Simsbury Digital PD and EMS

[Adamwalsh627]

How does the Simsbury digital system work for PD and EMS? In Torrington for example, all anybody has to do is it put in the scanner frequency and they can hear everything for the PD. Is that a true digital system?

I was under the impression that digital meant it was more secure, and was similar to CSP where everything had talk groups and alternating channels which also is the way all big cities have their system set up.

Is Simsbury considered a P25 system, is it trunked?

I don't know anything about Harris, or why they would use them over Motorola.

 

[n1chu]

Simsbury is not trunked like CSP (CLMRN). There are no TG’s. Check into RadioReference.com and you will see the NAC (a PL for digital) and plug in the frequencies as you would a conventional analogue system… that should do it. I don’t listen to the PD but my son is a firefighter in Simsbury. They got together to buy scanners in bulk when the PD made the move to digital. They purchased Uniden BCD996P2 scanners. If I gave you any incorrect info on how to program, I will look at my son’s scanner and see where I went wrong, but I believe what I wrote will work.

 

[n1chu]

It is a Project 25 ( P25) system.
The town puts out to bid what it needs. Harris probably beat Motorola. But they are both good radios. As for why they switched to a digital system, I can’t think of anything other than there is supposed to be a slight advantage in range. I noticed they have licensed the same frequency both in digital mode and analogue mode.

 

[Adamwalsh627]

So if I understand correctly, Simsbury's system acts like a conventional channel but it's a digital signal?

 

[n1chu]

That’s what I’ve been led to understand. Southington PD did the same thing, using their old frequency and switching analogue to digital… as did. Ermine FD. I haven’t seen anything about why they did it, but I haven’t been keeping up on any of these three systems. The best thing to do is try it. If it doesn’t work, come back here for further advice.

 

[n1chu]

That should read Berlin FD.

 

[cg]

Simsbury did more than replacing the mobiles and portables. Pretty sure they went to a simulcast P25 conventional system for PD and a simulcast analog conventional system for each the FD & EMS (at least that was what the consultant recommended). The PD radios are at least dual band as I see them on the CLMRN system.
They were planning on 4 simulcast sites, Bushy Hill Fire Station, Firetown Fire Station, Eversource (Metacomet Ridge) and Central School (behind PD). I don't know if SFD went to their own tower behind the main station.
Coverage is good, there have been some hiccups but it seems like there are few complaints. Monitoring with a scanner, I have noticed some uneven audio output between radios, sometimes one part of the conversation is blasting and the rest normal and sometimes everything is extra loud.

 

[Adamwalsh627]

The FD totally did a revamp of their radios. They got rid of their old HT1250's and EX600' portables almost 5 years ago and upgraded all the officer's mobiles earlier this year and truck mobiles with Kenwoods, except for a few CDM1250's left in the fleet. When the new Kenwood portables came in, every firefighter received a portable so they can be safe on the fireground

 

[Adamwalsh627]

At least one decent thing when the PD got their new system, they were able to change the fire tones to match the FD Dispatch tones with the same timing and same warbler. The PD tones were always off before.

 

[garys]

Conventional and digital are apples and oranges. Digital can be trunked or conventional. Digital is the type of voice processing. CLMRN is a trunked system with digital voice, Simsbury is conventonal with digital voice.

So if I understand correctly, Simsbury's system acts like a conventional channel but it's a digital signal?

 

[Adamwalsh627]

Conventional and digital are apples and oranges. Digital can be trunked or conventional. Digital is the type of voice processing. CLMRN is a trunked system with digital voice, Simsbury is conventonal with digital voice.

What do you call conventional channels that are not digital but have radios with digital audio like the MOTOTRBO XPR Series? Simsbury FD is conventional but all the Kenwood's are digital as far as the sound of the user? That is why transmissions are so clear because the transmissions aren't coming from analog radios.

 

[garys]

The fire department is conventional analog, the police are conventional digital.

 

[nhfdcadet]

What do you call conventional channels that are not digital but have radios with digital audio like the MOTOTRBO XPR Series? Simsbury FD is conventional but all the Kenwood's are digital as far as the sound of the user? That is why transmissions are so clear because the transmissions aren't coming from analog radios.

Digital is Digital, Analog is Analog. A digital radio operating in analog is still analog.

 

[n1chu]

The way I understand it is the modulated audio the mic hears is analogue, transformed into a digital signal and sent out over the airwaves to a receiver which takes the digital signal and converts it back to an analogue modulated signal which feeds the speaker.

As for the term “conventional”, I use it to define the difference between a simple non-trunked repeater system and a trunked system… both of which can support analogue, digital or both.

 

[GTR8000]

Digital is Digital, Analog is Analog. A digital radio operating in analog is still analog.

Well, except for the fact that all modern radios that are digital-capable process all voice through the DSP, including voice that is ultimately transmitted using analog modulation.

As for the term “conventional”, I use it to define the difference between a simple non-trunked repeater system and a trunked system… both of which can support analogue, digital or both.

Conventional also applies to non-repeated (simplex) transmissions. Anything that is not trunked is conventional, essentially.

 

[n1chu]

Well, except for the fact that all modern radios that are digital-capable process all voice through the DSP, including voice that is ultimately transmitted using analog modulation.

Thanks for the add.

Conventional also applies to non-repeated (simplex) transmissions. Anything that is not trunked is conventional, essentially.

And again, thanks for the add.

 

[W1KNE]

Digital is Digital, Analog is Analog. A digital radio operating in analog is still analog.

In addition, while the radio system may be analog, the links between the console and repeaters may be digital as well, and depending on how they are configured , can sound digital as well.

 

[n1chu]

Whatever happened to the good ole days, a couple of tin cans, some string and two buttons!

 

[nhfdcadet]

In addition, while the radio system may be analog, the links between the console and repeaters may be digital as well, and depending on how they are configured , can sound digital as well.

I think I might not be understanding what you refer to with "sounding digital"
But I come from a land where a state talkgroup and a vhf analog channel are patched, and sometimes the audio isnt great when its the digital audio coming over the patch on the analog system.

 

[simfire479]

At least one decent thing when the PD got their new system, they were able to change the fire tones to match the FD Dispatch tones with the same timing and same warbler. The PD tones were always off before.

That is because the PD has the same radio console that the fd has