Suburban Cook County Telecommunication Nets

[GLNWDFD481]

Country Club Hills was a Net-3 Town now Dispatched by Ecom. Before the transition to the Cook County system The 470.9375 Network Consisted of the following towns:
Homewood host to the main repeater talk-out
Hazel Crest
East Hazel Crest
Glenwood
Flossmoor
Lynwood
Country Club Hills
Thornton

One of the interesting things about this original network was all the individual psaps had a network wide intercom on their consoles to talk to the other dispatchers. The system was very well thought out.

Interesting note everyone is now Dispatched by Ecom for the exception of Lynwood who is now dispatched by Buds dispatch out of Dolton.

 

[N9JIG]

One of the interesting things about this original network was all the individual psaps had a network wide intercom on their consoles to talk to the other dispatchers. The system was very well thought out.

That was a pretty common thing among these wide area networks. It was part of the design of the systems, since there was a Conference Bridge used to connect the consoles to the repeater, the only thing they had to do was not transmit the keying tone and the conference bridge becomes an intercom.

A conference bridge is basically 2 pairs of phone lines from the console (dispatch center) and the repeater, often located at another location. One pair was TX and the other RX. Since most of these networks back in the days before Central Dispatch had several dispatch centers (usually one for each town) a button was added to the consoles for the intercom.

In the North Shore where I worked we used the Intercom constantly. One had to be careful because if a mobile radio transmitted while the intercom was being used the dispatchers talking on the intercom would go out over the radio. Also, depending on how the recorders were wired, the intercom traffic could be recorded on the same channel as the repeater traffic.

Some places had separate phone lines run for intercoms but phone lines cost money so that was less often seen.

 

[melvin1987]

West Cook Consolidated Communications WC3

As far as Brookfield, McCook, North Riverside and Riverside PDs do we know how many talkgroups on "STARCOM21 Near West 800" will be allocated as of yet?

 

[werinshades]

As far as Brookfield, McCook, North Riverside and Riverside PDs do we know how many talkgroups on "STARCOM21 Near West 800" will be allocated as of yet?

I don't see that listing in the Starcom section? Is there an active control channel?

 

[rbrtklamp2]

I think he is referring to the Cook County node as I have not heard of any new towers . Also all but Brookfield went to the Cook County TRS. And I believe Brookfield and the Lagrange area will be moving to County as well in the new year.

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[ILjim]

I was chatting with a cop who is a member of Lansing PD and he told me that Lansing will remain on VHF and will not switch over to StarCom21 anytime soon. However, they will soon get new radios for interop between SouthCom, E-Com, Hammond IN PD, etc.

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[kevino]

Country Club Hills was a Net-3 Town now Dispatched by Ecom. Before the transition to the Cook County system The 470.9375 Network Consisted of the following towns:
Homewood host to the main repeater talk-out
Hazel Crest
East Hazel Crest
Glenwood
Flossmoor
Lynwood
Country Club Hills
Thornton

One of the interesting things about this original network was all the individual psaps had a network wide intercom on their consoles to talk to the other dispatchers. The system was very well thought out.

Interesting note everyone is now Dispatched by Ecom for the exception of Lynwood who is now dispatched by Buds dispatch out of Dolton.

Am I correct in understanding that all of these towns are now on the Cook County trunked system? If so, is the old UHF repeater used at all as a back-up? I am trying to update the Radio Reference Cook County database page and am looking for updated on this or any other Cook County net listed there. Thanks!

 

[kevino]

As far as Brookfield, McCook, North Riverside and Riverside PDs do we know how many talkgroups on "STARCOM21 Near West 800" will be allocated as of yet?

All I know from reading the 911 PSAP consolidation documents that West Central Consolidated Communications (WC3) submitted to the State of Illinois is that the primary police dispatch channel (talkgroup/talkgroups?) will be on "STARCOM21 Near West 800". The documents do not specify talkgroup numbers. Primary FD dispatch will be on 154.250. It appears that they won't go online before next year at the earliest. For those not familiar with this PSAP, it will be located at North Riverside PD and dispatch for Brookfield, McCook, North Riverside and Riverside PDs and FDs.

 

[ILjim]

Primary FD dispatch will be on 154.250

Does this mean that North Riverside FD will switch over to 154.250? Or will they remain on the freq. they're on now? After all, they are licensed for it.


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[werinshades]

All I know from reading the 911 PSAP consolidation documents that West Central Consolidated Communications (WC3) submitted to the State of Illinois is that the primary police dispatch channel (talkgroup/talkgroups?) will be on "STARCOM21 Near West 800". The documents do not specify talkgroup numbers. Primary FD dispatch will be on 154.250. It appears that they won't go online before next year at the earliest. For those not familiar with this PSAP, it will be located at North Riverside PD and dispatch for Brookfield, McCook, North Riverside and Riverside PDs and FDs.

Any word if Forest View PD will be included? The FD is part of Division 10 and these departments are part of the Division as well? Of course...will they remain encrypted? The closest Starcom Cook County South control channel is active now...853.775.

 

[ILjim]

Any word if Forest View PD will be included? The FD is part of Division 10 and these departments are part of the Division as well? Of course...will they remain encrypted? The closest Starcom Cook County South control channel is active now...853.775.

I know that before the switch to StarCom21, Forest View PD used 151.1525 and 155.070 along with the other Net(or Near) West agencies. Forest View PD/FD is currently self-dispatched. PD currently uses StarCom, and FD uses 154.250, just like the other agencies.

 

[kevino]

I just saw in the StarCom21 database that TG 3981 used by MDC Dispatch is in CLEAR mode, did not see a 'E' after the 'D'. Am I seeing things?

Correct, MCD police dispatch on SC21 TG 3981 is currently unencrypted. Their radios (133xxx RIDs) have also been observed affiliating with TGs 3982-3990.

 

[ILjim]

I was being sarcastic when I asked that rhetorical question lol. But still, pretty interesting given that practically every PD in Cook Co that is on StarCom21 uses ENC...

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[rbrtklamp2]

Correct, MCD police dispatch on SC21 TG 3981 is currently unencrypted. Their radios (133xxx RIDs) have also been observed affiliating with TGs 3982-3990.

I think they about 16 TGs and a ATG I have logged MCD on 3981 through 3999. Most of it in the testing phase.

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[ILjim]

I can hear MCD Police Dispatch on T102. Haven't heard anything on the Tac TG's yet...

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[rbrtklamp2]

I can hear MCD Police Dispatch on T102. Haven't heard anything on the Tac TG's yet...

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Tac TGs are ENC I know that there are at least 3 or 4 encrypted tgs on the system.

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[Chicago2210]

Did Northbrook switch back over to STARCOM21?

 

[ILjim]

Did Northbrook switch back over to STARCOM21?

I think so. I did a quick search through OpenMHz (https://openmhz.com/sc21149) and recently (as of the time of this post) Northbrook PD has been using their TG. No ENC used.

 

[kevino]

OpenMHz Website

I think so. I did a quick search through OpenMHz (https://openmhz.com/sc21149) and recently (as of the time of this post) Northbrook PD has been using their TG. No ENC used.

First I've heard about this website. Interesting concept, thanks for for posting the link, Jim!

 

[ILjim]

Here's the link for Site 102:
https://openmhz.com/sc21102

And Site 146:
https://openmhz.com/sc21146


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