Bypass Question

[rfjones]

If I am equipped for DTRS and have a talk Group assigned how can I communicate with my mobiles and HT's without being heard on DTRS trunks?

Can I switch to my own Smartnet compliant digital local repeater?
Can I switch to DTRS simplex channels even though the local topography discourages using simplex?
Do I have a form of encryption unique to my talk group?

We have several local government entites who has abandoned their VHF FM channels and installed DTRS equipment but very seldom hear them on DTRS.It seems they have a quick conversation every hour os so to verify DTRS is working.I know they use cell phones but even so when they were on VHF FM their was alot more traffic on-air than now with DTRS.

Anyone have any ideas as to what is going on and what I can do with my BC296D to rectify this problem?

FYI:
This occurs with Custer County Talk Groups via Site 151.The BC296D is programmed correctly and works fine on all available talk groups.There are no more operational sites that will cover the area.

 

[jimmnn]

Let me get this straight you have confirmed these agencies are on DTRS and are not using other radio systems, you have confirmed both there id's and the control channels they affliate with but can't hear any transmissions?

Have you logged this site for an extended period of time with pro96com to determine specific radio id's in use and maybe if other talk groups are being used or if encryption is being used.?

Jim<

 

[rfjones]

Bypass

Trunks and ID's are affiliated,am line-of site-with node (Site 151),hear minimal traffic from this entity (agency) to the correct ID but know much more traffic is taking place.This entity has removed their VHF system and replaced mobile and HT units with Motorola 800 mhz radios so I know they are on the Colorado DTRS system,as mentioned I hear minimum traffic on the correct ID.

I normally search the control channel of site 151 and have been told I should hear any and every ID using the system.I hear many different agencies routinely and hear new agancies as they test and come on line.I hear the agency of interest but with minimal traffic.

As my scanner seems to be working fine and the DTRS is working fine,I suspect they are carrying traffic over cell phones but cell phones only cover 10-20 percent of the area,site 151 covers about 50 percent of the area and the ajoining sites are marginal at best.

I am told encryption is system wide and DTRS has no encryption.I suspect the mobiles and HT's are switching to a local digital repeater but can find no 800 mhz licenses filed with the FCC separate from the DTRS and cannot hear any other digital Smartnet AP25 trunks in the area.

Just wondering if switching by mobiles and HT's in rural areas is common practice and how I could find these frequencies.I assume the radios can be switched and are capable of LMR as well as LTR operation.

Sorry for the long post but I have been monitoring this agency on VHF for years and don't hear anywhere near the traffic on DTRS plus cell phone as I did on VHF plus cell phone.

Thanks for the answer and if you could tell me what PRO96COM is I could attempt to set that up.

 

[tracker1]

Custer County still uses VHF

I know Custer Co. now has DTRS radios, but I frequently hear them on their normal VHF channels. They seem to switch back and forth depending on whatever works best at their location. I would recommend programming the VHF channels back in if you have removed them.

 

[firescannerbob]

If I am equipped for DTRS and have a talk Group assigned how can I communicate with my mobiles and HT's without being heard on DTRS trunks?

If you have the "Type III" radio (it has a numeric keypad on the front) there is a way to "private call" another radio, and the conversation won't be heard over any specific TG. However, it will be heard from someone scanning with the bank open.
I'm not sure if the state is using the Type III radios, or not. There are only a few in the El Paso County system.

 

[rfjones]

Progress on Talkaround Issue

Many thanks for the direction folks.I will try to check mobiles for keypad on front panel.I also monitor Custer county on VHF and there are times when I hear background radio traffic on VHF but no traffic on DTRS.They only have two radios in patrol cars so I assume I hear the DTRS traffic in a talk around mode.

Does anyone know how to configure the DTRS simplex trunks as listed on Radioreference.com (SIMPX 1-5) in a BCD296D scanner?I thought I would monitor these but they do not have a control channel.I do have "I-Call" set in trunk programming,which allows talk around monitoring on the site 151 trunk group.I am also going to monitor the 821 mhz trunk channels to catch the uplink traffic to the site.I was told these trunks handle all uplink traffic.

All help,advice,direction is muchly appreciated.

 

[jimmnn]

1. I'm not aware of any agencies using the icall feature on DTRS and believe it might not even be activated on the state system.

2. Programming of the simplex channels should be easy are you using win96 or programming manually?

3. Also have you logged site 151 yet with pro96com that will give you usable results of all the data traffic into the control channel and you can see radio ids, talk group ids and if any unaffliations are occuring.

4. Talk group encryption is very noticable if being used both when listening or logging and why would a county such as Custer have the budget or need to go encrypted anyways?

Good luck

Jim<

 

[rfburns]

I have heard Custer Co traffic on sites 149, 150 and a couple of others (possibly 132 & 245). I would expect only the main Custer Co dispatch TG to be permanently on site 151. Therefore if they switch to other TG's and no one is affiliated with 151, you won't hear the traffic. Other Custer Co. TG's could be permanently on 151 too, but that doesn't seem to be the norm for most areas of the state.

 

[rfjones]

Simplex Programming

I am using ARC250 to program the Uniden BC296D.I have entered the simplex trunks but not sure how to configure them,Type II?,etc.PRO96COM says it's for RS scanners only.

I have also programmed the 8-821,822 and 823 trunks in another bank as I understand these carry the uplink traffic to the site.Just a shot in the dark.

I am about to give it up as I now believe the SO is having severe coverage problems due to topography and are using their cell phones.Most traffic has broken digital voice I believe caused by path problems on the uplinks and they simply can't use the system.There is a new site planned to cover the 50 percent of the county which is shaded from site 151.The remaining neighboring sites are all out of range and un-usuable.

I use a UHF repeater at site 151 and it has severe shading problems over much of the same area.

If anyone has the trunk parameters for the simplex and uplink trunks I'll monitor those for awhile.

I don't know that they are using ICall or not and was told encryption had to be purchased system-wide and is cost-prohibitive.Our Sheriff would certainly like encryption in lieu of cell phones but I'm sure he could not pay even a small percentage of the statewide cost.

Been an interesting activity and many thanks for the help.

 

[papaelk]

Yes pro96com is for Radio Shack PRO 96 and 2096 Scanners and will not work on any other scanner