Expanding South

[alphamike]

ESO 10 has now been patched into channel Quebec in preparation for encryption on O,P,S&U in the near future.

[cartman]

Good find Alex.

The reason for ESO 10 is given in the NSWPF handbook:

Radio Encryption - Communicating with non-NSWPF Rescue Helicopters
Non-NSWPF rescue helicopters to not have access to NSWPF radio encryption codes and therefore cannot communicate directly with officers via the NSWPF encrypted radio channels. To overcome this, a ‘liaison channel’ has been established to allow officers to communicate with a non-NSWPF rescue helicopter in time of need.

[Bigfella237]

I wonder what's the point of a rescue helicopter being able to talk to channel Quebec (New England area) if they're doing a rescue down near the VIC border (channel Sierra), the two channels aren't even run out of the same VKG centre?

Sure they could update the job on CAD but that's hardly "live" if an officer on the ground needs to talk direct to the helo?

[cartman]

I have no idea but that is the reason given in the latest edition online (November 2015) .... the underlying assumption is that the heliocopter is in the GRN footprint area and has a GRN radio ... ESO10 patched into the "liaison" channel

[Bigfella237]

Actually it's a bit sneaky patching it into an area where there's very little GRN coverage so 'locals' can't use ESO10 as a scanner

[Scotty]

Sure they could update the job on CAD but that's hardly "live" if an officer on the ground needs to talk direct to the helo?

They have access to the ESO AIR simplex channel for direct comms when they get on scene, and I've heard them get directed to that channel to talk to each other. The ESO 10 channel seems to be for dispatching them and giving them the initial information, and most of that seems to occur on the ambo aero dispatch channel anyway.

[Longreach]

Actually it's a bit sneaky patching it into an area where there's very little GRN coverage so 'locals' can't use ESO10 as a scanner

Yeah but then again channel U was pretty much out of GRN coverage and it still got a belting.

cheers

[alphamike]

Sure they could update the job on CAD but that's hardly "live" if an officer on the ground needs to talk direct to the helo?

They have access to the ESO AIR simplex channel for direct comms when they get on scene, and I've heard them get directed to that channel to talk to each other. The ESO 10 channel seems to be for dispatching them and giving them the initial information, and most of that seems to occur on the ambo aero dispatch channel anyway.

Zone 1 - Channel 65 in a police radio to access the simplex channel.

As you've said the helicopter will make initial contact on the GRN to allocate a landing site for police to secure, all of which is relayed through CAD, and when on final to the landing site they can contact crews via simplex if required.

[Mike Alpha]

Zone 1 - Channel 65 in a police radio to access the simplex channel.

So is this the "ESO Air" channel ?

Mike

[Bigfella237]

Yep sure is Mike, that channel is in pretty much all services' radios.

Andrew