Maryland FIRST 700mhz TRS

[riveter]

And from looking at Lehr's MSP fleetmap, I suddenly discover that my (by that time former) agency is gonna be a part of the Central troop deployment to FiRST. This is great info though- that confirms my suspicions that Bay 'C' and other 'C' MdTA TGs are in fact maintenance T/A channels.

Think you're right about BWI- once they get their APX radios online they should flop to the AA site proper and stop patching this way.

Think that deployment schedule is a little off haha... I'm not even hearing BWI today.

 

[troymail]

Yes - "C" is probably "toggle down".... but I noticed the fleetmap info doesn't line up completely to TGID(s) but it's good enough...

Also, assuming this holds, we see the encrypted channels but they are not intended for day-to-day use. Anne Arundel police use non-encrypted talkgroups for routine options but have "switch down" (aux) talkgroups that are now encrypted to allow passing of sensitive info. And of course there are the always encrypted special talkgroups -- I suspect we'll see the same usage on this system.

The schedule seems to hold true until today -- but I give them credit - even though it doesn't look like a full "switch" for BWI occured yesterday (in the middle of a hurricane!), at least they brought up the patch. (I have been hearing BWI today - at least the patch and still only on the Baltimore site). Maybe when the state starts returning to normal tomorrow we'll see some real radios (and on the AA Site).

The presentation also makes clear that the Nice bridge and ICC will be relying on Charles and Montgomery County trunked systems to provide that coverage.

 

[dpm797]

The information I received says that the BWI detactment would remain operating on the MAA system at the request of the MAA administration. It will be patched to the first sysem. BWI Fire will also remain on the MAA system as well. BWI Fre was given their APX radio about 4 to 6 months ago. They received the APX 6000 model portable radios.

 

[troymail]

These "patched" configurations will probably result in "hit and miss" listening for the scanner users.... (more "miss" than "hit")

If it's set up the way I've seen most things set up, the patch won't be active unless a real radio appears on the talkgroup (even just to listen). If no "real" radio appears, the talkgroup will be silent.

 

[troymail]

Growing pains/learning curve...

Sounds like someone enabled a feature on the Bay Bridge talkgroup and doesn't know what they did or how to undo it....

 

[ThePhotoGuy]

Finally listening to the system for the first time. I had something wrong with the antenna connector on the PSR-800. GRE wanted $100+ to fix it but I finally fixed it myself.

Reception is perfect, 5 Bars! I have the Baltimore and Anne Arundel Sites programmed.

 

[SkyPager]

I have had no luck in receiving anthing on the system. I've studied the Wiki and I have only one site AA, with all freqs., NFM, and a wildcard plus several verified TG's. Getting the CC from the AA site OK.
I am wondering if I need to modify the tables?
Could someone please post a screen shot for a PSR-500? thanks in advance.

 

[Dewey]

I have had no luck in receiving anthing on the system. I've studied the Wiki and I have only one site AA, with all freqs., NFM, and a wildcard plus several verified TG's. Getting the CC from the AA site OK.
I am wondering if I need to modify the tables?
Could someone please post a screen shot for a PSR-500? thanks in advance.

I might be wrong, but I thought one of the posts said that this system is TDMA. If so, the only thing that's going to receive it right now is a PSR-800.

Dewey

 

[ka3jjz]

That's right - the PSR-800 is the only radio that can handle this system Mike

 

[SkyPager]

Shazbot! Oh well, maybe Santa will be nice to me. One another note I finally heard traffic on the CMARC system. More radio tech testing.
Thanks to all.

 

[CqDx]

Since MdTA police and MSP are moving to FiRST system, who are the intended users of CMARC? Is the system going to be some kind of cache radio system that only gets used once in a blue moon?

 

[doctordave]

I'm told by a reliable source that the Kent County system will go live in early December....and there is a plan for it to be fully encrypted by sometime in 2013. Disturbing news, to say the least. I'd previously seen a powerpoint presentation by someone in the state's FIRST planning office which rather obliquely referenced system-wide encryption - - but it was quite unclear to what degree this would really be utilized. The news from Kent may be a harbinger of what is to come throughout the state on this 700 system. Does anyone have good insight (i.e. firm information) into overall state plans for encryption?

 

[riveter]

Seems like that was somebody mostly reading too much into it out of hobbyist paranoia. From what the plans I've seen are, encryption will be used as is common with most modern agencies- on special and tac/alternate TGs that require COMSEC.

RE CMARC, I do remember a user on here quite a while ago mentioning as a fact that CMARC's towers and systems would be folded into FiRST once it came online. I don't know where they got that certainty or whether it still holds true if it did, but I'd rather that happen than see it continue to fart around and do nothing- all I ever hear is pretty much annual radio tech use and very occasional simulcasts of BCoPD and BCoFD talkgroups.

 

[doctordave]

Seems like that was somebody mostly reading too much into it out of hobbyist paranoia. From what the plans I've seen are, encryption will be used as is common with most modern agencies- on special and tac/alternate TGs that require COMSEC.


This was an individual who provides Kent County personnel with training on the Motorola 700mhz radios who suggested (incorrectly) that no P25 Phase II scanner presently exists and that development of such a scanner would be of no benefit anyway, as the system will be encrypted next year. Perhaps this person was simply being rather careless with the choice of words and no more than selective encryption will be utilized. We certainly know how the preliminary template for MdTA PD radios appears.....but that might not fully line up with the plans for Kent. Thus far, I've not come across any definitive information. We shall see.

 

[CqDx]

Just want to report that from the Baltimore City site I am hearing Fort McHenry and Key Bridge talkgroup ( as expected) and BWI airport.

 

[troymail]

Drove over the Nice Bridge today -- nothing active on the Md FiRST system down there.... MdTA continue to use the Charles County system.... I suspect that switching to the MdTA Nice Bridge talkgroups (actually takes the user/radio onto the Charles County system.... (and in a similar fashion, I suspect the same for the ICC).

 

[riveter]

Yeah I doubt you'll hear much of them until phase 3. Probably we'll see them pop up as patches on 7104 and 7105 when somebody up here decides to listen to Nice or Hatem though.

 

[troymail]

Drove up to Edgewood (Harford County) this afternoon -- didn't stay long. Nice solid reception on the Harford County site. Got a single hit on TGID 7105 which I believe is going to be Hatem Bridge but I didn't get enough activity of firmly make the call.

Wondering what happened to MSP JFK's cutover onto the system... must have been delayed for some reason. Only hearing occasional patch hits on 8564.

The BWI Airport patch activity appears to be gone also.

 

[troymail]

Re: the radio IDs on the wiki -- It appears that at least the Bay Bridge L units and the VRT units do not use the same radio IDs/designations every day.... VRT 807 is using the radio listed as 803 today. The L's haven't matched up at all today.

 

[riveter]

Yeah it looked like the Ls were veh specific for a while, then it all went to pot. Gotta figure out where the mobiles are in the list though, because those are going to hold constant no matter what, and they're probably in a pretty steady series grouped together. VRT is generally constant though, I've only seen a few flipflops like that. I have about 250 RIDs right now in EZScanDG, and I've been working to sort out what's constant and what's not in my spare time.

EDIT: Just adding to the pile- testing on 8566 with mention of BWI.. 8567 and 7313 also. Got a really surprising number show up too, looked like a CMARC-range 5 digit TGID- 11763 with general admin discussion about something.