San Diego Co/Imperial Co Regional Communications System (RCS) Question Thread

d119

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I have been looking into the BK radios, particularly the KNG-M800, as my station has more of a need for mobiles than handhelds at this point. For the price we are looking at for new APX mobiles, plus monthly contract fees, those BK's could really save some us some cash.

Paul

Agreed. I never understood what the media's fascination with having actual radios on the system is, when they can get reasonable scanners for a lot less money, and hear talkgroups that the agencies didn't program into the radios.

I've seen the fleetmap of your SDPD provided mobiles, they really seem to cut you guys off at the knees ;)
 

Anderegg

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The NextGen (NexGen?) RCS will utilize LSM CQPSK modulation unless I am misinformed about that being the ONLY modulation scheme for Phase I and II simulcast trunking systems. Depending on your location you might need a commercial receiver to consistently decode the voice traffic. My TV station has a giant cell phone tower on the roof...literally...so we have an amazingly difficult time decoding the current RCS, much less CQPSK. Testing out a TRX on our antenna system, still a bit of decode garbling even on SD City's 700 CQPSK signals...dreading how bad it will be even with the best scanner tech when Phase II is added to the CQPSK mix. The BK radios seem perfect for "dummies" and untrained people to use, it even has a touchscreen so they can pretend it's a cell phone...will just tell the users it's a scanner "app". :-D

Paul
 

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d119

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The BK radios seem perfect for "dummies" and untrained people to use, it even has a touchscreen so they can pretend it's a cell phone...will just tell the users it's a scanner "app". :-D

Paul

Then it should be perfect for your use, Paul!

As nothing more than essentially a scanner listener, you sure do a lot of system bashing.

Stop speculating and misleading people out here.
 

IBScan

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The NextGen (NexGen?) RCS will utilize LSM CQPSK modulation unless I am misinformed about that being the ONLY modulation scheme for Phase I and II simulcast trunking systems. Depending on your location you might need a commercial receiver to consistently decode the voice traffic. My TV station has a giant cell phone tower on the roof...literally...so we have an amazingly difficult time decoding the current RCS, much less CQPSK. Testing out a TRX on our antenna system, still a bit of decode garbling even on SD City's 700 CQPSK signals...dreading how bad it will be even with the best scanner tech when Phase II is added to the CQPSK mix. The BK radios seem perfect for "dummies" and untrained people to use, it even has a touchscreen so they can pretend it's a cell phone...will just tell the users it's a scanner "app". :-D

Paul

So I'm not the only one with cell towers messing up RCS reception? While the real RCS radios are not affected as the scanners are.

ATT put a repeater about 100ish FT away and it's been crappy receiving anything.
 

K6CDO

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No, you are not the only one bothered by AT&T's UMTS service in 870 MHz. The high signal levels bother RCS radios when close in, too.

Rebanding of the South Cell should take place later this year. It will hopefully reduce the level of interference at your location.

Don
 

K6CDO

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No, you are not the only one bothered by AT&T's UMTS service in 870 MHz. The high signal levels bother RCS radios when close in, too.

Rebanding of the South Cell should take place later this year. It will hopefully reduce the level of interference at your location.

Don

So the South Cell is rebanded. How's it doing for you now?
 

donrob36

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so do cell phone towers create interference to a digital scan ID on hold
My bcd396xt gets alot of bleed over on El Cajon PD Dispatch 1 ID 35552 Rebanded 3/25/18
 

K6CDO

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so do cell phone towers create interference to a digital scan ID on hold
My bcd396xt gets alot of bleed over on El Cajon PD Dispatch 1 ID 35552 Rebanded 3/25/18

It is possible. A couple of questions:

1. Did it just start, or was it doing it prior to rebanding?
2. How far is the closest cell site you know of?
 

EMAN92082

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Hi - First Post – “Radio-Smart” Level: Beginner
Hope this is the correct place to ask for advice

Pro96 User since 2005 – RS #20-283 Antenna – Programmed with Win96

Location: Valley Center
Primary Interest: North Comm for V.C. Fire – San Marcos 90/92 for SDSO

Switched to “800 MHz Re-banded Extended Trunking Table prior to Aug 16 without incident.
Aug 16, stopped receiving as expected. Plugged in the new primary North Cell Control Channels from the RR Database. No Luck.

The Talk Group displays - It sometimes goes totally silent but most of the time, it’s a loud annoying noise.

Downloaded ARC96 from this Site. Installed San Diego RCS from the Menu – Left as-is, made no changes
Same Problem. Feels like a setting is incorrect but I haven’t the Radio savvy to fix it.

Any Help? And Thanks for Your time.
 

K6CDO

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Just came on the air Monday morning at 11:am in the north county area.
851.6125 test signal? aka testing the new RCS NextGen site equipment?


Optimization of the new sites, one site at a time. Also, conducted an interference test with a L.A. area agency.
 

EMAN92082

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Pro96 Lost North Comm and San Marcos 90/92 SDSO

Change from splinter to Mot. Type 2 . Under system set up. Welcome to the club!


Thanks for Your Reply!


I did switch from the splinter setting to the re-band multi-table several months back and everything was working fine. Having used ARC96 now, I was hoping that downloading San Diego RCS from the Trunk menu and auto-loading the four North Cell Control Channels would rule out anything I could be doing wrong.



Best Regards
E
 

TechDude98

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I was looking through the contract for the NextGen P25 RCS system and came across this:

"Once a talkgroup has been enabled for P25 operation, it is capable of supporting SmartX 3600 operation and P25 operation on the same existing talkgroup. This means that a user that has not been upgraded to P25 operation can access their talkgroup via SmartX channels and speak to users who are Phase I and Phase 2 equipped on the same talkgroups. The channels at P25 sites will revert to the lowest common denominator in terms of operational mode so that legacy radios are still able to communicate with upgraded radios. This ensures that no users get left behind if they have not yet been upgraded for P25 operation or have legacy radios not capable of P25 operation."

Will the system be both Phase I and II or only Phase II during P25 operation? From what I read, it seems that both Phase I and II radio subscribers will be able to use P25 talkgroups on the NextGen system - is that correct?
 

Anderegg

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Phase II systems will revert to Phase I if a Phase I radio joins the talkgroup.

That would be the Phase 1/2 interoperability option...I think the SmartX thing is an interface between the old and new systems. Don would be able to clear that up. Sounds like it just means the two systems can operate in a way that all features and functions from RCS affiliated radios pass through to NextGen consoles and vice versa, instead of just a "patching" of say SDPD Patch and LE South Command on the RCS.

Paul
 

K6CDO

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I was looking through the contract for the NextGen P25 RCS system and came across this:

"Once a talkgroup has been enabled for P25 operation, it is capable of supporting SmartX 3600 operation and P25 operation on the same existing talkgroup. This means that a user that has not been upgraded to P25 operation can access their talkgroup via SmartX channels and speak to users who are Phase I and Phase 2 equipped on the same talkgroups. The channels at P25 sites will revert to the lowest common denominator in terms of operational mode so that legacy radios are still able to communicate with upgraded radios. This ensures that no users get left behind if they have not yet been upgraded for P25 operation or have legacy radios not capable of P25 operation."

Will the system be both Phase I and II or only Phase II during P25 operation? From what I read, it seems that both Phase I and II radio subscribers will be able to use P25 talkgroups on the NextGen system - is that correct?


Short answer: yes.



The exsiiting SmartZone system operates on a P25 core with SmartX interfaces (and has for 5 years). The NextGen system uses the same core (with upgrades to bring it to current production levels). Once the transition is complete in 2020, the SmartZone sites will be removed from the core. Trivia item, the City 800 and 700 systems also share a core.



The NextGen system is P25 Phase 2 equipped. A talkgroup with only Phase 2 radios active will operate in Phase 2. Once a Phase 1 radio joins / is joined to the TG, the TG will revert to Phase 1 operation. The System Common and Mutual Aid talkgroups will operate Phase 1 for some time.
 

KI6AOK

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Question: I’ve been hearing a Morse Code ID at regular intervals on NorthComm 3A since last night. What’s up with that?
 
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