RSPCA NSW Inspectorate

[Scotty]

Anybody know what radio comms the RSPCA NSW Inspectorate use? Saw on 'Animal Rescue' tonight an inspector with a MTS2000, but the show was about 2-3 years old. Their website has a picture of an XTS hand held (3000/5000?), so I assume they still use some sort of radio comms.

The ACMA site isn't any help, neither is Google. They're not on the GRN, but were on the police channels sometimes in the pre-digital days. Don't know if they use the analogue liaison channel (previously channel X, now linked to channel W). Never listened enough to pick them, but it seems the only option.

Ideas?

[Longreach]

they come up on Xray from time to time, other than that cant help.
cheers
Matt

[Bigfella237]

ACMA search is pretty useless since the 400MHz assignments don't show up in the results any more?

I knew a RSPCA Inspector a few years back and they only ever had police radios and relied on mobile phones for everything else, the area he was responsible for was enormous (like about 200km in every direction) so it would be very expensive to set up radio coverage just for that one inspector (the GRN would've been perfect for them but wasn't around in this area back then)?

Every bloke and his dog had access to police frequencies before (SES, VRA, RVCP, RSPCA, Fisheries etc. etc.), I actually think that half the reason for the digital roll-out is to boot all these agencies off their network?!

Andrew

[Scotty]

they come up on Xray from time to time, other than that cant help.
cheers
Matt

I thought they may have, but the cops got rid of x-ray about 2 years back. Been linked with whiskey since then, so not sure if external agencies like the RSPCA would still have access. I know some others still do.

Have you heard them anytime recently on the police channels?

[Scotty]

ACMA search is pretty useless since the 400MHz assignments don't show up in the results any more?

Bugger. Why don't they show up any more?

[Longreach]

i thought Xray was still the channel in sydney for liasion purposes. still gets referred as Xray on Whiskey.

[Bigfella237]

I think that once Ø comes into the equation (and it's probably not that far away now that P25 is spreading through channels Sierra & Whiskey) channel Xray will either end up being a stand-alone channel or discontinued completely, the fact that's it's currently on an ESO talkgroup might suggest it's only being used for testing at the moment, although it may get it's own talkgroup (in the 12xxx range??) once the PF starts to migrate to the GRN?

Andrew

[Scotty]

Don't think there's any plan for encryption outside of the areas that currently use it. The new digital areas will still have VHF or UHF channels in the clear linked in to the normal working channels for cars without digital radios or radios without the new zone 3. There was that PDF document floating around the on net (I think the AMCA site) 6-12 months back outlining what the plan for the rollout was. Seems the digital upgrade was more due to the need to replace aging equipment, not the desire to introduce encryption.

And channel X-ray has definitely gone. Not even a console for it anymore. The channels for that workgroup were permanently linked to Whiskey when Sydney VKG took over that channel several years back. Might still be referred to be some agencies outside the police though, likely they wouldn't know the difference (or care!).

I would think an analogue liaison channel will always remain in Sydney etc (even if they go to the GRN) because of the need to have police cars visiting without digital radios being able to talk to VKG - that is the primary reason for it. Don't think it will ever be its own channel again though, no point having 2 operators sitting there for 12 hours when they might not even get a call! That basically means it will always be linked with Whiskey, as I think all other channels run from Sydney are digital encryted, and it won't be linked with one of those

[Scotty]

Found them!

The RSPCA Inspectors appear to be operating on their own channel on the GRN. They were doing checks on farm animals as a result of the fires.

Heard them operating on TG 11481 using the callsigns "RSCPA #". There were at least 5 different callsigns I could hear.

That TG has been mentioned here before but hadn't been identified.

According to http://www.nswgrn.com/rspca.htm they use rental radios on the following TG's:

11481 Main Operations
11482
11483

[Scotty]

I've noticed on UT a number of the rental radios that have been identified as being used by RSPCA appearing on ESO 10, the police liaison channel. Noticed this particularly over NYE.

Can anybody confirm if they have heard them recently calling up on ESO 10 or police channel W, or have they just been listening in like the SES and RFS seem to regularly do?