Vernon 460.3875

[y10kiscoming]

As many know, this is the new Vernon 33.44 repeater. Today, at 3:50PM I heard radio techs say "fox hill testing 33.48", so apparantly 33.48 is also linked to it. Unfortunately, I did not have my other scanner immediately handy to see if I could hear it on 33.48 also.

Anyone with more info?

-Mark

 

[dittrimd]

Vernon has a multichannel low band radio connected to this UHF radio. They can DTMF to any of several low band frequencies. 33.44, 33.48, 33.78, 33.80, 33.88 etc. Vernon fire is planning to move this repeater to 33.48 permanently and exclusively operate on this frequency. They will still be cross banded to 460.3875 but you will no longer hear the rest of Tolland County on this UHF frequency. Depending on where you are there are several other 33.44 cross band repeaters that are active. Somers, Coventry, Tolland, Lebanon, Ashford. This is the first step Tolland County Dispatch is taking to resolve communicaiton overcrowding on 33.44. Other parts of the county will eventually move to other low band channels.

Mark

 

[clyde]

Proposed Tolland County low band redistribution plan.
33.84 Somers/Stafford(44,45,547)/Union/Ashford

33.44 Ellington/Tolland/Willington

33.86 Andover/Bolton/Columbia/Coventry/Mansfield

 

[y10kiscoming]

Proposed Tolland County low band redistribution plan.
33.84 Somers/Stafford(44,45,547)/Union/Ashford

33.44 Ellington/Tolland/Willington

33.86 Andover/Bolton/Columbia/Coventry/Mansfield

Do you have a link for this information at all?

Also, will they still all be dispatched via 33.80?

-Mark

 

[CT22]

The overcrowding is on the operations frequency not dispatch.

33.80 will remain a dispatch frequency. Another reason for them to stay on 33.80 is in case of a dispatch failure KX,QV or WW could activate pagers.

 

[CT22]

The overcrowding is on the operations frequency not dispatch.

33.80 will remain a dispatch frequency. Another reason for them to stay on 33.80 is in case of a dispatch failure KX,QV or WW could activate pagers.

 

[dittrimd]

I have been trying to get this information posted on the TN website but becuase this is only a plan and has not gotten final approval to implement there has been resistance to gettiing it posted. Once the link is up I will post it here as well as update the data base. The plan is to use Vernon as the test bed for the transition starting in July. Since it involves only one department and they already have a license on 33.48 it should be easier to implement. I say should as we all know how new plan implementation goes.

As for the other regions we are still awaiting approval to use the frequencies and then FCC licensing. Once we have the licenses which could be 6 months or more we would then begin implementation. It will be a very involved process as many departments have not budgeted for the cost to reprogram or in some cases re-crystal radios. TN has cautions all departments not to program their radios yet as we are still awaiting letters of concurence from the existing license holders and then the eventual FCC license.

One point that is being looked at is to switch the 33.86 and 33.44 regions. Putting 33.86 in the south end of the county would make it difficult for QV, WW, and KX since they have several departments that respond mutual aid to these towns. Chaplin and QV to Mansfield and Ashford, North Windham, Willimantic Fire and Lebanon for WW to Mansfield, Coventry and Columbia and Hebron for KX to Columbia, Andover and Bolton. If we keep 33.44 there and move Tolland, Ellington and Willington to 33.86 the impact is lessened for these people. QV does not get off scott free since it still has Woodstock to Union and Eastford to Ashford both who could be switching to 33.84. Again this is only in the planning phase and has to be agreed upon by all agencies involved. It is similar in scope to the switch to PL tones several years ago.

Let us not forget the other part to this plan which is to move the fireground comms to low power. Several hurdles in this effort as well since so many are used to one channel operation. I will keep everyone updated.

Mark