Tuesday, June 21, 2005
STATEMENT / PHOTOS / BYO POPCORN
Hello There !
Before I do an update on whatz happenin', every so often I like to rebroadcast my mission statement. So if you don't mind and too bad if you do...
MISSION STATEMENT
This is not a blog as there are way too many blogs already. THIS IS A BLAH-G. It is different in the fact that is dedicated to watching a new radio system (at least at this time). The system in question is the Westmoreland County Pennsylvania 800 Mhz Motorola Trunked APCO 25 Smartzone ASTRO System that replaced several Low Band VHF, High Band VHF and some UHF communications in this area.
Wow ! Normally I just call it the WC Radio System. This system normally would not work in this area due to all the hills and dales however Motorola (Staley Communications) has figured out a way to make it work. They stuck towers, repeaters and baby repeaters all over the damn place ! I have to chuckle as that is the ONLY way to make an 800 Mhz signal cover this area !
As it turns out, when this system was initially put on line it wasn't working. The technicians were running around with portable and mobile radios looking for dead spots, and there were many. As things progressed it became better and better. Actual Police and Fire Stations came on line beginning in November of 2004. Of course the system had problems as it is new.
Now we get to me. I am called the Booger, and since this is my Blah-g... it is know as the Booger's Blah-g.
Booger comes from Blogger, not the other thing so please don't get any ideas. I was involved in communications all my life and I am attempting to keep both eyes on the progress of this system. Besides that I am nobody special with no super talents.
My identity is also no secret. My website bares my amateur radio call sign, which happens to be public record. Others that help me behind the scenes do have secret identities however to protect their jobs in some cases.
Sometimes there are more than two eyes watching as I have secret agents out in the field watching too, and that would be the others mentioned above. GMan and Scotty J. are just two of those spies ! A few of our finest along with firefighters from all around are reporting back as to how their systems are doing. Good or bad. Never know, employees of Staley Communications might even be emailing me too !
(email reporting address: news@k3sam.com)
In the beginning there were so many problems being reported that the system was just, well BLAH. Hence forth and width comes the BLAH-G.
In the middle is a bunch of rambling, fiction and facts along with lots of Photos, Radio Logs and Audio Clips, not in that order as reported by the Booger and his spies.
In the end, EYE-REPORT and YOU-DECIDE. Where have I heard that before ?
Now, those of you not familiar with all the past ramblings found on my blogs can do some back reading and get caught up. Others that are up to date may continue. If you are new to the Blah-g© WELCOME and enjoy !
Past blah-gs can be found at these two locations.
FIRST GROUP (the most, from the beginning)
SECOND GROUP (found on my website)
TODAY
Being the fantastic spring day that it was brought out the digital camera. The main reason was to go take photos of a commercial fire that happened Sunday however as it turned out, it was a residential fire and didn't want to put anyone's house on the Blah-g.
So onward I went and my first stop was at Fire Station 92, Eastern Derry Township Volunteer Fire Department. Some refer to it as Millwood Fire Dept. and others just Derry Township however that was my first stop. I took several photos there and on the way back home stopped at Mutual Aid Ambulance Service in Derry for more photos.
I also couldn't resist taking a photo of the mountain side and the towers on top. All are posted on my website now and can be viewed by going to http://800.k3sam.com/ and click on LOCAL PHOTOS.
After that it was updating some of my web pages and relaxing, but mostly doing the web thing.
Just a few photos to wet your noodle...
CROSS BAND REPEAT
I have covered this subject several times so I won't get into what cross band repeating is however I will tell you that one of my INSIDE SOURCES as informed me that 911 CANNOT cross band 155.340 and 155.280 Mhz yet. Those are the Hospital Emergency Ambulance Radio frequencies, or just call HEAR for short. That is amazing and another blunder for the system.
What it boils down to is that if the console that is using cross band repeating has all the necessary frequencies installed THEN they can be "connected". If not... well you get the point.
The fire dispatch console does not have those HEAR frequencies which are in EVERY AMBULANCE in the area.
I hope the supervisors are reading this and add it to the list of "things to do damn fast".
AMAZING AUDIO
Going through all the audio that has been collected in the last few months I found a gem ! I will be making a web page of just audio clips soon for this radio system but one I found just had to share with you now ! I'm not going to give you even a boogy hint but will say it is CLEAN audio for all ages. A present from the Booger. CLICK TO LISTEN
That's it until later this afternoodle™ !
DECODED,
K3SAM
WESTMORELAND'S GUIDE TO 800 Mhz
LISTEN LIVE VIA GMAN'S WEBSITE
