Gadsden / Etowah P25

[KMoats]

Sunday 0906 I did a search through 800 mhz and found a Moto control channel in the Gadsden area. I programmed it in and Monday heard a couple short P25 transmissions discussing the T1 line being down and the people here "don't know enough about the system yet" to solve the problem. The two "tech" guys said they would meet in the EMA office to work on the problem. The only other traffic I've heard was one guy asking if the other person was making any progress, and yesterday someone keyed up and said "testing" a couple times.

All Gadsden's traffic is still on their EDACS. Where I live I have never had a lock on a Moto system. I had a very strong signal both on outside and duckie antenna inside my house.

May be the beginning of installation of Gadsden's new Moto system.

Control channel - 856.9875 9600 baud
Voice - 866.6 ID 00001

Control Channel IDs BEE00, SY360, T0101

[AlabamaRS]

try checking The FCC database for pending or new frequencies

[KMoats]

More evidence this is the installation of the new system in Gadsden. Beginning last night about 8:30 the techs were testing simulcasting Gadsden's EDACS "Tac 2" channel on Motorola ID 00002 then after about thirty minutes began simulcasting Gadsden's PD Dispatch channel on 00002.

Right now the trunking is using frequencies856.9875, 866.225 and 866.6. The 00001 ID is used by the radio techs and doesn't key up anything on the EDACS system while the 00002 ID is a simulcast of Gadsden's EDACS PD Dispatch.

ULS Application - Public Safety Ntl Plan, 821-824/866-869 MHz, Conv. - 0001233092 - GADSDEN, CITY OF - Frequency Summary
ULS Application - Public Safety Ntl Plan, 821-824/866-869 MHz, Trunked - 0001233116 - GADSDEN, CITY OF - Frequency Summary
ULS License - Public Safety Ntl Plan, 821-824/866-869 MHz, Conv. License - WPXQ844 - GADSDEN, CITY OF - Frequencies Summary
ULS License - Public Safety Ntl Plan, 821-824/866-869 MHz, Trunked License - WPXQ848 - GADSDEN, CITY OF - Frequencies Summary
ULS License - Public Safety/Spec Emerg, 806-821/851-866 MHz, Trunked License - WPGX740 - GADSDEN, CITY OF - Frequencies Summary

[Julian1]

Nice going, Mr. Moats. It's always fun to work on and figure out a system. Great part of this hobby.

Looking forward to more posts. I drive through much of Alabama in my work...always like to stay current.

Best Regards,
Julian

[medic9351301]

i am still hearing etowah co so on 154.785

[ALBC785]

I was hearing pd dispatch the other day on the P25 system but today I'm seeing the talkgroup but not hearing any audio. I was just wondering if anyone else was hearing them?

[AlabamaRS]

they a re probably stil testing & itsalling, wil takea few weeks maybe to get everyone settled & working corrrectly

[ALBC785]

KMoats I was just wondering if you had any new talkgroup updates? I am seeing some various talkgroups on my scanner but unable to hear any audio. I wonder if it is encrypted now?

[KMoats]

Almost everything I've heard this week has been encrypted. The simulcast is occasionally in the clear, then goes encrypted in a way that my Pro 96 tracks but there is no audio. Most of the time the simulcast is turned off.

I've heard twelve other talkgroups but everything except on 00001 has been encrypted. 00001 is used by the radio techs working on the system and I have heard "test" and "check" on that group but everything else encrypted. I did hear one of the techs call from Blue Mountain one morning. That would be about thirty miles away close to Anniston if I'm not mistaken. On the other groups the signal sounds like garbled digital voice. I have very little experience with P 25 signals and it sounds like a weak signal that is not decoded. I have a very strong signal so that is not the problem.

The talkgroup 08427 has been busy several nights with no matching signal on the EDACS or VHF/UHF in Etowah county. I have nine scanners and know where to look for signals from all the county. I don't expect coverage to be countywide for a long time. I remember when Gadsden got their EDACS the "plan" was for it to be countywide. Never happened. I hope that the system doesn't use full time encryption but I'm not optimistic...

[Thunderbolt]

The "Etowah County Communication District E911," has applied to the FCC for a 700 MHz, Project 25 TRS site that will be located in the town of Boaz, Alabama. The eight frequency system, will be rather high profile on a tower that has a given height of 98 meters with antennas. Likewise, it will have an ERP of 300 watts. I have a feeling that this license request, will be the first of several more to come. The frequencies are:

769.25625
769.50625
769.78125
770.33125
770.78125
771.13125
771.38125
772.00625

73s

Ron

[ALBC785]

I was wondering if anyone has a list of talkgroups that have been received so far?

[KMoats]

Here are what I have seen:
00001 - radio techs. full time encrypted now
00002 - EDACS Gadsden PD dispatch simulcast
00003
00005
00007
00008 - Com 1 > Com 2
08025
08345
08346
08425
08426
08427
08430
08525
21616
24448
33604
Everything except the three talkgroups that I have a user by has been encrypted.

[ALBC785]

Thanks for the update! I was affaid that most of it was going to be encrypted. Guess at least for Gadsden no more monitoring. I did hear that the SO was looking on going on the system as well, I guess that might explain the Boaz site.

[KMoats]

Tues. evening as I was leaving for work, it sounded like they were having a class on the use of the radios. On the 08430 talkgroup I heard several keyups. Most of the sounds were people talking in a group and several times I heard someone explaining buttons on the unit. The only specific quote was "when you have this red light you can talk here and be on TAC 1." There were several keyups on that same talkgroup that were encrypted.

I haven't given up on them going full time encrypt yet. Probably won't know until the EDACS is shut down and they start using the new system. We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed. It still amazes me that a small town like Gadsden would even consider encrypting everything but using Calhoun county next door as an example I'm not suprised.

[ALBC785]

Originally Posted by Thunderbolt

The "Etowah County Communication District E911," has applied to the FCC for a 700 MHz, Project 25 TRS site that will be located in the town of Boaz, Alabama. The eight frequency system, will be rather high profile on a tower that has a given height of 98 meters with antennas. Likewise, it will have an ERP of 300 watts. I have a feeling that this license request, will be the first of several more to come. The frequencies are:

769.25625
769.50625
769.78125
770.33125
770.78125
771.13125
771.38125
772.00625






73s

Ron

I was looking at the FCC licence application and notice that the FCC has granted the county the 700 Mhz frequencies.

[tooter3147]

I was doing a band search today with my PSR GRE 500 and I was in the 700 MHZ when I heard the Gadsden System coming over on 2 frequencies. 793.115625(EDACS data) 793.815625 Voice. Has anyone else heard these or know of any licesne for Gadsden in this range. Thanks.

[ALBC785]

I have been monitoring the system today and I think I was able to figure out two talkgroups. When PD dispatch is talking then talkgroup 8025 pops up on the P25 side (But cannot hear the audio). Also, I found when PD info is talking then talkgroup 8026 shows up (Again no audio). So they may have both of these talkgroups tied together.

[ALBC785]

I came across this today and thought I would pass it along. TV24 did a news story about National Preparedness Month and in the story they show the City of Gadsden dispatch center that has recently been remodeled. I'm wondering if this is part of the radio system upgrade. Here is the link
Top Stories | TV 24

[meanmonkey]

Will you have to have certain type of scanner for this new system?

[ALBC785]

Im using a Uniden BCD996XT scanner. But, I have been told that most of the talkgroups will be encrypted.