WISCOM Thread (all posts regarding WISCOM go here)

Div106

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
122
Location
Southeastern WI
Depending on where FFL is flying, they either can be heard on WISCOM or Waukesha County Analog system, since FFL Base Dispatch is located in Waukesha County.
 

otrebla

Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2004
Messages
198
I hear Flight for Life everyday on their Sheboygan County TRS talkgroup. I've also heard them on WISCOM a few times.
 

prowisscan

Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2014
Messages
138
Location
Milwaukee, WI
Flight for Life

If you are living in the Milwaukee Metro area, you can also monitor their base/aircraft frequency of 129.475; it's used occasionally but not as frequent as WISCOM or the other respective TRS.
 

JASII

Memory Capacity
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
2,998
Programming The Prescott, Pierce County WISCOM Site BCD325P2

Hello, I am trying to program the WISCOM Prescott, Pierce County Site in my BCD325P2. This is what I get from the site here:

1 (1) 057 (39) Prescott Pierce 139.0125c 139.6125a 139.7375a 152.7425 154.415

0. Base Freq 138.0000, spacing 12.5 kHz

1. Base Freq 150.8150, spacing 7.5 kHz

2. Base Freq 154.6500, spacing 7.5 kHz

3. Base Freq 162.0000, spacing 12.5 kHz

7. Base Freq 851.00625, spacing 6.25 KHz

I am using the Butel ARC-XT PRO. It looks like I need to program this as a Motorola Custom Plan. I don't think I have ever programmed a Custom Band Plan before. One of the issues I see is that the Step/Spacing doesn't match. Butel doesn't offer 7.5 KHz as a choice. Would changing it manually, from the radio make a difference? Also, the order above is 0, 1, 2, 3, 7. The Butel software has it sequentially 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. I suspect that is critical, too?

I am not even going to program in any talkgroups, yet, I just want to have it in ID Search Mode.

If anybody here can offer any helpful suggestions, it would be appreciated.
 

WItrunk

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
12
Location
Wisconsin
Don't worry about the band plan, this was critical in 1st generation scanners, nowadays all you need is the control channels and you are good to go. I typically use ProScan for all my scanners and have not used ARC in a while, but if you put in the control channels and some talkgroups you will be good to go. You will need to put in at least one talkgroup for it to scan the site you can then set it to ID Search mode.
 

peewee007

Gary Hanson
Feed Provider
Joined
Apr 20, 2011
Messages
91
Location
Somerset , Wisconsin
Hello, I am trying to program the WISCOM Prescott, Pierce County Site in my BCD325P2. This is what I get from the site here:

1 (1) 057 (39) Prescott Pierce 139.0125c 139.6125a 139.7375a 152.7425 154.415

0. Base Freq 138.0000, spacing 12.5 kHz

1. Base Freq 150.8150, spacing 7.5 kHz

2. Base Freq 154.6500, spacing 7.5 kHz

3. Base Freq 162.0000, spacing 12.5 kHz

7. Base Freq 851.00625, spacing 6.25 KHz

I am using the Butel ARC-XT PRO. It looks like I need to program this as a Motorola Custom Plan. I don't think I have ever programmed a Custom Band Plan before. One of the issues I see is that the Step/Spacing doesn't match. Butel doesn't offer 7.5 KHz as a choice. Would changing it manually, from the radio make a difference? Also, the order above is 0, 1, 2, 3, 7. The Butel software has it sequentially 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. I suspect that is critical, too?

I am not even going to program in any talkgroups, yet, I just want to have it in ID Search Mode.

If anybody here can offer any helpful suggestions, it would be appreciated.
Add it manually in the scanner first -- New System --> P25 --> Standard Trunk --> Confirm Yes -->
Edit the site..add 139.6125(control channel) as the frequency..forget about the voice frequencies as the control channel
will tell the scanner where to look. The spacing order doesn't make any difference as long as it's set at
7.5..if they don't automatically set themselves. That should be all that needs to be done on the radio side of things..Once that starts receiving properly, import everything from the radio to ARC-XT. I can receive that Control Channel very strongly up here in St Croix.. Hope this helps or at least assists..I've never used ARC-XT
 

JASII

Memory Capacity
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
2,998
WISCOM Thread (All Posts Regarding WISCOM Go Here)

Don't worry about the band plan, this was critical in 1st generation scanners, nowadays all you need is the control channels and you are good to go...

Thank you very much!
 

JASII

Memory Capacity
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
2,998
WISCOM Thread (All Posts Regarding WISCOM Go Here)

Add it manually in the scanner first

-- New System --> P25 --> Standard Trunk --> Confirm Yes -->

Edit the site..add 139.6125 (control channel) as the frequency.

Forget about the voice frequencies as the control channel will tell the scanner where to look. The spacing order doesn't make any difference as long as it's set at 7.5. if they don't automatically set themselves. That should be all that needs to be done on the radio side of things. Once that starts receiving properly, import everything from the radio to ARC-XT. I can receive that Control Channel very strongly up here in St Croix.. Hope this helps or at least assists..I've never used ARC-XT

I did notice last night that although the control channel is listed as 139.0125, the one I monitored right away was 139.6125. I am not sure if that was just a mistake, typographical error or it actually did change.

It certainly appears to be working well, too, because the ID Search Mode just found Talkgroup ID 151, which definitely sounds like Highway Patrol. (Okay, Wisconsin State Patrol.)

Thank you very much, it is greatly appreciated.

On a related note, will I/should I hear local Pierce County Sheriff traffic carried on WISCOM? I seem to recall some time back that some local traffic would be, but I haven't hear any yet.

With some (few) on WISCOM, does the Wisconsin State Patrol have a scanner or second mobile radio to monitor local channels? Conversely, what about local city and county agencies? Do some have a second radio to monitor the Wisconsin State Patrol or do they not even both with it?

Is there much patching done on WISCOM, like there is on the Minnesota ARMER system? Say there is a pursuit, will I hear a WISCOM talkgroup patched with something for local agencies?
 

WItrunk

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
12
Location
Wisconsin
State Patrol has two radios in their cars, one for local traffic and one for dispatch, in some areas a local channel is carried all the time on WISCOM but most of the scan talkgroups that were always heard on the system have been turned to affiliate only, so unless a radio selects that talkgroup you won’t hear it on a site.

At this point I have not seen much for patching at dynamically on the system, in metro areas there are hard patches in place I believe through an ISSI that brings certain channels or talkgroups over for the troopers or other agencies on the system.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

kayn1n32008

ØÆSØ
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
6,601
Location
Sector 001
I did notice last night that although the control channel is listed as 139.0125, the one I monitored right away was 139.6125. I am not sure if that was just a mistake, typographical error or it actually did change.


It’s quite normal for trunk systems that use a continuously transmitting control channel to switch to other channels.

Motorola systems use up to 4 of the sites channels as control channels, where Harris systems can use any of the sites channels as control channels.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

WItrunk

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
12
Location
Wisconsin
On a related note, will I/should I hear local Pierce County Sheriff traffic carried on WISCOM? I seem to recall some time back that some local traffic would be, but I haven't hear any yet.

With some (few) on WISCOM, does the Wisconsin State Patrol have a scanner or second mobile radio to monitor local channels? Conversely, what about local city and county agencies? Do some have a second radio to monitor the Wisconsin State Patrol or do they not even both with it?

Is there much patching done on WISCOM, like there is on the Minnesota ARMER system? Say there is a pursuit, will I hear a WISCOM talkgroup patched with something for local agencies?

WISCOM used to carry the SCAN talkgroups all the time, this I believe was even if there was no radio specificall listening to the talkgroup. I know they still exist but it seems to be only if a radio affiliates to the talkgroup.

State Patrol has two radios in the car one for WISCOM and one for whatever local system they use.

The patching as of late has been few and far between and I have not seen it during an unfolding event, only during planned ones or longer term events. I believe there are some hard patches between systems either through ISSI or other hardware in Metro areas. I know Winnebago and Dane Co have a WISCOM version of their law channel that is pushed out on WISCOM
 

JASII

Memory Capacity
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
2,998
WISCOM Thread (All Posts Regarding WISCOM Go Here)

I was just looking at the History Log and other than WSP, I have monitored Gold Cross and LifeLink on WISCOM.

Oh, and I should add that is quite the alert tone that LifeLink uses!

Is anybody here aware of any agencies, that aren't using WISCOM day-to-day, that monitor WISCOM for the WSP traffic? I am anticipating that few would, just to listen to the WSP, but who knows. So, just to confirm, a Wisconsin trooper could be out of the car somewhere and have just their portable, on WISCOM, with them, there could easily be a pursuit in the area involving city and county cars, and they might not necessarily know or have a patch enabled? Compared to Minnesota ARMER, that is very different, at least from my perspective. I am not saying that it is better or worse, but definitely different!

The other thing that is interesting is that it seems to basically alternate between 139.7375 and 139.0125, on the Prescott tower. So, if someone wanted to listen they could try monitoring those two frequencies conventional and it might not work too bad, if they kept the delay on zero.

What is the long term forecast for WISCOM? Are other agencies expected to migrate to it eventually? I seem to recall reading something about something to replace it, but I should have paid better attention to detail. Certainly they wouldn't scrap what they have done so far, would they?
 
Last edited:

sfd119

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2009
Messages
1,763
Some agencies monitor WSP using a scanner but that's about it. With several posts being dispatched out of one post it gets kind of annoying. (IE District 4&7 go to 6 overnight or when they're not staffed).

There's very little patching going on. Because the State Patrol carry two mobiles they'll be on WISCOM on their dispatch channel and usually the county's law channel on their second mobile to monitor. State Patrol will usually switch to the local county's channel if there is something "big" going on. If State patrol initiates the pursuit, they'll usually stick to their channel.

As for the long term WISCOM plans there is a draft RFP that I posted a few posts back. It looks like they're upgrading it to actually be a decent system. Its calling for 95% portable coverage which would really sell the system. The thing they are missing is unlike MN ARMER, users have to pay to be on the system for daily operations...which is why it's not adopted statewide. If they change that and do the 95% portable coverage...it will catch on very quickly.
 

WItrunk

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
12
Location
Wisconsin
Some agencies monitor WSP using a scanner but that's about it. With several posts being dispatched out of one post it gets kind of annoying. (IE District 4&7 go to 6 overnight or when they're not staffed).

Many agencies across the state have at minimum one radio in dispatch to access the system, Usually once a month you here them doing a roll call on the RTACs or STACs, I'm sure these radios stay on one of those calling channels though.
 

sfd119

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2009
Messages
1,763
Many agencies across the state have at minimum one radio in dispatch to access the system, Usually once a month you here them doing a roll call on the RTACs or STACs, I'm sure these radios stay on one of those calling channels though.

JASII is referring to agencies monitoring WSP. Most centers do not or if they do it's on a scanner.
 

WItrunk

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
12
Location
Wisconsin
JASII is referring to agencies monitoring WSP. Most centers do not or if they do it's on a scanner.

Listen to the Roll Call sometime, you will hear that many do have bases but if they monitor them at all it will be on a scanner yes.
 

sfd119

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2009
Messages
1,763
Listen to the Roll Call sometime, you will hear that many do have bases but if they monitor them at all it will be on a scanner yes.

Again, you are not understanding. County Sheriff's departments and local police departments generally do not monitor the Wisconsin State Patrol's dispatch talkgroups unless it is with a scanner. It is not a radio channel on their consoles. We are not talking about dispatch centers using WISCOM in general.
 

4006

Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2012
Messages
69
Again, you are not understanding. County Sheriff's departments and local police departments generally do not monitor the Wisconsin State Patrol's dispatch talkgroups unless it is with a scanner. It is not a radio channel on their consoles. We are not talking about dispatch centers using WISCOM in general.

This correct in some parts of the state, but not in others. There are several local (county or otherwise) agencies that have direct access to WISCOM specifically for the interop and WSP talkgroups. This generally occurs in the more rural areas where local/WSP interaction is more frequent and the areas without the ISSI gateways.
 

ts442k9

Newbie
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 11, 2018
Messages
39
Location
Rolling Hills
Most counties don't care what WSP is doing. There are a few that have their system linked to their TG. However, I have yet to see an agency with a radio that actively monitors them. However, there are a few departments that we've installed scanners in their vehicles to listen to WSP. Most of the time the volume is down or the scanner is off due to there being very little traffic on WSP's TG's.
 
Top