What is a "Mutual Aid Radio Channel" anyhows? 40 or 50 years ago, it was a big deal if a radio had 2, 4, 8, or 16 channels. Nowadays it is common to have 500 channels in a radio.
40 or 50 years ago, it was a big deal if a repeater was used. Nowadays it is fairly common to have multiple repeaters linked together (synchronized simulcast). Mobile (portable) extenders MO3 (vehicle mounted repeaters) are being used by more and more agencies. Nowadays - multiple radio channels have been set aside at VHF, UHF, and 700/800 for interops / mutual aid. Lets ask a simple question - in light of the previous statements: What is a modern mutual aid radio channel? 1. A channel that allows coast to coast communications - unit to unit. In other units, a radio user in Maine can talk directly to a unit in California. 2. A channel that allows coast to coast communications. This is the 2nd sense of that phrase. Here we mean a radio channel that will be found in all public safety radios in the USA. If a Maine radio ends up in California, the Maine radio can talk to any California radios. 3. A channel that allows direct communications to and from the Supreme Leader from anywhere in the USA. 4. A channel that can be used when the everyday local radio channels are overloaded or out of service. A general rule of thumb might be - modern radios have all the normal everyday radio channels used locally and within adjacent communities. Some radios might have all of the radio channels used in all adjacent counties also. Whenever the radio moves out of its home area (maybe 1 or 2 countys), then the radio must switch to nationwide mutual aid channels - because the radio does not have the capability to operate on the local channels. (For example, if a San Francisco radio goes to San Diego or Sacramento or Portland Oregon, the radio cannot function because it is not programmed to operate on the local talkgroups.) - (A Boston Police UHF radio cannot operate on New York City Police, Chicago Police, or Long Beach Police UHF channels - because they are entirely different channels with entirely different CTCSS.) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "massfire" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/massfire?hl=en.
