New antenna on Las Cruces DASO cruisers

[ILikeHatchChili]

What's with the little antenna on top of the DASO cruisers running around in Las Cruces? (of course, Las Cruces is in Dona Ana)? New radios?

 

[abqscan]

Any pics for us?

 

[ILikeHatchChili]

Pics for us...

Sorry, no pictures. I will try to describe: Antenna on top center (close to center, behind overhead lights), about 8" long with something that looks like a center load coil, in the center of the ~ 8" rod. I tried to search the FCC database for new frequencies for Dona Ana County using this link, but I am not too savvy of what to look for.. I assume I am looking for Dona Ana County. Maybe I should look up info for the State of New Mexico..

http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/genmen/index.hts

Maybe the SO is now using 800 MHz MDTs (mobile data terminals). I will try to monitor the SO freqs to see it anyone talks about the "other radio" or "new channels" or "data terminals..
Of course, I could go up to one of the officers and ask "what's that for?", but I don't have the guts to do that.

 

[mdulrich]

Look in one of the cars and if there is an MDT you probably have your answer.

Mike

 

[andrew_m]

Hello all,

We may be getting MDTs soon. A few DASO, PD units have them. E4 and AP6 has one. And also Sunland 07 has one. From what the boss said (director of MVRDA) they may get them for everyone in the next few months. We had them before, but there was some problem with them, i've askd but no one will tell me what that problem is. But I don't think thats the antenna your talking about, the MDT antenna is a round plastic thing on the rear trunk. About 4 inches tall. But don't hold me to that, i'm still a rookie at MVRDA.

 

[ILikeHatchChili]

No, Andrew, the antenna is a vertical "whip" (more rigid looking than whippish, because of short length, and it is near the center of the roof top.

I suspect the problem with having MDT's is the distraction during driving. When LCPD had MDTs and conventional voice radios, very frequently, I would see an officer driving in traffic with his head tilted to the MDT screen. Would that be worse than using cell phone not hands free?

LCPD got rid of the MDTs about the time when they went EDACs trunking.

 

[ILikeHatchChili]

BTW, Andrew, since you are dispatcher for the Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority, you might know some of the SO guys. Ask them what the new little antenna is for, and if for a radio, with whom do they talk to (other agnecies, e.g. Homeland Security)... may as well get the frequencies if you can.

73

 

[andrew_m]

haha, i'm still a "rookie" so they may not give too much info to me. anyways officers don't drop by that often.

 

[ILikeHatchChili]

Whenever you are talking to an SO officer on the radio, ask him: "Am I coming to you 10-2 through your long or short antenna?" See what he says.

 

[andrew_m]

I just went on my ride alongs, didn't see any other radio besides the unit radio. For DASO and PD. Now the AP units have 3 radios, City Fire (trunked), Med-10, and county fire. Thats why when we call them we have to say what we are calling on.

"Centeral to AP6 on City Fire"

 

[ILikeHatchChili]

Did you mean that the SO units have a radio for the PD? or do you mean that SO will go to LEN (which is conventional 155.19 linked to the trunked PD system so that SO is using conventional and PD is using their truncked EDACs radio when they are talking to each other)?

My question is "what's the little antenna on the top of the roof"?

Thanks for the footwork..

 

[ILikeHatchChili]

I just went on my ride alongs, didn't see any other radio besides the unit radio. For DASO and PD. Now the AP units have 3 radios, City Fire (trunked), Med-10, and county fire. Thats why when we call them we have to say what we are calling on.

"Centeral to AP6 on City Fire"

========

btw. county fire...(you are talking about 155.31?).. I hear Spanish-speaking stations using it... The county should use a PL on this frequency, which they do not to mute out those transmissions. County fire 155.31 is also linked to the city fire's EDACs system (ID 03-170) and I hear the Spanish-speaking stations on that too. Same as MED 6... There are Spanish-speaking stations on that conventional frequency (463... whatever for MED 6), but the county and city are using a PL so that you guys and the City fire stations do not hear the interference. I programmed my Unidens with the PL so that I don't hear the inteference. I have a RS scanner which does not have PL capablity so that I have to live with that if I use the RS radio. Hope you can fix the county fire problem.

 

[andrew_m]

Ok, I talked to a DASO officer, he said that antenna is for the new GPS tracking system for the units. He also said to tell you not to be spying on him, haha. I got a 911 so couldn't ask any more questions.

..And usally I don't hear spanish over county fire, without a PL, but the Tac channels have it alot. And 03-170 is the patch to State Fire, not county. I usally have that talkgroup locked out unless there is a big MVA and MedicVac uses State Fire for L/Z info.

 

[ILikeHatchChili]

Ok, I talked to a DASO officer, he said that antenna is for the new GPS tracking system for the units. He also said to tell you not to be spying on him, haha. I got a 911 so couldn't ask any more questions.

..And usally I don't hear spanish over county fire, without a PL, but the Tac channels have it alot. And 03-170 is the patch to State Fire, not county. I usally have that talkgroup locked out unless there is a big MVA and MedicVac uses State Fire for L/Z info.

Andrew, thanks for the footwork. You make a good detective. I must have misread your previous post. I thought you meant 154.31, the State Fire, when you mentioned County Fire (154.13). Yes, County Fire 154.13 (transmitters and receivers) does not use PL.. But the Spanish transmissions are on 154.31 and I think they are using PL (I captured the PL once with my Uniden). However the NM State Fire receivers are not using any PL (also their transmitters naturally) so that they can pick up any transmission on 154.31 whether or not that transmission has a PL. If the State Fire were using any PL other than that of the Spanish stations, then the State Fire receivers will not hear the Spanish stations. Now because the State transmitters are not using a PL, the receiver for the patching interface into the LC Fire trunking (ID 03-170) has to use no PL. Consequently when listening to the trunking for CLC, 03-170 will rebroadcast the Spanish stations. Try monitoring 03-170 when not required, you will hear the Spanish stations. They are on the air more often than the NM State Fire stations are.

BTW, the PL for 154.13 is 114.8. The PL for 154.31 is 0. The PL for MED 6 (463.125) is 136.5. MED 6 really needs it because in the early mornings especially, Spanish stations come on that frequency, and if you monitor them without a PL you will hear them. If those Spanish stations are indeed using a PL, it is NOT 136.5. I don't know where the transmissions are from or what they are doing because I don't understand the language.


Tell your SO friend thanks and to cool it... nothing personal... tell him I have my own GPS (2 Garmins). If he wants to tell you the coordinates he is using, I'll take that too, haha.

Now I can sleep at night knowing I am not missing anything.


73s

Peter

 

[andrew_m]

Yeah they know about the spanish traffic coming over the stations. We had to move Med-10 to Med-9 for a bit because of traffic from Mexico messing with the Med-10 traffic.

 

[CapSS92]

Quick question for you guys, I work for El Paso Fire Dispatch and we sometimes call New Mexico when we get cell calls from NM that hit El Paso towers and get routed to us. What is the New Mexico Central Communications? That is the dept we call but I don't know anything about it. Just curious. Thanks.

 

[ILikeHatchChili]

Quick question for you guys, I work for El Paso Fire Dispatch and we sometimes call New Mexico when we get cell calls from NM that hit El Paso towers and get routed to us. What is the New Mexico Central Communications? That is the dept we call but I don't know anything about it. Just curious. Thanks.

I suspect it is the MVRDA, the Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority, where poster Andrew_m works now. He can better answer your question than I with more specifics. In fact, you might have talked to him whenever you called over to LC.

Question for you: I know this is a Texas Discussion question, but as a NM scanner listener and who sometimes try to discern what is going on on the west end of El Paso (closer to Las Cruces).... are you guys now using digital Provoice on EDACs trunking like I hear rumors of, besides using the current Motorola trunking? hope not..

Peter

 

[CapSS92]

To the best of my knowledge we are not using any EDACS system at all and there is no plan to use it at least for FD/PD. There are some backup systems in place that I can't talk too much about but I can tell you that it is all Motorola. The new radios I have seen come in are all Motorola 3000's and 5000's. HTH.

 

[andrew_m]

Interestng information, I know what your mean by "can't talk too much."

I did see however that little antenna you where talking about on 617s unit, his the guy who told me about it, really nice guy, disstenct voice too.

And I know what you mean about Dona Ana county calls going to you, I'm always getting El Paso, Otero county, even got a Juraz Mexico call before, when El Paso was flooding so bad. Even got a call from a lady that runs a rest home in SunlandPark saying everytime someone there calls 911 it goes to El Paso. BTW dispatch in Cruces is 505-526-0795, we have an 800 number but I don't have it on me. And yes, if you call Saturday-Tursday 1500-2300 you will probly be talking to me, haha, with 2 call takes and 6 dispatchers (not all take calls all the time) I get alot of calls. Just last month, the last 2 weeks of the month to be more narrow, I took 698 calls.