Dutchess Simulcast

[Guest]

My pager has been a bit strange lately, it sends off the fire beep instead of the ems beep for ems calls. Probably for about the last week.

[x129K 1,393]

Would this simulcast effect pagers opening up? I am not very well versed in it to know the intricacies.

I have noticed 5 calls (5 actual sets of tones, 3 seperate alarms) where my pager has NOT opened up at all. I heard the alarm on the scanner in all instances.

Edited November 24, 2008 by x129K

[rvwscan 20]

Would this simulcast effect pagers opening up? I am not very well versed in it to know the intricacies.

I have noticed 5 calls (5 actual sets of tones, 3 seperate alarms) where my pager has NOT opened up at all. I heard the alarm on the scanner in all instances.

Simulcast should actually help your pager open up better. Simulcast is the transmission being broadcast from the 7 radio tower sites at the same time. In the past when a departments area spanned more than one radio tower coverage area the tones and dispatch would be broadcast from one tower then the next. This is the reason you used to hear say, East Fishkill FD tones go out clear then the same tones go out, maybe a little scratchy. This is them being dispatched on one tower then another. With simulcast all seven towers are transmitting at the same time. Illinois, Clove, Silver, Hosner, Brooklyn Heights, Depot Hill, East Mountain. So no matter where you are in Dutchess County your pager should open up.

As far as your pager not opening up, that may be an issue with location. Dutchess County especially the eastern portion has a lot of dead spots with UHF that didn't exist with VHF Low Band.

[TAPSJ 30]

Thank God, but now I would have a really extended ETA to the scene if I am not in East Fishkill and I am up north, lol.

Thomas

[EJS1810 7]

Simulcast should actually help your pager open up better. Simulcast is the transmission being broadcast from the 7 radio tower sites at the same time. In the past when a departments area spanned more than one radio tower coverage area the tones and dispatch would be broadcast from one tower then the next. This is the reason you used to hear say, East Fishkill FD tones go out clear then the same tones go out, maybe a little scratchy. This is them being dispatched on one tower then another. With simulcast all seven towers are transmitting at the same time. Illinois, Clove, Silver, Hosner, Brooklyn Heights, Depot Hill, East Mountain. So no matter where you are in Dutchess County your pager should open up.

As far as your pager not opening up, that may be an issue with location. Dutchess County especially the eastern portion has a lot of dead spots with UHF that didn't exist with VHF Low Band.

How is the reception with the pagers with picking up two towers? If you are in between will you get a garbled signal? In Putnam we cannot transmit on two towers (excpet Nimham & Graymoor) at the same time.

[rvwscan 20]

How is the reception with the pagers with picking up two towers? If you are in between will you get a garbled signal? In Putnam we cannot transmit on two towers (excpet Nimham & Graymoor) at the same time.

That is what all the fancy very expensive equipment is supposed to prevent. In the immediate area of the county the reception should be good, but you will notice that as you get further away from the county you will not get as good reception as you used to. Reception is completely gone a ways north of the county line, where reception used to be OK.

[Guest]

just got back from Christmas shopping in Western CT (New Milford ) and was able to hear DC911 dispatch Rombout and Red Hook as if I was on the west side of the county

[Doc 11]

just got back from Christmas shopping in Western CT (New Milford ) and was able to hear DC911 dispatch Rombout and Red Hook as if I was on the west side of the county

Since this topic came up, I've taken my long ignored handheld scanner out and have been paying greater attention to the quality of the transmission for more calls than just ours. It sounds crisp and clear in the hole I work in AND the hole I live in whereas before it was hit or miss in both locations. A BIG improvement! No, make that a HUGE improvement. Over in Newburgh by the NFA, I used to get static and maybe two or three comprehensible words running off my portable scanner's rubber ducky. I attributed it to being at the bottom of the ridge North J.H.S. is on. Now, transmissions are loud and clear. At home, even in the basement, it's loud and clear. I'm really interested in how they're able to synchronize the transmitters and not get echo or garbling. It's impressive and I think the folks up at Creek Rd. have once again done picked a winning approach. Yeah, I'll miss 46.36 and my trusty old crystal scanner (Bearcat III - works like a charm) and pager. Time marches on whether or not I have funds for personal gear upgrades

[JetPhoto 626]

See Doc, I told you it would get better. If anyone hears garbled pages tell your chief so they can report it tto 911.

[markmets415 524]

Funny thing change is isn't. We have gone off two towers forever it seems and now with the simo there is only one set of tones, it is an adjustment. The only way to aid our issues in Wassaic is to put a tower right in the middle of town and that probably wouldn't fix it either. As stated before I live in Dover and my pager and portable work great but we had a call Tuesday and I was at the firehouse and my pager never opened. We are gathering this information and passing to DCER.

Edited December 6, 2008 by markmets415

[runaway21 0]

The Simulcast radio system may be better, but I don not like the tone cut-off. I'm so use to the double tone that the single tone is weird to me and I don't wake up for calls at night that easily anymore.. I need the 2 beeps not 1! I wish they could have just left that part alone

[markmets415 524]

Same here with the 2 sets of tones, we used those for years, but obviously with the tones being simo'd off all the towers at once there is no need to have two tones (two different towers) any longer. It is an adjustment for all.

[xfirefighter484x 234]

The Simulcast radio system may be better, but I don not like the tone cut-off. I'm so use to the double tone that the single tone is weird to me and I don't wake up for calls at night that easily anymore.. I need the 2 beeps not 1! I wish they could have just left that part alone

Same here with the 2 sets of tones, we used those for years, but obviously with the tones being simo'd off all the towers at once there is no need to have two tones (two different towers) any longer. It is an adjustment for all.

I agree. Its throwing me off!!