WISCOM (2010)

[werinshades]

Thanks very much for for the prompt reply!!

What my "setup" is/was can be easily explained.

I first created a brand new Favorite Called "Wisconsin'. The system for this was WISCOM and from the full data base (recently updated online) I selected the six or seven departments thaI I wanted (i.e. the various Wisconsin State Patrol regions) and also selected all tower sites in Wisconsin along with them. I did NOT avoid any of the Talk Groups used by the State Patrol nor did I avoid any of the sites. My new favorite called 'Wisconsin" was thus created. I did this fresh from the beginning again today and was sitting in my car only one mile from the Baldwin tower, which was provably on the air (I can hear the digital "hash" when I listen to the control channel frequency 139.2125 on my Icom 2730 VHF transceiver). This new Favorite called Wisconsin has its own FL Quick Key and, yes, I had clicked that number properly to bring the scan to life each time I tested things.

No luck. Listened for several hours non stop to only the Wisconsin Favorite. Not a peep. July 4th traffic crazy as hell on the nearby freeway, cops all over the place. Not one peep from scanning the Wisconsin favorite I had created. Location Control is obviously working correctly because only the towers in Baldwin and nearby Elmwood and Dresser were being scanned when my Location Control was "on". When it was "off" of course I saw the entire list of sites in alphabetical order being sampled.

What really bothers me, and maybe this is an important clue for you, "P25" never appeared in the window when I was scanning "Wisconsin'. Now and then the word "data" would flash on, but never "P25". The scanner acts like it is looking for only analog signals ???? I simply cannot understand this because in the data base the WISCOM system comes already configured as a "P25" system.

The Service Types were definitely properly selected by me (i.e. law dispatch. law tac, ems, etc). The range on my scanner was set arbitrarily at 30 miles. Neither Location Control "off" or "on" made a difference. Still not a peep heard. Not a single peep !

Meanwhile, everything working fine when I crossed back into Minnesota and brought up our state police, county sheriffs in two different counties, etc etc etc.

I have done something stupid in manipulating the Wisconsin data but I sure cannot figure out what. I will follow your advice. Am at wit's end here.

JTL

Go into Menu..Manage Favorites..scroll to your Wisconsin...Review/Edit System...find the Site..Check Quick Key (see if you have a number assigned to it).

Here's a example from me...Midway Communications System (FL-1)...Review Edit Site..Site name: Chicago-Midway (Site Quick Key-0) Federal Agencies (Site Quick Key-1)

If I suddenly lost their transmissions, I would press 1.0 Enter (On) then 1.1 Enter (On).

Hope this makes sense.

 

[W5NNV]

It does makes sense and thanks. My drive over to Wisconsin tomorrow morning will be so exciting I will hardly be able to keep from swerving all over the highway !

73

NN5SS

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

You should try scanning the site frequencies in the conventional mode to see if traffic channels are being assigned. It could be that no radios are affiliating with the sites you are listening to and that they are not on the preferred site list.

 

[W5NNV]

thanks

 

[W5NNV]

All is well as of Sunday morning 1140 hours. Now things working fine. Getting WISCOM traffic. State Police must all be having lunch because very few dispatches in past hour. Something tells me they are still using 154.680, non-trunked.

Sitting in Baldwin staring at the corn fields. Hot/Humid.

Thanks for the help/suggestions.

JT Lee
NN5SS
St Paul MN

 

[sfd119]

They are not using 154.680 anymore. All operations are on WISCOM. With the use of computers in their squads, they do not need to talk as much to their dispatch.

 

[bc780l]

Actually don't deprogram the conventional channels. They are in all the radios, the conventional consoles are still turned on, they will be maintained--just not used that much ...

 

[W5NNV]

Thanks

Everything sorted out here thanks to you and others on this Forum.

 

[gootch]

Any Benefit To Scanning Multiple Sites

I was wondering if there is any benefit to having more than one tower site being scanned on a system if you get a strong and reliable signal from one site. I can see the benefit of more than one site in case of failure. Any other benefits? Thanks Andy

 

[djeplett]

You'll hear more different stuff. Not all talkgroups are statewide. In fact, most aren't and will only be broadcasted to the radios that need to hear them.

Sent from my LGUS992 using Tapatalk

 

[ofd8001]

It depends on how wide you want to cast your scanning net. If you are interested in just certain talkgroups and know their home affiliation site, then that's all you need to monitor.

On the other hand if you want to hear "everything you possibly could" then monitoring all sites within 30 miles of your location is suggested. That's for the reasons mentioned above. You may be within receiving range of towers A, B and C. Talkgroup 1 might be heard on tower A, but not B or C with talkgroup 2 being on B but not A and C, etc.

 

[gootch]

Thanks for the reply's.

 

[sfd119]

Like the other posters suggested, not all traffic is carried on all sites. I have two sites with very good range with me. One has another county on it, the other site doesn't carry any of it. Depends on who you want to listen to and what site they're on.

 

[evilbrad]

was curious what the future looks for wiscom and phase 2

 

[thedanderzone]

For anyone looking for the Wisconsin EMS communication plan, it has updated and correct information regarding the WISCOM talk groups. The talk groups that are entered in the database are not correct (there are a few that are but most if not all hospital talk groups are wrong) and this plan outlines them all statewide.

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p0/p00342.pdf

 

[sfd119]

The talk groups that are entered in the database are not correct (there are a few that are but most if not all hospital talk groups are wrong) .

That's because the ones entered into the RR database WERE correct from the 2014 State EMS Plan. They changed them in the 2017 plan for whatever reason.

 

[thedanderzone]

No problem, just figured I'd attach the updated plan for anyone looking.

Cheers!

 

[stormy182]

Picking up Wisconsin State Patrol Wausau Post on Hillsdale and Meteor Towers Today. on TG 141

 

[izz]

Anyone know the status of the Port Washington site? Port should have been online last April, yet nothing.

 

[jpjohn]

Anyone hearing any DNR activity on WISCOM? I never have heard any and conventional frequencies have been quiet as well. Are they using cell phones for air ops and such during hunting seasons?

Was always fun listening during hunting season!