LifeNet 7-1 dispatching

[DaveNF2G]

A recent question about Mohawk's departure from 155.235 MHz prompted me to monitor the frequency for a couple of days in CSQ mode. I learned that, if one is monitoring that channel with LifeNet's DPL enabled, then one will probably miss most paging for launches.

The reason is that Air Methods uses two transmit sites in Albany County. Both are on 155.235. Their Albany tower uses the DPL squelch code. The Selkirk tower does not. Every toneout I heard over the past two days went over the Selkirk tower (which is unfortunately much weaker here in Latham). The probable reason for this is that the birds are now housed as South Albany Airport in Selkirk instead of at Albany Med.

 

[onsceno]

You can grab Selkirk tower on D432.

 

[DaveNF2G]

You can grab Selkirk tower on D432.

Being actually located in the vicinity, I beg to disagree. When paging out Lifenet 7-1, and during subsequent communications, there is no DPL or CTCSS on the Selkirk Tower. When they switch to the Albany Tower because the bird has moved too far away to hear Selkirk, there is DPL. There is also a noticeable difference in signal strength, and the Air Methods dispatcher announces the tower when they switch.

 

[GTR8000]

So...is Dave correct that the 432 DPL listed in the database for the Selkirk tower is no longer applicable, or are we circling back to this?

I'll be honest, I'd like to get some feedback from others in the area before making any changes to the database.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Sheesh. I monitored this frequency for two days this week. I can still see and hear.

 

[chrismol1]

I'm still getting comms on 245DPL and then they announced their switch over to "Albany Tower" on 432DPL

155.235

KNNR624

BM

245 DPL

LifeNet S Albany

LifeNet/Air Methods South Albany

155.235

KNNR624

BM

432 DPL

LifeNet 7-1

LifeNet 7-1 Selkirk/NYSP LifeGuard 12

When you say selkirk tower, do you mean the antenna on their building, as listed on their license, at the south albany airport. If thats the case, it seems to appear the descriptions are indicating the same place. The other location listed on the license is the hospital/med center

 

[DaveNF2G]

Yes, what they call the Albany Tower is at AMCH, where it's always been. They refer to the South Albany Airport location as the Selkirk Tower.

It is possible that the Selkirk DCS does not show here because the signal is too weak. I'm not seeing it on any scanner or SDR from Latham.

(As I'm sure you know, Air Methods/Aicrom is in another state, so they just refer to all of their transmit sites as "towers".)