STARS 1 freq. change

Status
Not open for further replies.

robertmac

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
2,290
Was monitoring STARS 1 406.5375 freq. most of the week-end, especially with Emergency Prepardness week. Didn't hear a peep. I do know they have flown a few missions since 2010 May 1, but have not heard them. Looking at Spectrum Direct, I note that 406.5375 is no longer listed. I have heard them on 158.76 for landing at sites. I do note a few new frequencies in the 422 mHz range. Have they switched to these frequencies or have they gone to iDen? If they have gone to iDen, this will be the last year I send them a donation. Have always enjoyed listening to the medical interventions used with different medical conditons. Will be plugging in the 422 freqs. in the ole scanner to see what's up. So, can anyone confirm they have moved to 422?
 

harryshute

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
1,867
Location
Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA
Great post robertmac but keep your STARS cheque ready. I can confirm 422.625 is in use in Edmonton. In Calgary and Grande Prairie try 422.550. This weekend I was talking to STARS pilot Grant Wudell and he says the change has made it much easier to directly communicate with St. Albert as they have direct access to their frequency. He says Strathcona is still a problem with their trunked system and they must patch to a cell phone. He says they still have the Wulfsberg programmable so they can patch into almost any VHF or UHF conventional.

At the Emergency preparedness display he says once they have the new helicopter in Edmonton they will be able to fly more search and rescue type missions, will have de-icing cabability, faster response, can fly higher and been able to fly into B.C. and Saskatchewan. Currently they are using military spec night goggles which they must key under lock and key. I'll try to locate the PL tone for Edmonton today.

Harry
 

harryshute

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
1,867
Location
Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA
I don't think we need to worry about STARS hiding any time soon. This news release was sent to all Edmonton area media outlets

New frequencies



Calgary Repeater will be transmitting on 422.5500 MHz, and receiving on 427.5500 MHz

Edmonton Repeater will be transmitting on 422.6250 MHz, and receiving on 427.6250 MHz

Grande Prairie Repeater will be transmitting on 422.5500 MHz, and receiving on 427.5500 MHz

No mention of Porcupine Hills.
Harry
 

robertmac

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
2,290
Press release

Must have missed the press release in Calgary [didn't do a search of the Calgary Herald]. Did look at STARS web site, but didn't see anything other than some Government pictures. Boy they [AHS, MLAs] like those photo ops. I guess I will have to continue to donate as they have been relatively busy today on 422.55. Just returning from Banff. Glad to hear they are have not switched to encryption nor iDen.
 

harryshute

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
1,867
Location
Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA
Are you able to decode the PL tone for me on that 422.55 Calgary repeater? Most likely also 123.0 but I want to confirm. Also do you think you may hear 422.625 down at Porcupine Hills?

I believe the news release was directed to media assignment desks rather than for publishing in the Herald. Who knows maybe the papers did print it. It was interesting that they released both the RX and TX frequencies but no PL tones.

Harry
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
I don't think we need to worry about STARS hiding any time soon. This news release was sent to all Edmonton area media outlets

New frequencies



Calgary Repeater will be transmitting on 422.5500 MHz, and receiving on 427.5500 MHz

Edmonton Repeater will be transmitting on 422.6250 MHz, and receiving on 427.6250 MHz

Grande Prairie Repeater will be transmitting on 422.5500 MHz, and receiving on 427.5500 MHz

No mention of Porcupine Hills.
Harry

When they tested the Edmonton repeater, it was tested in NFM, P25 and P25 Enc modes.
 

robertmac

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
2,290
Bad news

That is REALLY bad news about dig. and encryption. But then I will save over $200 a year from not having to donate.
 

harryshute

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
1,867
Location
Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA
STARS is a very public oriented company and doesn`t worry about the public listening. If not why would they tweet all missions on a delayed basis. And why would they put out a news release to the media to let them know ahead of time about the frequency change. You can`t buy the great coverage they get from the media responding to their calls. The only thing the pilot mentioned is they are very careful not to mention patients names over the air even though doctor`s often ask for it.

They are very open to the media requesting information. The best recent example was the firefighter injured near Wainwright. Both Global Edmonton and CTV sent crews to the area the day of the frequency change. I`m told the exsisting Calgary repeater was just retuned to the new frequency and they kept the same PL tone. Porcupine Hills is a new repeater added to cover Lethbridge through into Eastern B.C.

Harry
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
If you are going to stop donating to STARS if they decide to encrypt their comms, then you are donating for the wrong reasons.
First I did not say Stars is going to encrypt communication. I said the the repeater was tested in those modes. The current model of Wolf radios on board Stars do not support digital modes or encryption. The testing was performed by radio techs during the installation or more like the mod of the repeaters.
 

harryshute

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
1,867
Location
Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA
HDMechanic a good thought worth considering. Any organization going with new equiptment and not looking for digital capability is not forward thinking. With new helicopters coming for Calgary and Edmonton a STARS pilot says they will be able to take on more search and rescue operations and will be to go further into B.C and Saskaychewan. For example Hinton is now the last stop west of Edmonton now but Valemont will be within the new circle.

He says the new Augusta birds will fly higher and faster so they need a bit more separation between repeaters using differerent PL tones. I`m sure they have considered digital regarding the Saskatchewan side of things, the upcoming provincial system and the B.C. RCMP.

BTW congrats on the new baby boy. You are helping bring up the new generation of scanner users.

Harry
 

Jay911

Silent Key (April 15th, 2023)
Feed Provider
Joined
Feb 15, 2002
Messages
9,378
Location
Bragg Creek, Alberta
Their repeater is not used to link with anyone else, so I doubt it is for any of those reasons. Their repeater is used solely for conversations between the aircraft and the Link Center, including phone patches to hospitals and other agencies they make contact with (patches which are no doubt originated at the Link Center). Comms to on-scene crews are handled over frequencies such as Provincial Ambulance or RCMP Tac 9.

As has been said, Wolfsburg aviation radios don't do digital or encryption.
 

harryshute

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
1,867
Location
Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA
Jay that may be the case in Calgary but not in Edmonton. Pilot Grant Wadell says the new St. Albert system on 424 MHz trunked has also installed a direct link to their 422 MHz frequency. When they go to Strathcona County the link center must patch the STARS repeater to the Platoon Cheif's cell phone which they say is a pain. There is no RCMP Tac 9 in either Saskatchewan or B.C. anymore.

I think they are going the way of the RCMP by authorizing more use of their frequencies. Some fire departments also now have access diretly to RCMP Tacs and repeaters. I even see some west of Calgary on the list:)

Harry
 

Jay911

Silent Key (April 15th, 2023)
Feed Provider
Joined
Feb 15, 2002
Messages
9,378
Location
Bragg Creek, Alberta
Phone patches are no fun for any emergency services use. Especially when one side of the conversation (I won't name any nurses - oops! ;) or doctors too) don't get the concept that you can't be heard while the other person is talking.

My claim was made on historical experience with STARS Calgary - I have never heard anyone but them on their channel. If they're making themselves more accessible in that regard, good for them.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top