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Thanks for that. I heard DELWP conducting some tests some days ago.
It appears that they are having some issues with some of the channels that are linked.
The channels that have been unreadable at times are loud and clear today, perhaps the issue has been rectified.

I've noticed my local fire lookout towers have switched back to their old analogue talk channels pretty much permanently now, I assume they were having difficulties with their digital counterparts.

I've noticed my local fire lookout towers have switched back to their old analogue talk channels

What channels and what area?

I'm still hearing the towers to the north & NE (Macedon, Mt Despair etc. on the channels I listed above. Not sure what the ones to my west are doing though i.e. Ballarat/Daylesford area, sometimes they've been on digital 718 and sometimes nothing, even on days where I'm sure they'd be manned. They used to be on analogue 154, but nothing there now.

Sorry, wrong topic. Air support now posted in another topic

VK3RX wrote:

I've noticed my local fire lookout towers have switched back to their old analogue talk channels

What channels and what area?

I'm still hearing the towers to the north & NE (Macedon, Mt Despair etc. on the channels I listed above. Not sure what the ones to my west are doing though i.e. Ballarat/Daylesford area, sometimes they've been on digital 718 and sometimes nothing, even on days where I'm sure they'd be manned. They used to be on analogue 154, but nothing there now.

A few days ago, possibly Tuesday? There was a job in Gem Brook (again region no8.) and the tower at ?? (Sounded like ringwood) came up on air on analogue ch 27 vicfire with a short - nothing showing - comment as the local crew was pages to a 'column rising' job in the area.

Seems as though it was not digital, just the usual analogue system....

CFA Ch27 is D08 main response channel and is analogue.
D07, 08, 13 & 14 remain analogue to VicFire until at some point this year.
These districts do use digital freqs for their go to channels.

Egg Rock Tower in just outside of Gembrook and can see fires down on to the Peninsula.

VK3RX wrote:

I've noticed my local fire lookout towers have switched back to their old analogue talk channels

What channels and what area?

I'm still hearing the towers to the north & NE (Macedon, Mt Despair etc. on the channels I listed above. Not sure what the ones to my west are doing though i.e. Ballarat/Daylesford area, sometimes they've been on digital 718 and sometimes nothing, even on days where I'm sure they'd be manned. They used to be on analogue 154, but nothing there now.

@VK3RX;

Northern Country, around D20 & D22.
Northwest Channels, 114-116. 114 as a primary I believe.
Mt Wombat, Growler's Hill, Mt Ida heard. Mt Puckpunyal as well I believe (not too sure).

I believe they were trialing on 762 for digital, but switched back to 114-116.

OK ta.

I've heard on channels 116/836 [both are analogue] Towers Mt. Macedon, Fryers Ridge, Mt Ida etc.

Channels 114/834 161.2750 I heard once weakly DELWP Mt Buller.

Nothing heard here on 115.

I hear what I believe to be SMR group calls between my local fire towers and Bendigo all the time. From memory the frequencies were 164.1 and 164.7375 or somewhere there abouts

Regards,

I've heard Mt. Macedon F/Tower doing an occasional SMR group call.

Unfortunately being SMR each time its on a different frequency (down here at least), so impractical to allocate a memory to.

They do seem to be consistently using 161.2875 CH836 analogue for their "all clear" or spotting liaison with the other towers mentioned previously.