Northern Light/Medcomm Changes

[rockinromac1]

Hey everyone, just looking to see if anyone else is monitoring Medcomm/Northern Lights. Used to get dispatch info over all 3 channels, the Ellsworth one, the Dixmont analog, and the Dixmont DMR. Now I am just getting the tones followed by a warble tone on the Ellsworth one (no dispatch information), nothing heard on the Dixmont DMR one, and am now getting digital noise on the formerly Dixmont analog one. Wondering if they switched to a RAS (Restricted Access System) or encryption? Does anyone have any more info?

 

[Thorndike113]

I monitored 151.55 (the old analog northern lights??) and 152.9975 (152.995 the way RR has it listed for Penobscot County) and both are active with DMR
The following is a screen shot from monitoring 151.55 -

I was able to get voice from both of them but due to me being in a bad spot, I had low signals and adjacent channel interference on 151.55. I don't know if this helps. I am closer to the Dixmont tower. Unless someone else comes up with better info, I will try to monitor it more when I go out that way again. I plugged my VHF Hi-band Base antenna into my Ailunce HD1 and couldn't get any traffic on either. I have been able to receive traffic from 152.9975 in the past. Not sure what's wrong. What exact frequencies were you monitoring?

 

[Thorndike113]

And this is a screen shot from 151.85. There is no voice on this one. Just DMR noise.

 

[rockinromac1]

I monitored 151.55 (the old analog northern lights??) and 152.9975 (152.995 the way RR has it listed for Penobscot County) and both are active with DMR
The following is a screen shot from monitoring 151.55 -
View attachment 118433
I was able to get voice from both of them but due to me being in a bad spot, I had low signals and adjacent channel interference on 151.55. I don't know if this helps. I am closer to the Dixmont tower. Unless someone else comes up with better info, I will try to monitor it more when I go out that way again. I plugged my VHF Hi-band Base antenna into my Ailunce HD1 and couldn't get any traffic on either. I have been able to receive traffic from 152.9975 in the past. Not sure what's wrong. What exact frequencies were you monitoring?

I'm monitoring the following:
Northern Lights Ellsworth: 157.65 w/ D114N and i also added another for digital search
Northern Lights Dixmont (formerly) Analog: 151.55 w/D114N, now added another for digital search
Northern Lights Dixmont DMR: 152.9975 w/ CC14, SL1, TG101

I'm going to keep listening a bit more, however I bet they switched over to a RAS System. Most agencies think that switching over to these will prevent people from listening in on them, however any scanner or SDR can still listen in, your just blocked from listening on a Mobile Radio (Like I have been doing) unless you enter the correct RAS key.

I'll keep you updated with my findings.

 

[rockinromac1]

Update:
I've figured out they are using talkgroups 10 and 11. I think they may be connected? Possibly one is just dispatch and one is units and dispatch? I'm going to have to keep listening. I'm also noticing that they are using both slots, not sure if that's my scanner getting confused or if they are actually using both. @Thorndike113 not sure if you are close enough to try and figure out if they are using both slots or what's going on there?

 

[Thorndike113]

This is a screen shot of what I got. I am only able to copy traffic on 152.9975 because there are 3 different stations that come in adjacent to 151.55. 155.55 also has little to no traffic compared to 152.9975. **As I was typing this, right at the bottom of the box RAS popped up as they started to talk. I also noticed that they come across slot 1 and 2. Hope that helps. That is all on 152.9975.