Orange County Portables

[zackhenderson]

Wow. Orange County has such an advanced Smartnet System, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of radios, mobile and portible the users are utilising there.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ColoradoRedlands]

OC radio

It depends on the type of agency.

Law enforcement agencies use the Astro Spectra Mobile and the Astro XTS3000 portable. They are capable of digital-encryption, digital-plain, and analog operation.

Other agencies like city/county public works, etc, use different models with a limited amount of talkgroups, both digital-plain and analog.

All fire units use analog radios at this time, covering all fire and analog mutual aid talkgroups.


Chris

 

[mdfillipp]

I've been out and about lately and seen a lot more XTS-3000s in use with Fire cos. Some are encased in this neon green case. Sabers are not unheard of with other agencies.

 

[Markb]

"All fire units use analog radios at this time, covering all fire and analog mutual aid talkgroups."

To further clarify what Chris said, Fire radios are digital, some with encryption capability (depending on the individual preferences/budget of each agency). The fire part of the CCCS is analog, but all fire radios at least have the digital option installed.

 

[kenjicam]

Fullerton PD and FD will be getting XTS 5000 (they may already have them). Fullerton is the first city in OC that has programmed thier FD radios with the PD's Green TG & TA channel, and given the FD personnel permission to talk on them when needed. The age of Interop has finnally come to the OC, it just took six years to get there!

 

[Mick]

Howdy. Also, when Or. Co. got the current TRS they've always had their Pink Talkgroups for interoperability between FD's & PD's and PW.

Fullerton PD and FD will be getting XTS 5000 (they may already have them). Fullerton is the first city in OC that has programmed thier FD radios with the PD's Green TG & TA channel, and given the FD personnel permission to talk on them when needed. The age of Interop has finnally come to the OC, it just took six years to get there!

 

[mdfillipp]

Fullerton PD and FD will be getting XTS 5000 (they may already have them). Fullerton is the first city in OC that has programmed thier FD radios with the PD's Green TG & TA channel, and given the FD personnel permission to talk on them when needed. The age of Interop has finnally come to the OC, it just took six years to get there!

there was, more or less recently, a series of new radio ids added to the fullerton fire block, according to trunker, that is.

 

[kenjicam]

From my understanding, the Pink TG were rarely used, and PD and Metro Net dispatch don't monitor the Pink TG on a regular basis if at all. As with many other system (both trunk and conventional) the ability to talk between the FD and PD has always been there. It useally came down to inter department policy to allow its' users to talk to each other.

 

[Markb]

Hey Kenji, I'm not meaning to step on your toes, but ....

I have the OC radio manual in front of me (1999 edition) and it lists the zone 1 lineup for all the FD's. According to this, Laguna and Huntington Beach both have Green-1 and HB has Yellow-6 additionally programmed into their radios (Laguna has this arrangement in their BC units only). I participated in some HAZMAT training along with 2 HBFD guys last year and I can verify that they had Green-1 and Yellow-6 in their XTS-3000's. Also, I would think that the Arson Investigators have their PD TG's programmed as well (encryption is already installed).

As far as the Pink TG's go, the only 2 I've heard were Costa Mesa and Santa Ana and it was usually PD guys trying to decide where to meet for lunch or whatever.

 

[kenjicam]

I'm glad to see that other departments have already done this. I'm only going by what some of the north county (Fulereton, La Habra, & OCFA) guys have told me. They were very happy that all Fullerton FD and PD personnel would be allowed to talk/monitor each other on there respective TG's in case of emergency. I guess the main point I was trying to make, was the policy in many departments (both FD & PD) needs to be re-evaluated to let the different departments talk/monitor each other. It is very helpful to be able to monitor the PD and hear them say it is "code 4 to enter", instaed of waiting for the PD dispatch to landline your dispatch and have them relay it back to you. I am just glad the guys in the field will actually be able to use the system for what it was originnally intended for.

 

[Markb]

Yeah, I was kinda nit-picking Interop is definitely a good thing. We routinely monitor PD here in Corona when we're staged away and it helps on several levels.

 

[HBdigital1]

nice to know a little about how the interops work within OC; however, this info would not help us as the general scanning public. Info does add more insight into the workings of police comms, esp with the details on the RR website about the OC radio system, but I must say... all this info about the different zones, the different talk groups, etc, only increases one's appetite to be able to actually listen in and see how this all plays out in "real time", and with the system being encrypted, there is no "real time", or even "delayed time", for that matter, so.... be it interesting reading, practically, it would do us no good, unfortunately. Maybe one day..... the powers that be might open up the airwaves to us? But won't hold my breath with that possiblity.

Anyway, it is at least interesting to monitor the talk groups of our fire depts battling the blaze in east OC, that is good!

 

[Bogomip]

Does anyone use kenwoods?