I was out of town this week, last week all was normal. When I returned today (Saturday) there's a big drop in traffic. There is still some dispatch, but I do not hear any of the units. This is for both BCSO and SAPD. SAFD traffic seems way less too, but I seldom montior them. Did I miss a change??
Bexar CO and SAPD significant drop in traffic
- Thread starter Dondo
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They've moved to the new P25 system and all SAPD and BCSO is encrypted now.
Wow, bummer. Thanx for the update.
Yeah, the old Provoice system is in its last few months. Most agencies are switched over, but some are still slowly updating radios, mainly car radios, from what I have heard. Everyone has the ability to be encrypted, so you will hear a mix of clear and the dreaded E on some department's channels on the new system.
You can forget about scanning SAPD on P25. They’ve encrypted pretty much everything. But for scanning the system, a Unication G4 or G5, SDS100 or 200. You’re going to want something that can handle simulcast. There may be some other options too.
Well, SAPD is fully encrypted. Even the E tones. But for SAFD, BCFA, and the handful of unencrypted agencies a the Uniden SDS works great with the simulcast system. The Unication G5 works really well with loud audio. It's not really a scanner and has less features but really works well with the system. I would look into those. Simulcast distortion is pretty bad on other scanners I've seen.
I did pick up about half the units on BCSO West in the clear coming through early this morning. I doubt anything will change but it would be nice if at least one of the big departments remained transparent. If you are living in the SA city limits these days and have the means to move to the 'burbs, might want to do so.
I left my original favorites for Bexar Co, and now have the P25 mostly setup. There is more traffic than I expected, yes mostly BCSO. I'm already "in the burbs", out just north of Helotes.
RugerGirl
Member
Newbie here. Thanks for this post. Just purchased a BCD436HP w/ EK and am having no luck at all picking up SAPD dispatch. I thought for the price, this radio would be the way to go for someone just joining the fun. Definitely a learning curve, though.
If you are scanning the Phase 2 Alamo Area system, the 436 will sit quiet anyhow due to the simulcast. When I drive through SA, I put the 436 on the old EDACS system where I can still hear SAPD for now with my ProVoice upgrade, and I listen to everything else with the SDS100 which doesn’t shut up from Boerne to Devine
RugerGirl
Member
Thank you so much for the reply. I'll try to find EDACS, because I have dead silence on everything I've tried so far.
If you have the ProVoice upgrade on the 436 it’ll work for now until they let the link die or shut the system off. If you haven’t bought it yet, it’s a financial risk because they could shut it down at any time.
RugerGirl
Member
I have the ProVoice upgrade, but still wasn't getting anything. Decided to scan by zip code versus running off my favorites list, and I'm finally getting a good amount of dispatch traffic! I programmed my favorites via Sentinel, so it must be a setting I need to change. Thank you!
If your favorites list has the LCNs wrong for EDACS, it won’t track the talkgroups. That would be the first thing to check on it. After that you make sure that if you are using location on the favorites list that your zip code and range are good. If you are unsure, turn location scanning off for the favorites list. Lastly, make sure you have Law Dispatch and other service tags you want to hear turned on.
RugerGirl
Member
Thank you again for your help. Seems ProVoice has died as of this afternoon. I've scanned by zip and nothing from SA/BC (it was fine this morning). On to the next place....
That sucks, I had just listened to Prue and Westside earlier this morning.
I have been listening to the Topperwein site on the Provoice side for almost 45 min now and have had zero traffic. Have my G5 running the AARRS next to it, and Fire and others are active.
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