Strange Talk Groups Problems?

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bwigg

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Here in my area public safety has been using a single site analog Type II Motorola trunking system for the last several years. City main dispatch uses 18944 for its main talk group. Base and mobiles have always used this. Suddenly last week I noticed I was only receiving parts of a conversation. Sometimes I would hear the mobile responding to a dispatch but not the actual dispatch. Other times I would hear both sides of the conversation. Sometimes I do not hear either side as both mobile and dispatch were using the 20768 ID.

I started using ID search and found that the dispatch and mobiles are now randomly using two different talk groups id’s. If the dispatch initiates the call on talk group 18944 the mobile usually responds on 18944, but sometimes the dispatch is using talk group 20768 and the mobile responds on 18944 or 20768. Sometimes they initiate the call on 20768 and the mobiles respond on 18944. It’s random in nature and it doesn’t follow a particular freq or dispatcher. Funny thing is that it seems as though the users of the system have no problem communicating across the two different ID’s Thinking they may have setup a second site I checked for more than one control channel.

I thought something maybe wrong with my BCD396T setup so I used both my BCD396T and Pro-96 with the same results.

I programmed the new ID in both scanners so I can follow the complete calls, but I am wondering what the heck is happening here.

Strange thing is that I have a Motorola MTS2000 that is on the same system and it hears both sides of the conversations with no problems.

I know the LTR radios I program can be set up to receive more than one ID on receive without scan but they can only transmit one ID. It seems that Motorola radios on this system are receiving two different ID’s as well as randomly transmitting them with no operator intervention.

What gives?
 

DaveIN

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Interesting. Did your system have any upgrade recently? What system is it, byt the way?
 

bwigg

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DaveIN said:
Interesting. Did your system have any upgrade recently? What system is it, byt the way?

System is in Albany, Ga SYSID 6D31. They are planning on upgrading soon to a two site digital system. Last time I talked to techs about a week ago they are still waiting to get second tower erected and fiber installed at the second site. I may need to make a call to their shop an see what is going on.
 

DaveIN

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Looks like a fairly busy system: http://radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&action=sysid&sysid=6d31

Database only shows one active control channel and no alternates and I see you checked for an alternate active control channel. Does your system cycle to any other frequency as a control channel alternate at midnight?

You mentioned a talkgroup 20768 is active, but it's not found in the database, and 18944 is the normal dispatch channel. Nowhere near in binary, so it must not be a trunk tracking problem.

You don't hear them say, go to X-channel, or check the MDT computer, before this happens I take it?
 

bwigg

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DaveIN said:
Looks like a fairly busy system: http://radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&action=sysid&sysid=6d31

Database only shows one active control channel and no alternates and I see you checked for an alternate active control channel. Does your system cycle to any other frequency as a control channel alternate at midnight?

You mentioned a talkgroup 20768 is active, but it's not found in the database, and 18944 is the normal dispatch channel. Nowhere near in binary, so it must not be a trunk tracking problem.

You don't hear them say, go to X-channel, or check the MDT computer, before this happens I take it?


They have four control channels that rotate at 11:00am every 24 hours. I am looking at the system with trunker interfaced to my service monitor and all seems to be normal right now. I am at work and do not have my scanners with me to verify what's going on.

I wonder if it has something to do with the switch to new system? Maybe something weird was going on with system controller over the weekend and they have now corrected it?

It was sorta like they had two talk groups patched together.
 

bwigg

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Looks like everything is back to normal now. Strange indeed! BTW 20768 is a talk group for city public works dept.
 

VORTAC

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For me, it's look like the dispatcher make some patch or multi-select channel. Here in Montreal, the dispatcher of the fire dept always play with that and it's very difficult to follow one conversation at time.
 

DaveIN

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It would be nice if the Uniden TrunkTrackers could follow patches also. Then you could alpa-tag them.
 
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