Orange County Fire Dispatch ?

[jeffmulter]

The Radio Reference database lists 154.385 as county fire dispatch, and 154.175 as Orangeburg (city) fire dispatch.

I've only heard county departments paged toned out on 154.175, and have never logged 154.385 in use by the county or city.

Recently, I've been hearing 155.625 / 118.8 in use with both tone out, and fire ops for county departments ... so I'm curious ...

Anyone have a current breakdown of channel use by the fire agencies in Orangeburg County ? Including 155.790 R and 155.910 ?

BTW - 154.175 is simulcast with 155.625 on only some of the station tone outs.

Thanks for any insight !


Jeff Multer
Fort Mill, S.C.

 

[CCHLLM]

It's interesting you've mentioned this as I've noticed the same thing during my trips to and through the North area. Someone has suggested that they've made the switch to the Palmetto system and are using the 625 freq as the multicast, but that doesn't explain the "sometimes" traffic on 175.

 

[INDY72]

Hmm maybe the twin toning ones are say mistakenly labeled, and are really county ops- North VFD/EMS, and South VFD/EMS,.. with FG's/Tacs on the Palmetto 800? We have a couple of simular set ups in MS with the Hinds County system, and the Adams County system. I would also expect to soon see this in Berkely County SC,.. the Tone Outs on the VHF's and FG/Tacs on the Palmetto 800. Good to know that there are folks over there that can keep the corrections and fixes comming for those of us that still have a few ties with the Carolinas.

 

[jeffmulter]

My apologies ... when I looked at the SC Forums this morning, my first reaction was, "who posted a thread for Orange Co (NC) on the SC Forum ?"

Sorry - I can't multitask (type and read) some mornings ! I meant "Orangeburg."

BTW - I noticed both today and yesterday that ULS databases weren't available for some high band frequencies, such as 155.625 MHz.

The county's use of the Palmetto system likely has something to do with how the county is now using its conventional channels.

It may be that they also got tired of interference issues with Darlington County Rescue, which also operates a repeater using 154.175 / 118.8 R as the output.

In late August, the Orangeburg EOC director (Ken Harrill ?) posted on several lists requesting input on addressing malicious interference to fire dispatching. He described the source as an individual using profanity ... not another agency.


Jeff Multer

 

[kg4ekc]

Oburg FD

Channel 1 154.385 is the fireground channel. It is not repeated and even with an external antenna in the county I do not hear very much.

Channel 2 154.175 is Dispatch. It seems to be simacast on Channel 1 unless thier is a major issue.

Orangeburg Cty EMS is all on 800 Palmetto

Calhoun Cty Fire and EMS Dispatch is 155.805, I do not know of a fire ground channel for them.

KG4EKC

 

[jeffmulter]

And 155.625 / 118.8 is channel number ?.

This channel airs some Orangeburg dispatches that are not broadcast on 154.175 MHz, so I'm curious what it's purpose is.

Thanks,


Jeff

 

[kg4ekc]

155.625

I am still not very sure what that frequency is. It might be Santee FD or Neeses FD I will try and remember to put it in and monitor it and I might be able to tell something based on that.

KG4EKC

 

[kg4ekc]

Extra Frequency

I had to go somewhere this afternoon, so I programed that frequency into my 2 meter mobile and listened as they dispatched a call to Santee. It was Similcasted on that freq also. I have heard Dispatches similcasted on the 154.385 freq before. I am pretty sure that is Santee Base but, will listen a while and see. The other thing is the way the radio system is set up there are 2 or 3 towers. I just figured that they used UHF to link them. They are not repeated as yet though. Very wierd and old system in a large rural County.

KG4EKC

 

[kg4ekc]

New Frequency

This is without question a Dispatch frequency. I have been monitoring it on my scanner and my 2 meter Rig. It is repeated. I am hearing both sides of the conversation that are too far for simplex. Yesterday I heard Pinehill's side of radio conversation from Cameron on my 246T with stock antenna.

I do know they have been trying to implement some upgrades to their VHF system. There are a few different repeaters up now and have been up for a few months. I am not sure if they are working well. The last Fire Commision meeting there was a great deal of complaints about the radio system. I did not even know this frequency existed.

I will listen longer and I have a couple friends in Dispatch and Emergency Management that I will need to catch up with and inquire.

KG4EKC

 

[jeffmulter]

Thank you, Greg, for all your follow-ups regarding 155.625 MHz.

I originally thought the county was using a second dispatch channel due to interference on 154.175 from Darlington County ... Darlington Co Rescue dispatches on 154.175 / 118.8, which is the same frequency and PL tone as Orangeburg.

I guess I'm also curious as to how 155.790 R is being used in the system,

BTW - while reviewing the FCC database, one of the Orangeburg Co vhf frequency licenses caught my attention because of the "attn to" name on the license ... Capt Roger Heaton. He doesn't work for the county ... he's with SLED, as the supervisor of the Investigative Services office in Orangeburg. The license covers a repeater on 158.850, and might be an interesting frequency to monitor in your area.

For those reading this thread, here's the information presented in the FCC license for Orangeburg County Fire:

Summers Ave Complex (dispatch center?)
- 453.6625 (low-power one-way outbound link to another site)
- 458.6625 (low-power one-way outbound link to another site)
- 453.2625 (low-power one-way outbound link to another site)
- 453.2625 (low-power one-way outbound link to another site - 2nd listing)

Cook Road, Orangeburg
- 155.625 R
- 154.175
- 159.210
- 155.235 (ems)

Gibson Street, Orangeburg
- 154.175
- 453.2625 (low-power one-way outbound link to another site)

Ellis Avenue Ext., Orangeburg
- 154.175
- 154.385
- 155.235 (ems standby)

Neeses Highway, Neeses
- 154.175
- 155.790 R

Bonner Avenue, Santee
- 154.175
- 154.175 R

Additionally, Elloree and Santee FDs also have base / mobile licenses covering 154.175 and 154.385. Neese FD is licensed for 154.205 MHz., and Santee FD has a repeater on 154.325 (153.830 in).

County Fire Control and EMS both have talkgroups on the Palmetto 800 trunked system, according to the RadioReference database.


Jeff Multer

 

[kg4ekc]

Orangeburg

Those 400 Mhz frequencies are the repeater links. I knew they used these to link, Santee, Neeses, and the Cook Road Repeater. They are using multiple frequencies to link different parts of the county. I did not even know of this 155.625 freq. So I must say thank you.

I do know they have a heck of a time keeping the Cook Road Machine (155.625) running. That perticular tower is a lightning magnet. There is a Ham Repeater there that always gets hit. Sheriff Office used to run off this site also. I think the 400 Mhz repeater is still sitting in thier idling away. At least the last time I was at that site.

Fire uses VHF only. The Star Team uses VHF and Palmetto 800. Dispatch uses the Group ID that says FD. They call it Disaster. I am not sure if HazMat is using 800. EMS uses 800 only.

Also, there is some experimentation going on to get the whole system up and linked with multiple repeaters. It does not look like this is going well though.

KG4EKC

 

[jeffmulter]

155.235 MHz / 118.8 Hz tone ... the old Orangeburg Co EMS dispatch channel ... was audible here this morning with Bollentown and Norway responding to call that was cancelled.

It was interesting that besides 155.235, the dispatch and mobile traffic was also being simulcast on 155.625 / 107.2 AND 155.790 / 107.2 .

( I've previously noted Orangeburg traffic using 118.8 Hz, rather than 107.2 Hz on 155.625 MHz, but I don't know if this is a change in tones, or whether more than one tone is being used on the repeater. There is only one repeater site listed for the county on this frequency. )

The traffic heard on 155.235 / 118.8 was not coming across on 154.175, 159.210 or 154.385 MHz.

While reviewing the Orangeburg licenses, I noted the county has a pending license for a repeater on 155.235, with the site located in Santee. For those unfamiliar with Orangeburg County, Santee is at the eastern end of the county, while the units heard this morning are located in the western end of the county.


Jeff

 

[kg4ekc]

Jeff,

I had just noted this Traffic on 155.235 today. I have programed 155.625 in my 2 meter. There was a big grass fire and a great deal of traffic on the radio today.

I read an article in the paper here some time ago that they were trying to implement a VHF based repeater system for the Orangeburg Fire Departments. About 5 years ago all stations in Orangeburg County came under Orangeburg Fire District. They got new stations, Trucks and support with Tax payer dollars. They have been trying to implement this new VHF based radio system here with real difficulty. I am not sure if they are using old Surplus equipment or what. I do know that they did get all of the VHF HTs from SLED. I personally figured that they would use UHF to link the three parts of the county. So, I never searched for anything other than the two frequencies I heard.

I found it interesting today, radio traffic was being simulcasted on all kinds of frequencies today during this big fire. This 155.625 you can hear both sides of the conversation but, you can not make out much. It is garbled and over modulated except for Orangeburg Central. Today though 155.625 during a long transmission dropped out. I suspect it timed out. It took a while for it to come back up. This 155.235 started to go in my scanner as I got closer to Cameron (nearer to Santee).

I also heard Wed or so, Orangeburg Central notified all Stations in West Division, Neese Repeater was down. Please Communicate on Mobile for now.

I suspect that they are working on a new repeater system for the county and it is a bunch of patch work. I will need to listen to 155.790 and 155.235 a while. I have not seen my two buddies at Dispatch lately. I will attempt to get the scoop, but am pretty sure they are going to tell me it is a mess and exactly as I thought patch work with surplus equipment.

Greg
KG4EKC

 

[jeffmulter]

Rich McVicar posts a weekly FCC digest for S.C. to the ScanSC list on Yahoogroups. I noted the following in the digest covering 05/29/2005 through 06/04/2005:

PW WQCV342
COUNTY OF ORANGEBURG - BILLY STALEY
ORANGEBURG, SC

[we would like to place this frequency on this tower temporarily until
we can complete the programing of our end user radios. time of
operation will be from may 20th until july 20th 2005.]

ctrl pt 1 - 200 GIBSON STREET ORANGEBURG SC 803-533-6265
06/02/05 License Issued
1 - BONNER AVE AND VANCE RD SANTEE (ORANGEBURG) SC
155.235 291' FB2 10x178e

So, I guess hearing the fire traffic over 155.235 may not be permanent.


Jeff

 

[kg4ekc]

Suspected that

Billy is one of my old patients and I have been looking him to talk with him. I suspected that that was going on. The audio is so poor that it is not even understandable at times. They really need a much better system. There is a great deal of overdeviation and I do not think that it is operator error (ie. Mike to close to the mouth). Nothing like Lexington's repeater system (VHF).

Greg
KG4EKC

 

[kg4ekc]

Orangeburg Fire Dispatch

I talked with the Pinehill Fire Chief today. They are using two repeaters currently. One is in Nesses, and the Second is Downtown Oburg. 155.625 is in Neeses and 155.235 is Downtown (Gibson St behind Dispatch at 200 feet). It will be moving back to the 600 foot repeater off Cook Rd by the Hospital in the future. This particular tower is a lightning magnet. They simalcast on all four frequencies when they dispatch. It is a real mess. He told me he listens on his pager when he transmits on 154.175 to hear the other side of his conversation. They can not even talk simplex between their two stations. I guess the plan is to set up multiple repeaters at some point. Currently the Neeses repeater is very bad but is some better after Motorola did some work on the system. I am not sure what they will end up with for frequencies when they are done. I also can not understand why they are using VHF for linking. Hams use 440 or 220 much clearer signals.

Greg
KG4EKC

 

[jeffmulter]

There was an auto accident on I-26 this morning, near the 165 mm. CareForce transported atleast one patient. Bowman Fire was the original department dispatched.

Active channels:
- 155.235 / 118.8 R
- 155.790 / 107.2 R
- 154.175 / 118.8 R
- 154.385 / 118.8

154.385 / Orangeburg Co was a first-time logging for me, despite having the freq / tone combo in my automated scan programs for years. The reception was weak, compared to the other channels ... almost like it was an input to a repeater.

Also caught CareForce being dispatched 155.160 / 203.5 .


Jeff

 

[jeffmulter]

As of yesterday, I noted county fire dispatch has changed the PL tone on 155.625 MHz from 107.2 Hz to 97.4 Hz.

As I type this (09:50 a.m. Saturday), they are using 155.625 / 97.4 R to dispatch Bowman to a vehicle accident on I-26, between the 160 and 165 milemarker.


Jeff

 

[kg4ekc]

They tell me when they get done with this new repeater system FD will have 6 VHF frequencies to us through out the county. This does not include the Neeses Fire and Santee frequencies they own. They are getting closer to getting the system up to par where it should be with enough power and it is getting much more readable on all the frequencies here.

I noted the PL change the other day also.

Greg
KG4EKC

 

[jeffmulter]

>> This does not include the Neeses Fire and Santee frequencies they own.


Speaking of Santee, I was surprised to see that they are lcensed for 154.325 ... the same frequency Williamsburg County Fire uses.

I have to imagine there's potential for interference from each other, as the separation between agencies is small, and the pathway is half water.

Anyone know what tone Santee uses ?


Jeff