LCRA Update

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Snoops94

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New FCC documents detailing EDACS retirement and OpenSky migration.

Slow Growth Schedule
Deadline extension

LCRA has since installed infrastructure at 61 sites and approximately half of the OpenSky channels have been activated since 2011. The other half are currently supporting a minimum capacity EDACS system that LCRA needs to continue operating until the user migration is complete. LCRA has reached substantial completion of the user migration, however unforeseen circumstances have kept a portion of its users on EDACS. LCRA has encountered RTU drivers that are incompatible with OpenSky data radios. As a result, this will require tower and unlicensed microwave additions before these remaining users can migrate from EDACs to OpenSky channels. LCRA will continue to activate OpenSky channels throughout 2015 as it de-commissions EDACS and adds channels to meet user loading requirements.

I monitor San Marcos EDACS, little talk on it but I get my fix where I can.
 
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bobmp26

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Control channel missing

It seems that the EDACS control channel has been taken down but the frequencies are still being used how can I still hear them talking if they moved to OpenSky.
 

NC5267

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There is no scanner that can decode an Open Sky system. Still confused as to why the city and county Law Enforcement and FD/EMS decided to go with Open Sky instead of P25. Eventually all LCRA Ops will be Open Sky as well.
 

NC5267

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From what I have been told San Marcos public safety and Hays County public safety already are. A few random patches have appeared on the P25 side from them but as far as Open Sky they have switched.
 

Michael-SATX

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Question for texasemt13 (John) or NC5267 ... I am programming an RS Pro-652 Digital Base Scanner
for a customer who lives in San Marcos and is serviced by San Marcos PD/FD and planning their load.

For the LCRA 900 EDACS TRS, I'll program this tower site: 028 (1C) San Marcos (S_MARCOS) Hays 01 935.46250 02 935.92500 03 937.97500 04 939.15000 05 939.50000 06 935.38750
07 935.97500c 08 937.47500 09 938.46250 11 935.95000 (are LCN's still valid /any now OpenSky?)

Q: Does the SMPD, SMFD, HCSO and HCFD still use or even have 900 Mhz EDACS analog equip ?

For the LCRA 700 P25 TRS, I'll program this tower site: 104 (68) 004 (4) San Marcos Hays
773.29375c 773.58125a 774.04375c 774.33125 774.79375

Q: Anyone have any more info or boots on the ground observations to share so my load will be GREat ?

5534 159e D Hays Co SO Sheriff Law Dispatch
5582 15ce D SanMarcos PD San Marcos Police Dispatch (patch, not full-time) Law Dispatch
5634 1602 D HaysCoFD/EMS Fire/EMS Fire Dispatch
5509 1585 D CTMC ER Central Texas Medical Center Patient Reports Hospital

Q: I'm planning on having a Scanlist for the Hays Co SO/FD conventional freqs ~ are they still used ?

thanks, this couple came in to buy a Uniden BC355N and saw my RS Pro-652 Base for only $199 new
and just knew their retired dad would love going digital since his 20 year old scanner just finally died
so they are going to surprise him in style and way surpass his wish list scanner he talked about, etc.
At $399 reg price and only $199 at my stores 50 % price they figured to it was time to upgrade NOW !
 

NC5267

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The 900 mhz site control channel is gone now from what I have gathered from people who have traveled up there recently, the freqs are being used but are gradually going over to open sky use. As far as the P25 site I have seen people post about hearing some random EMS or Fire traffic and that is it. The talk-groups listed have been heard very randomly so no patch is permanent from what I can tell.
 

Michael-SATX

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So are all 3 900Mhz EDACS sites in Hays Co gone ?

The 900 mhz site control channel is gone now from what I have gathered from people who have traveled up there recently, the freqs are being used but are gradually going over to open sky use. As far as the P25 site I have seen people post about hearing some random EMS or Fire traffic and that is it. The talk-groups listed have been heard very randomly so no patch is permanent from what I can tell.

Does anyone know if all 3 900 Mhz EDACS sites are gone ? Can anyone confirm a CC on any below ?

004 (4) Cedar Valley (CEDR_VLY) Hays 01 936.25000c 02 936.91250c 03 937.42500c 04 938.50000 05 939.88750 06 935.47500 07 935.96250 08 936.40000 09 937.93750 10 939.46250

022 (16) Wimberley (WIMBERLY) Hays 01 936.17500c 02 939.38750c 03 937.23750c 04 938.21250c 05 938.91250c 06 936.23750

028 (1C) San Marcos (S_MARCOS) Hays 01 935.46250 02 935.92500 03 937.97500 04 939.15000 05 939.50000 06 935.38750 07 935.97500c 08 937.47500 09 938.46250 11 935.95000

Well I was "Banking" on Site # 28 in San Marcos City area but at this point are any 900 Hays sites up ?
 

Michael-SATX

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Which site is best for the city of San Marcos ?

Cedar Valley and Wimberley CC are still up and have traffic on them the the San Marcos is down.

Thank you all for your information. Well then since the San Marcos Site # 28 has been turned off ...
Do you think that the Wimberley Site # 22 will perhaps reach the City of San Marcos area well enough ?
Also does anyone still hear any SMPD, SMFD and or Hays Co SO traffic on the EDACS Site #22 TRS ?

ps~ I will put in the Cedar Valley Site # 004 Hays in a difference scanlist just in case it can be Rec'd ?
 

texasemt13

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Neither Cedar Valley or Wimberley can be monitored effectively without a serious antenna from San Marcos proper.
 

Michael-SATX

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Neither Cedar Valley or Wimberley can be monitored effectively without a serious antenna from San Marcos proper.

Darn it I was hopping for a little more overlap from the Cedar Valley and Wmberley 900 Mhz EDACS sites
to make up for the now retired San Marcos 900 Mhz EDACS site. Good to know from a Hays Co veteran !
 

NC5267

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Yeah Hays and San Marcos have pretty much migrated to the OpenSky system. The Sheriff and PD as well as some FD primaries are sometimes patched to the P25 system. From what I have heard someone on the P25 system with an affiliated radio has to be on one of the primaries for those talkgroups to show up on the P25 system. So it is a crap shoot when they will show up on.
 

ke5fgc

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All of the towers in fayette county have been converted to opensky. I talked to some users and they are not really happy with the voice quality of the system. I heard it myself and it does sound pretty crummy.
 

NC5267

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That is what I have read from other cities and counties that use open sky. Also why Las Vegas PD dumped their open sky and went for a P25 system. LCRA has a P25 option and original plans was for all law enforcement to go to the P25 network and for LCRA Operations to go to the open sky system. Guess things changed and an option was given to law enforcement and public safety.
 
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