Ranges on FleetNet talk groups

[DataSquid]

At least one seems to have a nonsensical range (3.5mi for Guelph Emergency Services). I use a Uniden BCD436HP, and I think these range settings (for sites and talkgroups) can really impair monitoring. Is there a reason some have been set so narrow? Surely Guelph Emergency Services covers more than a 3.5mi radius, no?

Another oddity: OPP Highway Safety Division has a range of 64mi. If only it were 128mi from Windsor to Whitby I think with the centrepoint and radius in the DB, anyone with a modern Uniden homepatrol-based scanner down Windosor way wouldn't hear this talk group.

Is there some background on how these ranges were derived, and standards for maintaining them? They might due with a second look given the way the location-aware scanners function.

I haven't checked other zones, pending the value of doing so. Last time I submitted a suggested range update I got half an answer about the "intended" range of a site...

Here's the DB report: Bell FleetNet - Ontario Provincial Government Zone 1 Talkgroup Category Location Data Report

 

[torontokris]

I cant speak for the ranges but whats listed on RR as the Highway Safety Division is Niagara-Aurora-Whitby...

are you saying a 64mile range is too much or too little

 

[RainbowSix]

The way I set up my Range setup for OPP towers is I calculate the distance between each towers in my area and split the calculation in half or a tad more for overlapping. So as I hit the threshold of the next tower, it switches over.

I can't speak for other fellow members setups.

The way it is set up in the RR database I think is a general setup guide as the mods and contributors may have put the time and leg work in to figuring it out for us already.

The good thing is, if it works great, if not we tweak it a bit

 

[Forts]

All the Guelph groups are encrypted anyways, so the range isn't going to affect much.....

 

[mciupa]

As far as the City of Guelph is concerned, why would they need coverage outside of their city? The neighbouring jurisdictions will handle those responses. K-W , Halton...etc)

I think it's great that you can "get" them in Timbuktu, but we try and follow our guidelines laid out in the DB Admin Handbook.

Have a look at Section 6.6

http://wiki.radioreference.com/imag...e.com_Database_Administrator_Handbook_1.8.pdf

You will find the other part of the "half-answer"

After that, make a submission of what you feel the correct ranges are and if they are reasonable, I'm sure they can be improved .

 

[EJB]

At least one seems to have a nonsensical range (3.5mi for Guelph Emergency Services). I use a Uniden BCD436HP, and I think these range settings (for sites and talkgroups) can really impair monitoring. Is there a reason some have been set so narrow? Surely Guelph Emergency Services covers more than a 3.5mi radius, no?

Another oddity: OPP Highway Safety Division has a range of 64mi. If only it were 128mi from Windsor to Whitby I think with the centrepoint and radius in the DB, anyone with a modern Uniden homepatrol-based scanner down Windosor way wouldn't hear this talk group.

Is there some background on how these ranges were derived, and standards for maintaining them? They might due with a second look given the way the location-aware scanners function.

I haven't checked other zones, pending the value of doing so. Last time I submitted a suggested range update I got half an answer about the "intended" range of a site...

Here's the DB report: Bell FleetNet - Ontario Provincial Government Zone 1 Talkgroup Category Location Data Report

Use logic, if you live in Guelph and you intend or want to monitor the Wellington and the Port Credit/Cambridge talkgroup you will need to monitor the Woodlawn tower. If you venture to the east, put in the Ballinafad tower. Venturing west towards K/W use the Cedarwood tower.

If you desire to just listen to the fire services in Wellington and city of Guelph talkgroups you can probably set your scanner to anywhere from 1 mile to 30.

Fleetnet towers were strategically places to allow for seemless transmissions for the radios used. They obviously designed the locations for the Fleetnet users, there was no considerations for scanners.

I can tell you that you should use the Woodlawn, B-fad and Cedarwood to monitor the Wellington 6 Tango units and the Cambridge/Port Credit patch. If you venture to the west use Listowel. If you head north into Wellington the Durham tower has great coverage well into Wellington. And to the east B-fad covers you until you are in the northern regions of Halton and Peel.

There are a few wiki articles that give you specific info for the talkgroups you should expect to hear.

 

[mikewazowski]

The City of Guelph talkgroup category has a range of just over 3 miles. It could be tweaked slightly but increasing it much more will include areas that the City of Guelph doesn't cover.

The Highway Safety Talkgroup category is comprised of the old Greater Toronto Region talkgroups. The range is set to something appropriate for the areas that the units on those talkgroups patrol. Outside of the old GTR area, HSD units will typically use the local talkgroup or one of the HWY talkgroups.

 

[Voyager]

Many people don't know how the range works. The range is supposed to be only that area covered by the user in question - NOT the range it can be heard from.

So, if you have a town that is say 2 miles square, and it has a PD, you would want the range set to maybe 2.5 miles and the location set to the center of town even if the PD station is on one edge of town and can be heard 35 miles away.

I have the opposite problem. I hear users who have ranges set to some ridiculous number like 60 miles when their service area is less than 3 miles in radius. So, when you are 64 miles away with a range set to 5 miles, your scanner loads them thinking you're within 5 miles of their jurisdiction when you are nearly 70 miles and two counties away.