Quote:
Originally Posted by AdamDaMan
hey guys is the Missouri State Highway Patrol on an EDACS system or what? I can't seem to figure that out.
thanks,
Adam
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Where have you been man? All kinds of changes going on with the state communications!
To answer your question if you are serious, No, they are still mostly on Low Band VHF currently but a new digital P25 VHF High Band statewide system has been installed and is up and running for the most part. Some sites are still being setup and some are undergoing testing but the majority have running control channels on the air. You will need a digital scanner when they make the switch.
Some state departments are using the system like DNR. I also heard a MED unit calling the other night but did not log the talkgroup or the audio so I have no idea who it was.
Some county agencies are starting to use the system also and even some cities. Sikeston was the first user and is a city or town, whatever you want to call them.
So be prepared as your county may switch to the new MOSWIN system also.
If the new system works as intended, you should get better reception from the mobile units like the actual troopers. They are hard to hear now as they do not use low band repeaters so you will only hear mobiles a few miles away unless you have a very tall antenna cut for low band only.
With the new system, you should hear the mobiles from the entire county or the range of the tower they happen to be on. The tower will change as they travel much like a cell phone works.
There is a LOT more to it than what I said above so I recommend you read the info in the link below and also click the wiki link on the top of that same page the link will take you.
You will need a digital scanner that does VHF P25. Most digital scanners will do it but do your homework as there are some older ones that may not track a VHF P25 system correctly.
Also check out the wiki if you are not familiar with digital scanners.
Digital scanners are not cheap so expect to pay several hundred for one.
Not a lot of users on the new system yet but some DNR traffic and then some counties are using it.
The highway patrol is reported to not start using it until years end or maybe even 2014. No firm date set yet for that.
Missouri Statewide Wireless Interoperable Network (MOSWIN) Trunking System, Statewide, Missouri - Scanner Frequencies
Read the info in the link above and also click the Wiki link on the same page and read that. It pretty much sums up what has been going on for the past year and a half or longer with the states new system.
The bad thing is encryption is easily turned on per radio. So no guarantee that you won't purchase a new digital scanner only to find out the users you like to monitor have went encrypted. There is already some encryption being reported on the system and it hardly has any real users yet. Hopefully that is just techs testing the feature. Sikeston has ran encryption since darn near day one but that was their choice as it will be for everyone that decides to join the system.
Read the database page and check the talkgroup listings for your are before spending the money on a digital scanner. If everything is listed as E for encrypted, then it may not make much sense to spend the money. I'd imagine there will still be plenty of in the clear talk to be heard on the system though.
Don't judge anything by what the database page shows now. Much of the info is a best guess effort and has not been confirmed yet. So give it time unless you want to join in the fun and monitor the system as it is being setup and users are added. That in itself is fun in my eyes.
The site info such as locations and site frequencies is pretty accurate. You can try plugging in the ones listed as control or alternate control channels with any scanner and see if you are getting a decent signal from the sites in your area. Getting a decent signal from the control channel is a must. You will just hear a data signal but you will learn what a P25 signal sounds like on an analog scanner pretty easy. 99% of the system is VHF high band so it has good coverage. I get sites from two or more counties away for example but that will all depend on your antenna setup.
And like I said, if you are not familiar with digital scanners, browse through the wiki here and you should find tons or reading material that you will need to know in order to understand how these systems and digital scanners work.
It's a whole new game for the casual scanner listener!
edit: there are a handful of sites that will be on existing UHF 700 or 800 MHz systems. There are some in St. Louis, Jefferson City and the Kansas City area. And I thought I may have seen something about an 800 MHz system in Columbia but I could be wrong on that one. Some areas will use both the new VHF sites and the existing systems in the major metro areas I mentioned above. I've yet to read any reports of MOSWIN users showing up on any 700 or 800 MHz systems though.
Highway Patrol Frequencies
Linear Mode
