ONCOR PWR Operations

[rbhtxk]

Anybody in the Smith County/Tyler area have any info on the ONCOR 900 MHz TRS? I am wondering if this is the old TXU system. I don't live there but I visit often. I could not find a lot of info in the Database. Thanks for the help.

RBHTXK

 

[SCPD]

Anybody in the Smith County/Tyler area have any info on the ONCOR 900 MHz TRS? I am wondering if this is the old TXU system.

ONCOR = TXU (name change in the last year)

 

[rbhtxk]

Txu Oncor

Ok,
I was in Tyler this past weekend and found no control channel for the listed system. I have noted that the systems in Commerce and Caddo Mills seem to still be functioning as listed in the database. I have previously heard the TXU system in Tyler (on a non-trunk traking radio) but that was some time ago. If anyone has any updates please shoot post them for us.

This evening, ONCOR or TXU, whatever you want to call them, are quite busy with the high wind damage and resulting power outages.

THX

 

[Boulder]

my location on the wood/franklin county line up here on the north end of wood county isn't that great on picking up the TRS systems there like the ETMC one but i'll be down towards lindale some saturday will program in those freqs and see if i can come up with anything

 

[rbhtxk]

Tracking issues

I noticed this week, at least for the Caddo Mills site, the 396 was having problems following or holding transmissions on a talk group. When we had the high wind day, and there was so much traffic on their system, there were a lot of drop outs (yet the signal strength was full scale). I orginally attributed to issues from the wind and local power outages around the area; they were talking to people in Lamar and Delta county so I am sure that the signal was networked back through the site. The next day, I did hear the radio service guys testing talk groups for a better part of the day. So, I am not sure if the 396 was just missing data, or if there was a problem at the site or on the system.

Good luck in East Texas, let us know whay you find?

 

[Boulder]

when i was down in lindale over the weekend, i didn't pick up an active CC from the tyler frequencies. only CC i could pick up were from Van Zandt co TxU TRS. my hit counts didn't log any hits on the smith co. channels either.

 

[rbhtxk]

State of flux or entire system change?

I am guessing that the system(s) are in a state of flux due to the sale and re-alignment of the company. At work, I have been monitoring the Caddo Mills site and found some interesting issues: The 396 would hold on a talk group for several minutes after the conversation dropped out. Initially, I thought this was due to the 396 not hearing the disconnect tone or not tracking the system properly. However, I have another receiver (non-trucking) scanning all the freq’s for that system and I discovered that two or more of the transmitters just stay keyed open. Up to several minutes later, I’ll hear the end tone and the repeater will drop out. Additionally, I have heard the radio techs working the system everyday for the last week. Finally, the 396 was dropping the audio and resuming scanning in the middle of a conversation. It is not the 396 because the conventional scanner is doing the same things- no end tone just stops transmitting. I am wondering if there is about to be a big system wide change?

 

[Boulder]

not sure, I can pick up control channel from the Sulphur Springs Oncor TRS, it's not listed in the database and i haven't scanned those channels much (just runed through them to see if the CC was active which it is on 936.5000)...

 

[rbhtxk]

Sulphur Springs Site

Last night I got seven hits on TG 00-011 TOC-DISP. Since there are only three channels, including the control channel, I guess it really does not matter what the LCN is(because I don't have a clue)? Anyway, if you get a chance keep checking the system best you can because I am pretty sure that we are seeing the beginning of a systemwide change.

 

[kd5dga]

Thats good the know. I'll have to pay attention to the TGID's.
Looking under the fcc searches in the Bell County area that only one site shows for ONCOR. Now this maybe due to the lag in the system on filing changes with the FCC.

 

[nd5y]

It doesn't matter how many channels there are, you still need the right LCNs.

Just because the company changed hands doesn't mean they will change the radio system, aside from licensing to reflect the new owner.

I have noticed no changes on the sites I can pick up here. Maybe they are fixing problems with the system in NE TX.

 

[rbhtxk]

Lcn

I agree Tom. Its just that with three channels I can't tell if I have the LCN correct. I tried the old method of every possible combination, I just got the same talk group to appearing on them all (i didn't miss any traffic that I could tell).

I am interested in these sites because they are networked and carry a lot of interesting traffic from other areas. Thanks for any help on possible changes.

 

[mikebennett]

I have had the TXU system programmed in for quite a while and hear little to no traffic when I know there is stuff going on. I also have the frequencies programmed in conventionally and do hear one-sided traffic that way but it all appears to be out of this area (Grayson Co). I have the system programmed as EDACS narrow and have verified the frequencies. Any suggestions. (I first experienced this with a 396 and now with a PSR-500)

 

[Russell]

I'm not sure about the 396, but on the PSR500 you have to set the "invert data" option to track the TXU/OnCor system. You do still need the proper LCN order though. Once you get the radio tracking, it will tell you the LCN of the data channel (in analyze mode). The three channel sites are fill-in sites, as far as I can tell, and the LCNs 'usually' are right together. You might get lucky have them in frequency order, as well. I've tracked several of these small sites and many are set up that way.

The last site I pegged this was the Nacogdoches site (716), check it out, you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm not sure what happened to the control channel marker, but I think it was 939.4.

Russell

Russell

 

[nd5y]

The 396 would hold on a talk group for several minutes after the conversation dropped out.

Today I noticed on the Mineral Wells site talkgroup 145 was keyed up with no audio for about 10 or 15 minutes.
I had to leave and it was gone when I came back later.
I don't know if this is the same thing going on that you heard.
I have never seen this happen and never seen this talkgroup before.

 

[mikebennett]

I activated the invert option and now I'm showing a solid signal instead of the flickering one I had before so that might have done the trick. When I "analyzed" the system it shows the channels were in the proper order. I'm using the wildcard option so I'll see what happens. This is the first I've heard about "inverting". Thanks for the tip.

 

[Russell]

... This is the first I've heard about "inverting". Thanks for the tip.

Yes, me too, just last week. I got help from "Mikey" in the GRE forum on that one. I was trying to set up TXU in Dallas on mine and couldn't get it to track either. That defintely did the trick.

Russell

 

[nd5y]

Unusual Oncor traffic 3/27/09

The past few days with the storms and wind I have been picking up a bunch of new Oncor talkgroups here in Mineral Wells.

Usually the only talkgroups I hear are 196, 195 and 168 with the local and West Texas traffic and 129 and 130 from Tarrant County.

Now in addition I am hearing talkgroups 86 and 89 with Dallas and East Texas trafffic, 224 with Killeen and Round Rock traffic, and 140, 141, 145, and 160 that aren't in the RRDB and I haven't figured out their locations yet.

From what little I know about wide area EDACS systems, the only way I should hear a talkgroup is if a radio on the local tower near me is tuned to that talkgroup. Is that correct?
Can EDACS radios scan multiple talkgroups and make them all active on my local site?

I thought maybe they set something up so that certain talkgroups come out at all sites, but then noticed the only other site that I can hear, Jacksboro, has none of this traffic on it.

Does anybody have any idea why this is happening?

 

[Russell]

...

From what little I know about wide area EDACS systems, the only way I should hear a talkgroup is if a radio on the local tower near me is tuned to that talkgroup. Is that correct?
Can EDACS radios scan multiple talkgroups and make them all active on my local site?

...

Yes, that is correct. Mobiles (or bases) in your area are tuned to those talkgroups. This usually happens when someone from another areas drives into yours. You have several talkgroups listed, so maybe there are several mobiles in your area.

Russell