STARS activity

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shumadine

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I listen on an irregular basis, but I have not heard any STARS activity in Richmond lately. All VSP activity is coming in on conventional channels. After reading some of the late July posts, is it correct that they are not using STARS until some of the bugs are worked out? Or am I just not listening at the right time? The few times I did hear it this summer, the digital transmissions sure did come through clearly !
 

RagnarD

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Hi CTG,

I just drove up to Richmond from Hampton Roads this morning and copied traffic on the Williamsburg, Petersburg, Richmond and Rumford sites.

I heard traffic on talkgroups VSP Ch 1, VSP TAC 1 and VSP Ch 2. Don't know if maybe it was down recently but it was up and operational this morning.

73
de
chris
kq4z
 

dren

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STARS is up and functional, mostly. Maybe you just hit a lull in the action. It does seem that STARS transmissions are more succeptible to atmospheric conditions than the conventional side.

STARS installations have been halted a time or two, but usage of the system has not.
 

fmon

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I drove to Mobjack, Gwynn's Is. (Mathews county) and Deltaville a few days ago and heard Williamsburg throughout the trip and Richmond for most of the time above Gloucester Court House. Also picked up Warsaw throughout Middlesex county.
 

trainman111

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Since I don't have a digital scanner...yet, I wanted to know, what exactly do you hear the VSP talk about on STARS? I still hear alot of acitivty on 158.985, 159.000, 159.135, and 159.165. using the PL tones, I found out that on those frequencies I heard Richmond, Appomatox, and Chesapeake. So what exactly are they saying on STARS that I can't hear on analog freqs.
 

MOTORHEAD3902

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For the time being, the two dispatch channels on STARS are patched with the conventional dispatch channels. The exception being TAC 1 and TAC2, which are not patched to conventional TAC or SURVEILLANCE.
Haven't heard anyone officiallyusing any of the mutual aid tg's or other tg's...
 

dren

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I've noticed the same thing motorhead. That's odd considering mutual is the only TG that's not recorded.

Cell phones and MDT's are making tac channel usage less common.
 

chynst

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Been listening for about a month now and have'nt heard a peep out of stars. Still get the conventional channels.
 

dren

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chynst said:
Been listening for about a month now and have'nt heard a peep out of stars. Still get the conventional channels.

I've been listening to STARS transmissions all day. Not sure what's going on with everyone else. My STARS radio in my car has been working pretty well too. I haven't had to switch to conventional too many times over the last week.
 

trainman111

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Once they completely switch to STARS, will they still simulcast on conventional? I doubt it but I thought I should ask.

Nick
 

fmon

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trainman111 said:
Once they completely switch to STARS, will they still simulcast on conventional? I doubt it but I thought I should ask.

Nick
It'll be several years before all divisions are in STARS operations and yes, they will simulcast throughout these years and beyond until all areas have assured coverage.
 

chynst

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Wooohoooo!
Finally heard some activity on STARS today. I figured out the custom table for the pro96. Still dont get all the traffic that the conventional do but its a start.
 

Stick0413

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chynst said:
Wooohoooo!
Finally heard some activity on STARS today. I figured out the custom table for the pro96. Still dont get all the traffic that the conventional do but its a start.

Yeah that is exactly what I had to do. Figured it out about a week ago. Have heard several convos since then.
 

RagnarD

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Stick0413 said:
Yeah that is exactly what I had to do. Figured it out about a week ago. Have heard several convos since then.

Hi Guys,

Please don't take this as a flame but the tables for STARS have been worked out for several months.

There is another thread here in the Virginia forums that show the tables and reference an updated version of WIN96 that allows the entry of the proper step size.

Just for reference here is a copy of a "working" WIN96 file for STARS.

HTH,

73
de
chris
kq4z
 

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Stick0413

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kq4z said:
Hi Guys,

Please don't take this as a flame but the tables for STARS have been worked out for several months.

There is another thread here in the Virginia forums that show the tables and reference an updated version of WIN96 that allows the entry of the proper step size.

Just for reference here is a copy of a "working" WIN96 file for STARS.

HTH,

73
de
chris
kq4z

Not taking that as a flame. I just did not realize that you had to program that stuff in for that system (i now know you have to for the lower mhz trunking systems.) Now its up and running good for me once i figured that out. Still I thank you for trying to help and maybe it could help someone else that is new at this (I am quickly gaining experience.)
 

chynst

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Me too. I thought you could just download it from RR into win96 then upload to the scanner and it would work. But nooooo.. haha
Guess you have to do alittle work sometimes.
 

fmon

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Stick and chynst,

Keep in mind also, any time you need to update your existing Win96 file for new towers (freqs) or talkgroups etc, don't use Web Import into your existing file. Instead use a new template then copy/paste into your existing file. Otherwise, the good tables go back to default requiring you to type the info in again.
 

fmon

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STARS 5 Testing from MMBT

I have heard a series of test broadcast from "STARS 5 to Suffolk Dispatch on Mutual Aid TG 59536. Each test is on a different Suffolk Trunked frequency. The STARS 5 unit is testing from in side the MMBT north bound tube and in 20 minutes will start a series in the south bound tube.
 
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