[TrunkCom] Midland TX Question

[Joe Hathaway]

Interesting that so specific a question about Midland should come from 
so far away!  Yes, as I continue to monitor the trunked and conventional 
frequencies, I have found instances where fire dispatches seem to be on 
both the Fire Dispatch talkgroup and the specific conventional 
frequency, such as outlying volunteer fire departments' channels, when 
their equipment would be needed as well as the city's.

Also, the radio wizard for the Sheriff's digital system (on UHF high) 
found that the deputies were constantly asking the (common) dispatch 
center where a city unit or ambulance was going, because their system 
could not monitor the city EDACS transmissions.  He cobbled together a 
translator station from ham gear and old conventional leftovers, which 
monitors only the city PD Dispatch 1 and Fire Dispatch EDACS talkgroups, 
and rebroadcasts them as analog on an unused county UHF high  frequency. 
 The county radios can transceive analog as well as digital.  Had I 
known about this translator years ago, I could have been hearing 
dispatches before my trunk scanners were developed!

This is not specifically on subject, but there is also a common 
translator station, "PermNet," which receives a specific city talkgroup 
and conventional UHF high transmissions from units so equipped, and 
rebroadcasts on all the other systems simultaneously, so that a US 
Marshal, alcohol unit, game warden, FBI(?), Highway Patrolman, deputy, 
and city police unit could all have a conversation with each other.  No 
doubt the Star Trek Translators (or whatever) will someday be developed 
from this very idea!

Did any of this answer the question?

Joe Hathaway
Midland, Texas
Hometown of Presidents

>Message: 3
>From: zerg90@webtv.net (Peter Sz)
>Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 14:58:31 -0400 (EDT)
>To: trunkcom@mailman.qth.net
>Subject: [TrunkCom] Midland TX Question
>
>Joe H - could you tell us if any talkgroups in your area are still
>simulcast on the old channels?
>
>For instance - here in the Boston MA area - all Cambridge MA units are
>on the City 800 Mhz TRS - and the Fire Channel TG is simulcast on
>154.355 (former Fire Channel 1) - and the Police Channel 1 TG is
>simulcast on 470.3125 (former Police Ch 1). So if you listen to 470.3125
>or 154.355 - you hear the dispatchers and the field units. (I am not
>sure if any field units on 473.3125 or 154.355 can talk into the TRS).
>
>Peter S - Arlington MA
>
>  
>