• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

Trunking reverting to simplex on signal loss

Status
Not open for further replies.

wa8pyr

Technischer Guru
Staff member
Lead Database Admin
Joined
Sep 22, 2002
Messages
6,983
Location
Ohio
8Call/8Tac 7Fire/7Med are American terms for American interop channels.

And Canada as well, at least for the 700 MHz frequencies which are the same in the US; Canada still uses the pre-rebanding 866-868 frequencies for interop however, although that's got to complicate things along the border.

To the OP: I concur with other commenters; I've been in this line of work for nearly 35 years, and you really need to discuss and plan a proper template which includes conventional interop channels, and which suits your needs. Don't just let some drone tell you what you need; you can solicit their input, but discuss it with your neighboring agencies first as well as within your own agency.
 

kayn1n32008

ØÆSØ
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
6,601
Location
Sector 001
And Canada as well, at least for the 700 MHz frequencies which are the same in the US; Canada still uses the pre-rebanding 866-868 frequencies for interop however, although that's got to complicate things along the border.

Canada doesn't have a nationalized suite of interop channels, except for 149.0800MHz.

In places like the lower mainland of BC, where agencies on both sides of the border are using 800MHz, there may be use of 8Call/8Tac channels, it is not universal through out Canada. Same on VHF.

As I said, I would really like to know what the source material is, that was used to create that interop list that was linked in this thread.
 

nd5y

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
11,228
Location
Wichita Falls, TX

Deziel0495

PE/NB Database Guy
Database Admin
Joined
Feb 11, 2008
Messages
904
Location
PEI
So a Tech was in from Bell and programmed our radios with our new talkgroups. He did confirm the XTS/XTL 1500's were indeed capable of simplex.

Unfortunately, the other features we also wanted to be added (including the simplex) were not added to the work order in time so they could not be done this trip. Not that big of a deal right now as the radios will be re-programmed once the new radios arrive and we will only be making the transition once everything is complete. They gave an ETA of roughly 4-6 months.

Thank you everyone for the advice. It has been really helpful. :)
 

ff026

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
655
Location
ff026
What are you using for fireground comms?
Simplex or the trunking system?
 

Deziel0495

PE/NB Database Guy
Database Admin
Joined
Feb 11, 2008
Messages
904
Location
PEI
What are you using for fireground comms?
Simplex or the trunking system?

Currently we operate on an analog simplex system. We are moving all operations over to our provincial trunked system and will have simplex as backup there as well.
 

Deziel0495

PE/NB Database Guy
Database Admin
Joined
Feb 11, 2008
Messages
904
Location
PEI
I would be wary or running fireground interior comms on a trunking system.

Thanks for the concern, that is why we'll also have simplex as backup.

Fortunately we have a site right here in town so we have excellent coverage in our district. We've done extensive testing on a few interiors in our district including our hockey rink which has thick concrete and steel. No issues communicating in or out through the trunked system.
 

Deziel0495

PE/NB Database Guy
Database Admin
Joined
Feb 11, 2008
Messages
904
Location
PEI
So just a quick update... Things are finally moving along and I received the codeplug yesterday for review.

The codeplug included 6 conventional frequencies:
3 analog simplex (SX All 1, SX All 2, SX All 3) - shared by all 3 provinces​
1 digital simplex for our province only​
2 digital repeater frequencies for DVRS operation, for our province only. (We do not have a DVRS, but they included them)​

Although each one of these frequencies is licensed to the province, I was informed that we may need to license each individual frequency to our own agency for use and pay the yearly licensing fees that go along with each one. This would have been really convenient to know months ago when funding was being planned out, but we'll see how it goes. He was going to check with Bell to get clarification on how billing and licensing worked for this.

Other than for future interop (no other FD's near us are on TMR as primary), is there any benefit to licensing the simplex frequencies they listed or should we go out and license our own if we decide to go that way?
 
Last edited:

mmckenna

I ♥ Ø
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
23,618
Location
Hiding in a coffee shop.
I don't know how it works in Canada, but here in the States, we have a long list of interop frequencies available to public safety agencies. Often they are licensed to the state, so individual agencies don't have to apply for their own licenses (although it varies).

I'd contact someone at the Province level and find out what you need to do to be legal. Might be covered under a provincial license, or you may need to license your own agency.

Licensing your own frequencies may be useful if you think you have a need for them. But using that is interoperability means every other agency you have an interop agreement with has to license it also. If the province has that already arranged with interop channels, then stick with those.
 

kayn1n32008

ØÆSØ
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
6,601
Location
Sector 001
I don't know how it works in Canada, but here in the States, we have a long list of interop frequencies available to public safety agencies. Often they are licensed to the state, so individual agencies don't have to apply for their own licenses (although it varies).

I'd contact someone at the Province level and find out what you need to do to be legal. Might be covered under a provincial license, or you may need to license your own agency.

Licensing your own frequencies may be useful if you think you have a need for them. But using that is interoperability means every other agency you have an interop agreement with has to license it also. If the province has that already arranged with interop channels, then stick with those.

Each radio must have a license that lists each frequency programmed in it.

So for the conventional interop channels, each frequency must be licensed by the agency that's using them
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top