New Newton County system

[speedway_navigator]

Just read about the storm that hit Newton after Kankakee, you guys OK?

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

Just read about the storm that hit Newton after Kankakee, you guys OK?

I am Thanks, think it was a tornado that hit southern end of lake village, family dollar looked damaged last night. Hopefully thou everyone else is ok. I know one of the posters in this thread was from lake village by the firehouse and his friend from by the library.

The one by the library wud been close to the northern side of the "tornado" and the southern side of it being around family dollar area. Assuming it was a tornado it seemed cross 41 go into a subdivision south of lake village elementary and thru that same path crossing 300 west thru lake village heading like east northeast ish or so, again it seemed by looking at night yesterday and assuming some of the path based on what I cud see.

Hopefully the northern tower was undamaged completely. And didn't mess up antenna alignments or anything cause there seemed be couple issues at times last night

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

In lake village proper, this screenshot is about the area and seeming possible width of the tornado and damage path I seen last night. Not perfect for sure but so people can get a idea of the houses and area affected by it. 🙏😪 For those of us we lost today

 

[speedway_navigator]

The north tower microwave dish rotated after an angle iron bracket broke, the fiber backup took over. One TX antenna is at a 30° angle.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

The north tower microwave dish rotated after an angle iron bracket broke, the fiber backup took over. One TX antenna is at a 30° angle.

I thought so last night, signal levels were absolutely terrible on 3 of the frequencies and better on the other 3 but even and reduction in strength on those also. So I think the southwest antenna might be off to. 770.09375 is decent, not perfect, 771.09375 is decent to, 770.70625 is awful dropping from 4-5 bars to 3 to nothing back and forth a lot, transmissions cutting out. And I think, I'll have to confirm but I've not seen the other 3 frequencies being used right now. I don't have pro96com running rn so I'm watching. Maybe the got the other antenna off and why I see only 3 frequencies in use.

I drove by there earlier today, there was also like 7-8 telephone poles downed over like 100 ft west of the med shed on northside of SR 10. Think the tornado was in the process of crossing the road there from the south side of 10 to the north.

Odds the tower gets a tornado test this quick is pretty crazy, well they know it works and if wasnt for a tornado bending antennas out of position, it be still running perfect. Just like u said though, when I drove by one of those white antennas is pointed 30 degrees and kinda twisted back a lil. The other one kinda looks not perfect either like it will need adjusting and based on signal strength is definitely off compared to normal. The microwave is definitely rotated, instead of pointing South essentially it's pointed like SW.

I got a pic of it, it be so reduced in res cause limit and I don't know how do it better on this turd tablet. Hopefully they can get it all fixed soon. My pops said they had a van out there early this morning, wasn't no one when i drove by though.

On side note I heard an officer saying he was going to AMA 2 but I heard essentially no one ever despite search and rescue, Task Force 1 was there FEMA but ya I heard nothing. I thought maybe they brought a repeater there just for the disaster. Is the mobile sites possibly used in this situation and I Shud try one the sites off SafeT database?

I'm keep an eye on it I'll report back anything and watch the frequencies, see if I notice anything

 

[speedway_navigator]

I imagine TF-1 is in the federal UHF range around 406-420 and encrypted.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

I imagine TF-1 is in the federal UHF range around 406-420 and encrypted.

Thanks for all this info, I appreciate it. I thought I read it was an Indiana FEMA Task Force so I thought maybe they had SafeT TGs that wud pop up if I didn't have them programmed or they might had a mobile state repeater there.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

Early today they were using only 770.08125, 771.08125, 772.20625 only and not the other 3 frequencies today, the opposite of yesterday, it made me think they were working on it today, I was gonna go look but didn't, I'll probably do it tomorrow.

It was as of probably evening time, they started using all frequencies again. So maybe they fixed it. When power went out I hooked up the psr800 to the laptop to power it and watch on pro96com but I seen new channel numbers 15-xxxx not the usual 00-xxxx numbers, it had both.

At first it had only the 6 regular frequencies that it always had since I started the program but as the comms came the 15-xxxx were popping up, I'm like what are these. And all traffic was coming on these not on the 00-xxxx channels.

So I deleted the files for the system so it would show fresh CC data and populate. And then it immediately populated 770.08125, 770.09375, 771.08125, 771.09375 as control and ACs but not 772.20625 or 772.70625 then comms came and the 15-xxxx channels came back with all frequencies, well besides the CC rn 770.08125.

So is this just slot 2 and before it was using the other slot, or phase 2 yet and essentially being phase 1 til recently and I just noticed when I happened to turn on pro96com again? Or is this something they had to configure because of the tower damage as a work around?

Here's screenshot of what I mean on pro96com

 

[usswood]

Looks like Phase 2 has been turned on

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

Looks like Phase 2 has been turned on

Thanks I wasn't sure I'm kinda new to pro96com.

 

[mr10pt]

As of now I can hear the new system on my 536 connected to a discone. It was deaf before. I can also hear it on my 100 inside the house with Remtronix antenna. Don't know if changes were implemented, or, if the propogation gods are smiling this direction.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

As of now I can hear the new system on my 536 connected to a discone. It was deaf before. I can also hear it on my 100 inside the house with Remtronix antenna. Don't know if changes were implemented, or, if the propogation gods are smiling this direction.

Ya I thought u might got it better since yesterday. I wanted to confirm but even before my post yesterday I noticed when all frequencies came back the power was increased, pretty decently. Right now I'm getting it as I always thought I Shud have, the signal strength I was hoping for since the beginning.

The wind don't even really touch my signal now it's pegged, even with those 60mph gust today. Hopefully it's just fully online now, and since it seems to be in phase 2 mode now. I thought at first yesterday maybe they just powered it up to help with the disaster and because the antennas were damaged. But now I think they might got it fixed and powered it up fully now.

I wanted to get over there an check the tower out today but couldn't get the chance today, so I'll try tomorrow

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

They are messing with stuff again. Signals on the system seem not as good now. They been doing testing for bit so maybe the signal increase, it was just a temporary thing happening because of damage on the tower and now they fixed it. Idk but it's honestly annoying the heck outta me.

I just want to be able get the system full bars, even with ATT on with no change because of wind and that is essentially what it was until today again, just frustrating getting my hopes up then crushed

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

I just heard the starke county dispatch thru FD/EMS Dispatch like what the heck are they doing. Also I know this morning they were having some radios issues for some users with low volume they had a ticket open, now the signals are different and not as good, got TG acting funny broadcasting another county.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

Well I looked and what I think now sucks. When I went by the tower, the white antenna on the southeast that was hanging off and it's mounts, are removed. The white antenna on the southwest side has been removed also and a normal, rod looking teal antenna similar to the one on very top but longer, is now mounted there.

So that is why there has been a boost in my signal strength, it's a Omni they got up now and not a directional type like the white ones that were up and at some point will almost certainly be back. When the antenna swap happens my signal and @mr10pt and others not in a direct radiation pattern from the antennas will return to our normal (null or reduced radiation patterns)

So that's why this whole time I'm feeling and knowing, I Shud get so good a signal it be impossible to lose, or fluctuate, but it just hasnt been that way ever. But since this north tower is so close to the lake county border they used directional antennas to keep it in the county and not propagate to far north. Me being not to far WNW, I ain't in a direct pattern to receive the fullness of it's ERP.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

Something going on right now with the North tower at the least. I'm hearing units fine but not dispatch. Radio IDs on pro96com are showing 3001, the dispatchs RID, regardless which unit is talking. CC switch around 10:34 and I noticed it started acting weird right then and since.

Seems also TG 19 is no longer a SafeT patch of Region D MA 1, heard radio tech testing on it today, so seems they took that off .. I'll confirm at report back.

 

[speedway_navigator]

Your EMA director is here in Vegas for IWCE, I will ask him about any problems tomorrow.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

It's still weird today. They have some linking going on. It seems opposite of before. The radio IDs on SafeT showed 1 radio ID always unless it was a conservation unit or state unit it wud show their radio ID and on new system it shows the dispatch radio ID when they talk.

Now it's opposite, on the new system on the law dispatch it shows essentially only the dispatch radio ID of 3001 regardless of who is talking. Which kinda sucks because I been logging radio IDs and matching units to each ID, so now I can't do that.

Still lots of radio tech testing on TG 101, rn and essentially all day.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

Also a missing frequency (772.20625) all day to, not in rotation or showing up at all. Their doing coverage test to it seems. Heard them at state line, then Morocco earlier today, and just heard a guy testing from Remington and just now in Wolcott where he said signal drop. So those are in Jasper County. Off south tower hopefully they do that up here off north tower where it needs be done bad

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

Heard what I think was an FBI unit with RID of 9305924 and was on Law Dispatch he called himself 1904. I never heard a number like that on the Newton County system or previous system ever in my time monitoring.

There was 3 other of the same 9305xxx series logged also but never talked. 19 units on the state system are FBI. 9305552, 9305929, 9305623 and one similar 9306352 RIDs.

Also 772.20625 back in use.

Edit: also TG 19 is no longer a patch to region d ma.