What's going on in PG????

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troymail

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Seems like quite a bit of "in and out" on the entire system -- Fire Dispatch (8A1) on TG 1133 is pretty steadily activity but 8A2 (TG 1135) is "gone" more than it is present.

Must still be quite a bit of "tuning" of the system and working problems out.

I recall last Monday (2/28) during the daytime Ch 2 was "down" for several hours - not sure if that was because of the old radio system failing and this is "normal" or it had something to do with the patching they've put in place between the old and new systems.
 

chief34a

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155.685 went down on Wednesday due to some issues with the system. If was generating some noise within the equipment and it will be down for a while so they can figure out where it is coming from.
 

troymail

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Looks like you've pretty much answered your own questions, but YES, I AM listening to site 102. It's the only site I get from home for this system.

Dewey

I am only seeing/hearing 8Ax talkgroups from the North site -- but occasionally I'm hearing dispatched assignments to 8C7 (Ch 7) which I believe is South EMS -- are you detecting/hearing any 8Cx talkgroups?

Should we expect that the 8Cx talkgroups would only be heard on the South system (and 8Ax only on the north)?

Note: 8A2 (Ch 2) is assigned ALOT but I hear activity there very infrequently -- I'm not sure if it's because the system is still being set up and/or having problems or it only activates when a unit that is able to use the new system is on the talkgroup.....

Anyone have any thoughts on this?
 

Dewey

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I am only seeing/hearing 8Ax talkgroups from the North site -- but occasionally I'm hearing dispatched assignments to 8C7 (Ch 7) which I believe is South EMS -- are you detecting/hearing any 8Cx talkgroups?

Should we expect that the 8Cx talkgroups would only be heard on the South system (and 8Ax only on the north)?

Note: 8A2 (Ch 2) is assigned ALOT but I hear activity there very infrequently -- I'm not sure if it's because the system is still being set up and/or having problems or it only activates when a unit that is able to use the new system is on the talkgroup.....

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

It makes since if they're currently still following the scheme of the conventional channels. Channel 2 was North EMS, and channel 7 was South EMS. In the earlier days before the conventional channel plan made a slight change, all EMS dispatches were on channel 1. Channel 2 was North FD Dispatch, and Channel 7 was South FD Dispatch. At that time, the dispatches were always simulcast on channels 2 & 7, but the responding equipment could only be heard on their respective north or south channel. So yes, in the conventional days, channel 2 has always been north, and channel 7 has always been south. Sort of like PD, who have always used channel 7 as a south alternate, and channel 8 as a north alternate.

Like you, I've also noticed that when ops are on channel 2, they are announced as "Channel 2, Talkgroup 8 Alpha 2", and when ops are on channel 7, they are announced as "Channel 7, Talkgroup 8 Charlie 7". Unfortunately, since you haven't bought me a PSR-800 yet :evil:, I can't say for sure what's happening on TDMA... BUT, I have been watching the activity on Pro96Com hoping to match up some of the announced talkgroups with the talkgroup IDs. However, I have yet to see any FD activity on the south site outside of the dispatcher.
 

troymail

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However, I have yet to see any FD activity on the south site outside of the dispatcher.

This is what I was looking for -- they seem to be "rolling out" talkgroups a few at a time (or at least it seems so). Given the system seems to be broken into North and South (still), I wonder if we'll ever be able to hear the C talkgroups up North and A talkgroups down South... Under normal conditions I would say yes - but who knows with this thing.
 

troymail

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Looking at the recordings of 8A2, I see activity in "windows" of time today:

I got into reception range around 0810
Activity in time windows:
0849-0857
0916-0943
1031 (single hit)
1231-1318
1406 (single hit)
1459-1508
1524-1538
then nothing until I left the area around 1815
 

Dewey

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I wonder if we'll ever be able to hear the C talkgroups up North and A talkgroups down South... Under normal conditions I would say yes - but who knows with this thing.

Based on my Pro96Com visual experience, I am going to say no. I have yet to see any of the geographically northern PD districts on the south site, and I did the same thing (watched Pro96Com for about a month or two) when PD went to the system first.

I'm not a betting person, but if I were, my bet would be that it is going to operate like a smart zone system... the sites are going to broadcast based on affiliation. SOOOOOO, if I'm right and a south unit wanders up north, you will get to hear it. Just remember, that's me theory only at this point.
 

troymail

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Based on my Pro96Com visual experience, I am going to say no. I have yet to see any of the geographically northern PD districts on the south site, and I did the same thing (watched Pro96Com for about a month or two) when PD went to the system first.

I'm not a betting person, but if I were, my bet would be that it is going to operate like a smart zone system... the sites are going to broadcast based on affiliation. SOOOOOO, if I'm right and a south unit wanders up north, you will get to hear it. Just remember, that's me theory only at this point.

You're probably right - also helps to further explain why the system is so hard to receive once you leave the edge of the County.
 

chief34a

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For Dewey and Troymail the answer is no. Channels 1 & 2 are connected together so you would hear a south side unit on them but that would be because he is on Zone C and operating it correctlyin Zone C area. If he goes too far north (north of about Central Ave) the system will not hear him and he will not be able to receive anything until he moves to Zone A and the same is true for a north side unit moving too far south. Regardless of where they are from, they need to be on the proper zone to hear and be heard.

All the talkgroups are in service at this point but since no one has a portable and less that a dozen pieces of apparatus have a mobile, no one can get to them. Until everyone has a mobile and the portables have been issued we will continue to use the system much like a conventional radio system.

Zone C has been busy. Each street alarm and box that is dispatched in the 3rd, 5th and 7th battalion has been put on 8C3 and southside EMS is operating on 8C7. Station 24 has radios in all their equipment and they have not had any problems except some operator errors.

Everyone have a good weekend......
 

baybum

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And...anybody who can put up an audio feed for PD, that would be great too.


This is in response to post #72
 

troymail

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For Dewey and Troymail the answer is no. Channels 1 & 2 are connected together so you would hear a south side unit on them but that would be because he is on Zone C and operating it correctlyin Zone C area. If he goes too far north (north of about Central Ave) the system will not hear him and he will not be able to receive anything until he moves to Zone A and the same is true for a north side unit moving too far south. Regardless of where they are from, they need to be on the proper zone to hear and be heard.

All the talkgroups are in service at this point but since no one has a portable and less that a dozen pieces of apparatus have a mobile, no one can get to them. Until everyone has a mobile and the portables have been issued we will continue to use the system much like a conventional radio system.

Zone C has been busy. Each street alarm and box that is dispatched in the 3rd, 5th and 7th battalion has been put on 8C3 and southside EMS is operating on 8C7. Station 24 has radios in all their equipment and they have not had any problems except some operator errors.

Everyone have a good weekend......

I'm still not clear on what I should/can will be able to hear and what I won't....

I've been recording activity on TG IDs in the fire department range (1000-1135) plus wildcards all week this week. I clearly hear dispatches to 8C7 (old Ch 7) but I've yet to hear anything on 8C7 (or anything that seems like a "C" talkgroup). There were several box alarms today on 8A4 and 8A* and I even think I saw some activity on 8A9 today (possibly testing) but nothing for 8Cx talkgroups.

If gas wasn't almost 4.00 a gallon, I'd drive to southern PG and see what is different...
 
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troymail

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Argh!

This system is ticking me off!

I can park on the south side of my building at work (National Business Parkway just west of Rt 295) and receive the PG activity on my PSR800 with just the RS800Mhz antenna fairly well -- but if I park anywhere where else around my building - nothing but garbles!

Maybe we can take up a collection and help pay for PG to boost the signal power a bit. ;)

Argh!
 

maus92

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Tro: How is the sound quality when decoding P25 on TDMA? How is the sound quality decoding P25 on AACo police? Is it as good as other GRE radios on the AA system?

CA
Annapolis
 

troymail

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Tro: How is the sound quality when decoding P25 on TDMA? How is the sound quality decoding P25 on AACo police? Is it as good as other GRE radios on the AA system?

CA
Annapolis

When I'm getting good reception (inside the County), it's pretty good.

I listen to AA County (analog) 99% of the time -- when I listen to something digital, I always have to "tune" my ear/adjust because it just sounds so different. If you're used to listening to digital on the PSR500, the TDMA decode sounds about the same.
 

troymail

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According to Pro96Com, TG 1133 (Fire Dispatch) has been regularly coming up as a TDMA talkgroup this morning -- first time I've looked in a while but this could have been the case for a while ---

From what I've read - if this system is doing dynamic assignments of talkgroups based on the the presence of a non-TDMA radio/user, there isn't anything unusual about this... but for those trying to hear fire dispatch on the system on older scanners, it may seem as if the talkgroup is gone.
 
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