MontCo upgrades

[HM1529]

I’m on my 13th adjustment in two days. I keep making changes. I’m fortunate enough that the 800 foot hill behind me blocks the East system, so that’s not an issue for me and I really never go east of here beyond Rofo for the most part.

I have my G5 set up for Philly, Bucks, Chester, Berks, Montco, PA-STARNet, MD-FiRST, NJ-ICS. Needless to say, it's a bit messy under the hood as I've fiddled all along the way. I'm tempted to just start over to have a cleaner codeplug now that I know better what I am doing with it.

 

[cavmedic]

No bucks but I have added places like cape
May and chincoteqgue VA both analog and their respective state wide systems. What’s messy is making analog scan lists and having to create an analog dump , such a waste of space.


I’m now playing around with the two tone over p25 on Berks. That was a bit of a head scratcher but I THINK I got it, so now to wait and listen for those stations to get toned out.

 

[cavmedic]

And I almost bricked it because my password wouldn’t work...... effing caps lock

 

[RES27CUE]

My G5 was originally programmed with the idea that they'd carry all talkgroups on both zones (silly me). In the Norristown area, my G5 will not unsee the east zone (there are three east zone towers less than 5 miles away), so I have not heard a peep from the west zone. I haven't had a chance to take a ride toward Pottstown to see if/when the G5 would actually latch onto the west zone. I need to find a few minutes to reprogram the thing so I can have a west knob position that is only set to see the west zone.

Same thought so don't feel bad i basically set mine up as followed all control channlels in one zone P1-all Tgs P2-ems P-3 west P-4 east P5- event P6- FP P7- municipal stuff and P-8 dispatch

I'm sitting here for two days scratching my head saying im 3 miles from the EOC (norristown area) and its staying locked on East when on the scanner i set it up the same way and was getting west traffic. I have to say i wish they didn't follow the highband route and kept it the old way with dispatch. I understand its easier to combine them but ems runs non stop 24 hours a day and i like to keep it locked on dispatch not only does it kill the battery faster but im sure everone experienced it your trying to listen to a job and here comes ems dispatch cutting it off for a skinned knee. As much as i know time and technology changes i wish back to the days of when everyone had their own channels, the new system is very confusing to me. Why does each region need a response channel a on scene channel a fireground channel and a event channel and on top of it now ems are operating on fire ops channels seems like over kill. Interops is a great thing don't get me wrong but it was always very simple fire had their stuff ems had theirs and if there was a need to pull them together you had a event channel or a pscoord. Too much channel jumping is going to end up with traffic not being heard and cause a disaster in my opinion we have already seen it on the old system.

 

[kh11]

"Montgomery County Completes Transition to New Public Safety Radio System"

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

"Expanded capacity" yet decreased transparency. But I digress...

 

[maus92]

Just a note that G4/G5 radios will lock on the first usable control channel it finds and only moves if it becomes unusable. This tends to create problems when in an area where multiple control channels are usable, but not all traffic is carried on all sites.

 

[policefreak]

Just a note that G4/G5 radios will lock on the first usable control channel it finds and only moves if it becomes unusable. This tends to create problems when in an area where multiple control channels are usable, but not all traffic is carried on all sites.

The way I've been programming Unication pagers is to have a knob scanning Regions 4-6 and Fire Ops off the East site, a knob scanning Regions 1-4 and Fire ops off the West site, and a dedicated knob for each region/fire ops off the site that carries that region. I do not put the two sites together on any knobs. The West site (CC 852.1375) comes in very spotty as far as NE Philly going up Cottman Ave. It comes in about 1-2 bars in Horsham which is only a few miles from the first West transmitter. The East site has excellent coverage from most of Philadelphia pretty well into Burlington and Camden County NJ.

 

[trap5858]

I have yet to reprogram my scanners. In the past I kept the east and west systems separate. We will see how it goes. No need to tie up valuable scanner memory with useless police frequencies anymore! Soon Bucks will be taking the same path. Thanks to all who are doing the research.

 

[radio3353]

I have yet to reprogram my scanners. In the past I kept the east and west systems separate. We will see how it goes. No need to tie up valuable scanner memory with useless police frequencies anymore! Soon Bucks will be taking the same path. Thanks to all who are doing the research.

It is no different with the new system. You really need to program the East and West sites separately. They each have their own control channels.

 

[trap5858]

It is no different with the new system. You really need to program the East and West sites separately. They each have their own control channels.

That is how I did it for the old system and how I will do it for the new!

 

[Septa3371CSX1]

Stupid question, but those random key ups you say , were they On any of the ENC TG’s?
I’ve been seeing a bunch of fire/ems keyups which is probably whacker factor of the field operators or someone bumping the mic on their shoulder strap. The APX seems to be super sensitive where you touch the PTT , it keys whereas the older xtl’s you had to hold them in for a bit before you got the tone chirp to talk.

Since the Unication doesn't pass encrypted talkgroups I haven't noticed any random key ups on those channels. I do have a wildcard talkgroup set up for this and every system I have in it but so far I've only heard programmed talkgroups.

As far as West System vs East System, I'm mainly monitoring either from home in Delco or work in Chesco. In Delco I can only pick up the East System which makes sense based on where that zone is. Meanwhile in Chesco most of the time I pick up the East System but it can vary. In Paoli I've picked up both zones (mostly east) but in Exton it picks up West while a short distance up the road in Lionville and Eagleview I get the East System.

I'm noticing with the new system there seems to be less use of the Event channels and more use of the new Fire Ops channels. Don't think they've had a working fire in Montco since the switch (at least that I've monitored) so we'll have to wait for that to happen to see if the Event channels still get switched to.

 

[HM1529]

Since the Unication doesn't pass encrypted talkgroups I haven't noticed any random key ups on those channels. I do have a wildcard talkgroup set up for this and every system I have in it but so far I've only heard programmed talkgroups.

As far as West System vs East System, I'm mainly monitoring either from home in Delco or work in Chesco. In Delco I can only pick up the East System which makes sense based on where that zone is. Meanwhile in Chesco most of the time I pick up the East System but it can vary. In Paoli I've picked up both zones (mostly east) but in Exton it picks up West while a short distance up the road in Lionville and Eagleview I get the East System.

I'm noticing with the new system there seems to be less use of the Event channels and more use of the new Fire Ops channels. Don't think they've had a working fire in Montco since the switch (at least that I've monitored) so we'll have to wait for that to happen to see if the Event channels still get switched to.

The fire region and fire ops channels are the main channels, along with local firegrounds, for fires. Event channels are supposed to be for preplanned events or large scale events requiring multiple channels. Events are assigned by dispatch

 

[phillydjdan]

I'm still trying to figure out thier new SOPs. They seem to be ordering fire units right to an OPS channel upon dispatch on some calls whereas on other calls they operate on the REGION channel.

 

[HM1529]

I'm still trying to figure out thier new SOPs. They seem to be ordering fire units right to an OPS channel upon dispatch on some calls whereas on other calls they operate on the REGION channel.

If fire and EMS are dispatched to the same incident, an ops channel is assigned.
Fire only calls will stay on region unless they request to move to the ops channel or fireground.

 

[whsbuss]

I'm still trying to figure out thier new SOPs. They seem to be ordering fire units right to an OPS channel upon dispatch on some calls whereas on other calls they operate on the REGION channel.

Maybe they will adapt the Philly fire model.... announcing tac channels at dispatch.

 

[Septa3371CSX1]

Maybe they will adapt the Philly fire model.... announcing tac channels at dispatch.

They're basically doing that on calls where both fire and EMS are dispatched. The call that went out earlier for a technical rescue at Jenkintown Station they said on dispatch to operate on Fire Ops 5.

 

[whsbuss]

They're basically doing that on calls where both fire and EMS are dispatched. The call that went out earlier for a technical rescue at Jenkintown Station they said on dispatch to operate on Fire Ops 5.

Yep and the vehicle rescue EB turnpike for 56 & 44 did the same for Ops 6

 

[maus92]

We assign response channels on initial dispatch in our county - no active incidents are held on the dispatch tg. Seems to be SOP in our region.

 

[Septa3371CSX1]

Got dragged out to the outlets in Limerick today. Unication didn't switch over to the West System until I was almost at the Royersford exit of 422. Had my VHF XTS tuned to some of the rebroadcasts and a few of them were active with traffic from the new system. Lower Providence's channel has all of the region channels plus the OPS channels while Royersford's Region 2 rebroadcast also has EMS Hail. At least these are an option for folks who don't wish to upgrade to a P25 Phase 2 capable scanner in the range of these channels.

Also I checked the old system in my Pro 106 and all of the control channels are off air - just caught 2 channels with a weird sound that wasn't quite a P25 control channel.