DPS APCO-25 digital

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wwhitby

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This morning I was able to pick up a P-25 digital transmission on 155.445. I didn't have the tone decode set up on that frequency, so I wasn't able to pick up a NAC.

I don't think it was interference, since besides the VA hospital, and State ABC agents, there's nothing else that is non-trunked digital around here. Also, I wasn't getting any ducting on other frequencies, so I don't think it was a distant station on the same frequency.

Has anyone heard of DPS using P-25 digital modulation? I know that their car radios are capable of digital modulation, but until now, I had never heard a digital transmission on any of their frequencies.

Thanks,

Warren
 

Randmaster

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Wow! You picked up a digital from 155.445? I better get a digital scanner, quick! Fortunately, I still hear the analog transmissions, though. I did hear from a State Trooper that they are going to move to P-25 sometime in the future... I think in about 2 years all their car radios will be digital.

So far, EVERYTHING I heard has been analog...
 

wwhitby

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Randmaster said:
Wow! You picked up a digital from 155.445?

Yep. I had been in the car about 5 minutes when I picked up the transmission. I suspect that I had been out of range before then, since the digital transmission I picked up was somewhat garbled - just like when you are at the extreme range for a digital TX. Unfortunately, I couldn't tell what they were conversing about.

I better get a digital scanner, quick! Fortunately, I still hear the analog transmissions, though.

I wouldn't be in a hurry. I suspect that this was either a test, or it was another group with access to the Trooper's frequencies, such as ABI. If it would have been road Troopers, you would have seen more transmissions in digital then just the one I heard. BTW, so far all the road Troopers i've heard have been analog.

I did hear from a State Trooper that they are going to move to P-25 sometime in the future... I think in about 2 years all their car radios will be digital.

I found out a couple of years ago that their car radios are capable of digital modulation, but are programmed analog right now.

I wonder what upgrades DPS is going to have to do to their communications system to handle digital modulation, besides the obvious digital radios? I wonder if they will stand up repeaters?

BTW, I did pick up a couple of ABC board agents communicating in P-25 digital on 154.770 during the aftermath of the Prattville tornado. NAC was 293.

Warren
 

Randmaster

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Yep, I hear that. When they officially go to P-25, I wonder if they will have the 700 MHZ band... although I haven't heard anything about that.
 

Randmaster

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I really don't. The only scanners I that I know of that can monitor 700 MHZ is the Uniden BCD396T and BCD996T (there maybe more that I am oblivious to). The RadioShack Pro-164 and Pro-163 have the 700 MHZ band, but they can't monitor it since most transmissions on that band will be digital, and the Pros are not digital scanners.

I really hope Alabama does NOT switch to 700 MHZ. I have a Pro-97 and happy with it.
 

wwhitby

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The PSR-500 will handle 700Mhz conventional and trunking.

I did hear at one time that Alabama did want to go 700 Mhz. However, I doubt the funding will be availble for it.

I still think they could have a great VHF system by adding repeaters and using PL/DPL or NAC codes if they went digital.

Warren
 

SCPD

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If they go 700Mhz, I will have to try & talk Warren into selling me his PSR 500 really cheap too me hahha
 

SCPD

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Also a litlte tip here , if you hadn't thought of it yet.. take all your trooper frequencies That you may have DPL/PL tone programmed & program them AS FM also , since the Pro96 ( probably others) will NOT decode APCO 25 digital any other way.... Just in case DPS starts using it more often
 
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