Town of Bracebridge goes Digital

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125

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4 weeks ago the town switched over to a new motorola digital system for public works.(thinking it is a mototrbo system) They have 2 tower sites 153.380 is located on the tower at the dump (Hwy 11 and Taylor rd) the 2nd tower is located on Hwy 118 E using 152.375. I was told by town staff the Fire department is also on the system but for now the Fire comms are still similcast on the old Freq 153.530. There are short data bursts on 153.380 and 152.375 about 2 secs every 3 mins. Using 2 BC 996s I parked on both freqs and the data bursts were about 3 sec apart but the digital traffic were both identical. Fire dept will be a hard 1 to find other than the 6pm test the fire freqs are usually quiet with only 2-3 calls per week. FD here does not do medical assists they only do Fire fighting and the old accident if requested to attend by OPP. The old FD freq 153.530 over the past 4 weeks has been clear and is using the tower at the dump they used to use the tower on Hwy 118 E on the same freq and I'm close to being between the 2 and it was a mess listening to them with the whine of the 2 signals for the past 12 years.
 

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Likely a MotoTRBO IPSite Connect system from the sounds of it. Do you have a discriminator tap in either of your radios?
 

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Depends. IPSite Connect repeaters transmit a beacon as well.

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motomeso

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IP site connect also beacons at a pre-defined interval based on the amount of repeaters connected.
 

mikewazowski

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Or none of the above.

Pretty sure it's a Kenwood NXDN system.

I've got a recording which I'll post later.

Eric Cotrell's version of DSD seemed to think its an NXDN4800 system with a RAN of 1.
 

DaveH

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TAFL does not indicate any bandwidth/mode change yet (often lags). Nothing beats an ears-on
experience to help figure things out. I can recognize most digital modes on an analog
receiver, not difficult after hearing things a few times. Difference between TRBO and NXDN48
is quite clear, less so between TRBO and NXDN96. NXDN48 I would describe as a muffled
clattering sound, whereas TRBO is raspier buzzing noise.

Dave
 

SCPD

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Forts

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There is lots and lots of discussion on this site about the use of dongles & various decoding software. Usually works very well.

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mikewazowski

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It's definitely not TRBO and it sounds like NXDN.

The idle burst is every few seconds which I've never heard a TRBO system do.
 

SCPD

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Why so complex a digital system

Sorry if this is going off topic please let me know if it is. Why would the Bracebridge road's department need a complex digital system that can't be picked up by even a digital scanner, seems like a little over kill? I realize that the fire department will be using the same system but all the notes that I read from the Town website it was done to take up less bandwidth and cover a greater area. P25 would of done that. Sorry if I changed the topic.
I apologize in advance
 

sirsmiley

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Because P25 costs about 3x as much as NXDN? P25 would be overkill for a small fire department and public works. The options these days are TRBO, NXDN or P25. I'd rather have NXDN over TRBO any day.
 

125

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Sorry if this is going off topic please let me know if it is. Why would the Bracebridge road's department need a complex digital system that can't be picked up by even a digital scanner, seems like a little over kill? I realize that the fire department will be using the same system but all the notes that I read from the Town website it was done to take up less bandwidth and cover a greater area. P25 would of done that. Sorry if I changed the topic.
I apologize in advance

The town needed a new system the old system had issues that were slowing getting worse over time but jumped the gun on this system. Bracebridge owns Lakeland power that serves Huntville , Burks falls Magnatwan and Parry sound with using a mix of VHF and UHF systems that are actually in worse shape than the works and FD systems were in town, They really should have looked at fleetnet it could have covered the entire region. and well outside the area. And to top things off with new billing system coming for OPP policing the town is looking at a Town police department that will use the new system aswell. One thing that this town did and is common practice there was no public input or bidding process it was a pick up the phone and call a dealer for a new system and that was it.
 
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sirsmiley

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1) NXDN (which it looks like they are using) can be expanded very easily via conventional repeating or by trunking
2) The cost of running their own NXDN is miniscule compared to buying fleetnet radios and paying a large monthly rate for access. I had a quote from fleetnet (Bell) and the cost for 30 radios for two years I could have bought an entire radio system for linked conventional TRBO or NXDN with the radios. I think they wanted about 50 a month per radio or something ridiculous plus you had to buy the radios in addition to the access fee. Right from the get go it was dead in the water from them.
 
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