New Newton County system

[I_Am_Infinite]

Drove by tower today. They have 2 teal colored rods now where he white antennas used to be. Maybe there temporary or maybe permanent and they went with 2 more Omni directional antennas and not back to those white directional type. Maybe they had to order new directional ones. Guess we will see.

So there's 3 antennas, which makes more sense, the one on top that @west-pac pointed out being a p25 antenna before because it's teal. So now 3 of them the bottom 2 being somewhat longer.

Hopefully they stay this way I think this is better for signal for me compared to before. I know yet drove around all day yesterday testing in places so maybe it will stay.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

Here's pics of the tower as of yesterday, with all teal Omni's on it.

 

[werinshades]

What is the NAC for this system?

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

What is the NAC for this system?

Says 420 on pro197 and on SDS 200 420h, it's the same as System ID. I thought this might change thinking it was a matching testing SysID/NAC, but its not seeming like it will, unless it's after they got the FCC license. Idk.

 

[werinshades]

420h is 420 Hex on Uniden, so more likely will remain the same. Could add it to the database.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

I was gonna add that and couple other things, like the patch to region D MA 1 on TG 19 is no longer in use, so I was gonna submit to take it off, but it's telling me to login and I'm already logged it, so I don't wanna login again while logged in a mess up something. I only added a couple things to the DB before and I don't remember having to be double login. I'm not sure.

On side note it seems some units (FD,PD, Etc) are still using the SafeT system but on their new radios. Cause I'm trying to log radio IDs and match to the units number. It seems it only shows me their radio ID if I'm on the system they are actually on (SafeT or New system)

An example say 56-5 keys up to talk to dispatch, on the PSR 800 and pro96com it shows the dispatchs Radio ID (3001) for him and dispatch replies it also shows 3001 RID for them as it shud cause it's their RID. On the pro197 monitoring the SafeT system (at the same time, cause they are linked/patched) it shows 5610511 his actual RID and dispatch as 56105xx their normal on this system now.

Now say 56-16 keys up to talk to dispatch, it shows his RID (5610488) and dispatch replies it shows their normal 3001 RID. Now on the SafeT system (at the same time) it shows the dispatchs RID of 56105xx (I put xx cause I can't remember of hand) for both dispatch and the unit.

So I think when it actually shows their (the units PD, FD, Etc) RID it's the actual system they are on. So say if I see 56-91 keys up, I see his RID on the SafeT but dispatchs RID on the new system As he speaks, I know he's currently using the SafeT system. But vice versa if I see his RID on the new system and dispatchs RID on the SafeT as he talks I know he's on the new system then. Cause dispatch is 3001 on the new system and 56105xx on SafeT always. It's the units that vary how they show up, seemingly depending on which system they key up on. If it's the system they are on it shows their RID, if it's the system their traffic is being multicast on it shows dispatchs RID.

I noticed a few times dispatch forgets to key up both the TG on each system so u will only hear one side of the conversation, usually it's the new system that gets forgotten and her transmission comes across SafeT but not the new system. It happens once in a while, not to often thou.

Another thing I noticed is whatever system the units are on is, their voice comes across there 1st, like a 1 second delay compared to the system they are on. So that tells me the system is rebroadcasting their traffic to the other system they are not actively on. If the unit is on SafeT, it's rebroaded over to the new system and vice versa. Dispatch seems to key up on SafeT first but I'll have to confirm this, I'm not 100% sure if that's always or sometimes, or just random.

I've not seen a system before using the same exact SysID and NAC, that's why I thought this wud change eventually, but it seems its highly unlikely they will now since it's in use now.

Guess that my briefing of what I'm seeing

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

Just if anyone needs the rest of the information.

SysID: 420
NAC: 420
RFSS: 001
Site: 001
WACN: BEE00

All I know so far, I'll see when FCC license gets posted and post it here.

 

[Indianabrad]

This afternoon (3/19/26) It seems the new system is having an open carrier issue. Some of the TGs are keyed up for minutes with no audio. And it is the dispatch TGs, so WTH?????

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

This afternoon (3/19/26) It seems the new system is having an open carrier issue. Some of the TGs are keyed up for minutes with no audio. And it is the dispatch TGs, so WTH?????

I noticed that before I left to my Dr appointment yesterday. Fire TG was open carrier as I was leaving but by time I got back few hours later everything seems fine.

Wish all units wud get back on the new system so I can log their RIDs but I'll get them as I can.

 

[speedway_navigator]

Now that the wind has died down the crew will be able to mount the 6' microwave dishes to complete the back haul network.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

Now that the wind has died down the crew will be able to mount the 6' microwave dishes to complete the back haul network.

I did see another dish on there the other day. Now there is 2 dishes. 1 looks be pointing to the other tower and the other pointing to dispatch.

 

[west-pac]

I did see another dish on there the other day. Now there is 2 dishes. 1 looks be pointing to the other tower and the other pointing to dispatch.

The other may point to a 3rd tower. You should try to find that other tower and see if their are more teal colored antennas on it. A 3-tower simulcast system is the common standard. Before Newton county I've never heard of a 2-tower simulcast system.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

The other may point to a 3rd tower. You should try to find that other tower and see if their are more teal colored antennas on it. A 3-tower simulcast system is the common standard. Before Newton county I've never heard of a 2-tower simulcast system.

Guess there's always a first for everything 🤷🏻. I assume it has to do with the size of our county why they used only 2 instead of 3. I cud think of 2 better spots for the towers that wud split the county really well, but it was easy, cheaper etc to put it on the property of the 2 med sheds of our county.



I tend to think the bottom 2 teal antennas that are there now after the directional white ones got messed up, will be switched back to the white ones and the teal top one will remain as they were before the tornado damaged the other 2. I kinda hope the Omni's stay.



Below, I created a thing with X, _ , and periods. So you can get an idea of where in the county the towers are. I tried in the post but it messed up my diagram so I took a screenshot of it in notepad. Our county don't have straight edge on north cause the river is the county line on north but the diagram gives the idea

_ = meridian and division, X = tower sites, . = 1 mile

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

They were doing coverage testing all day today, from essentially the bottom of the county, East and west up to 100N, a mile north of division, the county's center horizontally.... I heard a spot or 2 in 90s and one at a 100, Neg he says. Guess meaning -100dbm

I figure tomorrow or soon at least they will do our end. The Omni's are still up at the north tower, I noticed one of the mounts don't stick out as far as the other side, there not equal like they were. Hopefully they fix that. Maybe I can get the zip file posted of a majority of the testing files if someone likes to listen to it like I did and do.

There is still units using the old stuff because I can't get the RID of the new one when they use the old system. So I got some of the units and there numbers etc figured out, trying figure out mobile, portables etc .. got 183 RIDs I think now with not even 40 units identified.

Hopefully they tell them all to the new one again like it was before the storms went thru and they started using both depending on where they were.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

They were doing drive test again since around 8:30am and stopped about 30 min ago. I had an issue with my scanner so I needed a reformat. Before I reformated it I forgot to get the recordings off, so I lost the recordings.

Worse part I didn't get to listen back to them before they were deleted. Even more worse it was my area I heard sumava but missed them the Convos and was gonna listen later, then post the drive test files. I essentially heard about 10 minutes live as it happened and all the rest I will never know how it went. I really wanted to know how good signals wud be in my Town.

If anyone else logged the files for today for the radio test I'll greatly appreciate a copy of the audio files, only TG 101 files

I'm such an stupid idiot for deleting those I wanted to keep them saved, archived. Especially today doing the north end of the county and my town, and I delete them. Can't be much dumber than that.

I'll keep day one files I got saved in case someone wants listen if not im gonna just delete that to since I deleted today's and no point have one without other. Im so upset with myself. 🤬

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

TGs 28, 29 the "Scan" ones seem to be coming across now, just heard Jasper County thru it. It's actually kinda cool, hearing another counties dispatch thru my own county's system. I seen Lake pop up but was just key ups. Assuming maybe 27 also with ISP Scan but haven't seen it yet.

It's like the state system but not at the same time.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

TG 27 ISP Scan = Region A Mutual Aid 1
TG 28 Jasper Scan = Jasper County Sheriff Dispatch
TG 29 Lake Scan = Lake County Sheriff Dispatch.

 

[mr10pt]

If somebody "in the know" can explain why that's needed, I'd like to be educated. If it was for fire channels/mutual aid, I understand that.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

Seems the ISP isn't working right now, there's traffic on region a ma 1 and nothing shows on pro96com now after it worked early today. Jasper and lake still working. Jasper in pursuit that's why I noticed ISP not working now.

 

[I_Am_Infinite]

If somebody "in the know" can explain why that's needed, I'd like to be educated. If it was for fire channels/mutual aid, I understand that.

Im definitely not in the know, but I'd say it's kinda a mutual aid thing but they just can't talk on them TGs to the person being monitored, I think it works similar to a scanner is. It's just so they can monitor they neighbors for anything. Probably wud be a Benton and Kankakee Counties TG also if they weren't encrypted.