Orange County CCCS P25 Update

[allend]

The reason why the laguna canyon ASR site was added was because there was a gap in coverage between Laguna Beach and Irvine on Laguna Canyon road. The CountyWide and South and Laguna Cells could not penetrate thru the canyon road for Fire and Medic.

 

[PaulNDaOC]

I find these findings amazing

I knew before all the PD's went to 800 the canyon would be a problem. How could a radio expert not have already built that into the system until now? That's an active area for responders.

 

[Markb]

Digital vs analog. Analog probably was intelligible but scratchy through that area. With digital, there's probably just robot noise, or maybe they could get through, but they want to keep the Bit Error Rate down. I know that in the Samta Ana Canyon, the coverage is spotty near the Riverside County line. You can take a step and get out where you wouldn't be able to where you were previously standing.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[RWPowell2]

I knew before all the PD's went to 800 the canyon would be a problem. How could a radio expert not have already built that into the system until now? That's an active area for responders.

Mark's answer is correct. When an analog transmission is in a shaded area from the repeater site the signal has static, the weaker the signal the more static until the audio becomes unintelligible. Digital transmissions have a “cliff effect” as the bit-error-rate gets too high the audio drops-out. This was part of the system acceptance testing. Yes, law enforcement units did have problems in the canyons but most of those bad areas were well known and they also had access to analog talk groups. Dispatchers and first responders are aware of these areas and can usually work around the problem.

Some radio user are not familiar with this problem. Case in point: during the cut-over to the new system, some paramedic transmissions dropped out and the base hospital nurses did not understand what happened. They were familiar with the static when a unit was in a poor coverage area but had to be trained on the difference using the digital system.

 

[PaulNDaOC]

Mark's answer is correct. When an analog transmission is in a shaded area from the repeater site the signal has static, the weaker the signal the more static until the audio becomes unintelligible. Digital transmissions have a “cliff effect” as the bit-error-rate gets too high the audio drops-out. This was part of the system acceptance testing. Yes, law enforcement units did have problems in the canyons but most of those bad areas were well known and they also had access to analog talk groups. Dispatchers and first responders are aware of these areas and can usually work around the problem.

Some radio user are not familiar with this problem. Case in point: during the cut-over to the new system, some paramedic transmissions dropped out and the base hospital nurses did not understand what happened. They were familiar with the static when a unit was in a poor coverage area but had to be trained on the difference using the digital system.

Sure, I get that this is new for fire, but PD and SD have had to deal with it for 17 years now.

I'm quite familiar with analog and how an adept ear can pull things out of static that digital will just not get.

This is how Universal Studios was for LASD from day one of the 480 system and quite a bit of areas along PCH in Malibu,Topanga Canyon, Acton and on the Palos Verdes Peninsula just to name some.

Digital scares me.

 

[allend]

Well we are now over 30 days dark so far. Hopefully in 30 days the Chiefs keep up to their word

 

[Eng74]

The techs got a lot of radios to touch. If I remember right they said it would be about 60 or more before it will get done.

 

[ed3750]

i mentioned this previously.......can they start by putting dispatch consoles in the clear? And then begin work on the field units.

 

[Eng74]

I am really not sure how it works but, they may not be able to do the dispatch consoles first. That is a pure guess on my part.

 

[piper9285]

Ok, so, I'm no longer picking up Anaheim FD; I'm guessing this thread explains why. When, exactly, did they go dark, to scanners?

 

[Markb]

I went back through this thread for ya. It was June 17th.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[tkenny53]

I would guess the consoles can do both at the same time, decode as needed. Thus this keeps them in front with the OCSO, and as the field units get reset, then they become in the clear. Seemingly the radios would have to decode both ways.

 

[Robertolson]

My Guess is the transmissions will come back in the clear one site at a time.......... just like how they went dark..... one site at a time..................................... just a Guess

 

[gabrielm]

Just FYI, I tweeted OCFA PIO last night asking for an update. This is what they said.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1154243825134534657

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[allend]

This is a big mess that OCSD and The Fire Departments created and its going to take some time to reverse. Trust me a month or so feels like forever but for them as a government agencies its a blip on their radar. I see it happening but this could take months and if they can't even give us a timeline which they said 30 to 60 days then we are pee on's when it comes to obtaining more information. All we can do is keep on them and keep asking the questions.

 

[bigmattyl]

Im certain the the OCSD which is very pro encryption is in no rush to take it back off of fire... anything that comes up will supercede this effort

 

[Robertolson]

Anyone hear any Red Channel activity lately........the First week of the p25 takeover, there was a quite a bit of Red Channel activity.....I have not heard a peep in 2 weeks ?

 

[gabrielm]

I would encourage everyone to tweet the OCFA Chief and the PIO (as I recently did) to keep asking for updates. we need to be a pain in their butts about this and remind them that we are not going to let this go.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MEDIC135]

Anyone hear any Red Channel activity lately........the First week of the p25 takeover, there was a quite a bit of Red Channel activity.....I have not heard a peep in 2 weeks ?

RED went dark awhile ago. Should be updated in the DB now

 

[allend]

I would encourage everyone to tweet the OCFA Chief and the PIO (as I recently did) to keep asking for updates. we need to be a pain in their butts about this and remind them that we are not going to let this go.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I say right at 60 days of the tweet I would start directly emailing their work email address and bug their admin assistants since they manage their Outlook inbox for emails. The Chiefs see their mailboxes but their admin assistants filter and take the work load off for the chief. Keep in mind that admin assistants work thru the chiefs emails all day long and "send on behalf for the chief". So when you think an email comes from them be aware that this email could be sent on behalf of the chief. I deal with this kind of work daily in my job with admin assistants and CEO and CFO for companies. It's no different. High level authority people do not respond and send emails on minimal BS stuff daily. Its the job of their admin assistants to do this work while the white collar high paid worker can meet and greet and attend functions and show their brass.