VFIRE21 interop question.

[fire_master_21]

Working for a fire district and with emergency management I am in charge of programming our fleet. I am programming in 154.2800 VFIRE21 as it is now called. We used to call it MUT AID or ST MUT AID in the radios. I started proking around all my freq list's from around the state, here on RR, NIFOG, and a few other resources I have to online state systems as well. I have noticed some agencies are putting many different pl tones on this channel. Flagstaff fire lists they are using 156.7 TX/RX pl's. Phoenix area fire departments so it listed as TX 173.8/CSQ RX pl. The point I'm trying to make is this is truely not interoperable if the receiving radio doesn't match the transmitting radios PL tone.

So my question to you all is what other pl's are you seing used in your areas?

 

[evfd1625]

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In Illinois and Indiana as far as I have noticed, and when I program my radios, I made it CSQ receive, regardless of the transmit PL. Which seems to defeat the purpose of even putting an encode PL on at all IMO. IIRC Illinois uses 210.7, and Indiana is different, 82.5 I think.

 

[fire_master_21]

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I made it CSQ receive, regardless of the transmit PL. Which seems to defeat the purpose of even putting an encode PL on at all IMO. IIRC Illinois uses 210.7, and Indiana is different, 82.5 I think.

I know seems counter productive to me. Seems like there should be some kind of standard like the VTAC and UTAC channels. Having conflicting PLs or NAC codes doesn't do any of us any good if we still can't talk. I do undertsnad why some put them in for example when scanning maybe they are getting some kind of RFI from computers or routers for example. But the bottom line is if we can't all talk and hear each other we as agencies are still no better off than using our own day to day frequencies.

 

[hpycmpr]

There is a standard for the nomenclature and its implementation. Try this link:

http://www.apcointl.org/about-apco/annual-reports/doc_download/171-apconpstcans1-104-1webpdf.html

Steve

 

[fire_master_21]

lots of good info in that .pdf, maybe more agencies should read it. After all what good is interop if you still can'r communicate.

 

[E5911]

vfire21

After going to a TIC-P meeting, i found out not every county works the same. The fact is The great state of maracopa does not envision the day when Whiteman Fire mututal aids into phoenix. That said, if the TIC-P is written that all area depts that follow the TIC-P and they A) do not choose to follow the new naming convention or B) choose to change or ignore the national standard that is up to the the group editing the TIC-P, whitch is the "plan" . Bottom line is they are not worried about the 1% of calls just the 99% and as the channel plan is adopted everyone can talk to each other. Usually the facilitator that helps with the editing says something, like "are you sure you want to do this..."

Some counties that regocnise the need for mutual aid with outside area agencies are more likely to adopt national NIFOG frequencies and lobby thier neighbors to do the same.