Fredericksburg Police/Fire

[scannerfanatic1960]

For several years the law enforcement here was on a digital P25 Phase one system and the emergency services on analog. Recently the emergency services have gone to a phase 2 system and law enforcement for now I can still hear on a phase one tower but I understand they are also soon to move to the phase 2 system. I have a BCD536HP which is a phase two scanner but I am unable to pick up the emergency services. Can someone tell me why? From what I understood the zip code entry should automatically pick up the signals within my area. When searching for the new system on radio reference it shows law enforcent on a phase 2 but the emergency services still on analog...Thanks

 

[rattlerbb01]

As of maybe a month ago, law enforcement and EMS were full time on LCRA Phase 1 mode, and Fire was dispatching and possibly patched on LCRA and units and tones were on analog VHF. They are adding a tower south of Harper sometime soon and LCRA is pushing everyone toward Phase 2 radios so it should be a seamless transition for your 536. Make sure you have all the frequencies for the Fred site programmed in. They also use Doss, Fowler Hill and Luckenbach extensively out in the county. Check the programming vs the database, and if you still get nothing, search 769-775 and see if control has moved somewhere else.

 

[hiegtx]

From what I understood the zip code entry should automatically pick up the signals within my area. When searching for the new system on radio reference it shows law enforcent on a phase 2 but the emergency services still on analog...Thanks

Using the main database, along with your location & range, only works well if:

• You have the most current database in Sentinel & have downloaded it to the scanner
• You have an accurate location entered, along with an appropriate range
• And, you have all of your desired service types active

Which antenna are you using? An external antenna, or the telescoping antenna that came with the scanner?

 

[n0xvz]

When searching for the new system on radio reference it shows law enforcent on a phase 2 but the emergency services still on analog.

And...the database is only as accurate as the input it receives from the listening community. So unless someone submits a change, the database will continue to show whatever information it had...even if that information is no longer correct.

 

[scannerfanatic1960]

Using the main database, along with your location & range, only works well if:

• You have the most current database in Sentinel & have downloaded it to the scanner
• You have an accurate location entered, along with an appropriate range
• And, you have all of your desired service types active

Which antenna are you using? An external antenna, or the telescoping antenna that came with the scanner?

It's called a Maxx-Tenna base antenna

And...the database is only as accurate as the input it receives from the listening community. So unless someone submits a change, the database will continue to show whatever information it had...even if that information is no longer correct.

Thanks for the info

As of maybe a month ago, law enforcement and EMS were full time on LCRA Phase 1 mode, and Fire was dispatching and possibly patched on LCRA and units and tones were on analog VHF. They are adding a tower south of Harper sometime soon and LCRA is pushing everyone toward Phase 2 radios so it should be a seamless transition for your 536. Make sure you have all the frequencies for the Fred site programmed in. They also use Doss, Fowler Hill and Luckenbach extensively out in the county. Check the programming vs the database, and if you still get nothing, search 769-775 and see if control has moved somewhere else

As of maybe a month ago, law enforcement and EMS were full time on LCRA Phase 1 mode, and Fire was dispatching and possibly patched on LCRA and units and tones were on analog VHF. They are adding a tower south of Harper sometime soon and LCRA is pushing everyone toward Phase 2 radios so it should be a seamless transition for your 536. Make sure you have all the frequencies for the Fred site programmed in. They also use Doss, Fowler Hill and Luckenbach extensively out in the county. Check the programming vs the database, and if you still get nothing, search 769-775 and see if control has moved somewhere else.

The thing is the SD card for my 536 I created has been in the radio for over a year and I'm not monitoring the full database yet I can still hear law enforcement on it. Just no fire or EMS other than Fredericksburg fire and EMS dispatch which is still on an analog signal.

As of maybe a month ago, law enforcement and EMS were full time on LCRA Phase 1 mode, and Fire was dispatching and possibly patched on LCRA and units and tones were on analog VHF. They are adding a tower south of Harper sometime soon and LCRA is pushing everyone toward Phase 2 radios so it should be a seamless transition for your 536. Make sure you have all the frequencies for the Fred site programmed in. They also use Doss, Fowler Hill and Luckenbach extensively out in the county. Check the programming vs the database, and if you still get nothing, search 769-775 and see if control has moved somewhere else.

How do I search 769-775? Everything I see on youtube just shows it's set up to custom search for analog frequencies

 

[rattlerbb01]

There’s a few ways, you can set up a custom search and make the lower limit 769.00000 and the upper limit 775.00000 and set steps to 6.25 kHz. You can also just hit CHANNEL - 769.000 - CHANNEL and it will park on 769.000 until you hit CHANNEL again and it will begin searching up, and when it hits 775.000 you can turn the knob backwards once to make it reverse search down.

 

[scannerfanatic1960]

There’s a few ways, you can set up a custom search and make the lower limit 769.00000 and the upper limit 775.00000 and set steps to 6.25 kHz. You can also just hit CHANNEL - 769.000 - CHANNEL and it will park on 769.000 until you hit CHANNEL again and it will begin searching up, and when it hits 775.000 you can turn the knob backwards once to make it reverse search down.

I hate to have to keep bothering you but the manual is so confusing as to how to do some things. Could you walk me through the steps for setting up that custom search range?

 

[rattlerbb01]

Easier to Read BCD436/536HP Digital Scanner Manual

 

[rattlerbb01]

The link posted above is an absolute must read. Takes the difficulty level way down for navigating your scanner. I still look at these from time to time and learn something I didn’t know.

 

[scannerfanatic1960]

The link posted above is an absolute must read. Takes the difficulty level way down for navigating your scanner. I still look at these from time to time and learn something I didn’t know.

thanks again

 

[scannerfanatic1960]

The link posted above is an absolute must read. Takes the difficulty level way down for navigating your scanner. I still look at these from time to time and learn something I didn’t know.

I figured it out. Have to go into the pre-programmed custom search ranges and edit one of them with the frequency range I want to search...

 

[scannerfanatic1960]

I figured it out. Have to go into the pre-programmed custom search ranges and edit one of them with the frequency range I want to search...

Any further updates as to what tower the FD and EMS are using for their communications other than dispatch? I assume they are borrowing one until the new tower is up. The Fbg. PD and Sheriffs office are still on the phase 1 tower even though radio reference is showing them on a phase 2 system now.

 

[rattlerbb01]

Any further updates as to what tower the FD and EMS are using for their communications other than dispatch? I assume they are borrowing one until the new tower is up. The Fbg. PD and Sheriffs office are still on the phase 1 tower even though radio reference is showing them on a phase 2 system now.

LCRA is a Phase 1/2 system. Most talkgroups will use Phase 2 if all affiliated radios with that group are you TDMA ready. If GCSO and FPD are still using Phase 1 radios then LCRA will recognize this and the talkgroup will stay in Phase 1 mode.

 

[scannerfanatic1960]

LCRA is a Phase 1/2 system. Most talkgroups will use Phase 2 if all affiliated radios with that group are you TDMA ready. If GCSO and FPD are still using Phase 1 radios then LCRA will recognize this and the talkgroup will stay in Phase 1 mode.

what is TDMA? I just have a basic 536HP with no upgrades

 

[n0xvz]

what is TDMA? I just have a basic 536HP with no upgrades

TDMA - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com