Dauphin County - Motorola p25 System

[hosehead88]

Well, I programmed in the 500.000/ 5.0/ 12288 base/step/offset as listed in the database into my pro 96, but no go. Somethings not right. I now get the TG's readout but no voice! the VC shows as 476.9875 or some other odd frequency,but no sound. However it shows the correct TG. I listen to the A25 repeaters conventionally in one bank, then switch over to the TRS set up in another bank to ID the TG. I have tried different steps such as 12.5,etc. and different offsets such as 380, but still no voice off the TRS trunked. Conventionally I hear the digital repeaters just fine. Either I'm doing something wrong or its the wrong data. Anyone who is using a PRO96 to listen to the Dauphin co. TRS, are you using the above custom data,and if so, as a single table entry or is there a second set of data to be entered(as with the West Virginia UHF A25 TRS)?

I am having the same issue with my 2096, and I did the web import from the RR database. I will try it again with just the CC, but something does not seem right.

 

[richardfaloney]

Just a few interesting tidbits: the trunk system is currently only using 502.775, 502.5875, and 502.5625 for voice traffic. TG's 11003(460.10) and 11004(460.225) are encrypted!! However, they are still in the clear analog on their original freq.s! Last night there was alot of activity on 460.225(Ch.4) as a surveillance operation was being waged. But every time I switched over to the TRS freq.s everything was mish-mash(encrypted) including the repeater tail! This was also true on their scope freq,(TG 11003,460.10) However ,all other traffic was in the clear(A25 digital,of course).

 

[richardfaloney]

Sorry, the time run out on the library computer and I didn't get to finish my "blog" Another interesting thing is that on TG 21003(33.86), one can listen to Washington county MD Fire dispatchs by way of skip(sort of)!! Of course our enlightened officials here in Dauphin county never bothered to put tones on the FD freq's as their communications have always been such low priority!! Anyways, I can see the writeing on the wall as far as encrypted PD comms go, so you better get your fill of license checks, surveillance ops, crime site comms, etc. now ,because in Dauphin county(at least) soon they will be gone forever!

 

[scan-pa]

Richard,

Where are you located? and what is A25? Do you mean p25?

I am getting 5 Active Freqs for system 6, with all TG in the clear for PD 1-6, now I do have 2 TG with Full ENC showing on TG 41001 & 61001, but all 11xxx tg have been in the clear for me. I went to Derry Twp. yesterday and had a worse signal then I get here in Lebanon. The only TG's that was working good in Derry Twp. DauCo. was EMS 1 (MED-9) & FIRE-1 (33.8000) & FIRE 4 (33.8600) PD TG's sounded like crap. I also Did NOT hear any activity on the HBF 1 TG (453.7000) the entire time I was in DauCo. In Fact I have not recorded that TG active since Sunday.

Now when I went to Grantville area, I was also getting different readings. PD 1, PD 2 & EMS-1 talk groups only. Now I was only in this area for about 10 - 15 Min. compared to the 45 min, I was in Derry Twp.

It seems to me, that out of the 3 active tower sites for System-Site 6 that are on-line, some tg are only being sent from certain ones. some of the 4 vc are not clear here in Lebanon, same with some in Derry Twp. and some in Grantville.

I also have a list from the Comcenter of the active Conventional Freqs that are patched into the Simulcast System-Site 6 portion of the Trunk System. But I am unable to post except the ones that are currently active. The rest of the System-Site 6 locations will be on-line soon. This should help improve reception on this portion of the system.

System-Site 7 is the next to go on-line in a few weeks or so for testing, after the complete the simulcast system.

Thanks to everyone who is posting info.

Richard, I made a note that you have been getting ENC on the DauCo. PD 3 & 4 TG's.

Please let me know if you see this again. Not sure what your using, but if you have the ability to give me Site, Tower, Rptr number info, please send it to me via pm.

Thanks,

Just a few interesting tidbits: the trunk system is currently only using 502.775, 502.5875, and 502.5625 for voice traffic. TG's 11003(460.10) and 11004(460.225) are encrypted!! However, they are still in the clear analog on their original freq.s! Last night there was alot of activity on 460.225(Ch.4) as a surveillance operation was being waged. But every time I switched over to the TRS freq.s everything was mish-mash(encrypted) including the repeater tail! This was also true on their scope freq,(TG 11003,460.10) However ,all other traffic was in the clear(A25 digital,of course).

 

[richardfaloney]

I'm in Derry Twp.(presently) and yes A25 means APCO25(sorry). The encryption of TG 11004(which is a surveillance/tac channel) is fer sure encrypted. I proved it to myself last night by having one scanner on 460.225 and the other on the digital TRS. Every time they transmitted on 460.225 it was mish mash on TG11004 on the TRS freq.s All other transmissions were in the digital clear. But this, of course, goes along with the message you sent me!! As far as 460.10 goes, it appeared to me to be encrypted also, but I didn't take the time to prove it.

 

[hosehead88]

I am still getting nothing...what am I missing here? Can someone help me offline? I will send the .p96 file that I am using for you to review...

 

[richardfaloney]

I'm scanning the three frequencies that I've previously noted above conventionally with the delay turned off on all three, in their own bank. I have the incorrect step/offset/base programed into another bank by itself which I use to ID the correct TG(if I need or want to know it), I just quickly turn off and on the two banks to ID the TG while their still talking.

 

[scan-pa]

Richard and all,

I am now getting Site 8 as on-line and trunking. CH-1 is the CC, with Ch-2 & 3 so far used as Voice.

Picked it up when I turned the scanner on for the 39 box PWSF just now.

TG heard was Fire-1 & Fire-3 Patches.

Anyone else?

 

[richardfaloney]

Ok, as of right now, I'm still only getting the three active voice channels that I previously mentioned, with TG 11003(460.10) and 11004(460.225) confirmed as definately being encrypted. This is with 500.4375 as the control channel. Reception is 90 to 98% outside of the Hershey public library. However, inside the library the signal drops out completely. Checking the signal around the Hershey area,I am convinced this simulcast is definately NOT in Derry Twp. and is more than likely from their tradtional Blue Mtn. repeater location(or maybe chambers hill,but I doubt it). Now, I do believe that other frequencies of the site 6 simulcast series may be in use from other simulcast towers. While at Shank park( a higher location in the twp.) I did hear 502.9125 active, but who knows from where. Now, from the site that I am receiving through most of lowland Derry tp., PD channels 1&2,FD channels 1,3&4, EMS main channel,and Harrisburg FD(453.70) are all active and in the digital clear. I have not heard any other TG's clear or encrypted.

 

[scan-pa]

Did you put in site 8's freqs to monitor?

the site is now active.

 

[hosehead88]

I have also added Site 8.

If I scan the system with all frequencies on the site, and open to all talkgroups, (with known TG already programmed), all I get is the scanner stopping on a TG with no audio.

If I go to the bank with the system entered, if I manually step through the frequencies I can pick up some clear transmissions and some encrypted.

I should be able to pick these up while scanning the banks. I have each site in its own bank...

 

[ocguard]

I hadn't been keeping up on system progress or this thread... wasn't there initially a Reesers Summit site? Which is the best site to monitor from from the south?

 

[scan-pa]

The DB has been updated with new info on the confirmed site numbers and location names.

Site 1, 4, 8, & 9 are now on-line.

Please note as stated above, the Site ID numbers & Site names have changed for some locations.

The last 500mhz site that needs to go online is The one in Derry Twp.

After that site goes online. they finish there testing, they can start moving users off the current 453/460 mhz conventional system and start getting those sites online.

seems to be moving very fast.....

 

[Mattsenft]

There is a site at Reeser's Summit (Fairview) its one of the simulcast sites. Simulcast sites include Blue Mountain, Resevoir Park, Chambers Hill, Strawberry Square, Middletown and Fairview.

 

[ocguard]

Thanks, Matt. Any idea if it'll be directional toward Harrisburg?

Good that it's part of the simulcast -- should carry most of the nitty gritty talk groups.

 

[scan-pa]

Site # 003 (Derry Twp.) is now on-line.

All 500mhz Sites are on-line.

 

[richardfaloney]

OK, just a few notes. First, my pro-96 reads the site numbers as as 102,103,104,109,etc. The Derry Twp. site reads as T0103,for example. Also, this system appears to use a primary freq. for all the traffic and only when that freq. is busy does the voter move to another freq. For example, on the Derry Twp. site 500.8375 is used almost exclusively,and only when this freq. is occupied is another freq. used. I noted use on all freq.s except for 501.8675, which I monitored for over an hour with no activity at all. It must be in last place and used only when all other freq.s are occupied. This is similar to the LTR's use of freq's. Only the EDACS systems give equal rights to the use of all freq.s. Anyways, I also noted that talk groups 11001 and 11003 are not repeated on the Derry Twp. site. I also did not hear Harrisburg FD on this site. What I did hear was alot of encrypted gibberish on TG 61001 on the Derry Twp. site, which may be the tech's talking because I only heard this TG active in the day, and not at night. I'm not sure where the "sun pipeline " site is located but it comes in excellant here in so. Derry Twp., and just like the Derry site, does not carry TG's 11001 and 11003.

 

[richardfaloney]

Oh yeah, one more thing, does anyone know when, or if, the correct step/base/offset data will be available so I can monitor this system in a more civilized fashion??? Thanks.

 

[ocguard]

Oh yeah, one more thing, does anyone know when, or if, the correct step/base/offset data will be available so I can monitor this system in a more civilized fashion??? Thanks.

I'm not sure why you would need it or how it would benefit system monitoring. This system is P25 Common Air Interface exclusive. I don't think you can even modify the base/offset in such a system; at least not in my BCD396...

 

[richardfaloney]

I have a PRO96, and without the base/step/offset data, the system can not be monitored correctly as a trunked system, simple as that. I can and do monitor it freq. by freq. as a conventional system, which is OK for now, as there is little traffic on the system. Unidens probably have another way of accessing the 500 Mhz system without this data.