Primary control channel is 858.9375 and alternate control channel is 853.8875. Some call it Carolina Beach and others call it Seabreeze but it is the same site. If you are going south on US421, the tower is on the left down a dirt road named Hill Valley Walk.
Viper radio traffic is starting to pickup on the Statewide Event talkgroups and on the National Guard talkgroups as cache radios are being delivered and assets are being staged around the state in preparation of the bad weather coming in tonight.
McDowell County and National Guard working to free stuck semi trucks using VIPER Echo 3 talkgroup
Foxtrot 1 being used by National Guard, DOT and IMAP
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GregOH
Member
How much accumulation did you get from it?
I'm in Raleigh, for the most part here it is a trace to none, mainly rain and freezing rain, ice is becoming a problem here. Other parts of the state west and north (as close as Durham) have gotten more snow that is now changing to freezing rain, to the east and south it was mostly rain.
GregOH
Member
I'm in NE Ohio and I look for the scanner to be very active this evening if we get the 6-10 inches of snow expected from this storm.
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2010
- Messages
- 129
Can I get some advice on how VIPER works? I live in NW Raleigh, and there are several overlapping sites according to the RR maps. From those maps, it appears that the following sites overlap my location:
- Archdale building (Wake - moderate overlap - is this a new one?)
- Camden Ave. (Durham - weak overlap)
- Creedmoor (Wake - edge of radius)
- NC SHP Training Center (Wake - moderate overlap)
- Raleigh SHP C&L (Wake - moderate overlap)
- RTP Bryan Ctr (Wake - strong overlap -is this a new site?)
- Wake North Durant (Wake - strong overlap)
- Wake South Holly Springs (Wake - edge of radius)
I'm not sure how the sites and the talkgroups relate. Do the sites above broadcast all the talkgroups in the VIPER database, or just specific talkgroups? For example, would I be able to hear Charlotte-related traffic if I programmed the associated talkgroups?
I'm trying to understand the breadth of the talkgroups I could receive with those sites.
Thanks in advance!
- Archdale building (Wake - moderate overlap - is this a new one?)
- Camden Ave. (Durham - weak overlap)
- Creedmoor (Wake - edge of radius)
- NC SHP Training Center (Wake - moderate overlap)
- Raleigh SHP C&L (Wake - moderate overlap)
- RTP Bryan Ctr (Wake - strong overlap -is this a new site?)
- Wake North Durant (Wake - strong overlap)
- Wake South Holly Springs (Wake - edge of radius)
I'm not sure how the sites and the talkgroups relate. Do the sites above broadcast all the talkgroups in the VIPER database, or just specific talkgroups? For example, would I be able to hear Charlotte-related traffic if I programmed the associated talkgroups?
I'm trying to understand the breadth of the talkgroups I could receive with those sites.
Thanks in advance!
GROL
Member
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- Aug 29, 2017
- Messages
- 573
Thanks! I figured someone knew this.
In theory, all statewide talkgroups can utilize all towers. However, you can only hear talkgroups that are affiliated on the tower. Hence, if a Charlotte SHP unit was in your area and on the tower you'd hear that TG, but when they left the area you wouldn't. Happens a lot on the NCSHP Training Center Tower since units from across the state visit each day. Same goes for Statewide TGs, if SW Event Echo 2 is being used in Ashe County, but no one on the local tower is on ECHO 2 you won't hear them, but if someone has a radio on Echo 2 on a tower you are listening too you will hear the traffic. Typically, county agencies are able to affiliate with towers in their county and connecting counties unless they are on certain statewide TGs. Though, from listening experience, there are exceptions to this rule, but I do not know what they are.
As for what towers each unit/agency uses, that gets a little more difficult. I believe there is a primary tower assigned to certain users, and if they go out of the tower range then it switches.
Perhaps @trumpetman or someone with a little more knowledge can correct me if I'm wrong.
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GROL
Member
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Okay. I am impressed. I have a new SDS100 and I am actually receiving Site 71 Pores Knob in Rowan County on the stock antenna when vertical. SDS100 reports it is RFSS:2 Site ID:71 Pores Knob not site 78 Salisbury or 37 Faith. RSSI -94 dBm. BER is usually 0 or very low. Highest BER seen so far is 38. Hearing F-2xx and F-4xx. I am about 3 miles from Site 78 Salisbury with RSSI -78dBm.
Pores Knob is a killer site. I am in Iredell and areas where my radio is almost out of range, which there is a lot, I check the RSSI and I am hooked to the Pores Knob site. Its about the only site I can really get at my house in the east side of the county just a throw away from Rowan County.
GROL
Member
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- 573
I have known about Pores Knob a long time. My dad was a State Trooper ( Highway Patrolman in those days) in Wilkes from 1965 to 1970 until he requested a transfer to Rowan. Of course that site had the Low band transmitter on it until Viper was running for several years. Back then Salisbury communications covered that area before Newton came about. I assume a receiver was on it too but I am not sure. He took me up the dirt road to it when we lived there. I drive by it frequently going to Boone, Blowing Rock and West Jefferson via Hwy 64, 16 and 421. That's my favorite route to that area from Salisbury. Reminds me there was a Low band receiver site on Mt Mitchell for many years. When you visited the summit you could hear a speaker they had on it every time we went up there.
GROL
Member
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- Messages
- 573
I just measured the air miles on Google maps from my location to Pores Knob. 48 miles!
GROL
Member
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2017
- Messages
- 573
An initial search I did not find a discussion about statewide simulcast sites on Viper. I noticed there are now quite a few simulcast sites on Palmetto 800. Has anyone heard of Viper going to simulcast on most sites in the near future? All I see now are Davidson and Gaston.
Chris0516
Active Member
Is Viper being used in Durham County?
Is it being used in Durham county or by Durham County, those are two totally different questions.
Durham uses Viper for ambulance to hospital, as city/county backup, at Duke University, and by a number of state and federal agencies, but it is not being used on a regular basis by DSO or Durham Police, or fire. Talkgroups on Viper for Durham are 63xxxx and 64xxxx.
Chris0516
Active Member
True, Potentially two different questions.
As for Durham Viper being mostly backup. Thanks for telling me.
I know that TG #52242 has been discussed before. Today I got a hint on the official TG name. Two SHP units were talking on 52242 and one asked if they were on "the clear Central channel" or "the encrypted channel". Both units were in the clear. Based on previous conversations about this TG, I'm going to say the TG alias is NCSHP Spec Ops Central Clear, with another unknown TG as NCSHP Spec Ops Central ENC.
Actually the same TG is able to be both, don't ask me how I don't totally know, but on SHP AIR TG 52127 the same TG is used as CH 1 and CH 2, with 1 being clear and 2 being encrypted.
That said, do you have the UIDs for those SHP units, if they are 2126xxx that may be used by VIPER thechs, as 52243 to 52248 are all used by Viper Techs usually.
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