Palm Beach/Dade/Ft Lauderdale WTF?

[JimD56]

MDFR will NEVER go P25. Too many problems due to the huge geographical area and buildings. In 1999 we were briefly on the PD EDACS system but that didn't last a month after all the dropped transmissions. MDFR will continue to model their system after other huge geographical areas like Los Angeles. LA City and County both had the same problems MDFR did back in the early 2000's experimenting with P25, and they stayed on VHF, UHF and 800 conventional. Phoenix another big area had issues too, and now just has their non-emergency stuff is P25 but emergency dispatch is still VHF conventional.

 

[N4KVE]

Newer isn’t always better. I remember years ago when Metro Dade was using STX radios on conventional 800 MHz.

 

[Bote]

I am a Fire Lieutenant for MDFR so I can provide some insight into the REAL talk groups that are utilized daily for the Miami-Dade County Agencies.

Miami-Dade County Fire (See RR Database)
UHF 450-460mhz IN THE CLEAR, $20 Baofeng works fine
The 4 Dispatch Channels, MIA, and the 6 Tactical Channels are the only ones utilized.

There is a wealth of knowledge in this thread, so to take advantage of it:
1) What are the TCOMM channels used for, if anything?

2) What are the fireground channels used for, if they even exist in any radios these days?

3) Do units still switch over to simplex on the tac repeater outputs when they roll up on the scene? This is the coolest thing about conventional systems and remains a viable alternative to portables talking all the way back to trunked repeaters from deep inside buildings.

Thanks.

 

[ed3750]

Regarding the MDFR channels on the P25 system (admin?). Can you advise which site they are on? TCC (101), Police (102) or CAB (108)

 

[JimD56]

Wouldn't know it is NOT utilized by MDFR as an approved channel or talk group. It is not even programmed in any of out APX's.

 

[JimD56]

To add...There are NO MDFR P25 talk groups utilized or programmed in ANY of the firefighter handheld or truck mobile radios. That includes MEDCOM, Admin, Special Events, and anything else listed under the Miami Dade P25 System. The MEDCOM UHF system on the RR Database is correct. Unit Officer radios due have some Broward & Monroe County interoperability patch channels programmed. Battalion Chiefs and above do have dual UHF/P25 APX's, and my issued APX7700 is BOTH UHF and P25 because I am at MIA and I have to be able to talk with all of the MIA tenant units and MDPD which are on the P25 system.

 

[Bote]

Wouldn't know it is NOT utilized by MDFR as an approved channel or talk group. It is not even programmed in any of out APX's.

Is this in reply to my questions about multiple channels?

 

[JimD56]

My last post was in reply was to ed3750. I apologize for the confusion.

 

[Bote]

My last post was in reply was to ed3750. I apologize for the confusion.

I was kind of hoping you would answer my questions, at least to clean up the RadRef database. TNX.

 

[JimD56]

There is a wealth of knowledge in this thread, so to take advantage of it:
1) What are the TCOMM channels used for, if anything?

2) What are the fireground channels used for, if they even exist in any radios these days?

3) Do units still switch over to simplex on the tac repeater outputs when they roll up on the scene? This is the coolest thing about conventional systems and remains a viable alternative to portables talking all the way back to trunked repeaters from deep inside buildings.

Thanks.

So sorry I totally missed this post.

TCOMM is for the TCOMM (Radio) Techs. Useless to a listener and we do not have them programmed in FF handhelds or truck radios.

Fireground channels ARE programmed in every radio are for training and are LOCKED on Simplex 1/2 Watt. NO Duplex Repeater capability.
You also might hear us in Publix talking aisle to aisle to grab something.

ALL Firefighters' handhelds are required to remain on Simplex at all times. Officers and Truck Radios Duplex. However, a FF does have a A/B switch to switch over to Duplex for an Urgent or Mayday call. On MDFR fires in which channels Tactical 1-6 are being used you will hear the Unit/Company Officers, All Chiefs, and Truck Radios. You will not hear the Firefighters on Simplex unless you are on that scene.

 

[ed3750]

JimD56, Thanks for that great explanation. Truly appreciated.

 

[n3pi]

TCOMM is for the TCOMM (Radio) Techs. Useless to a listener and we do not have them programmed in FF handhelds or truck radios.

Yes they are programmed in ALL radios:
- TCOMM 1 (labeled in radios as DOLPHIN) now is Joe Robbie Stadium (I will always call it that) and wired directly to MDFR dispatch for stadium events, ANALOG only
- TCOMM 2 was slated for a spare portable repeater, same frequency but with different tones
- TCOMM 3 is in the Dadeland area, standalone and P25 encrypted enabled
** however only programmed in MDFR radios as analog
- TCOMM 4 in near MIA, also standalone and P25 encrypted capable
- TCOMM 5 in downtown Miami, but currently being worked on, also P25 encrypted enabled
- TCOMM 6 is in South Dade, labeled as RACETRACK (or SPEEDWAY) in MDFR radios. Wired directly to MDFR dispatch for speedway events
- TCOMM 7 was also a portable repeater, based out of one of the fireground paired frequencies
- DOT (Digital Only TCOMM) was strictly used by the techs and fully encrypted and not programmed in the fleet

The concept of these channels were designed primarily to be a standalone network in case the main infrastructure would go down. The way Motorola built the entire system, these frequencies are rarely used.

Hope this helps.

 

[JimD56]

Thanks, n3pi. I can tell you with certainty that my APX which is a dual UHF/800 does not have the TCOMMS programmed. Given my handheld is NOT the same handheld issues to Operations OIC's. I have one TCOMM channel in my directory and when I switch to it I get a loud error tone.

 

[n3pi]

Check your APX zones, it may be under one named special1 or special2, last time I saw the matrix, they were there. I do not know the exact order and placement since I retired from MDFR, but I still get contacted by Capt. Baum on certain radio codeplug issues.

At one time, there was a trunking talkgroup in System A (P25 Harris network) for TCOMM, but we only used for testing when the migration of Motorola multiband radios were being implemented.

If you find them in your radio, there is no repeater tail. We did this to eliminate hanging time when we patched them in our radio gateway.

 

[JimD56]

Thanks! Yup Capt. Eric "Don't Say" Baum is my go-to guy. I'm actually working with him now in the process of getting my Harris issued to the truck reprogrammed from MIA tenants to MDPD.