TK 5710 System use

[scfdradio]

Hello everyone,

I am trying to understand the use of multiple systems with the KPG-95DGN programming software. I am using Version 2 and 3 radios. Incidentally, this applies to the TK 5210 as well since my department uses both and they can use the same dat files with a few adjustments of settings.

Nevertheless, the options are Conventional and Trunking. We strictly use Conventional, but is there another use for multiple systems? The only things I can come up with are if you need more channels than a "system" can have (250 for Version 2 radios for example), just add another system and draw from multiple systems to build the Zones. This is what I currently have in place.

The other thought is to have "systems" created to organize each large group of channels, and then draw from the various systems to build each Zone. For example: System 1 for local government, System 2 for state, System 3 for NIFC, System 4 for USFS, System 5 for Law and so on. That way it seems it would be easier to make updates to the particular frequencies without having to look all over to find them.

Originally when I inherited the communications responsibilities, the file had been created and added to again and again. Now the various channels are spread all over the place rather than in organized groups, which makes it easy to miss something when programming updates. It kind of reminds me of a computer operating system that has been added to and gotten out of hand, but is so far developed that starting from scratch would be an enormous task. (MS Windows comes to mind)

I am very interested in hearing how people solve this problem and organize their available channels. I am currently looking at entering the data for some 450 channels and am really dreading it. Because Kenwoods can't be cloned on CALFIRE incidents, we need to have all the channels available when responding to State mutual aid incidents in CA.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Steve

 

[sfd119]

I'm aware of CALFIRE and their weird repeaters, but isn't this where OST comes into play to cut down on a lot of channels?

 

[scfdradio]

Multiple "Systems" vs OST

The CALFIRE situation has noting to do with what I am interested in. CALFIRE has 11 Command channels, and a local dispatch channel for each regional unit (usually made up of one or two counties) that use OSTs depending on your location relative to a particular repeater.

I am more looking to understand the pros and cons of developing multiple systems in the programming software. Having the local, state, and federal frequencies grouped together makes sense to me, regardless of which Zone they will end up in. But, I may be missing something. I'd hate to embark on creating an entirely new .dat file with all those channels if there is no real benefit.

 

[sfd119]

I was simply replying to the CALFIRE comment on your post (quoted below) and offering some alternatives to having every CALFIRE repeater programmed in.

Because Kenwoods can't be cloned on CALFIRE incidents, we need to have all the channels available when responding to State mutual aid incidents in CA.

 

[scfdradio]

System vs OST

Still not the same thing. There are 32 tones used by CALFIRE to access their repeaters. They are the same tones that one would use for tone-protecting any frequency with CTCSS, regardless of whether or not you're accessing a repeater. Motorola calls them PL, and there are other names for them as well, which escape me at the moment.

I know you are trying to help, and I really appreciate it, but I think we are talking about different things here. The CTCSS tones have to be entered in the software to be usable by the radio as OSTs or hard-encoded for tone-protecting simplex channels. I am talking about organizing the various channels within the software.

Thanks again.