trunking systems in Perth

General questions on scanning from 30 to 3000Mhz. Not sure what you can receive in your area? Here's the place to ask!

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Brian
Posts: 26
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2005 8:27 am
Location: Sydney

Post by Brian »

This is a bit of a long post as I have found some information on both the old Tetra system and the new WA Police Trunked system to be installed.

First up the Tetra system. My nderstanding is that two major things happened. I'm not sure of the order of events though. One event was the Police discovered (after spending a few million) that the system wasn't going to work for them and couldn't provide the services they wanted. As a result they had some balls and made a statement to the effect of they had spent a lot of money but they had realised early in the piece that the system wasn't going to live up to their needs and they decided to ditch it before it was too late. The other thing that happened was Simoco Australia wentbottoms up and pulled out. I'm unsure if this happened as a result of the Police contract, or if it happened before hand.

Below are some details of the Tetra story.

2.1 Simoco was contracted to supply a government department with a turnkey state of the art digital trunked radio network in 2002. The system comprised a 23 site TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio ) high availability Network , microwave transmission network, Network management system, site power supply and battery systems and relocatable site shelters, complete site antenna networks with diplexing/mulicoupling and an initial quantity of TETRA handheld and mobile terminal units. Prior to the company entering liquidation all items of equipment were assembled in Perth having completed manufacturers component factory testing, rack /cabinet assembly and testing and preliminary site configuration testing and were ready for field deployment. Only 2 sites of equipment and some radio terminals were deployed for field trialing, the balance of items have been stored in a warehouse awaiting deployment. Warehouse conditions were suitable for this type of equipment.

2.2 The Tetra Network and mobile terminals were supplied from the European operations of Simoco Digitals Systems, all other items were sourced from external third party manufacturers.

3. Summary Of Equipment and Assets

3.1 The extensive list of items fall into the following categories:

-Indoor and Outdoor Microwave and Multiplex Equipment
-Microwave and UHF Antenna Networks
-Multisite/Multichannel Tetra Digital Trunked Base Station Network
-Cisco Routers
-Computer Equipment
-Tetra Mobile and Portable Terminals
-High Spec Power Supplies and Battery Chargers
-Equipment Cabinets and Rack Assemblies
-Airconditioned Transportable Equipment Shelters

I actually have the full list (in an excel file) of all the Tetra equipment that was sold off at the end of the mishap.

Onto the new Motorola APCO 25 system. below is Motorola's press release for the new WA Police system. It will be an Astro trunked system (9600 bps) which can be tracked by any of the newest digital scanners on the market including the new Australian model about to be released. They have mentioned secure communications, and they have mentioned encryption for important communications. It really depends what take they have on Important but my guess will be a magivc bag might be produced before the end of the project filled up with lots more encryption boards to bring the WA Police in line with all the other Police Forces lead towards encryption. They also mentioned the word terrorism which is a big encryption spinner, and the fact the new radios will operate on the old analogue network so the band plan probably is going to be the same or rather close to the new system. At this stage while the system will cover 9000 square KM's it appears to only be being built for the WA Police and not the other services. It makes mention the WA Police will be able to liase with other agencies (outside of the trunked network).

Depending on the size and capacity and room for expansion of the network, I think it would make sense for the WA Government to look at taking over the network in years to come and slowly expanding the network and migrating more and more agencies onto it. This truly would provide interoperablity. The only hassle being that everyone would then need to migrate to UHF. Something that is not good for every agency.

I'm rambling again. Here's the article.


Western Australian Police Sign US$28 Million Contract with Motorola for ASTRO® 25 Digital Radio Network

PERTH, Western Australia, 28 June 2005 - Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) announced today that the Western Australian Police has selected a Motorola ASTRO® 25 digital trunked radio network to bring its communications into the 21st century.

WA Police has signed a $28 million contract with Motorola for the network, which will cover more than 30 sites. The contract also includes the supply portable, mobile and fixed ASTRO® 25 digital radio terminals and MW850 mobile computing devices.

Western Australia Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan said the network, to be operational for front line police operations by early 2007, would deliver secure, effective voice radio and mobile data communications, expanding voice radio coverage to 9000 square kilometers.

The network will be seamlessly integrated with a Motorola Premier CADTM (Computer Aided Dispatch) system which was installed for the WA Police in 2004. The mobile computing devices will enable police vehicles to be seamlessly connected to Motorola’s messaging switch, providing computer dispatch, data base enquiry and automatic vehicle location services.

“The new mobile data facility and automatic vehicle location server will enable police to be dispatched more effectively to incidents and emergencies while important radio communications will be encrypted to help prevent interception by organised crime or disruption by terrorists,” Mr. O’Callaghan said.

The Motorola network will provide:
* Improved radio coverage to the broader Perth metropolitan area
* Relief from radio frequency congestion via the combination of increased capacity and private trunked networking, allowing for more users, more calls, and more information to be transferred
* Increased security with leading-edge encryption algorithms to keep voice and data transmissions confidential
* Significantly greater reliability and availability due the Motorola’s IP network technology
* Interoperability with other Project 25 and Police networks, so the WA Police can communicate with other WA Government departments, Federal Policing agencies and other State Police forces as required:
* Compliance with a key global standard for public safety communications (APCO Project 25) which in turn supports backward compatibility
* Simplified transition as the new radios will be able to operate on the existing analogue network during the construction phase

Spiros Nikolakopoulos, Managing Director, Government and Enterprise Mobility Solutions, Australia & New Zealand, who signed the contract on behalf of Motorola, said the project would further build on Motorola’s 20-year relationship with the WA Police, greatly enhancing front line policing capabilities for the force.


Regards,
grant
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:44 pm
Location: Sydney, NSW

MPT Trunking for Western Australia

Post by grant »

I am back on deck to prepare that MPT list. Hopefully in the next week or so I will be able to put a comprehensive list up.

For those who already have located MPT stuff in the 160 and 410Mhz bands, here is the reference for that MPT decoder I mentioned before:

http://hometown.aol.de/trunksniffer/index_2.htm.

I have been sidetracked for the last couple of months by a number of things including my job (i work shiftwork), problems with the Notebook Computer I am using (I have discovered it won't let me use it to decode MPT, thought it worked for a while ... it is a notebook rather than a PC laptop) plus mundane things like tax.

Has anybody been able to get a handle on the 800Mhz trunking - i saw one or two posts for a couple of the systems south of Perth

Many thanks to Brian for his kind words and support. He and and a few other folk here in Sydney are very good at nutting out the technical issues with radio trunking systems. I am more of a listener and note-taker

Grant

PS

For those downloading the decoder and trying to use it, this is my config file I have put together to get it to work for me on various sites.

[0x0049]
Beginofband=1651875
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=166725
Name="VERTEL-MLC"
[0x1109]
Beginofband=4666250
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=4726500
Name="FETTELS-PMQ"
[0x0011]
Beginofband=1651875
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=1667375
Name="VERTEL-NEWCASTLE"
[0x5041]
Beginofband=1651875
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=1675875
Name="telstra-NEWCASTLE"
[0x5041]
Beginofband=4155625
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=4167375
Name="TELSTRA UHF NEWCASTLE"
[0x0041]
Beginofband=1651875
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=1667000
Name="MADDENS_PLAINS_VERTEL"
[0x0051]
Beginofband=1651875
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=1667000
Name="RAZORBACK_VERTEL"
[0x1089]
Beginofband=5050000
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=5082000
Name="GENCOM MT ELLIOTT"
[0x1089]
Beginofband=5050000
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=5088250
Name="GENCOM GAN GAN"
[0x1089]
Beginofband=5050000
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=5050000
Name="GENCOM SUGARLOAF"
[0x20a1]
Beginofband=4145750
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=4145750
Name="MIRVAC CIRCULAR QUAY"
[0x5089]
Beginofband=4155625
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=4163375
Name="TELSTRA UHF RAZORBACK"
[0x5019]
Beginofband=4155625
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=4163625
Name="TELSTRA UHF PENNANT HILLS"
[0X5009]
Beginofband=4155625
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=4162000
Name="TELSTRA UHF WAVERLEY"
[0x1089]
Beginofband=4971500
Offset=2
Step=125
CChFrequency=5021000
Name="MOTOROLA PENNANT HILLS"

An Example:

************************** Protocol-Decoder ***************************
SYS 0x0049 | VERTEL | CCh-Frequency: 166.7250 MHz
******************************************************************************

- BCAST| Call maintenance | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Registration Parameters | SYS: 0x0049
- RQS | Request random access | ( 11) Org: 2107 Tar: 2269 Data
AHY | Availability check message | Begin Ack a: (11) Tar:2269 Data
- RQS | Request random access | ( 4) Org: 1759 Tar: 1758 Data
AHY | Availability check message | Begin Ack a: (4) Tar:1758 Data
- RQS | Request random access | ( 4) Org: 219 Tar: 1758 Voice
AHY | Availability check message | Begin Ack a: (4) Org:219 Voice
- GTC | Go To Channel Voice | ( 4) Org: 1759 Tar: 1758
| Ch:128 Freq:166.7875 Mhz | Tue Apr 19 14:55:48 2005

- RQS | Request random access | ( 4) Org: 219 Tar: 1758 Voice
AHY | Availability check message | Begin Ack a: (4) Org:219 Voice
- GTC | Go To Channel Voice | ( 4) Org: 1759 Tar: 1758
| Ch:128 Freq:166.7875 Mhz | Tue Apr 19 14:55:48 2005

- RQS | Request random access | ( 4) Org: 219 Tar: 1758 Voice
AHY | Availability check message | Begin Ack a: (4) Org:219 Voice
- GTC | Go To Channel Voice | ( 4) Org: 1759 Tar: 1758
| Ch:128 Freq:166.7875 Mhz | Tue Apr 19 14:55:48 2005

- BCAST| Call maintenance | SYS: 0x0049
- GTC | Go To Channel Voice | ( 11) Org: 2107 Tar: 2269
| Ch:211 Freq:167.8250 Mhz | Tue Apr 19 14:55:49 2005

- GTC | Go To Channel Voice | ( 11) Org: 2107 Tar: 2269
| Ch:211 Freq:167.8250 Mhz | Tue Apr 19 14:55:49 2005

- GTC | Go To Channel Voice | ( 11) Org: 2107 Tar: 2269
| Ch:211 Freq:167.8250 Mhz | Tue Apr 19 14:55:49 2005

- BCAST| Call maintenance | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Registration Parameters | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Call maintenance | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Registration Parameters | SYS: 0x0049
- ACKI | Intermediate ack, more follows | ( 5) Org: 2584 Tar: 2579
- BCAST| Call maintenance | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Registration Parameters | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Call maintenance | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Registration Parameters | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Call maintenance | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Registration Parameters | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Call maintenance | SYS: 0x0049
- GTC | Go To Channel Data | ( 5) Org: 2584 Tar: 2579
| Ch:181 Freq:167.4500 Mhz |
- GTC | Go To Channel Data | ( 5) Org: 2584 Tar: 2579
| Ch:181 Freq:167.4500 Mhz |
- GTC | Go To Channel Data | ( 5) Org: 2584 Tar: 2579
| Ch:181 Freq:167.4500 Mhz |
- ACKK | General acknowledgement | ( 12) Org: 2855 Tar: 8185
- BCAST| Call maintenance | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Registration Parameters | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Call maintenance | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Registration Parameters | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Call maintenance | SYS: 0x0049
- BCAST| Registration Parameters | SYS: 0x0049
vk6hgr
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2610
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2005 10:33 pm
Amateur callsign: VK6HGR
Scanners and Receivers: Various Yaesu, Kenwood, Tait, Simoco and Philips'
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Contact:

Post by vk6hgr »

Good stuff! I've actually been doing the exact same thing and have mapped out the 415Mhz trunking network in Perth vs sites. There's basically two companies doing MPT trunking on 415Mhz - Telstra and another company. Will finish the list and put it up here soon.
Gavin Rogers; VK6HGR
http://vk6hgr.ampr.org/
WARSUG forum administrator
Site and stream donations: https://www.paypal.me/vk6hgr
grant
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:44 pm
Location: Sydney, NSW

MPT1327 Trunking

Post by grant »

That's great. I have done about half of it already. I think it is Telstra and Vertel from memory.

I hope that the config file and example of screen data is of some help. Obviously this applies to sites in NSW - you can substitute your own control channels. For some weird reason if you put the start of the VHF or UHF band 0.125 below the real frequency it tracks perfectly on the log with the correct frequencies and channel numbers.

Grant


PS I am fairly sure there is a 460Mhz BHP Trunking system at Port Hedland. Does anybody know about this?. There is one or two media blurbs but no frequency references. I pinned it down to 460Mhz from the ACMA database
Brian
Posts: 26
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2005 8:27 am
Location: Sydney

Post by Brian »

Hi Grant and all. Good to see you back on board Grant. I was just thinking this afternoon I hadn't heard from you in a while.

I just clicked on the link for Trunksniffer Grant posted and it has obviously got too bg for the free hosting site it was on. The Trunk Sniffer now has a new URL at http://www.trunksniffer.com/

Regards,
Syphon
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Mar 26, 2006 9:52 pm

Post by Syphon »

Fastlane wrote:Just a note, in the list above, the City of Joondalup list is in fact shared with the City of Wanneroo at a site in Wanneroo. The list identified as City of Wanneroo is a repeater site in Yanchep and to date, is seldom used (they are not linked).

A few talk group ID's for the site in Wanneroo are:
5296 - Wanneroo Fire Service
3280 - Wanneroo Ranger Services
1680 - Joondalup Rangers
1712 - Joondalup Security Patrols

I didnt bother gathering any others - theres alot of radio traffic on this trunk network.


How do you find talk group ID's for any system ?
vk6hgr
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2610
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2005 10:33 pm
Amateur callsign: VK6HGR
Scanners and Receivers: Various Yaesu, Kenwood, Tait, Simoco and Philips'
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Contact:

Post by vk6hgr »

Syphon wrote:How do you find talk group ID's for any system ?
Trial and error usually. "Oh look, group 1234 are talking about alarms and keys and stuff, they must be a security firm..."
Gavin Rogers; VK6HGR
http://vk6hgr.ampr.org/
WARSUG forum administrator
Site and stream donations: https://www.paypal.me/vk6hgr
747400sp
Posts: 45
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2005 8:31 pm

Post by 747400sp »

VK6HGR Any chance of that list promised December 2005 "mapped out the 415Mhz trunking network in Perth vs sites".
Cheers Mark.
vk6hgr
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2610
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2005 10:33 pm
Amateur callsign: VK6HGR
Scanners and Receivers: Various Yaesu, Kenwood, Tait, Simoco and Philips'
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Contact:

Post by vk6hgr »

747400sp wrote:VK6HGR Any chance of that list promised December 2005 "mapped out the 415Mhz trunking network in Perth vs sites".
Cheers Mark.
I finished the list, then the disk I saved it to became corrupt and I lost it... so back to square one unfortunately :(
Gavin Rogers; VK6HGR
http://vk6hgr.ampr.org/
WARSUG forum administrator
Site and stream donations: https://www.paypal.me/vk6hgr
747400sp
Posts: 45
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2005 8:31 pm

Post by 747400sp »

OK when you get the list up again post it look foward to seeing it.
Thanks Mark
numloxx
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Posts: 468
Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 3:39 pm
Amateur callsign: VK6PCB
Location: Maylands, Perth, WA
Contact:

Post by numloxx »

Hi all,

I'm interested in Trunking at the moment since our company got new radios. They're at Perth Airport, and just wondering if the Uniden UBCT8 Desktop Scanner can pick them up?

Great list everybody has put up, this is a good thread. Make it a sticky perhaps?

Cheers
Always RX
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Post by Always RX »

747400sp wrote:OK I will start the ball rolling with The Airport Trunking System.
Frequencies are:

865.4875 866.4875 867.4875 868.4875 869.4875
Type : Motorola 800 MHz Type 2 Standard.

Some IDs That I have found.

176 WAC Domestic - International Duty Managers.
272 WAC Air side Vehicles
336 WAC Air side Vehicles
240 Traffic Management
592 RE FUELERS
624 RE FUELERS
880 National Jet
816 Tiger Airways
496 Emirates

Cheers Mark.
numloxx
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Posts: 468
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Amateur callsign: VK6PCB
Location: Maylands, Perth, WA
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Post by numloxx »

Anyone know if the Uniden UBCT8 can pick up the airport users? Or is it encrypted?
Just wondering before i spend a few hundred to buy this scanner.

Cheers
numloxx
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Posts: 468
Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2005 3:39 pm
Amateur callsign: VK6PCB
Location: Maylands, Perth, WA
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Post by numloxx »

Or the UBCT9 ?
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