Somerset County 700 P25 Expansion and Changes

[mdsxfire]

The long awaited 700 MHZ channel expansion has occurred. New traffic channels up and operating on Site 4. They have been wisely provisioned as TDMA only.

How long will it be until we see Fire/EMS popping up on Site 4 ? Will Fire EMS be permitted to roam into Site 3 for better in building coverage. Police are locked out and denied on Site 3. Perhaps both will now be permitted.

How long will it be until Franklin Police and Fire arrive on Site 4. The entire Franklin System is funded for replacement of their EOL Smartzone.

Heavy talktime users, Somerset Recycling, Transportation and Roads are nicely tucked away on the NJICS. Will they stay there or will they now ruin talkpath availability for Police Fire and EMS. We shall see.

So probably a dumb question but has every tower with site 4 on it had these new radios added for the frequencies and just as dumb if none of the new frequencies are used as CC I’m guessing no work has to be done to radios in the wild

 

[GTR8000]

Traffic channels are tuned to based on the band plan, which hasn't changed. New traffic channels do not need to be programmed into subscriber to work immediately after they're provisioned.

 

[rr60]

So probably a dumb question but has every tower with site 4 on it had these new radios added for the frequencies and just as dumb if none of the new frequencies are used as CC I’m guessing no work has to be done to radios in the wild

One other item, just because it can, does not mean it will! What I am trying to say the the SCCC radio people must enable the ability for subscribers of a talk-group (s) to utilize Site 4 & Site 3. So your people may need to talk to their people, unless of course a change over date has been published.

As a point of reference, Site 4 now has just about the same capacity as NJICS Site 7. That site has many many TG’s and subscribers. Surprisingly many still FDMA. The new Somerset 700 MHZ channel layout, is very good and has little FDMA.

Edit: The Control Channel directs the subscriber radios what to do, including tuning the radio to a particular frequency and TG, even if is a “new frequency”.

 

[FT752]

@mdsxfire What model portable does your agency have on the trucks for mutual aid on the Somerset County TRS? Someone advised it was an APX, but no confirmation.

 

[mdsxfire]

@mdsxfire What model portable does your agency have on the trucks for mutual aid on the Somerset County TRS? Someone advised it was an APX, but no confirmation.

It’s an APX either 6/7000xe whichever is dual band, we also have capability on our Harris truck radio and one of the Harris portables that is tri band

 

[FT752]

It’s an APX either 6/7000xe whichever is dual band, we also have capability on our Harris truck radio and one of the Harris portables that is tri band

That'd be the 7000XE then, interesting. I had a feeling that there was another radio since I had seen the 1210 IDs in the fire portable range up on Somerset. Good to know that the mobiles are capable too.

Is the 7000XE U/7/8, or a different flavor like VHF?

 

[mdsxfire]

I believe the apx identifies with a 1210xxx and it is U/7/8
Out 3 engine and ladder mobiles are triband and out of the 7 portables (not counting the M) one of them is also triband, all the rest of the apparatus portables are single 7/800 the rescue as well as all station radios are single 7/800
Chiefs portables are triband

 

[FT752]

I believe the apx identifies with a 1210xxx and it is U/7/8

Gotcha. I know I have seen at least one of the chief's command radios identify as the old 5-digit IDs like 3749x, but have also seen radios in the 121025x neighborhood key up and/or register too. Appreciate the prompt response.

 

[GTR8000]

Keep in mind that the APX 8000 can be ordered as a dual band if you want to delete one of the bands. There is a noticeable difference in size between the APX 6000/8000 and the APX 7000 (which hasn't been available for a number of years). Oh yeah and the label on the front shows the model.

 

[mdsxfire]

Keep in mind that the APX 8000 can be ordered as a dual band if you want to delete one of the bands. There is a noticeable difference in size between the APX 6000/8000 and the APX 7000 (which hasn't been available for a number of years). Oh yeah and the label on the front shows the model.

Yes these are a couple of years old now, next time at the firehouse I’ll confirm

 

[mdsxfire]

Gotcha. I know I have seen at least one of the chief's command radios identify as the old 5-digit IDs like 3749x, but have also seen radios in the 121025x neighborhood key up and/or register too. Appreciate the prompt response.

Just out of curiosity now I’ll have to see if the APXs show up with the old 5 digit ID, because if something is using those it is probably more than likely it’s the moto not the harris

 

[rr60]

Uncertainty if there is actual “new” capacity. It seems as the majority of previous 700 channels are now silent with exception of (4) CC that are unchanged.
I have recorded zero activity on old channels.

Speculation. There has been numerous FCC requests to delay, I recall a commitment to use these by the end of the year. Perhaps there is not enough combiner resources to make all 12 or so channels happen at all sites.

Anyone?

 

[lynchy135]

Uncertainty if there is actual “new” capacity. It seems as the majority of previous 700 channels are now silent with exception of (4) CC that are unchanged.
I have recorded zero activity on old channels.

The only channel I have not seen since 11/20 is 769.58125.

 

[rr60]

I see what happened. Some ALT CC were previously provisioned FDMD/TDMA. No longer. The ALT now are only FDMA. Yes, I too have 769.58125 missing. Thanks.

 

[GTR8000]

I see what happened. Some ALT CC were previously provisioned FDMD/TDMA. No longer. The ALT now are only FDMA. Yes, I too have 769.58125 missing. Thanks.

Based on the screenshot that @lynchy135 posted, I would suggest that this is a typical ASTRO 25 setup in that all repeaters are TDMA capable, however thus far no voice traffic has required the use of any of the four control-capable channels or the BSI channel, hence why there are no TDMA versions of them just yet. At some point when the cell gets busy enough, it'll start to bite into the least preferred control capable channels and you'll see TDMA entries pop up for some of those frequencies. The BSI channel is always the least preferred for voice traffic, even more protected than the control capable channels, believe it or not.

Oh and you're not "seeing" activity on 769.58125 because it's quietly encoding the call sign in analog Morse code on that frequency every 30 minutes, not being used for trunking.

It seems like both cells are a fairly typical 10 repeater setup, split up 5x5 in two ESS racks per cell, no doubt.

Control Capable (FDMA entries)
771.85625
772.23125
772.95625
774.40625

BSI (FDMA)
769.58125

TDMA Traffic
769.09375
770.61875
772.43125
773.18125
773.90625

 

[rr60]

Seeing more Fire & EMS TG’s on the Site 4 700 MHZ. What this means is that units may appear exclusively on Site 3 500 MHZ or Site 4 or both Sites simultaneously. If you are solely on one site it is possible to miss transmissions.

 

[FT752]

TGs are passing on Site 4, but the same registration rules are in play for the actual subscribers- meaning, no local agency outside of North Plainfield 50 when applicable is using 700 natively. DSM is taking Fire/EMS/OEM FDMA traffic from Site 3 and making it TDMA on Site 4.