Ontario MTO - Zone 2 Switchover

[OntarioScannerNut]

So I'm curious.

When these folks switch over to the newer radio system. Will I start to notice any other frequencies being used more often. Ex. 143.805 which is a simplex. I already here MTO - Enforcement on the UHF Repeater Link. And this is all conventional.

When OPP switched over I was used to basically hearing stuff on 411.3125 and Sim1 140.97, but now that that's all completed, the frequencies have pretty well changed, so now I can listen (with more coverage than before) on 413.5375 - BEAT, 410.8625 - VR02, and Sim11 - 148.765, OPC - 142.770

It's not quite time for me to switch over to a trunking radio yet, so I'm not too worried. I'll think about it when I lose the EMS. Never did really hear much of MNR anyway's around here anyhow.

Will I have much to listen to then for MTO once they switchover?

 

[EJB]

Being in Toronto is different cause of all the accidents and such but out your way you will prob only hear stuff in the winter when the weather is bad.

 

[mciupa]

When( they) switch over to the new radio system,will I notice any other frequencies being used ? I already hear MTO - Enforcement on the UHF Repeater Link.

Will I have much to listen to then for MTO once they switchover?

You will miss the road reports and the crews removing road hazards and
assisting Emerg. Services at accident scenes(all of which are Analog) if you don't upgrade to VHF trunk.
You could listen to the different site freq.'s to try and follow conversations but it will be tedious on a conventional scanner.

A digital trunktracker will let you hear MTO Enforcement talk groups and the OPP.
How is radio traffic in Zone 2 ?
I'm surprised you have been able to resist using a trunktracker.
It makes monitoring easier and in my opinion ,more enjoyable.

 

[DaveH]

I think conventionally scanning Fleetnet would be a losing exercise, given the amount of digital traffic. Part of me wants the MTO road ops to stay where they are, where everyone can listen and need not tie up a trunked scanner for those who have them. On the other hand, in Ottawa the road reports which used to be fun to listen to, are now painful. The audio quality is horrible, sounds as if a link transmitter is acoustically coupled from a speaker into another mike, complete with background noise sounding like loud cooling fans. I don't mean the tinniness, a sort of carbon-mike quality, which can actually help intelligibility. Anyway, they may not (hopefully) switch until after this winter road season.
Anyone heard a specific schedule?

Dave

 

[OntarioScannerNut]

Well the road reports I wouldn't necessarily miss, it's the chatter that seems to be the interesting part sometimes.

My area is pretty well conventional with the exception of the new gov't radio system, and I don't see the EMS going to this anytime soon. And well, MTO isn't that busy during the summer anyway's. I usually actually take them out over the summer months to make room for other stuff.

I won't bother trying to listen to the analog stuff on it either. I tried that when I lived in Ottawa, and that Ottawa EDACS system is quite tedious to say the least while listening in conventional mode.

I can hear enough as it is without 'having to listen' to the surrounding counties.

It'll be interesting to see though next winter if I can go without listening to the Provincial Road Crews.

You will miss the road reports and the crews removing road hazards and
assisting Emerg. Services at accident scenes(all of which are Analog) if you don't upgrade to VHF trunk.
You could listen to the different site freq.'s to try and follow conversations but it will be tedious on a conventional scanner.

A digital trunktracker will let you hear MTO Enforcement talk groups and the OPP.
How is radio traffic in Zone 2 ?
I'm surprised you have been able to resist using a trunktracker.
It makes monitoring easier and in my opinion ,more enjoyable.

 

[mikewazowski]

Keep in mind that a lot of the plowing has been contracted out and the contractors are likely to use their own radio system.

Last year when Beamish had the Huronia contract, you would find the crews using their UHF talkgroup on the local trunk system. There was one frequency in the Toronto area that carried the conversations of several of the contractors.

The patrol vehicles were on Fleetnet and would pass the calls onto the plows on their own system.

This year operations are on Fleetnet. Instead of the 4 talkgroups that were used last year, operations have moved to one talkgroup. Things get pretty busy when the weather turns bad.

 

[OntarioScannerNut]

TWD Roads Management Inc. are in fact using the VHF LTR System located at Foymount. There home frequency tends to be 171.255 unfortunately I cannot provide a Talk group for them.

Keep in mind that a lot of the plowing has been contracted out and the contractors are likely to use their own radio system.

 

[hemi]

I have yet to be so luckly and get a didital radio! Heck i still do'nt have a trunktracker, i just listen to the opp on 410.8625 here in zone2[northumberland]There was nothing trunked here so i never got a better radio.......but iam getting a 250d because i hate when some turns off a repeter halfway into a call!!!!