Monmouth County 700 MHz Project 25 TRS

[NESN]

NAC added to the site.

Are you also stating that the active CC for the South Simulcast is now 771.53125?

Sorry,my notes got mixed up. I'm hearing the CC on 772.45625. DJ & HighPockets: it's not real strong here either.

 

[NESN]

The Millstone & Upper Freehold towers are both transmitting the CC for the South Simulcast. This is picture of the Upper Freehold tower. The Microwave cone is facing East towards Millstone and/or Freehold and has a solar panel on top of it.
Without a PSR 800 unable to monitor voice.

 

[GM]

Looks like that microwave is pointing towards the Neptune tower, which is now live, as I picked up the South Simulcast CC of 772.45625 NAC 4A1 R001 S001 showing up on my PSR 500 from that area. I am able to pick up a signal 50% of the time in Belmar on unitrunker, so I'll see what I can grab as well as time permits and forward it on to here for analysis.

 

[GM]

I've run unitrunker on the Monmouth 700 MHz TRS for most of the night and day, and so far only TG's 1, 304 and 305 show up. And 304 shows "P4" so I'm guessing that's a Law Enforcement type TG since it's ENC. I'm also assuming it's TDMA mode since "the Uni" (unitrunker) is showing two of the same frequencies in the call history.

 

[GTR8000]

I've run unitrunker on the Monmouth 700 MHz TRS for most of the night and day, and so far only TG's 1, 304 and 305 show up. And 304 shows "P4" so I'm guessing that's a Law Enforcement type TG since it's ENC. I'm also assuming it's TDMA mode since "the Uni" (unitrunker) is showing two of the same frequencies in the call history.

Yes, P4 = Protected, Priority 4...in other words, encrypted. 304 and 305 could be system techs using encryption, not necessarily active law enforcement usage just yet.

The TDMA channels will have two entries with the same frequencies, one LCN apart with an 03- LCN prefix. Monmouth's voice channels for the South Simulcast should show up in Unitrunker like this:

03-1244 - 769.78125
03-1245 - 769.78125
03-1476 - 771.23125
03-1477 - 771.23125
03-1524 - 771.53125
03-1525 - 771.53125

The FDMA channels (primary and alternate control channels and CWID channel) will have a 01- LCN prefix:

01-1244 - 769.78125
01-1672 - 772.45625
01-1828 - 773.43125
01-1912 - 773.95625
01-1952 - 774.20625

You probably aren't seeing the TDMA entries for 769.78125 yet, assuming that's the CWID channel. You will see TG 65536 appearing on that channel every half hour when it sends the call sign out.

 

[scannersnstuff]

i know it's interesting to follow the progress, and to see all the new tg's, but isn't it going to be pretty much a moot point since the system is supposedly going to be totally encrypted ?.

 

[DJ88]

i know it's interesting to follow the progress, and to see all the new tg's, but isn't it going to be pretty much a moot point since the system is supposedly going to be totally encrypted ?.

My point exactly as I mentioned previously. ALL Law Enforcement is going to be encrypted, and fire & EMS are staying on VHF.

 

[GTR8000]

Any activity on the North Simulcast frequencies yet?

 

[CastorLB]

There's a couple of antennas now up on the Fort Monmouth tower and a microwave dish (Honestly just noticed them and am not sure when they went up... I think recently). The dish looks like it's pointed towards Long Branch area not to another tower site which I find odd unless it's just not configured yet. I didn't bring my scanner to work with me so I can't tell if it's broadcasting or not.

 

[squad1321]

There's a couple of antennas now up on the Fort Monmouth tower and a microwave dish (Honestly just noticed them and am not sure when they went up... I think recently). The dish looks like it's pointed towards Long Branch area not to another tower site which I find odd unless it's just not configured yet. I didn't bring my scanner to work with me so I can't tell if it's broadcasting or not.

Castor: I haven't been through Shrewsbury/Eatontown lately to look, but is it the newly constructed tower or the old red/white tower? According to microwave routing plan I obtained, Ft. Mon is supposed to be linked with the Highlands and the new Neptune (W Bangs Ave) towers. The Highlands tower has two MW dishes pointing towards DPW District 10 (Rt 520 Marlboro) and toward Ft. Mon. Contractor probably didn't align them yet.

 

[brownlab]

I would think that Fire/EMS would also move over to P25 TDMA since they have gone to all that trouble to build it however, I would imagine that they will simulcast the dispatch on the current VHF frequency. About the PD and encryption, it appears that most departments in the county are UHF or VHF so would there not be a requirement to upgrade the equipment in the field? We were shopping radios the other day and a Motorola 7000 series APX radio w/ AES and DES Encryption costs around 7K a piece. Who is paying for this? The local towns and townships? Are there towns that are not currently participating in the county-wide dispatch system? What happens to them? Not trying to say that this is not happening (since it is) but it is odd that there was no public notice or announcement of a public safety communications upgrade (except for the FCC filing). It is an expensive proposition and there seems to be a lot of unanswered questions. Anyhow just asking………..

 

[james32746]

The Millstone & Upper Freehold towers are both transmitting the CC for the South Simulcast. This is picture of the Upper Freehold tower. The Microwave cone is facing East towards Millstone and/or Freehold and has a solar panel on top of it.
Without a PSR 800 unable to monitor voice.

I think that is an ice shield for the microwave antenna and not a solar panel.

 

[scannersnstuff]

although i don't know everything, i was told that it was the general consensus of monmouth county fire chiefs to maintain the old vhf radio system. you would at least have to maintain a paging channel,since it's not possible to do that over a trunk. i try yo leave my personal opinions out of the conversation,but can't now. i'd be very upset if fire went to the trs. police,not so much.

 

[CastorLB]

Squad... I was looking at the brand new tower that was built at the new County Highway garage right inside of the Nicodemus gate off Broad St in Eatontown.

 

[squad1321]

Squad... I was looking at the brand new tower that was built at the new County Highway garage right inside of the Nicodemus gate off Broad St in Eatontown.

Cool. I haven't seen that tower yet in person. Thanks.

 

[squad1321]

I think that is an ice shield for the microwave antenna and not a solar panel.

It is an ice/snow shield...Highlands site has one, as well.

 

[DJ88]

although i don't know everything, i was told that it was the general consensus of monmouth county fire chiefs to maintain the old vhf radio system. you would at least have to maintain a paging channel,since it's not possible to do that over a trunk. i try yo leave my personal opinions out of the conversation,but can't now. i'd be very upset if fire went to the trs. police,not so much.

I had a copy of a video, which I no longer have, that explained everything about the new TRS and it was stated by the narrator that fire & EMS would stay on VHF. Whether or not that will change in the future remains to be seen.

 

[brownlab]

I had a copy of a video, which I no longer have, that explained everything about the new TRS and it was stated by the narrator that fire & EMS would stay on VHF. Whether or not that will change in the future remains to be seen.

Well if they said Fire/EMS was going to stay on VHF then it probably will at least for the foreseeable future. TDMA capable radios would be wow………….a lot of money.

 

[squad1321]

Well if they said Fire/EMS was going to stay on VHF then it probably will at least for the foreseeable future. TDMA capable radios would be wow………….a lot of money.

Because the majority of the Fire/EMS services didn't want to go trunked (because of $$$ and fireground safety issues), MCSO had said they would be investing in all brand new Fire/EMS (VHF) base radios/antennas, located at the new & existing tower sites and linked using the new microwave system. I would think once fully implemented, this should provide better quality VHF comms then the (very) old system of today.

 

[brownlab]

Because the majority of the Fire/EMS services didn't want to go trunked (because of $$$ and fireground safety issues), MCSO had said they would be investing in all brand new Fire/EMS (VHF) base radios/antennas, located at the new & existing tower sites and linked using the new microwave system. I would think once fully implemented, this should provide better quality VHF comms then the (very) old system of today.

When Loudoun VA went TDMA (which is where I live now, I used to live in Atlantic Highlands), they already had a P25 TRS in place. Monmouth will be going from a collections of UHF/VHF systems to a new digital Public Safety System (or at least for the nurermou police departments) and there is just more to it than building towers. Weak signals, no signals, and dead spots will probably be common at first until they work the bugs out so yes, just as well Fire/EMS are not participating. (One well known NY county is still simulcasting their police on UHF after switching over to TDMA and Encryption last summer and I have no clue why). The Monmouth County TRS TDMA roll out will be very interesting.