Perry County Testing New System

[dmg1969]

I have been following the County's build of this new radio system from the beginning. Most of what I learned was through contact with the current and former Directors by e-mailing and asking questions. The system is a P25 Phase 1 Conventional (non-trunked) simulcast system. It consists of 10 frequencies, which I will list below.

I have had the frequencies programmed in my Homepatrol with NAC search enabled for some time. Since testing was set to begin in November, I left it at home on record while I'm at work and got a few hits last Thursday. I had no hits on Friday and have it on record again today.

These are the 10 frequencies in the system and I have noted the hits I received on Thursday along with the NAC it detected.

150.790
151.025
151.3175
154.0025
154.1975
155.1375 NAC:137 - brief hit, but no voice
155.1525
155.2575 NAC:257 - radio maintenance voice test
158.8575 NAC:857 - radio maintenance voice test
159.315 NAC:315 - radio maintenance voice test

I do not know anything about channel assignments yet. If I don't gather anything from the transmissions, I may ask the Director. Although, the last time I asked, he wasn't sure if they would be made public. Not that we won't figure them out. I will keep updating this list or you can visit my FB page which relates primarily to scanning Perry County, Pennsylvania.

 

[markandjere]

Thank You!!!!

 

[Septa3371CSX1]

Passed through Perry County on my way to and from State College yesterday. I had the 5 higher channels programmed in (with four of them having the NAC's you recorded) and didn't hear anything on those channels but did get activity on low band.

Also I checked the system license yesterday for these frequencies and it appears the lower channels are inputs for the higher channels. 155.1525 is listed as FB8 which I believe is for paging.

 

[SlipNutz15]

I would bet money, any of the P25 channels, the NAC is the first three numbers after the decimal. ComPros did the same setup in Juniata Co

 

[SlipNutz15]

So I was looking at what you guys posted in the test results.

Each tower has the following freqs:
155.13750 (NAC 137)
155.15250
155.25750 (NAC 257)
158.85750 (NAC 857)
159.31500 (NAC 315)

So, I would think the remaining freq, 155.1525, would probably be the new dispatch channel but only time will tell. So no one had any hits on 155.1525 either P25 or Analog?

The remaining channels you have listed are listed under Perry County which would be input channels to the repeaters.

 

[dmg1969]

I haven't been doing much recording the past couple of weeks. The two weeks leading up to Christmas, I was laid up with the flu and a bad respiratory infection. I was so sick, I didn't even have my scanner on...now THAT is when you know I'm sick. When I did have my scanner on, I heard nothing on the new system.

The last I heard from the director, the timeline for cut over is around May/June. The sites are 99.9% complete, all comm center equipment had arrived and was partially installed. No mobile installations have started as of yet.

 

[W3DMV]

Add

Perry County applied for and was granted license WQYS528
on 1/4/17. Unknown if it will become part of the new system
or if something else....

153.7925. NFM MOBILE ONLY
154.8825. NFM MOBILE ONLY

-----

 

[SlipNutz15]

They will definitely be part of the new system, they applied for 800 units, but it's mobile-only license so I'm guessing either interops or private channels with different NACs applied.

 

[SlipNutz15]

I'm hearing chatter on the new channels. It sounds like road crews?

Also sounds like they have the one channel patched with law enforcement.

 

[sbk1982]

Any further details on this? Final frequency pairs and NAC details?

 

[dmg1969]

The latest I know is this. The channel layout (given to me by the Director) is:
1 Dispatch (Fire/EMS)
2 Law Enforcement (PD)
3 OPS 2
4 OPS 3
5 OPS 4
6 OPS 5 (Talkaround - not monitored by County)
7 OPS 6 (Talkaround - not monitored by County)

We know dispatch (Fire/EMS) will be analog duplex (input and output frequencies). Testing is currently being heard on 155.1525...the repeater output frequency. PD will be digital and it is unknown if that will be in the clear or encrypted. OPS 2, 3 and 4 will be digital duplex. The two talkaround channels will be analog simplex.

For sure, 155.1525 is Fire/EMS dispatch. Not sure of much else right now. It's like putting together a puzzle.

 

[W3DMV]

155.15250
Testing today by maint crew.
Using NFM & tone 179.9

Good signal in Gettysburg using
WS1098 and indoor 1/4 wave whip
----

 

[dmg1969]

They are still shooting for a June timeframe, but the 1st was just a goal. Preliminary install of cabling and brackets in the mobiles have begun. So, it should be coming together within the next 30-60 days.

 

[RadioDitch]

They are still shooting for a June timeframe, but the 1st was just a goal. Preliminary install of cabling and brackets in the mobiles have begun. So, it should be coming together within the next 30-60 days.

Any indication of whether or not Law Enforcement will go encrypted? It's no secret Penn Township has wanted to go dark for a long time.

 

[dmg1969]

I was told by the Director that it is possible and had not been decided. I think the fact that we only have Marysville PD and the Sheriff's Office who will be using it (maybe the local fish and game officer), they will not. If and when Penn Twp. comes back, they could ask for it. To date, the testing has been in the clear.

 

[RadioDitch]

I was told by the Director that it is possible and had not been decided. I think the fact that we only have Marysville PD and the Sheriff's Office who will be using it (maybe the local fish and game officer), they will not. If and when Penn Twp. comes back, they could ask for it. To date, the testing has been in the clear.

So then Penn Township will remain on 45.660?

 

[dmg1969]

No, as I said in my reply to your FB message...Penn Twp. Police was disbanded at the beginning of the year due to budget. There is talk about bringing them back on a more limited basis. If and when that happens, they would be on the new system. But, as of right now, there is no Penn Twp. PD.

 

[RadioDitch]

No, as I said in my reply to your FB message...Penn Twp. Police was disbanded at the beginning of the year due to budget. There is talk about bringing them back on a more limited basis. If and when that happens, they would be on the new system. But, as of right now, there is no Penn Twp. PD.

Wonderful. Which means we won't be able to monitor police around Cove and Perdix now with State Police in charge. Ugh.

 

[dmg1969]

Wonderful. Which means we won't be able to monitor police around Cove and Perdix now with State Police in charge. Ugh.

Correct. For now, with PSP doing the majority of law enforcement, you will not be able to hear them except if they are talking on their old Channel G VHF frequency (155.445). I hear them occasionally in Newport.

If Penn Twp. resurrects their PD, they would be on the new system. Whether or not they go encrypted then (if the County PD is not already) is anyone's guess.

 

[dmg1969]

I e-mailed the Perry County EMA Director, Rich Fultz, this morning and got an update.

The mobile bracket/cabling installs are ongoing and the mobile radio programming should be nearly complete. After that, the new radios will be issued and training will occur. He expects the transition from old to new system to occur fairly quickly. He also said that some agencies are maintaining their old radios since the county is keeping the old low band frequencies. He said that County will not be monitoring the low band frequencies, so I'm guessing that they will be used for local talkaround.