Listening to San Antonio - the FAQ

[crashcrew]

this totally sucks. i just took a job down in san antonio, comming out of dfw where i have all of the local cities programmed into my pro95. i was willing to go out and buy a digital scanner, but i see it wont do me much good.

from what you guys are saying, the scanner manufactures need to pick up the "provence" protocol. for those of you who are familiar with this, is this something that any of them have looked into or discussed or is it simply too expensive, or just not used enough for mainstream manufacturing?

i do not feel safe living in a city where i cannot hear what my police and fire are doing around me. i will be sure to write a comment too the city council to let them know i will rethink a move to their city.

thanks for the info guys and/or gals.

So you won't move to a city you can't scan because you won't feel "safe"? I'm sure plenty of people live in cities and don't partake in the scanning hobby and feel safe. Sounds a little conspiracy-theory to me. I've been scanning since 1977 and if scanning as we know it is gone tomorrow, I will miss a great hobby but life goes on. I don't scan to feel "safe", I scan because I find it an enjoyable hobby.

 

[mam1081]

What an overview....you might want to read up a little more on EDACS systems before you post all this! A good place to start is http://www.radioreference.com/wiki/index.php/EDACS .

 

[ff3334]

Edacs overview

yup just a basic overview of San Antonio's EDACS setup and afew EDACS basics, broken into laymans terms. not meant to be end all explanation. read the disclaimer.

 

[ka5swc]

Quick question, appearently SAPD/Bexar County seemingly have dropped some of the Pro-Voice. The county seems to be "very" open, while all I've heard from SAPD is traffice concerning the shelters. Any ideas on what the status of SAPD?

Thanks,

KA5SWC

 

[ff3334]

sapd/bexar county disaster coms

while SAPD is on hte EDACS system i don't belive bexar county sheriff has fully made the switch yet, not sure though. if BCSO is on VHF and they patched EDACS to it for comms you can pick up the VHF with a simple scanner or other braod band recieve radio. and as always BC fire alarm is still on VHF. Glad to see some other Amature Radio Ops out there BTW.
-kd5zew

ps. even with provoice off it takes more than a single channel scanner to pick up the trunked system.

 

[ka5swc]

while SAPD is on hte EDACS system i don't belive bexar county sheriff has fully made the switch yet, not sure though. if BCSO is on VHF and they patched EDACS to it for comms you can pick up the VHF with a simple scanner or other braod band recieve radio. and as always BC fire alarm is still on VHF. Glad to see some other Amature Radio Ops out there BTW.
-kd5zew

ps. even with provoice off it takes more than a single channel scanner to pick up the trunked system.

I'm hearing a lot of traffic from BCSO et al, however nothing of notice from SAPD. Since I'm hearing BCSO, I'm "assuming" that all is in order and am decoding the EDACS. I don't know much else. Since this is a resent developement, I've had pretty much given up on scanning anything local since the migration. So now I'm trying to play catch up.!

ka5swc

 

[ff3334]

Bcso

You aren't decoding BCSO they are just on VHF, edacs can't be docoded by any current over the counter scanner technology.

 

[kikito]

You aren't decoding BCSO they are just on VHF, edacs can't be docoded by any current over the counter scanner technology.

What are you talking about? All your posts so far, sound like YOU are the one that don't know many things about EDACS and trunktracking....

One of your post even sounds like you don't know there's trunktracking scanners out there.

 

[ff3334]

read closer

i said it takes "more than a single channel scanner to pick up the trunked systems" ie a trunking scanner. no current commercial TRUNKING, SINGLE, or any other variety of scanner can decode and track with EDACS. IF EDACS is in analog you can pick up the data/voice channel if you happen to get hte right frequency at the right time and the encoding is off, but likely the next time someone transmits the frequency will change. Let me reitterate what myself and SEVERAL people before me have said. currently you can't effectivly scan EDACS with commercial scanner technology.

out of curiosity has anyone here had a chance to use the EDACS system?

 

[Linn]

You CAN scan EDACS systems with a conventional trunk tracking scanner. It has been possible in a handheld since the BC-245 came out in 1999. EDACS Provoice cannot be scanned by any available scanners.

 

[n4voxgill]

out of curiosity has anyone here had a chance to use the EDACS system?

I don't know where you are, but purport to know so much about the San Antonio system, so if you are near San Antonio and you have any of the later model scanners program in the LCRA edacs system and listen away.

I currently use a BC245, Pro95, Pro96 and a 2096 to track the New Braunfels Police and fire on LCRA everyday. When I go back home to Florida I listen to the Volusia County edacs system every day. No mystery to track edacs.

Now when it comes to Provoice and open sky that is a different matter. But I really think you need to study the wiki on trunking. You missing a lot.

 

[ff3334]

...

<quote>You aren't decoding BCSO they are just on VHF, edacs can't be docoded by any current over the counter scanner technology.</quote>

Next time i'll choose my words more carefully for the nit pickers. you are right yo ucan SCAN EDACS can't decode provoice! And San Antonio uses provoice, it may be turned off for one reason or another so listen while ou can but don't get used ot it.

IMO if you can't decode it adn listen to it you haven't scanned it.

PS some of the extra tac channels may not have provoice on them, so in case of large scale emergencies and the such you may be able scan those channels without the need ot decode them.

 

[rdale]

ff: You really don't know what you are saying. You do not need a two-channel receiver for EDACS or ProVoice or any trunked system.

 

[ff3334]

rdale

how do YOU pickup EDACS and decode provoice ?

 

[rdale]

"IF EDACS is in analog you can pick up the data/voice channel if you happen to get hte right frequency at the right time and the encoding is off, but likely the next time someone transmits the frequency will change. Let me reitterate what myself and SEVERAL people before me have said. currently you can't effectivly scan EDACS with commercial scanner technology."

When EDACS is in analog, the scanner receives the control channel. If it finds a talkgroup, the scanner switches to its associated frequency and you hear the conversation. When done, it returns to the control channel. The next conversation may be on a different frequency - doesn't matter. That's why they are called "trunktracker" - the "track" part follows the conversation.

 

[ff3334]

analog

SA runs digital mode w/ provoice not analog when everything is as it should be, sometimes it's in analog but this is not it's normal mode of operation. This thread is entitled "listening to san antonio" if you want ot talk about someone elses adacs system go to that thread but as i mentioned in my first post i am only referencing SA's system.

 

[rdale]

Fine. You were still wrong. "IF EDACS is in analog you can pick up the data/voice channel if you happen to get hte right frequency at the right time and the encoding is off"

That is incorrect about SA and any other EDACS system.

 

[kikito]

Next time i'll choose my words more carefully for the nit pickers.

Is NOT nit-picking, EDACS is a trunking scheme and ProVoice is a digital modulation scheme.

They're not the same thing even though they're used in conjunction.

 

[blantonl]

Good lord, I'm closing this thread. Just read the farking FAQ.... :roll:

 

[loumaag]

Updated Info

By request I am adding some updated information to this closed topic.

Most of what Lindsay posted in the OP of this topic is still accurate. However, advances in both scanner technology and software applications has changed two items.

1. There exists now, software that can decode ProVoice digital modulation, such as is used in San Antonio. This software is described in this RR WIki article with links to further information.
2. Some scanners (please check elsewhere in the forums or your owner's manual) now support following EDACS with ESK invoked. They will not; however, deal with ProVoice on their own.