Ozarks Electric system info needed

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john749

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Does anyone in NW Arkansas know the particulars of Ozarks Electric's system? The database appears way out-of-date, and nothing for them was included in the db download to my Uniden Home Patrol. The FCC licensing search turns up lots of frequencies (many the same ones used in the old LTR system). Perusing the license modification correspondence, emission types 11K2F1D (data) and 11K2F1E (digital voice) was added to most of the call sign groups. I've experimented creating systems in the Home Patrol for most of the digital formats it's capable of, but so far no luck. I see strong signal strength on some of the frequencies, but no detection or audio. We live in a rural area and loose pwr all too frequently...used to be able to keep up with the line crews on an older Pro-94 scanner, but they went silent some time back.
Thanks in advance for any help,
John Bryant
WB5KLZ
 

INDY72

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4K00F1D
4K00F1W
4K00F1E
This says they went NexEDGE NXDN Digital.... Looks like they are or have converted the LTR to NexEDGE.

You can NOT monitor this with any current scanner. A tapped scanner and DSD might work. If you can confirm digital by conventionally monitoring and hearing a digital sound on audio, then I will update the system to reflect NXDN use.
 
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john749

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I'm only seeing the 4K00F1D,E,W emission types on the Oklahoma sites (exception: Prairie Grove, AR site, which is near OK border).
The license authorizations for the other Arkansas sites, particularly Fayetteville (HQ), Winslow, and St.Paul, show 11K2F1D&E as well as 11K2F3E.
Also on the Fayetteville site (WPRM514), I'm hearing a continuous control channel on one of the nine freqs. I'll monitor the other 8 for a while, as you suggest, for 'digital sounds' and let you know what I find.
Besides P25, what other kind of system would have F1D&E emmissions?
 

john749

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OK, monitoring conventionally, I'm finding digital xmissions on two or three of the frequencies, plus the control channel on 461.4375. What now? How do I go about determining the system they're using and setting up my HP-1 to scan them?
 

03msc

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OK, monitoring conventionally, I'm finding digital xmissions on two or three of the frequencies, plus the control channel on 461.4375. What now? How do I go about determining the system they're using and setting up my HP-1 to scan them?

Well, as he said...if it's NXDN then you can't...
 

INDY72

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On systems that started out as LTR types, they add the F1D&E etc as they start transitioning to an digital format... Then as soon as it clears all the FCC fun and finally makes it to the FCC DB, which can take months after the actual transition has happened... Either the 4K00XXX, or 8K30XXX for the NXDN systems, or the 7K60XXX for DMR (MotoTRBO) appear on the licenses. There currently is no scanner on the market that can decode, trunk, or pass the digital audio of an NXDN or DMR type system. You can use an scanner that has its discriminator point/s tapped, and an "patch cable" to feed the audio into your PC and use softwares like DSD, DSD+, DMRDecode etc to analyze, and monitor those formats *** Unless they use secure encryption!***

Also, TY for the confirmation they have indeed transitioned to NexEDGE NXDN trunking... I will update the DB here accordingly this weekend.
 

john749

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I'm sure this is a rooky question, but how do we know for sure the digital format they're transitioning to is NXDN? Wouldn't I also hear digital sounds if they are using one of the P25 formats?
BTW, thanks for your help even if it is somewhat disappointing. At least I can finally monitor the local law again with my new $300 scanner...ouch, LOL
 

INDY72

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I'm sure this is a rooky question, but how do we know for sure the digital format they're transitioning to is NXDN? Wouldn't I also hear digital sounds if they are using one of the P25 formats?
BTW, thanks for your help even if it is somewhat disappointing. At least I can finally monitor the local law again with my new $300 scanner...ouch, LOL

Yes, but with the P25 formats, your scanner would show it as P25, and you would also get shown relevant data as for Site Number, CC, ACC, WACN, SysID etc on pretty much any of the newer digital trunkers for a P25 TRS, and the FCC Emission Designators would have one of the P25 designators for either Phase I, or II. If they had gone conventional, they would have an entire new license for conventional, the designators for P25, and your scanner would be passing audio and showing the NAC's. Also, they are adding the NXDN Emissions Designators to thier licenses, of which there are a LOT for the system, at least 3 so far in AR with the NXDN designations, and others pending. And then there is the historical trend nationwide: LTR TRS's switch to NexEDGE or MotoTRBO because of the similarities between the formats.
 

john749

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Makes sense. Thanks again for sharing your obviously extensive knowledge of scanning. I think I'll play around with that DSD software...I've got a couple of older scanners laying around I can hack into...what I've read so far seems pretty straight forward. The Catch22 is that the only time I really need to monitor the pwr co. is when the pwr goes off, LOL. Guess the computer's UPS will give me some listening time.
 

INDY72

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LOL true... We are still crossing our fingers and watching for the second wave of Whistler Scanners which will be rolling out in 1-3 years tops, as there is a good possibility of NXDN, and/or DMR for conventional systems being added in the first of the "Pure Whistler" scanners. (Still digging to see if the feasibility of trunked DMR *Currently only available in MotoTRBO*, and trunked NXDN *Primarily NexEDGE, with a few iDAS systems here and there.* gets added.) The current 6 or so they are putting out in markets appear to mainly be slightly re cased and re branded GRE products. At CES they brought 4 of the new toys to display, and siad they didn't bring 2. Since what they brought was up to the GRE PSR-500/600 (PRO-106/107) styles, it is just an educated guess that the 2 left behind would be the GRE PSR-800 , and PRO-18 types.

As for extensive knowledge,... I barely scratch the surface of knowing things in this hobby. I only have been playing around in it for 31ish years. There are folks on here that have been into radio related hobbies since the hobbies were created. I just try to help out where I can, and when I hit a blank, I dig into literature, and start talking to those that know a heck of a lot more til I get it down. For the beginner in this hobby, its all about, hey, how does my scanner basically work, and what can I hear. Then over time, some of us get bitten by the bug hard and it grows into a total insanity of its own special kind lol! Keep having fun, and keep asking questions, its the only way you learn, and grow.. Then go experiment!
 
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03msc

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LOL true... We are still crossing our fingers and watching for the second wave of Whistler Scanners which will be rolling out in 1-3 years tops, as there is a good possibility of NXDN, and/or DMR for conventional systems being added in the first of the "Pure Whistler" scanners. (Still digging to see if the feasibility of trunked DMR *Currently only available in MotoTRBO*, and trunked NXDN *Primarily NexEDGE, with a few iDAS systems here and there.* gets added.) The current 6 or so they are putting out in markets appear to mainly be slightly re cased and re branded GRE products. At CES they brought 4 of the new toys to display, and siad they didn't bring 2. Since what they brought was up to the GRE PSR-500/600 (PRO-106/107) styles, it is just an educated guess that the 2 left behind would be the GRE PSR-800 , and PRO-18 types.

As for extensive knowledge,... I barely scratch the surface of knowing things in this hobby. I only have been playing around in it for 31ish years. There are folks on here that have been into radio related hobbies since the hobbies were created. I just try to help out where I can, and when I hit a blank, I dig into literature, and start talking to those that know a heck of a lot more til I get it down. For the beginner in this hobby, its all about, hey, how does my scanner basically work, and what can I hear. Then over time, some of us get bitten by the bug hard and it grows into a total insanity of its own special kind lol! Keep having fun, and keep asking questions, its the only way you learn, and grow.. Then go experiment!

Hey milf, you have a link to the Whistler scanner info? The ones I find on the internet are the original announcement months ago...I must be searching wrong!
 
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