VIPER Statewide Radio System Discussion

[jake_Braker]

For affiliation, at least one (legitimately programmed) radio must be connected to the site tower.
For example, a radio assigned to the Charlotte site (2.100) can connect to Monroe (2.63) if Monroe site has a stronger signal than Charlotte. And since Union County is next to Mecklenburg County, the Meck Co talkgroups can be transmitted on a Union County site.

A site neighbor is connected via microwave (at least in the case of VIPER, but multiple other systems use the same linking system) to transmit site data (health status, control channel and voice channels in use, much more that I don't know) to the zone core.

 

[INDY72]

The following is sent over the CC, as well as over the microwave backhaul, and on some systems also dedicated land line. Current site health, neighbors health, and connectivity status, Current Data Chans, and voice chans, all radios affiliating, unaffiliating, denials etc data including the TG, and RID. Messaging status and a multitude of other data. All in microseconds. And if FirstNET is connected to the system then that data is also going along too. (Availability, connectivity of the system at that site etc...)

 

[RaleighGuy]

Maybe this has been fleshed out in previous threads, but I have noticed in different areas of the state that Highway patrol uses all their assigned Troop talk groups.

Here is an example of patches from DSD+ and Troop A

 

[RaleighGuy]

VIPER NCDOTCOMM1 TG 51691 has been in use on NCSHP Training Center Tower as a training channel for new IMAP members the past week.

 

[ccfire]

Well depending on the weather I can sometimes get a signal off of the hot house site here in Tennessee so far all I have been hearing is north Carolina highway patrol tgid 52202

 

[RaleighGuy]

For those that missed it, @GamecockSJ posted this in the NC thread about Greenville PD/FD leaving Viper

Greenville PD & Fire-Rescue

Greenville city council voted last night to approve an interlocal agreement with Pitt County to move their traffic from VIPER to the county P25 system once they purchase new radios. Ayden recently left VIPER for the county’s system. PCSO and Farmville PD remain on VIPER for now...

forums.radioreference.com

 

[Tobydog]

Know of a few more l government units considering a move away from VIPER in the future. Lots of reasons for the move

 

[jthorpe]

It's unfortunate that they would be considering such a move, especially if they actually want to have solid interoperability. Because right now, VIPER is approaching 200k users which means that most likely, by leaving and building out their own system, they lose interoperability and create their own island. I've noticed over the years that also, many complain about VIPER being unreliable or unstable but the majority of the time, it's user error or bad subscriber programming by a vendor. Bad programming has been a chronic problem and it's not VIPER's fault for that. Bad programming is bad programming no matter what system you're on.

You're saying lots of reasons for the move. What are the reasons?

 

[GamecockSJ]

Ayden probably moved because of coverage and it’s a valid concern for them. They are in between tower sites and 10+ miles from any given site.

Greenville says they are moving because of coverage. I don’t really think the county’s system will improve on that very much inside the city of Greenville.

 

[N4VX]

both Greenville agencies report having difficulty communicating when they enter buildings, businesses and homes, according to the council’s meeting materials.

from--> Greenville City Council to consider radio agreement with Pitt County

Poor radio coverage deep inside a concrete hospital or hotel building isn't a VIPER-only problem.

Many municipalities have zoning regulations and fire codes that require commercial facilities or buildings over a certain square footage to provide RF surveys inside the building. Certification of interior radio system coverage is required to be performed to obtain a CO or get a final inspection on new construction in many localities. Florida even requires this to be done every 3-5 years, even for existing buildings. Florida Fire Prevention Code 633.202 (18)(a-j) This places the cost burden on the building owners and not on the city/county taxpayers to ensure proper interior public safety radio coverage by installing BDA systems of some type.

 

[NCFireman11]

from--> Greenville City Council to consider radio agreement with Pitt County

Poor radio coverage deep inside a concrete hospital or hotel building isn't a VIPER-only problem.

Many municipalities have zoning regulations and fire codes that require commercial facilities or buildings over a certain square footage to provide RF surveys inside the building. Certification of interior radio system coverage is required to be performed to obtain a CO or get a final inspection on new construction in many localities. Florida even requires this to be done every 3-5 years, even for existing buildings. Florida Fire Prevention Code 633.202 (18)(a-j) This places the cost burden on the building owners and not on the city/county taxpayers to ensure proper interior public safety radio coverage by installing BDA systems of some type.

You are correct. The 2018 NC Fire Prevention code does have a requirement for testing public safety radio signal strength for new buildings only. If a building does not pass the parameters outlined in the fire code, a BDA system shall be installed to boost in building radio coverage. Similar requirements are in other states, depending on the edition of the fire code adopted.

 

[RaleighGuy]

Caught new Radio ID on Viper Tech TG (encrypted), UID/RID 3999014 is not in the RR VIPER Radio ID Wiki. Typically the 3xxxxxx RIDs are military/Coast Guard, but I have never seen a 3999xxx series RID.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[FJB2022]

Caught new Radio ID on Viper Tech TG (encrypted), UID/RID 3999014 is not in the RR VIPER Radio ID Wiki. Typically the 3xxxxxx RIDs are military/Coast Guard, but I have never seen a 3999xxx series RID.

Anyone have any ideas?

The other day I saw VIPER Techs using encrypted TG:52246 in the NE part of the state, it's not in the database.

 

[RaleighGuy]

The other day I saw VIPER Techs using encrypted TG:52246 in the NE part of the state, it's not in the database.

Probably because it is difficult to determine usage when it is always encrypted.

 

[JimE60]

I am monitoring Harnett County Viper and it seems that another State is coming through on Harnett Fire Alert TGID 22022, I can’t determine who or where yet. Anyone else experienced that. I tried raising the squelch up a bit but didn’t help much. Transmission is not very clear.

 

[RaleighGuy]

I am monitoring Harnett County Viper and it seems that another State is coming through on Harnett Fire Alert TGID 22022, I can’t determine who or where yet. Anyone else experienced that. I tried raising the squelch up a bit but didn’t help much. Transmission is not very clear.

It would help if you could provide the radio IDs you were hearing. But it could be propagation from another area.

 

[JimE60]

It would help if you could provide the radio IDs you were hearing. But it could be propagation from another area.

Thank you, not that familiar with the technical side of scanners/radios, but on the SDS100 would that show up as UID?

 

[RaleighGuy]

Thank you, not that familiar with the technical side of scanners/radios, but on the SDS100 would that show up as UID?

Yes

 

[JimE60]

Yes

WACN is BEE00h, Site Id 28 which is Liilington, Sys ID is 1FCh, but the UID never displays any numbers during those transmissions. I will keep checking it. Thanks for your advice and response.

 

[RaleighGuy]

WACN is BEE00h, Site Id 28 which is Liilington, Sys ID is 1FCh, but the UID never displays any numbers during those transmissions. I will keep checking it. Thanks for your advice and response.

Yes that is the Lillington VIPER site, but without the UID it is really difficult to tell you who you were hearing, while it may be another county you are hearing I really doubt you are hearing another state. With the UID you could look it up in the RR Wiki and it would tell you who you were hearing. You might have UID display turned off, perhaps someone who knows the scanner you are using can help you with that.

Also, adjusting the squelch on a P25 system really won't help pull in weak traffic.