Texas Federal monitoring

[ecps92]

YMMV

Since the GRE can do Auto, I leave ALL of my entries that way, due to travel, and the use of Multiple Tones and NAC's in my area on the same frequency [New England].

I also allows for the one or two times an Analog user comes into the area, onto a network already converted to P25 [Customs is a good example]

Unless you have some real need to [Logging?] to put specific tones on channels, I would go with the Auto/Search mode

Originally Posted by Ensnared

I am attempting to optimize my federal monitoring. I went into Win500 and changed all Federal agencies to show: Mode-auto; Squelch-search for my GRE PSR 500, conventional mode.

Today, a friend of mine indicated that 165.2375 was active in the Waco area, but he is sitting very close to the Federal building. Hopefully, I will be able to hear this frequency.

I would be interested in knowing if anyone else uses this method of auto and search for Federal monitoring. If not, why?

For instance, DEA uses a digital and analog mode for 418.625. If my radio hits the analog channel first, will it seek out the digital version on its own given the aforementioned settings?

[texasemt13]

I agree with Bill, since they're capable of the "Auto" feature, I leave 99% of my conventional objects programmed that way.

As Steve said, storing the tones negates the Search/Auto setting, so I leave all of mine unstored. After awhile it becomes natural seeing the same tones coming up for the same object, so when an off the wall tone (or the first digital transmission) pops up, you're ready for it and can easily spot it.

165.2375 MHz is both a simplex frequency and repeater output for CBP. In my experience, most major cities are set up with the "A2" repeater in Texas, and I bet Waco is not an exception (though it may not be used much). The 100.0 CTCSS is common. San Antonio has a lot of simplex traffic on "A1" through low power mobile operations and can be hit or miss. I'd bet most of the times they're using handhelds, because I only hear them for a mile or two with a handheld antenna at ground level and in my vehicle, the range wasn't that much better. Again, the 100.0 CT was constant. The only difference in the two signals was that the A2 repeater in San Antonio is a beast and offers great reception in my AO. The *kerchunk* of this machine is deafening. The simplex operations were fleeting conversation snippets when mobile, and obvious low power when they were near me (as confirmed by addresses).

[Unitrunker]

Getting garbled voice hits in north Austin on 409.95 P25 NAC 156 (likely encrypted).

[texasemt13]

Originally Posted by Unitrunker

Getting garbled voice hits in north Austin on 409.95 P25 NAC 156 (likely encrypted).

This has been identified as the DEA in the San Antonio area (and Houston I think). NAC matches the similar old CT tone of 156.7 Hz. I haven't personally heard encryption on this frequency yet (and come to think of it, I haven't heard it used since last August).

[rbarker]

It is DEA, I have heard them before and they we active last night using some encryption and some in the clear stuff. I heard them say sallyport in the clear once so i know they prob had someone they were taking in to the jail.

[Ensnared]

Originally Posted by texasemt13

I agree with Bill, since they're capable of the "Auto" feature, I leave 99% of my conventional objects programmed that way.

As Steve said, storing the tones negates the Search/Auto setting, so I leave all of mine unstored. After awhile it becomes natural seeing the same tones coming up for the same object, so when an off the wall tone (or the first digital transmission) pops up, you're ready for it and can easily spot it.

165.2375 MHz is both a simplex frequency and repeater output for CBP. In my experience, most major cities are set up with the "A2" repeater in Texas, and I bet Waco is not an exception (though it may not be used much). The 100.0 CTCSS is common. San Antonio has a lot of simplex traffic on "A1" through low power mobile operations and can be hit or miss. I'd bet most of the times they're using handhelds, because I only hear them for a mile or two with a handheld antenna at ground level and in my vehicle, the range wasn't that much better. Again, the 100.0 CT was constant. The only difference in the two signals was that the A2 repeater in San Antonio is a beast and offers great reception in my AO. The *kerchunk* of this machine is deafening. The simplex operations were fleeting conversation snippets when mobile, and obvious low power when they were near me (as confirmed by addresses).

In Waco, the USMS Fugitive Task Force uses TxWarn P25 "digital J" on a frequent basis. However, lately, 165.2375 is being used on a more frequent basis, with encryption. When they use this frequency, I am hearing one side of the conversation.

Overall, Waco Federal activity tends to use low power simplex.