Sunday, December 04, 2005
SYSTEM PEAKED OUT - CRYING FOR HELP !
This is going to be a very short Blah-g as I have lots to do today concerning OUR 800 Mhz system. Things to catch up on and possible a trip or two planned should the snow and ice clear.
I posted a new audio file on my website Friday and this one is excellent.
Now, when I say excellent I mean that I did a good job of putting together the audio clips and making my point. I always criticize my own audio production work. It is NOT EXCELLENT in respect to our 800 Mega Hurts system as the system seems to be getting worse each day !
I had a very long conversation Thursday Night with a FIRE CHIEF, he is worried about our system being close to or at it’s PEAK as far as handling information. He has a valid worry.
Right now each of our tower sites has Five (5) FCC Assigned Frequencies to use, some have more but most have five. When those 5 frequencies are all in use by one or another Talkgroup at the same time (this is common) the system puts all other transmissions on HOLD.
This has been happening more and more because of the increased Police activity when District 6 and 7 came on line, plus Mutual Aid Ambulance Service is now dispatching more and more on 800 Mega Hurts instead of their 155.715 Mhz frequency. Other ambulance services have been making the switch from 155.160 Mhz over to 800 too, making this relatively SMALL emergency radio system OVERCROWDED.
Egads !
In other news I spoke to someone with connections to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week and again the Department believes that all of our FIRE TAC channels are NFPA compliant, which means each channel must be using SIMPLEX radio frequencies in the ANALOG transmitting mode at the fire grounds.
We use Digital Duplex Repeater Transmissions now which are unacceptable. I have the number for one of the department heads at the DHS and although I hate to use it I am going to place another call this coming week.
When the DHS came to Westmoreland County they were given a FALSE demonstration of our system using only the Fire Talk Around Frequency.
This time during their next visit they will be (so I’ve been told) testing the WHOLE system to make sure all Fire Ground Operations are NFPA compliant.
That is good however they (DHS) will not like the results, nor will Programmer Mark.
IN THE MAIL… I received some vital information in Saturday Morning’s Snail Mail. I want to thank the person that sent this information to me and want to assure him or her that it will be put to good use.
See, more and more people are getting involved and THAT IS WHAT IT WILL TAKE to get Mark, Richard and Dan out of their positions. We need some new blood in there that understands how to operate an Emergency Center, that can get along with other counties and understands a bit about how radios operate.
In the... DID you know department:
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is that the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the human mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Pehrpas taht epxlians why our sytsem is eevn wroknig !
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The more I write the less time I have to spend on audio files and other 800 Mega Hurts issues so let me get on it so that I can hopefully have a good Blah-g for you on Monday or Tuesday morning. Be careful, the roads are like slime on a flag pole !
Have a good weekend !
DECODED,
K3SAM
http://800.k3sam.com – website
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