Buying a new scanner - MSWIN capable?

[plutonium233]

Hi,

I'm getting back into the scanning hobby after a couple years of being away from it, and I've decided that I need a good digital trunking scanner to be able to hear a lot of the radio traffic that I am interested in. I did a little reading and I am seeing that there may be an issue receiving signals that are TDMA modulated, but most of what I read was confusing as to whether it can be decoded or not. I've tried to catch up all that's transpired in the past couple years with MSWIN, but it's a bit overwhelming. I fired up my old setup, and I noticed Franklin SO is awefully quiet, sure enough I found out they are on MSWIN.

I spend most of my time in either Franklin or Jackson counties (or on the road between the two). I am mostly interested in scanning around Franklin/Lincoln/Pike/Adams counties. I don't mind spending the money to get a get a good scanner with bells and whistles, so that's not an issue. I prefer a desktop type, but I would consider a handheld type too. Any recommendations?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[INDY72]

The new GRE PSR scanners do TDMA P-25. I think thats the 800? Forget hearing law in Pike County, they are MotoTRBO including McComb PD, PCSO, Summit PD, and Magnolia PD. Fire except one or two private chans is analog VHF. Franklin SO is MSWIN, not sure if they still use the VHF anymore or not. Fire/EMA is still on VHF. Lincoln is still VHF for everyone, Adams SO is UHF, NPD, ACFD/EMA, NFD are all on the LTR Passport system, annoying to monitor but doable, fire still paged on VHF. There are a few questions regarding the new conventional freqs for the Adams E-911 : Who is using them, and what for? Tones? Also for the newest Pike EOC freq....

 

[SCPD]

Get the GRE PSR-800, it really is your only option, if you want to monitor everything that's out there. I personally have a few issues with the soft audio on the PSR-800, but over all, it's a solid radio and will get the job done.

 

[INDY72]

Also once your up and running, if you find any new info for the surrounding counties especially Wilkinson, Claiborne, Jefferson, please submit it to us for addition to the database. TY in advance!

 

[plutonium233]

Thanks for the input guys! I will definately submit any info I find for those counties. It's nice to see a lot of guys have worked hard to get a lot of this info together, and I'll do anything I can to help.

Regarding the TDMA, I read that there are two types X2 and P25 Phase II. I would assume MSWIN will be going to the P25 Phase II, right? If so, am I correct in assuming the PSR-800 will have me covered for monitoring MSWIN for the forseeable future?

MILF: When you say that the LTR Passport system is annoying to monitor, is this just the programming part or is there something else about it that is annoying? Forgive me for my ignorance of this, I've used a regular old analog non-trunking scanner for years so I am learning all this 'new-to-me' technology.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[SCPD]

The new GRE PSR scanners do TDMA P-25. I think thats the 800? Forget hearing law in Pike County, they are MotoTRBO including McComb PD, PCSO, Summit PD, and Magnolia PD. Fire except one or two private chans is analog VHF. Franklin SO is MSWIN, not sure if they still use the VHF anymore or not. Fire/EMA is still on VHF. Lincoln is still VHF for everyone, Adams SO is UHF, NPD, ACFD/EMA, NFD are all on the LTR Passport system, annoying to monitor but doable, fire still paged on VHF. There are a few questions regarding the new conventional freqs for the Adams E-911 : Who is using them, and what for? Tones? Also for the newest Pike EOC freq....

What are the questions, and what are the freqs. your are referring to? There have been no significant changes on that system in like, forever. Maybe I've missed something. Please shed some light. The city and county has continually trended away from the old VHF Hi and Lo freqs. As you point out, the VFD is paged by VHF Hi, but thats really about the only public service radio use that's not on UHF these days. Don't really hear any other freqs. in use in this area. Of course, other than the two privately owned EMS that are on VHF-Hi.

 

[KE5TLF]

The PSR-800 with the BETA firmware, DSP, and EZSCAN software is your only option as of right now. Like everything else it won't work out of the box, but installing the BETA stuff is easy. It's RF front end is the best there is for 700/800 imho. I haven't used it at all for anything else though, so no idea if it suffers the same overload issues it's predecessors do on VHF/UHF.

The only real issue I've observed with the PSR-800 and TDMA is that the TDMA audio level is noticeably "hotter" than FDMA. At first it wasn't a big deal, but it really has become somewhat annoying after living with it for a longer time given how much MFC and MDWFP flip flops between the two.

There are no X2 TDMA systems in MS, or anywhere near MS for that matter, so that is a non-issue. (though the PSR-800 does both once the BETA stuff is installed.)

Unless you're in a big hurry you may want to wait for the new year to come. UPMAN has changed his forums avatar recently and that is usually the first sign of something new coming from them. They also seem to announce/release new products in the first quarter of a year. It is also possible that GRE may get their production line replaced 1st quarter of next year, and maybe the PSR-900 finally getting released if you really prefer a base/mobile form factor.

LTR Passport can't be trunk tracked by any scanner. All you can do is program the frequencies as conventional and scan them that way, and by doing so you can lose continuity between transmissions. Especially if it's a somewhat busy system.

 

[INDY72]

With the Adams County E-911 TRS, its those data bursts that are annoying. With an Passport LTR, you have to program it as conventional, with NO delays. Every 2 to 3 seconds you have a data burst which if you have the repeater set for a delay will lock up on that freq.... annoying!

As for the freqs in question, the UHF, and VHF conventional pair for the E-911 district. I am thinking they are talkaround, tactical, or future dispatch?

Oh and you can still monitor the two ER's in Natchez.

And Mike is correct about missing calls on the passport system, and with Natchez FD,PD,Transit,and DPW, as well as Adams County Fire/EMA using it, its busy.

I have monitored it on an PRO-96, PRO-94, PRO-2052, PRO-97, and PRO-92's.... When I lived in Union Church, I finally learned to dedicate one scanner for just it, one for the analog conventional, and one for just the Entergy TRS.

 

[SCPD]

With the Adams County E-911 TRS, its those data bursts that are annoying. With an Passport LTR, you have to program it as conventional, with NO delays. Every 2 to 3 seconds you have a data burst which if you have the repeater set for a delay will lock up on that freq.... annoying!

As for the freqs in question, the UHF, and VHF conventional pair for the E-911 district. I am thinking they are talkaround, tactical, or future dispatch?

Oh and you can still monitor the two ER's in Natchez.

And Mike is correct about missing calls on the passport system, and with Natchez FD,PD,Transit,and DPW, as well as Adams County Fire/EMA using it, its busy.

I have monitored it on an PRO-96, PRO-94, PRO-2052, PRO-97, and PRO-92's.... When I lived in Union Church, I finally learned to dedicate one scanner for just it, one for the analog conventional, and one for just the Entergy TRS.

Using anyone of those radios to monitor the Natchez/Adams Passport system would be a pill for sure. But the good news is that the newer Radio Shack/GRE digital radios (Pro 106/197 & PSR 800) don't have the annoying data pops. That system scans just like any conventional channel, of course with the Delay setting removed from each freq. Don't really know why the popping is virtually none existent on those radios, but it is. Also the system is somewhat of a joke, since PD always ends up 453.5125, the FD on 453.7625 and the little use from the county sheriff, always ends up on 453.4125. Doesn't seem to be a whole lot trunking going on with those agencies always landing on a dedicated freq., certainly no loss of continuity. That might be different if the SO used it more, but for whatever reason, they still maintain their own system with complete tower redundancy with the trunked system. Seems really silly......but we all know how those little turf battles can creep in when it comes to public service agencies and their communications systems.

 

[KE5TLF]

Oh yeah there is one more huge annoyance about the PSR-800. There is no "STAT" mode like there is on the 106/197/500/600 which means it will only lock onto the strongest CC in the TSYS object. The only way to simultaneously monitor multiple sites and/or control which sites you want to monitor is to create seperate TSYS objects for each site.

 

[SCPD]

My biggest complaint with the radio (PSR 800) is that even with the best amplified speaker, the audio is half or less what it should be. Very disapointing, since the scanner can't be used for mobile use with that being the case. Of course the Pro 106 and all Uniden models work well with the most mediocre of amplified speakers. Wish GRE would address that issue.

 

[INDY72]

When mobile, plug scanner into stereo, then you got it made.

 

[wingmaker]

Sorry for getting of subject, but the psr 800 can track X2 and P25 II both TDMA, but if im thinking right it cant track MOTOTRBO, why is this? Isnt it TDMA also? Thanks LOVE AND BLESSINGS

 

[INDY72]

MotoTRBO uses IDAS technology, NexEDGE uses ISDN technology. Niether of these is supported by any scanner currently. X-2 was a temporary fix until true P-25 Phase 2 TDMA protocols were locked down. IDAS only works with TRBO, ISDN Doesn't work with TRBO, One companies ISDN does't work with anothers, and conventional ISDN doesn't work with trunking....

 

[KE5TLF]

oh brother..:roll:

IDAS (ICOM Digital Advanced System) uses the NXDN CAI, and has absolutely, positively NOTHING to do with TRBO
ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is a set of communication standards for simultaneous digital transmission of voice, video, data, and other network services over the traditional circuits of the public switched telephone network. (IOW a possible means of providing TCP/IP connectivity)

For some actual facts(and faqs):
MOTOTRBO - The RadioReference Wiki
NEXEDGE - The RadioReference Wiki

Frequently Asked Questions | MOTOTRBO
NEXEDGE Kenwood | TOP
IDAS 6.25 - The Time Is Now

 

[INDY72]

Sorry was under morphine induced haze in hospital that day. (Pancriatitus due to massive gallstones. Finlly back home. I didn't know how much joy 11mm sized gallstones impacting bile ducts, and a gall bladder full of them was.) Learned lesson about trying to work from hospital bed.... You have to go back and redo most of what you "thought" you did.... Anyway the whole point is that there are different "flavors" of TDMA. Only the P-25 PHASE 2 being what you will find in scanners for the foreseeable future. To monitor the others you need a tapped scanner and special software.