RCS NextGen testing thread

[Anderegg]

Hearing Escondido Fire Department units last night, all of them sounded like they were transmitting on DIGITAL, and being patched over to the current RCS analog talkgroups. I am currently Wildcard scanning the West site 45 waiting for an Esco response to confirm they are somehow on the NextGen already? I am being annoyed by constant USD Public Safety traffic on the West site.

I am using a standard Motorola 7 inch 7/800 whip on the G5, no modifications to it, no overtightening to get a connection. Identical counterfiet Motochina antenna has a 1-2mm shorter SMA, and doesn't connect with the G5 unless the bottom of the antenna is warped out. Also, the Unications phade out fast and hard around cell towers, just as any old scanner would.

Paul

 

[KI6AOK]

Paul,

I haven’t logged any EFD units on the NextGen yet. Just got a G4 and I’m wildcard scanning the West, as well. Vista and Poway USD have been the heaviest users, but the ME and USD Police have been in there, too. Occasionally, County Call is heard.

 

[Anderegg]

I did not hear any transmissions either, but still the field units sound like they are transmitting into the sytsem digitally.

On a side note, the West site is soooo weak to the south. I was in north Pacific Beach and was out of range on West while litterally looking a the blinking lights on top of Soledad a few miles to my north. I've yet to find any area where my G5 will so much as register the existance of the NextGen North control channel...N/E is much stronger, and East comes across fairly well in most places.

I have resigned myself that at my base location, the only site I will be able to receive is the South site...so sad.

Paul

 

[KI6AOK]

...

I have resigned myself that at my base location, the only site I will be able to receive is the South site...so sad.

Paul

Face it, you need to move! : )

 

[K6CDO]

Paul,

I haven’t logged any EFD units on the NextGen yet. Just got a G4 and I’m wildcard scanning the West, as well. Vista and Poway USD have been the heaviest users, but the ME and USD Police have been in there, too. Occasionally, County Call is heard.

USD Police should be South only; I'll have to check on Monday. SD CoCall / SD CoTac1 are there for the ME units.

That's all who should be there. No planned adds until 9/18.

Don

 

[KI6AOK]

USD Police should be South only; I'll have to check on Monday. SD CoCall / SD CoTac1 are there for the ME units.

That's all who should be there. No planned adds until 9/18.

Don

I heard USD on the West last week, but not over the weekend.

 

[carlt]

I may have missed it, but is there a "boundary" map for the new simulcast zones?

 

[K6CDO]

I may have missed it, but is there a "boundary" map for the new simulcast zones?

No actual map yet. If you take the current North Zone and split it along Highway 78, the new North is north of 78 and the West is between 78 and 52.

 

[carlt]

Thanks Don.
My other question is, which simulcast will Imperial be using, or is it not documented yet?

 

[carlt]

Never mind. I had not looked at the database since last night. Someone has been busy!!

 

[Anderegg]

I see Poway Fire on the migration schedule...does this mean that they will be switching to NextGen instead of being dispatched by SDFD? I can understand them having Poway Sheriff's channels, but the migration listing for them is confusing me.

I hope everyone is ready...a week away from agencies moving over.

Paul

 

[celbaseman]

I think Poway Fire needs to have its radios updated to be compatible with the rest of the fire systems on RCS.

 

[Anderegg]

Well yeah, the RCS radios have apparently all been programmed, this is not a programming schedule, this would be the NextGen MIGRATION schedule, when agencies change the channels on their radio dials to operate on the new system.

Paul

 

[P25Radio]

Paul where are you finding the migration schedule?

 

[MtnBiker2005]

On the RCS website.

Or on this page

San Diego County RCS NextGen Migration Schedule Calendar - September-December 2019 - ScanDiego.com

www.scandiego.com

 

[K6CDO]

I see Poway Fire on the migration schedule...does this mean that they will be switching to NextGen instead of being dispatched by SDFD? I can understand them having Poway Sheriff's channels, but the migration listing for them is confusing me.

I hope everyone is ready...a week away from agencies moving over.

Paul

Poway has both City AND RCS radios in their rigs. They will continue to be dispatched by SDFD.

 

[celbaseman]

Don, thanks for the info about Poway FD.

Wondering -- once a radio is reprogrammed, does that mean that they are now on the NextGen system and do not have access to the old RCS?

 

[K6CDO]

Don, thanks for the info about Poway FD.

Wondering -- once a radio is reprogrammed, does that mean that they are now on the NextGen system and do not have access to the old RCS?

Depends on the radio. Most have been programmed with both the current and NextGen profiles, so all the user has to do is change zones in the radio. About 15% of the radios do not have the room for both systems; those will be programmed with only the new system on the migration date.

Next year (after the whole system id migrated) we will go back and remove the old system information from those radios that still have old network information in them.

 

[MisterLongwire]

So now we will have NextGen. What are they thinking about for next year? Total waste of time...taxpayer money....etc. In my opinion if it works don't fix it

 

[Anderegg]

If you were a cop you would probably still be putting along in a 1996 Caprice 9C1

CHP is using old radio gear...I hear they have to go to Ham festivals to procure replacement parts.

So now we will have NextGen. What are they thinking about for next year? Total waste of time...taxpayer money....etc. In my opinion if it works don't fix it

Paul