MSP/CAPE COD TRUNKING SYSTEM STATUS

LAST UPDATED 5/01/2003

GENERAL COMMENTS:

05/01/03 AS OF THIS DATE YARMOUTH OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED THEY ARE USING 800 FOR PRIMARY OPS. HYANNIS HAS PATCHED THEIR 800 CONVENTIONAL TO THEIR TALKGROUP SO ALL USERS ARE NOW ON THE TRUNK SYSTEM! PREVIOUS (2/25/03) REPROGRAMMING WAS FOR NEW REGIONAL POLICE GROUPS. ALL PDS HAVE CAPABILITY TO TALK ON EACH OTHERS FREQUENCIES/GROUPS WHETHER TRUNK OR CONVENTIONAL.

02/25/03 TALK AROUND WORK ABOUT 800 RADIOS NEEDING TO BE REPROGRAMMED IN MARCH

THIS MAY BE THE SIGNAL THAT THE CONSOLIDATION OF MSP ZONE 6 INTP ZONE 4 MAY BE ABOUT TO FINALLY HAPPEN. I WILL BE ON SPRING BREAK IN MARCH SO WILL UPDATE IN APRIL

12/24/02 IT APPEARS THE YARMOUTH/DENNIS SITE IS OPERATIONAL. YARMOUTH FIRE HAS BEEN OPERATIONAL ON 800 FOR LAST TWO DAYS! THIS MEANS EVERYONE IS NOW ON 800 MHZ AT LAST! (HYANNIS CONVENTIONALLY) HYANNIS USES 868.2125 203.5 SIMULCAST ON 33.940 114.8. IN CASE OF MUTUAL AID THE 868.2125 IS CROSBANDED WITH THE TRUNK SYSTEM OPS CHANNEL ASSIGNED FOR THE INCIDENT. BTW I HAVE NOT HAD ANY NEW INFO ON CONSOLIDATION OF ZONE 6 (TRURO) INTO ZONE 4 (MAIN CAPE SYSTEM).

06/03/02 HYANNIS FIRE IS AT LAST ON 800 MHZ. THEY ARE NOW OPERATING ON 868.2125 203.5

SIMULCASTING ON 33.940 114.8 THIS LEAVES YARMOUTH AS THE ONLY DEPARTMENT NOT

OPERATING ON 800 EXCEPT FOR DISPATCH AND LIMITED USE.

08/31/01 I HAD MOTOROLA TECHS WORKING IN PROVINCETOWN LAST FEW DAYS FIXING MAJOR RECEPTION PROBLEMS SINCE THE NEW TOWER IN TRURO WAS TURNED ON AND THE OLD ONE DISMANTLED. THOSE PROBLEMS HAD TO DO WITH THE DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA ARRAY BEING USED. I HAVE IT STRAIGHT FROM THE TECHS MOUTH THE UPGRADE OF ZONE VI (TRURO) TO A FULL SITE IS A YEAR AWAY……….

05/30/01 WEST BARNSTABLE IS NOW USING THE SYSTEM. DISPATCH IS STILL ON 33.480 THEN OPS ON 800. WEST BARNSTABLE IS STILL WAITING FOR THEIR OWN 33 MHZ SIMULCAST CHANNEL. HYANNIS HAS FILED FOR 868.2125 CONVENTIONAL. NOT SURE IF THIS MEANS THEY INTEND TO CONTINUE TO SNUB THE TRUNK OR WHAT…

THE NEW FCC APPLICATION CAME THROUGH 5/24/01. 14 OF THE EXISTING FREQUENCIES (LESS 853.0375) WILL BE COMBINED TO MAKE A NEW SYSTEM FOR THE CAPE. II IS SUPPOSED TO BE UP BY SUMMER-STAY TUNED…5/30/01 STILL WAITING…

MOTOROLA IS IN THE PROCESS OF REPROGRAMMING ALL 800 PORTABLES & MOBILES ON THE CAPE SO THEY WILL CORRECTLY VOTE FOR AND RELEASE SITES WHEN TRANSMITTING. THIS SHOULD IN ITSELF DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE RECEPTION. PHASE TWO, THE IN BUILDING MODE, SHOULD BE UP AND RUNNING SOMETIME THIS SUMMER ACCORDING TO SOURCES. THIS WILL INVOLVE THE TRURO SITE BEING SHUT DOWN. A NEW SITE WILL BE PUT UP IN WELLFLEET AND ONE SET OF FREQUENCIES WILL BE IN USE CAPE WIDE. AS I UNDERSTAND IT THERE WILL BE ONLY ONE DATA CHANNEL AND REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU ARE ON THE CAPE ALL USERS WILL BE HEARD. CURRENTLY LOWER CAPE USERS ONLY MIGRATE TO THE MAIN SYSTEM WHEN THEY ROAM INTO THAT AREA. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL, AT LEAST AT FIRST, ANY NEW CHANNELS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING ALL EXISTING 14 CHANNELS WILL BE USED CAPE WIDE. STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES AS THIS EVENT NEARS.

PREVIOUS UPDATES:
(UPDATED) BARNSTABLE FIRE ACTIVATED THEIR 800 TODAY. HYANNIS AS THE LAST TO GO-AT LEAST FOR DISPATCH. WEST BARNSTABLE IS STILL USING 33.480 ONLY. WIERD WITH BARNSTABLE SIMULCASTING ON IT. I AM WAITING TO SEE IF A NEW 33 MHZ FREQ IS APPLIED FOR THE WEST BARNSTABLE FD. HYANNIS I AM TOLD IS CONTINUING TO WAIT FOR ADDITION RECEIVE SITES TO CLEAR UP "IN BUILDING" RECEPTION PROBLEMS.

(UPDATED) COUNTY FIRE IS SIMULCASTING OVER 38032 AND COUNTY POLICE ARE SIMULCASTING GI/GBC BROADCASTS ON 36496. BY MAY BOTH 800 COUNTY GROUPS SHOULD BE FULLY COMPLETE AND 155.565 & 33.700 MAY BE DROPPED SHORTLY AFTERWARD.

Y2K CONCERNS WERE NOT REALIZED AS THE SYSTEM HAS REMAINED ON THROUGH MIDNIGHT.
COTUIT FIRE IS THE LATEST AS OF 1/01/00 TO JOIN THE SYSTEM. NOW ONLY BARNSTABLE/WEST BARNSTABLE & HYANNIS REMAIN ALONG WITH THE COUNTY.

SOMETHING GOOD TO REPORT ABOUT THE SYSTEM. THE HORRIBLE TRAGEDY IN WORCESTER HAS PROVIDED THE SYSTEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW ITSELF OFF-AND HAS IT. CAPE COD FIREFIGHTERS AND APPARATUS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED TWICE TO WORCESTER FOR CITY COVERAGE. LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY 5, THE CAPE COD AREA PUBLIC SAFETY HAS BEEN PATCHED
TO C TROOP. THIS HAS ALLOWED THE CAPE UNITS TO COMMUNICATE AND ALSO THOSE BACK ON THE CAPE TO HEAR THE ACTION. TRAFFIC WAS MOSTLY COORDINATION GOING TO AND FROM THE AREA. WORCESTER FIRE WAS PROVIDING ALL UNITS AN 800 ERICCSON PORTABLE ON THEIR SYSTEM. REMEMBER IF YOU HAVE THE FIRST GENERATION TRUNKTRACKERS: 235, 895, 2050 THEY GET TRICKED BY PATCHES. FOR EXAMPLE LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY 5 IS 36464 BUT WHEN IT IS PATCHED THE OLDER TRUNKTRACKERS MAY READ IT AS 36467.

CENTERVILLE-OSTERVILLE-MARSTONS MILLS FIRE IS NOW FULLY ACTIVE ON THE SYSTEM. THIS MAY BE AN INDICATION THAT THE OTHER BARSTABLE VILLAGES MAY BE GETTING READY TO JOIN. THE RECEIVE SITE AT THE WELLFLEET TOWER HAS BEEN REINSTALLED. THIS SHOULD CLEAR UP THE DEAD SPOTS IN THAT AREA. OTHER RECEIVE SITES ARE ALSO BELIEVED TO FINALLY BE IN THE WORKS AS THE SYSTEM MOVES TO PHASE 2 WITH SERVICE INSIDE STRUCTURES.

EASTHAM FIRE IS NOW ACTIVE ON THE SYSTEM. THIS LEAVES THE BARNSTABLE FIRE DISTRICTS AND COUNTY CHANNELS AS THE ONLY USERS NOT ON THE SYSTEM. ODD TO ME AS I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THE "CITY" AREAS WOULD HAVE BEEN FIRST TO GO.

THE TRURO SYSTEM HAS ADDED A THIRD VOICE CHANNELS WHICH HAS ALLIEVATED SOME OF THE OVERLOADING AND USERS GETTING MANY BUSY SIGNALS. THE MAIN SYSTEM IS ALSO SUFFERING BUSY SIGNALS THAT CAN BE HEARD ON THE LOW BAND FIRE SIMULCASTS. THIS IS PRIMARY DURING THE DAY. THE ADDITION OF THE MAINLAND TROOP D GROUPS IS COMPOUNDING THIS.

THE WELLFLEET PARTIAL USE STEMS FROM A NUMBER OF DEAD SPOTS ESPICIALLY IN SOUTH WELLFLEET. THERE WAS A RECEIVE SITE ON THE WELLFLEET FIRE TOWER BUT THAT WAS REMOVED. IT OBIVIOUSLY WILL BE NEEDED. OTHER AREAS ACROSS THE CAPE ARE SPOTTY FOR PORTABLES. I BELEIVE THERE IS STILL A PHASE OF IMPLEMENTATION THAT WILL PUT UP ADDITIONAL MICRO RECEIVE SITES POSSIBLY ON NEW PROPOSED CELL TOWERS TO HELP THIS PROBLEM...TIME WILL TELL

TOWNS ONLINE :

FIRE:
PROVINCETOWN: FULLY ACTIVE
TRURO: FULLY ACTIVE
WELLFLEET: FULLY ACTIVE
EASTHAM: FULLY ACTIVE
ORLEANS: FULLY ACTIVE
BREWSTER: FULLY ACTIVE
CHATHAM: FULLY ACTIVE
HARWICH: FULLY ACTIVE
DENNIS: FULLY ACTIVE
YARMOUTH: DISPATCH, OCCASIONAL FIREGROUND
HYANNIS: INTERMITTENT DISPATCH, SOME ADMIN USE.
COMM: FULLY ACTIVE
COTUIT: FULLY ACTIVE
BARNSTABLE: FULLY ACTIVE
WEST BARNSTABLE: OCCASIONAL FIREGROUND
SANDWICH: FULLY ACTIVE
MASHPEE: FULLY ACTIVE
BOURNE: FULLY ACTIVE
FALMOUTH: FULLY ACTIVE
COUNTY: SIMULCASTING

POLICE: (REMEMBER UP CAPE DEPTS ALREADY ON 800 CONVENTIONAL NOT SWITCHING)
PROVINCETOWN: FULLY ACTIVE
TRURO: FULLY ACTIVE
WELLFLEET: FULLY ACTIVE
EASTHAM: FULLY ACTIVE
ORLEANS: FULLY ACTIVE
BREWSTER: FULLY ACTIVE
CHATHAM: FULLY ACTIVE
HARWICH: FULLY ACTIVE
DENNIS: FULLY ACTIVE.
COUNTY: SIMULCASTING, SOME CIO ACTIVITY

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