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so its been a while since I have monitored WSP, put all the freq's in.

I live at the intersection of 405 and I90

I haven't gotten clear results out of any of the programming. for instance I never hear King-CO Dist2 disp (well i do but its real nasty or very seldom talk)

I get snohomish and kitsap, Algona, (has 90 traffic real close) or grant county car2car in kirkland

but what I dont get is how the WSP system works, why dont I hear any traffic from 405? why dont I hear the WSP disp. center that is near BCC? why do i get county's 20-30 miles out but not local traffic?

can someone decode how the WSP system works in the king co area?

also i seem to have no problems picking it up on a 996 and 246 but my bc15 just dont like WSP (the 996 and 15 have duplicate antennas)

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If I had an antenna, I would; but I can only transmit on 160 meters.
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DE K7MHI

All you need are 155.58 + 154.68. Keep in mind that the transmitters are on Squak Mtn and if you live on the wrong side of the hills -- the signal might be blocked. You might need an outside antenna on a pole or mast.

Also, add 155.460 which is car to car in King County.
This is simplex, so you will hear traffic that is close.

MTM is correct though, you may be in a shadow.
Coverage in that area can be tough, depending on your specific location.

I agree that the WSP system is a little strange. I listen to Seattle North (155.580) all the time and have noticed a few things. The "repeated traffic" (calls from the mobile units) seems to come in loud and clear throughout the region. However, traffic from the dispatcher varies depending on which transmitter (Gold, North Bend, Snoqualmie, etc.) is being selected. So when a car calls in from an area like Issaquah, it may say something like "933, North Bend", indicating that the car is in the coverage area of the North Bend transmitter. This signal will come in loud and clear in all areas. When the dispatcher responds, he or she will transmit using only the North Bend transmitter. This signal may come in weak or not at all depending on where you are located.

When in the I-90 tunnels, I hear the repeated traffic just fine but usually can't hear the dispatcher. I'm not sure I know what's up with this; I would think it should be the other way around. Also, the Seattle South (154.680) system seems much less robust and sounds weak even when you are within the heart of its intended coverage area.

I would love to see a detailed description or diagram of how these systems are put together. I'm sure WSP is only following good radio etiquette by only using specific transmitters when necessary, but for the sake of us scanner listeners, I wish they would transmit everything through all transmitters at all times. :D

Also, the radio protocol and abbreviations used by WSP are quite unlike those used by most agencies. I have been listening for decades and am just now getting the hang of it. A new listener could listen for hours and never understand most of what was being said.
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FYI only. The WSP is required to share the various frequencies with both Canada and the OSP and others. The South Seattle 154.68 must not cause interference to Vancouver, WA or Bremerton on 154.665 or Hoquiam or Mount Vernon using 154.695. There are a few diagrams of the system -- but the WSP VHF high band system first went into operation in the late 1950's. No one has an exact detailed diagram of the entire system. Not even the WSP radio HQ. Several managers have headed the WSP radio department over the years. In fact, one very high ranking WSP officer was the APCO co-ordinator for decades. Several radio frequencies have very - very few users -- on adjacent frequencies -- just to protect the WSP radio assignments. (ie: 154.74, 154.755, 154.785, etc)

One other thing that happens: WSP isn't "dispatched" as much as "announced". The comm center doesn't send Car99 to an accident, they broadcast 'disabled at milepost 6' and a bunch of troopers in the vicinity will then announce their locations, and the troopers figure out which of them will respond. The troops are independent of "dispatch" in most cases.

They also use their computers ("MCN") to for a lot of the traffic stop info, and to coordinate between units. So it can be pretty quiet some times.

Flash

fyi.
Both the 154.680 and 155.580mhz repeaters can be heard up here in Vancouver bc on a good day.
and "yes" there are times when they switch xmitter sites and neither repeater is monitorable up here.
thats the hazards of monitoring public safety,always switching things around on you :?
Be happy they havnt switched to p25 yet or worse to ma/com provoice.

xjf79

From what I understand, only the cars transmit the tone into the input of the two King Co repeaters. The dispatch center transmits direct on the output, I have heard troops ask which tower they are on and the dispatcher will switch to another site. I don't hear the repeater tail on the dispatchers reply. I think it works this way in Vancouver as it shares F7 with Burien and normally can't be heard north of say Kelso. Goldendale is simulcast on Vancouver and one can hear everything between the 2 detachments. Yakima comes in occasionally around Olympia on F19 and they use a repeater but its probably using a nice reflector too :mrgreen: I did hear Kennewick on F4 the other day too.

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"I was installing un-programmed radios"

Here are a few observations in looking at WSP mobile programming.

151.025 - Seattle North Output
154.680 - Seattle South Output
155.580 - Seattle East Output

Each channel is listed in the mobile. The dispatch center can select which tower site to use, or the trooper can call out which tower site he would like dispatch to listen on. As an example, here in Central Washington I hear troops sign into service by saying "619 Ephrata on Othello - in service."

Not sure if this answers any questions, just my 2 cents worth.

Brian

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Spectrum Communications, Inc.
526 S Locust Lane
Moses Lake, WA 98837

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looks like i asked a good question :) (good i was feeling dumb)

Thanks for all the notes when i get home this evening I will be testing out for the home smash commute as it gets hot and people get angry!!

I can note that last night at 23-2400 there was a airplane flying over I90 and i heard 158.79 clear as a bell reporting speeders to cars on the road (he was timing so I am sure it was the WSP air) however that is set for Asotin Co in Dist3 so My confusion on the allocation is right up there with others.

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If I had an antenna, I would; but I can only transmit on 160 meters.
_____
DE K7MHI

You said you live at the intersection of I-405 and I-90. So that's where I put you on the map.



Looks like you are blocked by a hill; they call it the top of the hill though (Hilltop). You gotta download Google Earth; it's so much fun. I used the volcano icon for Squak Mountain since there was no radio tower icon. The tower the wasps are on would probably be the one just north of the blue roof; that's the King County owned tower. Coords from ULS put it a bit north and into the trees.

And like it was sort of almost said earlier, try using tone search instead of programming in the PL.

appears if location was part of the stinker, I stuck a wire on a tube of PVC i have around and ran it about 30ft up, that did it for the 155.58 busy as hell now.

i still dont get why I pick up far away wsp in bellevue, I hear hiway2 traffic in bellevue

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If I had an antenna, I would; but I can only transmit on 160 meters.
_____
DE K7MHI

No WSP bank is complete without

155.97 WSP State
155.475
155.37
156.135
154.935 car-car
155.445 car-car unless you hear Vic.BC fire

Frankly my WSP bank has everything in it and I lock out depending on where I am. There was a WSP thread like 6 months ago that had a complete list for E and W WA

Also Mike what's up with the 453/458 .475 .925. It's all data. Is that a way of knowing if a mobile is close?

yea I have those as well, but my problem is that I pick up WSP on like 15 frequency's in bellevue but its for 30-50 miles from my location. I didnt think they rebrodcast

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If I had an antenna, I would; but I can only transmit on 160 meters.
_____
DE K7MHI