Baldwin County Fire no longer on conventional?

[TomServo]

I am by no means a regular listener, but every time I've had the radio on these last two weeks, I have not heard a peep from any of the Baldwin County or city simulcast dispatch frequencies here south of I-10.

I know BCFD has several talk groups on the AFRN, as do all the cities down here, so I'm assuming they've just stopped the simulcast for some reason. Bummer. The only (brief) activity on any of the channels has been a few quick blips on the Gulf Shores FD frequency, but for whatever reason, my radio won't pass good audio from that frequency unless I stop the scan first, so I have no idea what's being said.

With this change, it leaves Escambia County FD dispatch and the Marine channels as all that's really left in analog FM down here. Very depressing, since it seems like everything that goes to AFRN is encrypted now, like the sheriff's department.

 

[dmmbutts]

I get plenty of un-encrypted traffic on AFRN here, mostly 911 stuff but some from Orange Beach PD, though I can't get a signal from the OB tower very well from my home in Fairhope. I also use an SDR dongle (or two) and DSD+ to get Nexedge from Daphne and Foley, and while it lasts, ProVoice (using Unitrunker too) from City of Mobile.

 

[garys]

You'll need a Phase II capable scanner to hear Baldwin County Fire on the trunk system. Medstar and North Baldwin EMS are also Phase II. The DB here shows to Phase I tactical talk groups for county fire, but I've never heard anything on them.

Some of the towns have fire operations talk groups that aren't encrypted.

I'd guess that the VHF channels were phased out once there was enough 700 Mhz gear to go around.

 

[dmmbutts]

I get plenty of un-encrypted traffic on AFRN here, mostly 911 stuff but some from Orange Beach PD, though I can't get a signal from the OB tower very well from my home in Fairhope. I also use an SDR dongle (or two) and DSD+ to get Nexedge from Daphne and Foley, and while it lasts, ProVoice (using Unitrunker too) from City of Mobile.

Now, Lo and Behold, I am getting OB off the Magnolia Springs tower, so it's loud and clear!

 

[TomServo]

I get plenty of un-encrypted traffic on AFRN here, mostly 911 stuff but some from Orange Beach PD, though I can't get a signal from the OB tower very well from my home in Fairhope. I also use an SDR dongle (or two) and DSD+ to get Nexedge from Daphne and Foley, and while it lasts, ProVoice (using Unitrunker too) from City of Mobile.

Looks like I'm gonna have to break down and buy a scanner for this network at some point. I don't think DSD+ supports P25 phase II yet.

I think the main thing I was looking at was the Sheriff's department, which says encrypted on all the channels.

In a way, I understand why police want to go encrypted on top of being digital, but there's a small devil on my shoulder that's asking, "What do they have to hide?" :wink:

 

[dmmbutts]

You're not alone. It's scary to think that we only know what they want us to know. They work for us, not vice versa.

 

[bob-the-scanner-man]

I feel your pain. The AFRN is like a cancer. Seems like in every area where it expands most of the agencies there wind up going encrypted.

I used to listen to everything in Baldwin Co when I was down there in the summer before the AFRN came on line. There are still a lot of agencies in the clear but nowhere near as many as there once was. Now it looks like most of the agencies I listen to in Jefferson County are heading to it and many going encrypted as well.

I imagine we'll eventually wind up like the UK where no public safety can be monitored at all. It was a fun ride while it lasted.