New GSP mobile repeaters

[ButchGone]

GSP has changed their portable radios in the field and their mobile extenders from UHF to 700MHz. The vehicle repeater output is 765.4375, with a PL tone of 156.7.
This was variefied while on scene of a large search operation in Whitfield County today. Whats nice is the trooper VHF radios are set on scan so you hear all the mobiles on 154.800 and local sheriff repeaters coming through on 765.4375. The trooper cars now have 3.5" antennas for this, instead of the 6" whips with the old UHF system. The new repeaters also put out clean sound, not broken with squelch bursts like the older ones.
So troopers keep their 700/800 portables on one channel to use with their vehicle repeaters, and can switch to another channel to communicate with the local PD/Sheriff trunked system, like they do in Catoosa and other Georgia counties on 800MHz trunked systems.
BG..

 

[Julian1]

GSP Extenders

Butch... Way to go on the new info!

I look forward to trying that out.

 

[b7spectra]

Looks like it's time to program in a new frequency to the 996!

 

[beeeno]

Thanks Butch. Plenty of Activity heard today here in Ringgold. Thanks again for the heads up.


David

 

[relicwr]

Only around Atlanta right?

 

[beeeno]

Only around Atlanta right?

Heard activity here in Ringgold, and while I was driving around Chattanooga today. Pro-106 with an 800MHz ant. It was the usual troopers that work this area.

 

[Casey]

Only around Atlanta right?

The two areas mentioned by the posters aren't Atlanta. Now I would be very interested to know if Troop C/Metro Atlanta units are going to use this setup. Anybody who lives in the city knows that when GSP moved away from the 155.9100 repeater network they also gave up their old UHF vehicular repeaters and just went direct (mobiles and portables) with the various trunk systems using their 800 radios. BUT, because GSP uses the Atlanta trunk further out than the Atlanta/Fulton County boundaries I am wondering if they are going to use the 700 band car repeater as well now for better hand-held coverage in those fring areas. Also, I'll provide a report on the new vs. old frequency use on the 575 corridor when i get a chance coming up if someone else doesn't beat me to it. Can anybody find a press release a vendor has released describing the equipment contract award from the state?

 

[KI4RDO]

i was out with a buddy earlier and saw a state trooper in cobb with a xts radio so i assumed he was on cobbs digital system because of the 800 antenna, so i guess that its a safe assumption that they are using that in cobb now, i will keep my ear open in kennesaw then

 

[mikey60]

GSP has changed their portable radios in the field and their mobile extenders from UHF to 700MHz. The vehicle repeater output is 765.4375, with a PL tone of 156.7.
This was variefied while on scene of a large search operation in Whitfield County today. Whats nice is the trooper VHF radios are set on scan so you hear all the mobiles on 154.800 and local sheriff repeaters coming through on 765.4375. The trooper cars now have 3.5" antennas for this, instead of the 6" whips with the old UHF system. The new repeaters also put out clean sound, not broken with squelch bursts like the older ones.
So troopers keep their 700/800 portables on one channel to use with their vehicle repeaters, and can switch to another channel to communicate with the local PD/Sheriff trunked system, like they do in Catoosa and other Georgia counties on 800MHz trunked systems.
BG..

Wish I had seen this before yesterday when I drove through there..

Mike

 

[b7spectra]

i was out with a buddy earlier and saw a state trooper in cobb with a xts radio so i assumed he was on cobbs digital system because of the 800 antenna, so i guess that its a safe assumption that they are using that in cobb now, i will keep my ear open in kennesaw then

I have their channel (Cobb TRS 31639) and haven't heard a peep out of it. I would venture to say they are working off the Atlanta system (ATL TRS 44208).

 

[Casey]

I have their channel (Cobb TRS 31639) and haven't heard a peep out of it. I would venture to say they are working off the Atlanta system (ATL TRS 44208).

Mike you are right, they all (for better or worse) have stuck with the City of Atlanta system since it works most of the time. But if metro units are using these car repeaters it would definitely help them farther out from the city limits...but alas no reports yet from usage in metro counties. By the way there is another verification on the new secret frequency from Frank on the scanatlanta board, he says 'I was traveling I-16 from Macon to Savannah. I heard GSP traffic on this (700 mhz channel)
> frequency. The traffic was brief but it was GSP. I also heard them using
> the UHF frequency at another location along the trip.'

 

[Casey]

Here is an article that should give more information on the 700 system, and why it is analog (most public safety 700 mhz communications are digital). Pyramid makes the vehicular repeaters for the California Highway Patrol also I know.

http://www.region43.org/docs/700mhz/PyramidCommLetterArticle.pdf



I think I found out how the state found cash to pay for all of this, the radios and equipment were part of a Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant Program awarded 9/30/2007 from US Dept. of Homeland Security...here's the PDF document:

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/psic/IJ/ga.pdf

The long and short of it is about 2.5 million set aside to 'purchase equipment to upgrade state mobile communications vehicles, a cache of 800 mhz radios (new 800 radios do 700/800 mhz)'

 

[MTS2000des]

good move, they can now carry ONE portable (XTS5000) that does 700/800. Downside to this is while on a conventional channel on the VRS they cannot scan the trunk system personalities without losing priority monitor, it's one or the other- but it beats carrying TWO radios. And being able to get on good old' VHF with a high power 1.21 GIGAWATT mobile (which you NEED in an urban area to overcome the 60db of noise from wireless routers, CPU clocks, Ethernet, DSL modems, powerline noise and all the other hash and trash on 150MHz in the ATL) is a great backup when your 120million dollar P25 DTRS goes offline.

GSP lives on the Atlanta TRS and the system has pretty wide coverage well outside the city of Atlanta. It sounds damn good too- especially compared to the potty sound of P25's ancient 1996 vintage IMBE vocoder.

 

[b7spectra]

They still have that 3rd radio - wireless microphone back to the patrol car!

 

[Casey]

Chris Corley on scanatlanta is reporting the frequency in use as reported in Molena, GA (near LaGrange, so another good verification! I wonder if the mobile repeaters have extra channels or capability for digital? I've programmed in a close call for 774 mhz to 776 for any alternates but I'm thinking at this point for simplicity sake the state has set them all to the single frequency and PL ButchGone found, just like they did for UHF.

 

[Metrofire31]

I made a trip Tuesday of this week to Albany and back to Atlanta on Wednesday and heard traffic on the new 700 MHx repeater all up and down I-75.

 

[beeeno]

I heard lots of traffic on the freq last night. Ringgold. What I don't understand is 90% of the traffic sounded like local law enforcement dispatch. Not GSP traffic. Domestic calls and Bugular alarms. Sounded like maybe Dalton from some of the road names. Does this make sense? Also hearing the "regular" still on 154.800 and 154.680.

 

[Casey]

The mobile repeater is repeating the Trooper's mobile radio which is in scan mode, the troopers car radio will tune back to the Troops Base frequency if there is any traffic and go back to scanning the other local channels, very much like one of our scanners with a priority channel.

 

[beeeno]

Ok, I got it now. After I re-read Butch's original post, i kinna figured it was something like that. Thanks for the clarification.

David

 

[b7spectra]

I made a r/t to ATL today and of course forgot to program in the 700 frequency. GSP Evil Knevils (motorcycles) were out and heard them on the Atlanta TRS. I did get behind a Dodge Charger and the only antenna's on it were a UHF & VHF Hi Band.