Also a new TG popped up TG #1 yes TG 1
Montgomery County PSSM Program update
- Thread starter maus92
- Start date
The 250xxxx - 251xxxx RIDs are assigned to Montgomery County for use on their P25 system, and likely the state's P25 system. They may or may not have different RIDs when using "foreign" systems.
What you can do is look at what other tgs have been used by those RIDs. Using that technique, you can deduce what agency / district / unit the user is assigned to - not a perfect technique, but it helps educate your guess, lol.
What you can do is look at what other tgs have been used by those RIDs. Using that technique, you can deduce what agency / district / unit the user is assigned to - not a perfect technique, but it helps educate your guess, lol.
That is what I thought but was not sure. I just updated my Unitrunker a few min ago and its working with no trouble at all. The monkey system is very busy this morning and that new TG 1 kinda surprised me as well. I wonder if that could be the county ex?
Its more likely a test tg
I do not know what TG 6295 and 6755 is but it is encrypted in the police TG range and very busy this morning also with a radio id of 2511306
LiftAssist
Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2022
- Messages
- 26
Are the Police dispatchers using FDMA? Unitrunker is decoding some of the audio, but I don't know if it is just on the dispatch side that it's still FDMA. I haven't bought a second SDR, so I'm not sure how many other units are also FDMA due to the small sample size.
FD side is FDMA for operations. Police is mostly TDMA, but there might be some older subscribers from outside agencies pulling the channel down to FDMA.
LiftAssist
Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2022
- Messages
- 26
After letting unitrunker run for a little while, I've noticed that MDTA PD's ICC talkgroup appears to be consistently FDMA. I don't know if MCFRS Radios are capable of Phase II, but I know they can also listen in on PD. Those are my best guesses at the moment.
Additionally, does anyone know why fire has stayed FDMA?
The county uses APX radios thus are capable of TDMA. The fire service side does have some TDMA tgs for more administrative functions. I believe the remain on FDMA for compatibility with other jurisdictions, and *maybe* they feel FDMA is more appropriate for the fire service.
Not sure why MdTA Police on the ICC are using FDMA mode - perhaps they are still using older radios until the Montgomery Simulcast site goes live on FIRST?
There have been a couple of times that I have caught the ICC MTA PD on TDMA but about 99%of the time they are on FDMA. I have also noticed that when listing to Bay Bridge Ops and MTA at the BB they are also using FDMA but a couple of times they are TDMA. I would have to say its the radios in the patrol vehicles that would be my guess. ICC maintenance so far have been FDMA as well. I am 1 airmile from the tower 5 001 at Rt 97 and the ICC. Waiting for that to come online full time as well.
This morning also I was running my Harris XG100P and noticed that both MCFD and MCPD were using FDMA. How ever when MCFD contacted EMRC they were using TDMA. All morning long its been FDMA.
That would be AA or QA monitoring since they both have jurisdiction on the BB for Fire EMS. Also all morning long State Parks were on Event 3 on the eastern shore in FDMA since I was getting them off the Annapolis Tower but not Howard.
LiftAssist
Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2022
- Messages
- 26
I believe they were having radio issues of some kind. MCP was running some, but not all of the districts on consolidated, dispatch. I don't think I've seen them do that before. There was also at least one instance of dispatch side CAD issues, and MCFRS PIO Pete Piringer tweeted that their side of the ECC was on condition red due to call volume. I know USMS were out this morning, but I can't imagine that would drag the entire system down on the off chance they aren't TDMA capable. I'll turn Unitrunker back on and see if I find any more weirdness.
LiftAssist
Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2022
- Messages
- 26
I'm not very familiar with Harris products, is it possible that your radio managed to affiliate with the system without getting denied or bricked? I'm probably wrong but I'm too new and do not feel knowledgable enough to rule it out entirely. I know the XG100P is TDMA capable, but is there some option to make it choose FDMA when given the choice? Maybe EMRC has requested their talkgroups be TDMA only and that's why the consults weren't dragged down.
I know the old MCFRS radio manual says that they can monitor certain police talkgroups and will only be kicked if they try to transmit. (To be allowed back on you just had to switch to a different talkgroup and back again) I always assumed this meant that MCFRS RIDs were whitelisted, but I suppose it is possible that during the move to the new system, someone decided to cut corners. I can imagine the reasoning that would lead to it, "If these channels are unencrypted and easily accessible anyways, why bother putting in the effort to make a listen only whitelist if I already have a transmit whitelist." My limited understanding of trunking systems leads me to believe that letting unauthorized radios affiliate with your system at all is a very bad idea. I think it is extremely unlikely, but possible (in a world where I have understood how this stuff works) provided the person was lazy enough or somehow knew less than some guy who went with the humanities because logarithms give me a headache.
Like I said probably nonsense, but I've had dumber and less informed thoughts be almost not entirely wrong before.
Last edited:
No there is a way for the Harris XG100P to do a NAS of the system and also you can turn the feature on to see if they are using FDMA and or TDMA plus how strong of a signal you are getting as well. I can also run Unitrunker and I have 4 dongles that I can also run with it so I have plenty of monitoring power you might say. I also have a total of 2 Harris XG100P's ,a xg75M in the 7/800 band, plus a EFJ5100 series that I can use in VHF to monitor Montgomery that way plus all the 800 conventional channels that they use as well.
LiftAssist
Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2022
- Messages
- 26
Impressive setup, you seemed experienced enough to not just go around trying to join systems. I just wanted to make sure before I really went down the rabbit hole on seeing if there is a bigger problem with the system. (it only came to mind because I was looking into remote kill features on different radios relating to captured equipment in conflict zones. Half of the results on google were just threads from the professional forum where someone had asked about buying an APX to connect to their local system)
On a completely unrelated note, what VHF frequencies is MoCo on? As for the 800 conventional channels, are they still in use after the switch? I've been waiting to see if they renew the licenses in like 5 months. I know the database has the 800s, but it also has frequencies with licenses that expired in 2004 with some P25 and DMR channels still listed as FMN.
Well if you look on RR for Monkey conventional you will see the different VHF frequencies. They still use that ol 154.160 for dispatch and for a while they were using 153.9500 for channel 1 but that changed. They use the VHF for backup in case system failure plus you can find a listing of the towers that everyone will switch to depending on where they are in the county.
Here is a link take a look at it and it will answer all your questions for MCFD Radio
PS. Forgot to mention that I have an APX7500 single band unit in the 7/800 programmed with All of MD 1st system plus Monkey,MD, RINS,PMARS, PG,DC,Howard, Fredrick,AA county, Laurel , Sussex, Lewes, Rehoboth , and a Uniden BCD996P2 mounted in my van using a harris all band antenna. I use the Uniden for when I am in WVA, VA, Shenandoah Valley , well you get the idea plus I will have my Harris XG100P unit with me as well so I have things covered. I am looking for a Harris XG00M all band that will not break the bank ,brick only, since I have everything else that I need for it.
Needless to say I do my own programming of my radios and I am greatfull to a few people who helped me learn along the way as well.
Here is a link take a look at it and it will answer all your questions for MCFD Radio
PS. Forgot to mention that I have an APX7500 single band unit in the 7/800 programmed with All of MD 1st system plus Monkey,MD, RINS,PMARS, PG,DC,Howard, Fredrick,AA county, Laurel , Sussex, Lewes, Rehoboth , and a Uniden BCD996P2 mounted in my van using a harris all band antenna. I use the Uniden for when I am in WVA, VA, Shenandoah Valley , well you get the idea plus I will have my Harris XG100P unit with me as well so I have things covered. I am looking for a Harris XG00M all band that will not break the bank ,brick only, since I have everything else that I need for it.
Needless to say I do my own programming of my radios and I am greatfull to a few people who helped me learn along the way as well.
Last edited:
On my almost weekly trip to Montgomery County to check on a computer system, I monitored Montgomery's system for about 2 hours. I noticed that the Wheaton District tg was operating in FDMA. But what was disturbing was the significant low volume of the Ops tg 7A1, particularly when compared to the dispatch tg 7A2 which was loud and mostly clear. Either the console audio calibration was messed up, the telecommunicator's headset was defective, or the telecommunicator did not have his mike close enough to his mouth. If it were me, I'd adjust the sidetone so they can hear if the mike is too far away from their mouth.
The low volume has been like that for the past 2 weeks or more. I monitor Montgomery daily and plus also Silver Spring District has been going back and forth between FDMA and TDMA as well. As for the low opps its really bad at 0300 in the morning.
Similar threads
