tested in the past few weeks by a existing Muskegon Fire and Dispatch radio ID. Will see how it pans out in the next few weeks. Due to the Muskegon system not being operational yet, radio traffic may be "re-broadcast" on Kent County.

 

[kf8lx]

Just curious, why would something from Muskegon be re-broadcast on 9 different Kent County radio id's as on TG 23341?

 

[depster00]

Just curious, why would something from Muskegon be re-broadcast on 9 different Kent County radio id's as on TG 23341?

When radios are turned on they register with the system, telling the tower that the radio is turned on and monitoring talkgroup 23341. Radio traffic is then sent out to the radios that are tuned to the talkgroup ID, regardless of where they are located, with some limitation. Talkgroups are limited in the system - so there are local, regional and statewide indicators. If a radio talk group is not registered on the tower, the traffic is not broadcast out - the primary difference between analog and digital systems.

As an example - GRFD is often broadcast on both Ottawa and Kent County systems. Due to the coverage overlap, some radios may pickup Ottawa County signals, or someone in Ottawa County has a radio monitoring the channel. Spectrum Health is often broadcast over Ottawa, Kent, Allegan and Ionia Saranac towers.

 

[kf8lx]

When radios are turned on they register with the system, telling the tower that the radio is turned on and monitoring talkgroup 23341. Radio traffic is then sent out to the radios that are tuned to the talkgroup ID, regardless of where they are located, with some limitation. Talkgroups are limited in the system - so there are local, regional and statewide indicators. If a radio talk group is not registered on the tower, the traffic is not broadcast out - the primary difference between analog and digital systems.

As an example - GRFD is often broadcast on both Ottawa and Kent County systems. Due to the coverage overlap, some radios may pickup Ottawa County signals, or someone in Ottawa County has a radio monitoring the channel. Spectrum Health is often broadcast over Ottawa, Kent, Allegan and Ionia Saranac towers.

Ok, but if these are Muskegon County radios being re-broadcast in Kent County why are the radio id's 1041 and not 1061?

 

[BSchaner]

He is saying that they CAN be rebroadcasted. By the looks of it they are 1041 ID's so they are likely Kent county. Keep in mind too, that the Muskegon simulcast is not active yet and they are doing radio programming and testing often as well. Because of the Muskegon cell not being up, some radios are connecting to site 47 or the Kent County Simulcast which is why you would hear them there.

Anyway I'm curious if anyone knows what the issues have been with Kent county and why it has been months since the last target "go Live" date. Is anyone able to tell from the VHF side of things if any law enforcement agencies are using the digital system now?

 

[depster00]

Byron Township fire just came online with a few units tonight. Some of KC fire dispatch consoles are live too.

 

[BSchaner]

Looks like we are getting closer. Hearing multiple departments doing radio tests on their private fireground channels the last two days, however there have not been any mobile radio IDs yet, just portable IDs.