Newbie Question about Multi-Site Trunking

[WuLabsWuTecH]

So I read the wiki and understand the example of Officer Bob from Smalltown. But there is one question that remains unanswered. How do you know which site is the "home site" for any given talkgroup?

So in Officer Bob's example, the Smalltown PD dispatch TG is on the Smalltown Site. And the staties talking on their channel are on the big city's site. But do you just take a stab at which site is the home site for each TG based on location of the department?

 

[pinballwiz86]

So I read the wiki and understand the example of Officer Bob from Smalltown. But there is one question that remains unanswered. How do you know which site is the "home site" for any given talkgroup?

So in Officer Bob's example, the Smalltown PD dispatch TG is on the Smalltown Site. And the staties talking on their channel are on the big city's site. But do you just take a stab at which site is the home site for each TG based on location of the department?

No need to take a stab at it. It's clearly labeled in the database.

For instance in my area:

Missouri Statewide Wireless Interoperable Network (MOSWIN) Trunking System, Statewide, Missouri - Scanner Frequencies


Let's say you want to monitor the Highway Patrol Troop I. It is in Phelps county, MO.

So you look at the frequencies listed for Phelps. You add them all in to the site or "home site".

Then, you add the talk group IDs and label them under Troop I.

BUT, in Phelps county there is also the Rolla PD, Fire and university. You just add them in as well under their own classification (Phelps County).


[[[So yes, you find the home site for the talk group you want by COUNTY/CITY.]]]

Hope that helps.

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

Bear with me here since I'm not familiar with the system you referenced, but I see you are listening to Troop I.

So I go down to the listing that says: "Missouri Highway Patrol - Troop I (Rolla) Talkgroups"

Where in that table does it say that Phelps County is the site you are looking for? Or do you have to go back up to the top site table of frequencies to find "Rolla"?

Also in your system, there appear to be 3 sites in St. Louis County/City (Edward Jones Dome, Lambert, and STL City-north). How would you know which of the 3 towers a given TG is on?

And finally, I get that there are the categories listed by County, and that's how you know *for those* which one is the "home site," but what about for ones that are listed as statewide? In your system, it would be like "Region G -Interoperability Talkgroups" or "Missouri Department of Natural Resources Talkgroups"

Thanks!

 

[JoeyC]

To answer your question. How do you know which site is the "home site" for any given talkgroup? Short of getting a list from the system administrator for trunked system, (good luck on that) you don't have any way to know short of listening and old fashioned detective work on you own. The database does not tell you, but you can make educated guesses based on the locations of the sites in relation to the purpose of the TG.

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

To answer your question. How do you know which site is the "home site" for any given talkgroup? Short of getting a list from the system administrator for trunked system, (good luck on that) you don't have any way to know short of listening and old fashioned detective work on you own. The database does not tell you, but you can make educated guesses based on the locations of the sites in relation to the purpose of the TG.

Too bad it's not on Radioreference!

Is it really that hard to get a list from the system administrator? Granted for one of the systems for me, it'll probably be as easy as walking down the hall, but for the other one, since most of these systems are state or municipal owned, won't a public records request and about ten bucks get you a list within the week?

 

[WA0CBW]

Talk groups may or may not have a home site. Many systems are set up so that a talk group only shows up at a site if there is a unit affiliated with the site. I load all the Missouri talk groups I want to listen to into the scanner. I enter only the sites that are within range of the route I take from KC to Rolla.. That way if a site I am near broadcasts one of the talk groups I want to monitor I will hear it. A system administrator can also dedicate a talk group to a single site. That means I won't hear that talk group unless I am in range of that particular site. Look at the makeup of the talk groups in the Missouri system and you will see that certain talk groups are dedicated to state wide broadcasting (all sites) and some are dedicated to local broadcasting (local sites). In any case you have to be in range of the site and the site must be broadcasting the talk group that you want to hear.