San Bernardino County P25 and rebanded systems

[tmccormick87]

It also seems possible that the Comm Center talkgroup that was listed as 3549 has been changed to 2497. I never heard any traffic on 3549, but I'm hearing plenty of traffic on 2497 now, including myself, lol, talking to Comm Ctr, after our radios were upgraded from the 4-Comm TG to the new digital system.

 

[tmccormick87]

What is the best way to program the P25 system into my scanners? I’m using a BCD436HP and a BCD536HP at the moment. It’s listed as being a simulcast system but the frequencies differ from site to site. Should I program each site into its own favorites list or should I keep them grouped by region? For instance, a favorites list for the valley region, another for the mountains, and another for Victor Valley, etc.? Or… is there something else that I should be doing?

I currently have every site in a single favorites list with my scanners in ID Search mode and as you can imagine, I’m missing a lot of radio traffic. I programmed them that way a few years ago just to have the digital systems available back when the analog systems were still being used primarily.

Also, what is LPTAC-9 or LCTAC-9 or whatever it’s called? It is VHF or 800MHz conventional or something else? I haven’t been able to find it in any of the databases but I hear it mentioned regularly.

Thank you.

I'm not a pro at this by any means, but this is what I did. I have a BCD396XT and I programmed just one P25 site and then one group, using the red/blue control frequencies for the repeaters closest to me, Paxton, Onyx and Homestead. Once that was done, I just leave it to search and pull in the talkgroups. Once I consistently see the TGs that service my area, I will lock out the unnecessary ones that I don't want to hear. I can also just put in the TGs I want and set the function to scan, and then it just scans those I choose. With this P25 system, I'm pulling in plenty of traffic from other Divisions, that I used not to hear on the original Trunking system due to them being too far away.

Right now, my South Desert Division 4 is being dispatched on multiple TGs, originally 3535 (3-CMD9) Fire Division 4, but now I'm hearing most of our dispatches on 3521 (3-DISP2) Desert/River Dispatch and 3507, (2-CMD5), which is Division 3 Fire response, up in the Mountains. Due to this I'm keeping 3535, 3521 and 3507 currently scanning. 3537 is our Division's tac channel, 3-TAC9, which is active for us. Each division should have it's own Fire tac. Someone told me LPTAC9 is a County EMS Tac, but I'm not sure if it's conventional or digital, so I can't help you much there. I do hear it mentioned frequently though, same as you.

I'm sure others can give you much more technical details about programming, but I've been happy with what I'm getting on the new system, and am only interested in pulling in the traffic directly related to my area and job. I hope that gives you a starting point at least!

 

[f40ph]

Also, what is LPTAC-9 or LCTAC-9 or whatever it’s called? It is VHF or 800MHz conventional or something else? I haven’t been able to find it in any of the databases but I hear it mentioned regularly.

Thank you.

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?aid=7742

LPTAC9 is 700mhz analog conventional designated (at least in SBCo) as a Fire-Tac. Scroll down, it's one of the 700mhz low power itinerant tacs.
"These narrowband low power itinerant channels are designated for low power use for on-scene incident response purposes using mobiles and portables. Some frequencies are national and others may be assigned on a regional basis."

I don't know which is which offhand. "LPTAC" means low power tac which is normally high power on a portable, low power on a mobile. My understanding was this is some APCO regional naming convention as I've also heard it mentioned in the bay area.

 

[RadioDaze]

When programming the 436 on the ARC536 software, should I set San Bernardino trunked systems to splinter or custom/rebanded?

I didn't see an answer to this post, and I could use the information as well. I want to monitor ConFire traffic in Big Bear, so I assume I want the site "Mountain Simulcast", which has CCs of 772.00625 and 771.75625. I use Win500 on a PSR-600. (Oh, and do I need additional site(s) to include dispatch?)

I am still hearing some analog traffic, so I don't know if the Mountain area has even switched to P25 yet.

 

[techman210]

Mountains and the SB Valley are still analog, though I have noticed some users have begun to transition over to digital.

 

[RadioDaze]

Thank you, Techman.

 

[jrholm]

RadioDaze, from Big Bear City through the village I'm getting most of my hits off the Bertha Peak site.

 

[RadioDaze]

RadioDaze, from Big Bear City through the village I'm getting most of my hits off the Bertha Peak site.

I'll give that a try, thanks.

 

[allend]

1904- 8 FIRE 1 on the old Analog System 8 is still active which is being patched to the new P25 system
3507 CMD5 Fire Division 3 Response

 

[kf4ald]

I hear what sounds like a private security company on the P25 system, TG 1223. Anyone have ideas as to who it might be, and why would a private company be on the system?

Sent from my BBF100-2 using Tapatalk

 

[kearthfan101]

I hear what sounds like a private security company on the P25 system, TG 1223. Anyone have ideas as to who it might be, and why would a private company be on the system?

Sent from my BBF100-2 using Tapatalk

There’s a company called Big Will’s Security Services which has been listed in Analog System 8 for a long time. Could be one and the same.

 

[kd6ecz]

I'm not a pro at this by any means, but this is what I did. I have a BCD396XT and I programmed just one P25 site and then one group, using the red/blue control frequencies for the repeaters closest to me, Paxton, Onyx and Homestead. Once that was done, I just leave it to search and pull in the talkgroups. Once I consistently see the TGs that service my area, I will lock out the unnecessary ones that I don't want to hear. I can also just put in the TGs I want and set the function to scan, and then it just scans those I choose. With this P25 system, I'm pulling in plenty of traffic from other Divisions, that I used not to hear on the original Trunking system due to them being too far away.

Right now, my South Desert Division 4 is being dispatched on multiple TGs, originally 3535 (3-CMD9) Fire Division 4, but now I'm hearing most of our dispatches on 3521 (3-DISP2) Desert/River Dispatch and 3507, (2-CMD5), which is Division 3 Fire response, up in the Mountains. Due to this I'm keeping 3535, 3521 and 3507 currently scanning. 3537 is our Division's tac channel, 3-TAC9, which is active for us. Each division should have it's own Fire tac. Someone told me LPTAC9 is a County EMS Tac, but I'm not sure if it's conventional or digital, so I can't help you much there. I do hear it mentioned frequently though, same as you.

I'm sure others can give you much more technical details about programming, but I've been happy with what I'm getting on the new system, and am only interested in pulling in the traffic directly related to my area and job. I hope that gives you a starting point at least!

I'm in the valley region so I used to listen to systems 6/7, 8, 9, and sometimes 10. I assume that the area covered by 6/7 is now covered by West Valley Simulcast, West Central Valley Simulcast, East Central Valley Simulcast, and East Valley Simulcast with the new digital system. I just wasn't sure if I should put each simulcast site into a separate favorites list or group them together. I also assume that Mountain Simulcast covers what the old analog 8 system covered and that High Desert Simulcast covers what the analog 1 system covered.

I've been scanning for 30 years but this digital simulcast trunking is pretty new to me.

 

[kd6ecz]

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?aid=7742

LPTAC9 is 700mhz analog conventional designated (at least in SBCo) as a Fire-Tac. Scroll down, it's one of the 700mhz low power itinerant tacs.
"These narrowband low power itinerant channels are designated for low power use for on-scene incident response purposes using mobiles and portables. Some frequencies are national and others may be assigned on a regional basis."

I don't know which is which offhand. "LPTAC" means low power tac which is normally high power on a portable, low power on a mobile. My understanding was this is some APCO regional naming convention as I've also heard it mentioned in the bay area.

Thank you for that. I don't why but I could not find that information anywhere. I must hear dispatchers reference LPTAC-9 several times a week lately.

 

[kd6ecz]

I hear what sounds like a private security company on the P25 system, TG 1223. Anyone have ideas as to who it might be, and why would a private company be on the system?

Sent from my BBF100-2 using Tapatalk

Could it be ARMC (Arrowhead Regional Medical Center) security? They used to have two or three talkgroups on the analog 6/7 system but I don't think that they're there anymore.

 

[techman210]

The remaining Fire users in the system 6 area were moved over to the digital system today apparently. Patches should be up for a while until decommissioning takes place with the Type II analog.

 

[kearthfan101]

The remaining Fire users in the system 6 area were moved over to the digital system today apparently. Patches should be up for a while until decommissioning takes place with the Type II analog.

Ontario Fire was also giving the new command channel assignments, but remain patched to system 9

 

[LBH]

It also seems possible that the Comm Center talkgroup that was listed as 3549 has been changed to 2497. I never heard any traffic on 3549, but I'm hearing plenty of traffic on 2497 now, including myself, lol, talking to Comm Ctr, after our radios were upgraded from the 4-Comm TG to the new digital system.

Right now, 3549 is patched to 2497. For those that don't know, this means traffic from either of these talkgroups will be patched to users of both of these talkgroups. For the scanner world, only 2497 will show activity. 3549 will not appear to be in use.

 

[1942LA]

Yes, the System 6-Valley users switched to digital this morning.

As of Monday, Comm Center took over dispatching for the Chino Valley Fire District.

 

[kearthfan101]

Yes, the System 6-Valley users switched to digital this morning.

As of Monday, Comm Center took over dispatching for the Chino Valley Fire District.

I wonder when Ontario will wave the white flag since they are the only ones left.

 

[1942LA]

I wonder when Ontario will wave the white flag since they are the only ones left.

LOL! Oh, I'm guessing it will be a while.

The City of Ontario is a different kind of beast.