Lapeer/ Genesee County Fireground Question

[NickBa66ss]

Hello, my question is, I heard firegrounds operate around 20 W or so back in the analog days, but is it the same in terms of reduced wattage, being digital on the MPSCS tower/system?

I live in Columbiaville, NW Lapeer County. I can receive MPSCS Genesee Fire/ EMS Dispatch, Aswell as Lapeer County EMS Dispatch and Lapeer County Fire Analog all clearly. During the Mundy TWP fire a few days ago I got a choppy Genesee Fireground 3 at home, but after driving farther west, I got a clear signal in Otisville.

 

[drdispatch]

Everything on the MPSCS goes through the sites (repeaters); there is no simplex operation on the MPSCS. What you might be experiencing is that if there are no user radios on a particular talkgroup affiliated with the site closest to you, you will not receive that talkgroup on that site. If you have other sites programmed which are further away, and a user radio on that talkgroup is affiliated with that site, then you will hear that talkgroup on the more distant site.

 

[NickBa66ss]

Everything on the MPSCS goes through the sites (repeaters); there is no simplex operation on the MPSCS. What you might be experiencing is that if there are no user radios on a particular talkgroup affiliated with the site closest to you, you will not receive that talkgroup on that site. If you have other sites programmed which are further away, and a user radio on that talkgroup is affiliated with that site, then you will hear that talkgroup on the more distant site.

Alright, so if they were in lets say Fenton, on Fireground 3 from the Fenton area repeater, it would be a more distant signal, then if say, they were on Fireground 3, but in Otisville using that areas closest repeater to me?

 

[drdispatch]

Correct. That's a simplification, because there are other factors like terrain, buildings, weather, etc. that will affect how well you receive a distant (or even a close-by) transmitter. But as a general rule, the further the receiver is from the transmitter, the weaker the signal. With the MPSCS you also have to think about the site affiliation factor. Theoretically, if a firefighter from your area had their radio tuned to Genesee Fireground 3 and came down to Battle Creek (where I am), I would be able to hear any traffic on Fireground 3 off the Battle Creek site, because the system would "see" his radio and deliver the traffic to him via whatever site his radio affiliated with. (As long as I had that talkgroup programmed in my scanner, of course.)

 

[GeneseeCoMI]

Alright, so if they were in lets say Fenton, on Fireground 3 from the Fenton area repeater, it would be a more distant signal, then if say, they were on Fireground 3, but in Otisville using that areas closest repeater to me?

If you mean Fenton City FD, they have a separate 911 system and usually stay on their dispatch TG (2013), they seldom use the countywide firegrounds.

 

[NickBa66ss]

Thank you very much drdispatch.

Also, I know Lapeer Fireground (Incident) Channels are NOT encrypted, but I would like to know, Has anyone in the past year even heard anything on the Lapeer Fire Incident channels 1, 2 and so on?

 

[Ronaldski]

Also, I know Lapeer Fireground (Incident) Channels are NOT encrypted, but I would like to know, Has anyone in the past year even heard anything on the Lapeer Fire Incident channels 1, 2 and so on?

I added fire incidents to the database on your message, although reading your reply mentioning not hearing them of late raises doubts to if they moved to newer encrypted talkgroups?

Everyone, please let us know what channels other than what are in the database are in the clear or also even those that are encrypted. thanks.

 

[NickBa66ss]

I added fire incidents to the database on your message, although reading your reply mentioning not hearing them of late raises doubts to if they moved to newer encrypted talkgroups?

Everyone, please let us know what channels other than what are in the database are in the clear or also even those that are encrypted. thanks.

Thank you, and for me, its also hit or miss for Genesee Fireground, so I might just live in an area where Lapeer Fire Incident channels are poorly received, although with it being digital youd think I could hear something...

 

[krokus]

Theoretically, if a firefighter from your area had their radio tuned to Genesee Fireground 3 and came down to Battle Creek (where I am), I would be able to hear any traffic on Fireground 3 off the Battle Creek site, because the system would "see" his radio and deliver the traffic to him via whatever site his radio affiliated with. (As long as I had that talkgroup programmed in my scanner, of course.)

Most TG are geographically limited to their county, and one ring of surrounding towers. (Obviously, regional and statewide use TG are the exception to that.) This limit is to specifically prevent out of area radio traffic tying up repeaters, and the lack of out of area resources preventing critical radio transmissions.

 

[NickBa66ss]

Alright, Well, i contacted Lapeer Dispatch, and Ronaldski's theory is correct. Lapeer HAS encrypted the Fire Incident Channels . Only Fire and EMS Dispatch lives on. Oh well.

 

[drdispatch]

Bummer.

 

[Ronaldski]

Retracted the incidents listed in database.

Anyone know then if these are in the clear, encrypted or not heard at all, if not heard they probably are encrypted and moved to new talkgroups as the others did:

12085 44JAIL1 Sheriff: Jail Ops
2766 Animal Control
2605 County Common

 

[w8fsm]

Yes to all but 44COM

 

[Ronaldski]

Yes to ...? Clear, encrypted?

 

[NickBa66ss]

44COM should still be in the clear, I can possibly ask about that tomorrow, Aswell as Analog Fire Dispatch and P25 EMS Dispatch in the clear. I did hear LCEMS to McLaren a while back like a month ago when i was in Lapeer, along with Thumb Corrections 1 and 2 i believe it was.

 

[w8fsm]

44COM is still clear... the others asked jail animal are ENC..