Orange County CCCS P25 Update

[PrivatelyJeff]

Does everyone take their radios home or are they left at the station, because between the 2, I don’t think they have that many, maybe 1500-2000 radios in service daily, unless they all take them home. I would think they could reprogram them fairly quickly if they do like I said, which is just go station by station and drop off reprogramed ones, take theirs that need the new plug and dump it in and take those to the next station. 3 people could do it in less than a month.

 

[speedway_navigator]

I haven't programmed a Motorola since Jedi and Trbo days. Can encryption be turned off by zone or is it by personality?
Years ago I thought we could turn encryption on per channel with the rotary collar but now we're all E all the time.
In my thinking you would need to send a new code plug to remove E, or can just the key be wiped out which accomplishes the same thing?
thanks

 

[wa8pyr]

I haven't programmed a Motorola since Jedi and Trbo days. Can encryption be turned off by zone or is it by personality?
Years ago I thought we could turn encryption on per channel with the rotary collar but now we're all E all the time.
In my thinking you would need to send a new code plug to remove E, or can just the key be wiped out which accomplishes the same thing?
thanks

Programming is by talkgroup; each is set for encryption always on, always off, or user-selectable. User-selectable isn't generally a good way to go; radios decrypt whether encryption is on or off, so a user who forgets to turn it on would be transmitting in the clear and compromising the communications, while everyone else is transmitting encrypted.

If the key is wiped out all you get is a "Key Fail" warning, and the radio just won't work on the encrypted talkgroups.

The only option if encryption is set to always on is to change the codeplug and reprogram all the radios.

 

[allend]

Programming is by talkgroup; each is set for encryption always on, always off, or user-selectable. User-selectable isn't generally a good way to go; radios decrypt whether encryption is on or off, so a user who forgets to turn it on would be transmitting in the clear and compromising the communications, while everyone else is transmitting encrypted.

If the key is wiped out all you get is a "Key Fail" warning, and the radio just won't work on the encrypted talkgroups.

The only option if encryption is set to always on is to change the codeplug and reprogram all the radios.

Well it seems that that jury has made their verdict. That means a whole bunch of radio's will need re-touch. The OCFA Fire Chief said DO IT>

 

[Eng74]

Does everyone take their radios home or are they left at the station, because between the 2, I don’t think they have that many, maybe 1500-2000 radios in service daily, unless they all take them home. I would think they could reprogram them fairly quickly if they do like I said, which is just go station by station and drop off reprogramed ones, take theirs that need the new plug and dump it in and take those to the next station. 3 people could do it in less than a month.

Normally the only ones who have take home radios are battalion chiefs and above, safety officers, and arson unit. The article in the LA Times said they have more than 1,500 radios. Figure a base radio and two to three mobile radios three to eight HT’s per station depending on the staffing it adds up. Normally the BC will have a two or three spare HT’s for their battalion too. Not sure about how OC’s new system but normally each HT is assigned to a seat on an apparatus, engine 74 captain, Engine 74 firefighter, etc. so when the oh sh*t key, dispatcher appreciation, emergency button is pressed they know who did it. So I bet the radio techs are having to go to each station and update each radio.

 

[allend]

Well to be honest with you 1,500 radios is not accurate. All of the county has over 20K radios. So for the fire departments 1500 radios does not add up. I believe when OCFA bought new APX radios I believe they bought over 7K radios which included the mobile and the portable units. I believe 7K radios were only for OCFA not including the rest of the OC departments.

 

[Eng74]

I could see the 1,500 just the radios at the stations and on frontline equipment and HT’s on the floor.

 

[allend]

https://voiceofoc.org/2017/07/count...t-with-motorola-for-emergency-radio-overhaul/

 

[RWPowell2]

The old Countywide site is gone as of 9AM this morning. It's strictly P25 digital from now on. I going to miss analog audio.

 

[techman210]

"The OCFA Fire Chief said DO IT> "

Remember, the Sheriff owns the radio system and employs and directs all the engineers and techs. We are all aware what a lovely relationship that the Sheriff and County Fire had regarding airships recently.

We're in the start of the fire season and I can see a bunch of excuses that could delay this for months - or forever. In December they could just decide "it's been working, let's not change anything".

I would think that all the LE also have fire talk groups in their radios, so those would have to be changed as well.

The most logical assumption to make the change would be to create new talk groups in the system, slowly reprogram the fleet, and on "day zero" start using the new TG's. Then the next time the radios are serviced, a new codeplug is loaded (this would be codeplug #3, for those that haven't been following along ) removing the old encrypted talk groups.

 

[allend]

You are sort of right but OCFA has their own radio communication department with their own techs too. They do make decisions too.

The OCFA Fire Chief is not going to go back on his word. This would not look good for him and for his decisions that have already been made for his employee's.

"The OCFA Fire Chief said DO IT> "

Remember, the Sheriff owns the radio system and employs and directs all the engineers and techs. We are all aware what a lovely relationship that the Sheriff and County Fire had regarding airships recently.

 

[Markb]

I would think that all the LE also have fire talk groups in their radios, so those would have to be changed as well.

They aren't supposed to. They have interoperability TG's specifically for that purpose (i.e. PINK and TAN)


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[allend]

Wonder if now considering today was it on the old analog system if AIRCALL and RED are in the clear or gone now

 

[kearthfan101]

Wonder if now considering today was it on the old analog system if AIRCALL and RED are in the clear or gone now

I listened to a pursuit on Red a few days ago. Control One was clear, units were encrypted.

 

[allend]

I listened to a pursuit on Red a few days ago. Control One was clear, units were encrypted.

Was this on the new P25 system or the old CountyWide Cell that got retired today?

 

[RWPowell2]

Correct....all Law Enforcement radio have LE TGIDs loaded along with the interoperability TGs. Except for the helicopters. Now that the old zones 1-9 no longer exist, will the OCC re-label zones 21-29 to 1-9.

 

[RWPowell2]

Was this on the new P25 system or the old CountyWide Cell that got retired today?

Yes......At 9AM this morning.

 

[RWPowell2]

Maybe I should read the post before I reply. Yes......the old Common Mode Interface CW Cell is no more. The new P25 is the only CW Cell. They also changed the Control Channel.

 

[allend]

Maybe I should read the post before I reply. Yes......the old Common Mode Interface CW Cell is no more. The new P25 is the only CW Cell. They also changed the Control Channel.

Maybe you should keep reading because you are still going in circles.

 

[Markb]

Correct....all Law Enforcement radio have LE TGIDs loaded along with the interoperability TGs. Except for the helicopters. Now that the old zones 1-9 no longer exist, will the OCC re-label zones 21-29 to 1-9.

That is the plan. I have heard that they were going to reprogram again anyway to update the zone numbers back to the original 1-15 or whatever.

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