PA Statewide P25 Phase 2 System

[GTR8000]

It's almost as annoying as someone overwriting anything I put in the wiki.

I gave up contributing to the wiki for this system months ago for my own sanity, which is a shame because as you're aware, I have quite a bit that I could contribute. I'm not going to lose sleep over it, and tbh it's amusing at times seeing all the wild speculation and guessing vs reality!

 

[IStebleton]

I just had a hit on TG 30211 with no voice on the Allegheny Simulcast (WEST03) site, but I haven't seen any talk groups in this range in this system yet

 

[n3obl]

I just had a hit on TG 30211 with no voice on the Allegheny Simulcast (WEST03) site, but I haven't seen any talk groups in this range in this system yet

Based on the wiki, high speculation of those being federal users.

 

[IStebleton]

TG 65518 in ALLE21 talking about an EMS Delta Response. What are all the counties moving to the PA StarNET system?

 

[bearcat]

TG 65518 in ALLE21 talking about an EMS Delta Response. What are all the counties moving to the PA StarNET system?

That must be some sort of Patch from the ICORRS system to PA Starnet. They were still referring to TGs that are related to ICORRS. It did make me wonder when I first caught it also. My guess would be that a button for patching ICORRS to Starnet was accidentally pressed or being tested. There were no UIDs during any of the conversations which is similar behavior to other patches I have seen on other systems

 

[GTR8000]

A bit of info on the FirstEnergy cut over, affecting Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, and West Penn Power

Over & Out – FirstEnergy Retirees

www.feretirees.com

 

[HM1529]

A bit of info on the FirstEnergy cut over, affecting Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, and West Penn Power

Over & Out – FirstEnergy Retirees

www.feretirees.com

Given the timeline, it seems possible that talkgroups that are exclusive in the west would be Penn Power while talkgroups exclusive in the east are Met-Ed.

It's interesting to me that there are some groups popping up on both ends of the state. Are all the subsidiary talkgroups in all the radios or are there certain common talkgroups accessible to all four business units? If only someone was good friends with a lineman.

 

[GTR8000]

It's interesting to me that there are some groups popping up on both ends of the state. Are all the subsidiary talkgroups in all the radios or are there certain common talkgroups accessible to all four business units?

Ideally you would probably want every radio in the state to have the same codeplug, not just for ease of programming/maintaining, but so that anyone can be deployed throughout the state and maintain full communications capability outside of their primary territory.

It's worth noting that the Kenwood/EFJ Viking VM900 mobile is dual-band VHF and 7/800 MHz, so it seems reasonable that they are able to operate on the VHF and the 800 sites statewide.

 

[GTR8000]

Apologies to @Chillybilly, he posted that same article back in June, I had completely forgotten about it.

 

[IStebleton]

I've been getting hits on 12626 on ALLE* all day, but no voice. I wonder if the DCNR is going to be encrypted?

 

[HM1529]

I've been getting hits on 12626 on ALLE* all day, but no voice. I wonder if the DCNR is going to be encrypted?

12626 is a clear talkgroup. There will be a couple encrypted talkgroups for district 4, but the main TG is clear.

 

[IStebleton]

12626 is a clear talkgroup. There will be a couple encrypted talkgroups for district 4, but the main TG is clear.

I haven't gotten any voice, just silence like how PSP comes across on my scanner. I wonder if they are just doing radio testing currently?

 

[HM1529]

District 4 was doing radio tests a while back. Usually, before the roll out in a given area, DCNR personnel can be heard doing radio tests using portables on the Global Tac channels. These same radios float around the state (same RIDS) in advance of the roll outs. They were recently heard testing in Districts 17 and 18.

If I had to guess, I would say District 4 is on the air now or will be soon. I'm not familiar with their daily operations, but it seems most of the state forest lands for that district are in the Laurel Highlands area. So, they would probably mostly affiliate with tower sites out that way. DCNR has clear talkgroups and encrypted talkgroups. They do not appear to use selectable encryption. If they want to go secure, they change to a secure channel, same as PGC.

 

[bearcat]

I've been getting hits on 12626 on ALLE* all day, but no voice. I wonder if the DCNR is going to be encrypted?

I checked my recordings from today and there was clear voice on 12626 on everything I recorded.

 

[druhe]

District 4 was doing radio tests a while back. Usually, before the roll out in a given area, DCNR personnel can be heard doing radio tests using portables on the Global Tac channels. These same radios float around the state (same RIDS) in advance of the roll outs. They were recently heard testing in Districts 17 and 18.

If I had to guess, I would say District 4 is on the air now or will be soon. I'm not familiar with their daily operations, but it seems most of the state forest lands for that district are in the Laurel Highlands area. So, they would probably mostly affiliate with tower sites out that way. DCNR has clear talkgroups and encrypted talkgroups. They do not appear to use selectable encryption. If they want to go secure, they change to a secure channel, same as PGC.

I can confirm both Districts 4 (12626) & 6 (12637) are on the air and in the clear on their respective main talkgroups. Radio traffic has been rather lite, but may pick up the next several days as the weather is improving, creating favorable conditions for brush & forest fires

 

[bearcat]

Starnet Antenna Question(s)....................

The antennas with the large diameter base on DCNR and PennDot are a bit different. The PennDot ones have a coil midway and the DCNR does not. Is the large diameter base for GPS or 800? Does anybody know who is the manufacturer of the antennas they are using? I have searched online and found similar ones, but not exactly what they have.

Some PGC vehicles have a 1/4 wave VHF and a separate 800 antenna. I am thinking that the 800 might be for ICORRS as they are active on that system also.

Thanks in Advance

 

[HM1529]

Starnet Antenna Question(s)....................

The antennas with the large diameter base on DCNR and PennDot are a bit different. The PennDot ones have a coil midway and the DCNR does not. Is the large diameter base for GPS or 800? Does anybody know who is the manufacturer of the antennas they are using? I have searched online and found similar ones, but not exactly what they have.

Some PGC vehicles have a 1/4 wave VHF and a separate 800 antenna. I am thinking that the 800 might be for ICORRS as they are active on that system also.

Thanks in Advance

The large black antennas that look like a torpedo are Motorola multiband antennas. Motorola AN000131A01 - All-Band Antenna Kit: Mobile VHF/UHF 700/800 MHz

They are the suggested antenna for the multiband APX800/8500 radios.

Last I looked in a vehicle, PGC was using APX4500 mobiles (probably all singleband on VHF) hence the VHF antenna.

PennDOT uses multiple different antennas depending on the radios that are installed. PennDOT is using both Kenwood and Motorola radios...seems to depend on the vehicle and its purpose...not quite sure.

 

[bearcat]

The large black antennas that look like a torpedo are Motorola multiband antennas. Motorola AN000131A01 - All-Band Antenna Kit: Mobile VHF/UHF 700/800 MHz

They are the suggested antenna for the multiband APX800/8500 radios.

Last I looked in a vehicle, PGC was using APX4500 mobiles (probably all singleband on VHF) hence the VHF antenna.

PennDOT uses multiple different antennas depending on the radios that are installed. PennDOT is using both Kenwood and Motorola radios...seems to depend on the vehicle and its purpose...not quite sure.

Thanks. The PennDot version of the Antenna you gave me the link to is basically the same, but it has a small coil midway up the whip. Maybe Kenwood makes it.
I think PennDot uses radios based on location. In areas where there are 800 sites they seem to have the multiband antenna. Areas without 800 sites have just a VHF 1/4 wave or 5/8 wave antenna. Of course that is just a guess based on what I have seen on PennDot in various counties.

Thanks again

 

[GTR8000]

New site pending CRAW33 in Mercer, Crawford County.

151.070
151.2125
151.2575
151.2725

 

[RichardKramer]

Wednesday 11/18 heard encrypted tgid 10077 through the Ellendale site on my 436. Didn't see it in the data base.

Rich - N3VMY - KAG0096