Reese can I ask a couple of follow up questions?
1. Is it true that 155.025R & 155.925R & 153.98R & 154.115R have 5 synchronized simulcast repeaters each?
Actually more and less. 155.025 ( all dispatching is done on this channel) was built out with a boat load of transmitter to cover the city and remember we had to cover underground in several building and the airport. CMD 11 has the best foot print, because there is a high level repeater in the Santa Cruz mountains, but it's mostly used as a secondary channel to CMD 12 and CMD 13.
2. Any idea how many remote receiver sites exist for each of those channels?
Aboat load... as I can remember, most had 10 to 16 receivers.
3. Is it true that Tac 31 is operationally paired with 155.925R; Tac 32 is paired with 153.98R; and Tac 33 is paired with 154.115R?
CMD 11 uses TAC 31 as it's simplex fire ground channel.. CMD12/TAC 32, CMD13/TAC33
4. Does Tac 32 154.31 BM really have a base station?
NO
5. 154.43 is licensed for 3 bases and 400 mobiles - is that accurate?
You would need to look at the FCC data base. SJ uses an outside agency to do all FCC work.
6. 150.775, 155.13, and 150.805 are used as spare TAC channels - right?
YES
7. 151.04 seems to be unlicensed per the FCC ULS - but there does not seem to be any nearby users - maybe there is an expired license on 151.04?
See answer # 5.
8. The Radio Reference Database jumps from F1 to F11 - ????
Don't know why..
9. Do San Jose field units have the ability to operate in simplex mode on the repeater output channels? ('direct' or 'talkaround' or whatever you wish to call it) - can the dispatchers hear any of that traffic?
NO. Too many problems with training the FF to use the Direct Mode. Long history of issues when they had the option. They may have it now.. there was some discussion of adding it back when it retired.
10. What happens when someone hits an emergency button? Does the radio remain on its current channel?
It reverts to the main fire channel. 155.025
11. On 6/22/2019 around 912PM there was a building fire call / microwave plus stove fire ("not getting bigger" per caller) and radio channel "Command 13" was assigned. Engine 35 was sent via radio from another call, and then popped up on Command 13. Engine 35 arrived and gave a report on Command 13 I think. I suspect when the Chief arrived, Eng 35 went to the Tac channel and the Chief monitored both Command 13 and the Tac channel. No tac channel as mentioned. The scanner feed was picking up everyone on Command 13 so that sure sounded like a repeater. (I guess we can call that a confirmation). I did not hear any paging tones for the incident.
Was that a question?
Based on all of this - my guess on the channel lineup is -
F1 - 155.025 R - channel name is "San Jose Fire" - this is the home channel for all units
F11 - 155.925 R - "Command 11" - spare command channel
F12 - 153.98 R - "Command 12" - north command channel
F13 - 154.115 R - "Command 13" - south command channel
Command channels are only assigned for structure fire calls, major brush fires, major crashes, major hazmats, etc
Boston has a population of 700,000 and seems to manage fine with 4 repeater channels. San Jose has a population of 1 million. Maybe they are (have been) short 1 repeater channel. But San Jose has Tac channels that Boston doesnt have (do have - dont use).
And that is the end of that. Thanks for being willing to share info. Peter sz
