Where did the Tennessee Highway Patrol Go ?

Without getting really technical, The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) has disappeared of the scanner. They have been 42.42 forever. I am a retired 9-1-1 operator and worked there in the late 70's.
I even called Chattanooga THP yesterday and asked Opr. on duty what was up. She advised they were on 800mhz,since March,They were on 42.42 as late as a week ago. Any info will be much needed. I do not have a 800mhz trunked and need to first understand where they are and then find out what I need to get. I have looked online at 800mhz Type III's and really need some help. Between Digital, Apco 25 and all the rest, it is getting awful messy out here.
I live at the foot of Chilhowee Mtn. where the repeater has been forever and line of sight approx. 7 miles. Thanks, Mthurmer

mthurmer said:

Without getting really technical, The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) has disappeared of the scanner. They have been 42.42 forever. I am a retired 9-1-1 operator and worked there in the late 70's.
I even called Chattanooga THP yesterday and asked Opr. on duty what was up. She advised they were on 800mhz,since March,They were on 42.42 as late as a week ago. Any info will be much needed. I do not have a 800mhz trunked and need to first understand where they are and then find out what I need to get. I have looked online at 800mhz Type III's and really need some help. Between Digital, Apco 25 and all the rest, it is getting awful messy out here.
I live at the foot of Chilhowee Mtn. where the repeater has been forever and line of sight approx. 7 miles. Thanks, Mthurmer

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OK, yes Chattanooga THP switched to the new digital TVRTS 700/800 Mhz APCO P25 digital trunked system awhile back. Info on that system can be found here:
Tennessee Valley Regional Telecommunications System Trunking System, Varies, Multi-State - Scanner Frequencies
All of the state communications (THP, TDOT, TBI, TEMA, TWRA, etc) are all eventually switching to this statewide system. (some already have TEMA, TWRA).
In order to listen to the system you will need to purchase a scanner that is capable of scanning the new 700/800 mhz APCO P25 digital Phase I system. The TVRTS, along with the TROOPNET system, will be utilized across the state for THP and other state communications. In addition, the systems are being upgraded to a TDMA Phase II system, and there is currently only one scanner out there that will pick up that system, the GRE PSR-800.
Scanners that can be used to pick up the TVRTS Phase I P25 digital system include: GRE PSR 500(handheld)/600 (Base/mobile), the Radio Shack Pro 106 (handheld)/Pro 197 (mobile, base), Radio Shack Pro-18, the Uniden BCD996XT(mobile/base)/BCD396XT (handheld) and the Uniden Home Patrol. (if there are others, please correct me anyone). These are all expensive radios, especially since GRE has gone out of business in regards to making new scanners. Their support system is still intact.
In addition to the scanner, you will find that it is much easier to program these scanners using computer software, rather than by hand. You can purchase a premium subscription to the RR database and pretty much it programs itself (with a little tweaking as to what you want in each list).

Everyone on here has their own opinions of the scanners (GRE/RS vs. Uniden) and the various programming software used to program these scanners. So I'm sure someone will express their opinions as to which to use.

I personally have a GRE PSR 500, PSR 800, RS PRO 197, and an old analog RS PRO 163 that I use.

Please feel free to browse through the above forums about the TROOPNET discussion and other related TVRTS posts here for more information.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Thanks
David

See the recent post I posted in the TROOPNET discussion forum.

I've got the psr500 and it picks up the THP and sounds pretty good. Not as robotic as you might think like other systems. Believe it or not the gre500 sounds better than the bearcat bcd436hp when listening to the highway patrol. A lot of times my gre 500 picks up the signal faster than my 436 bearcat. About a full second or so. I actually bought the psr500 first but a few people said it would not pick up the highway patrol because the highway patrol is phase 2 so I bought the 436 too. I found out later after searching frequencies on the par 500 that this was not the case. Some of the other users in the same system I have to use the 436 to listen to but the highway patrol comes in on both scanners. Sounds a little better on the gre 500 IMO

THP uses 2 Dispatch/Ops TG's on TACN in most districts, and up to 3 Ops in a couple. The primary is Phase 1 (FDMA) and is in the clear. The secondary is Phase 2 (TDMA) and fully encrypted. THP's TDMA can not be monitored due to the encryption in use. Thus it matters not if your running an GRE PSR-800, Whistler WS-1080, WS-1095, Uniden BCD436/536HP, HP-2, BCD996P2, BCD325P2, you still can't hear the TDMA for THP.

milf said:

THP uses 2 Dispatch/Ops TG's on TACN in most districts, and up to 3 Ops in a couple. The primary is Phase 1 (FDMA) and is in the clear. The secondary is Phase 2 (TDMA) and fully encrypted. THP's TDMA can not be monitored due to the encryption in use. Thus it matters not if your running an GRE PSR-800, Whistler WS-1080, WS-1095, Uniden BCD436/536HP, HP-2, BCD996P2, BCD325P2, you still can't hear the TDMA for THP.

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Hey MILF, the other day I saw Dispatch 2, which was encrypted, but it was FDMA here in the District 5 area.
Noth sure what was up with that and I only saw it once.

I have seen Dispatch 2 on both District 1 & 2 show up as FDMA on occasion. Still encrypted, but I have it programmed in on my Pro18 just to see if it ever shows up Phase 1, and sometimes it does.

n4yek said:

Hey MILF, the other day I saw Dispatch 2, which was encrypted, but it was FDMA here in the District 5 area.
Noth sure what was up with that and I only saw it once.

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If a radio travels out of district, they can still monitor certain TG's. An example is monitoring District 2, Dispatch 2, while in Fall Branch.

N2AL said:

If a radio travels out of district, they can still monitor certain TG's. An example is monitoring District 2, Dispatch 2, while in Fall Branch.

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My reply to milf was stating that Dispatch 2 in district 5 was FDMA and not TDMA at that time 15 months ago, nothing about Distrct 2.
I know the trunk system will follow affiliated radios around the state.

n4yek said:

My reply to milf was stating that Dispatch 2 in district 5 was FDMA and not TDMA at that time 15 months ago, nothing about Distrct 2.
I know the trunk system will follow affiliated radios around the state.

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The Dispatch 2 talk groups in each district started out TDMA but are currently FDMA and encrypted. They will probably be changed back to TDMA sometime in the future. The Event talk group in each district is TDMA and encrypted.

ka4bni said:

The Dispatch 2 talk groups in each district started out TDMA but are currently FDMA and encrypted. They will probably be changed back to TDMA sometime in the future. The Event talk group in each district is TDMA and encrypted.

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What are the levels on a "10-75" commercial vehicle inspection?

jimg said:

What are the levels on a "10-75" commercial vehicle inspection?

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1,2 and 3. 1 is the lowest checking the log and medical card and 3 is the full inspection, checking brakes and other items.

ka4bni said:

1,2 and 3. 1 is the lowest checking the log and medical card and 3 is the full inspection, checking brakes and other items.

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Thanks for the prompt reply!

Them levels are Backwards... a Level 1 is checking Truck, Brakes Etc Etc Etc and Driver... level 2 is the same without a driver present, level 3 is Paperwork / Driver only.

MidTNScanDude said:

Them levels are Backwards... a Level 1 is checking Truck, Brakes Etc Etc Etc and Driver... level 2 is the same without a driver present, level 3 is Paperwork / Driver only.

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My apologizes you are correct. Level 1 is the highest. Level 2 usually takes in Hazmat inspections and 3 is the log / med card check.

I hear a lot of level 3 checks. Makes sense.