Polk County Sheriff and Fire

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firemedic78

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Can anybody give me some help here, is Polk County still using the SARA radio system, raycomm system, or are they on the new ISICS System, and if so, could you direct me to the correct similcast or talk group and frequencies? I have it programmed under the current SARA system but I am not getting any traffic whatsoever. Thanks.

Chris
 

MidwestRadioListener

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They utilize RACOM for their radio communications. I'm not certain if they are technically hooked up to the rest of "SARA" yet but eventually they will be if they are not. If you look in the database here in RR you will find their info for Polk County along with some talkgroup IDs that have been identified. They have a simulcast in Des Moines and a couple other towers not part of the simulcast. They are not part of ISICS for day to day use.
 

bkramm

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I listen to Iowa County also apart of the SARA network.
I hear crossover TG's from Polk County from time to time so I would say they
are tied into the SARA network as the data base shows.
Which set of frequencies do you have programmed? There are 3 different sets for Polk County.
You might try a different set depending on your location.
 

ISW376

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I believe all of Polk county is on Sara system with the exception of the agencies using westcom.
The Sara syatem is always extemly active when I'm in Ankeny.

Last month the Ankeny EDACS site was off air I'm confident the EDACS system is no more in Polk County.

Almost all talkgroups from the EDACS syatem are the same on the Sara system in the Future the talkgroups may be reformatted.

Westcom is on ISICS and is also active but only a few agnecies utilize it.

If you live in Polk county the Polk simulcast site is the best but most scanners have a hard time.
I have a bcd436 and it is ok in some parts of Ankeny but other areas of the county it garbles or misses transmissions.

Polk City and Mitchelville broadcast most of the system talkgroups and can be easier to pick up since they are not simulcast sites but you would have to be near the sites as they don't cover the whole county like the Polk simulcast site does.
 

firemedic78

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I believe all of Polk county is on Sara system with the exception of the agencies using westcom.
The Sara syatem is always extemly active when I'm in Ankeny.

Last month the Ankeny EDACS site was off air I'm confident the EDACS system is no more in Polk County.

Almost all talkgroups from the EDACS syatem are the same on the Sara system in the Future the talkgroups may be reformatted.

Westcom is on ISICS and is also active but only a few agnecies utilize it.

If you live in Polk county the Polk simulcast site is the best but most scanners have a hard time.
I have a bcd436 and it is ok in some parts of Ankeny but other areas of the county it garbles or misses transmissions.

Polk City and Mitchelville broadcast most of the system talkgroups and can be easier to pick up since they are not simulcast sites but you would have to be near the sites as they don't cover the whole county like the Polk simulcast site does.

770.4037....The only cc freq listed in the SARA system for polk.... I get no radio traffic whatsoever. Maybe I just need to reprogram the Raycom system
 

firemedic78

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I am definitely going to need some assistance. According to the RACOM System, is still shows them on analog 800 mghz Trunking system, And I know they are all digital now, so obviously I need the new frequencies, at least the correct control channels, I don't know if the talk group ID's stayed the same or if I need all new talk groups, well if anybody has Polk County actively in there scanner, and happens to use ARC-XT As their programming software, feel free to email me a file with that system for Polk County and then I can add that into my scanner because my email will open the attachment because I use that same software. But the SARA system, Which by the way is where I got the one control frequency I just put in my previous reply, is not working, or I have the wrong frequencies, and I am and desperate need of some help. Thank you very much in advance. My email address is firemedic78@msn.com

Chris
 

N0ZJT

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If you are trying to hear the Polk Co site for SARA from Menlo, it most likely isn't going to work because of your distance from the sites.

If it's going to work, you should hear some sort of digital noise on 770.04375. Make sure you have that frequency correct too, as your previous message had it as 770.4037.

Don't program the RACOM system. There isn't much using it anymore. The database hasn't been updated to reflect what talkgroups are still active because that's harder to actually confirm.
 

ISW376

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Keep in mind Sara is a Harris system all frequencies can be used as a control channel and they do rotate often.

This includes all frequencies not just what's labeled as red or blue I've seen the non colored frequencies used as a control channel it's always safer to program all frequencies.

It doesn't have effect on scanning speed.
 

firemedic78

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Menlo, IA
If you are trying to hear the Polk Co site for SARA from Menlo, it most likely isn't going to work because of your distance from the sites.

If it's going to work, you should hear some sort of digital noise on 770.04375. Make sure you have that frequency correct too, as your previous message had it as 770.4037.

Don't program the RACOM system. There isn't much using it anymore. The database hasn't been updated to reflect what talkgroups are still active because that's harder to actually confirm.

I never could hear it from Menlo, but I am a contract driver, and I am always in Polk Co. so that is why I like to have it in. I had it a while ago, but for some reason, after doing a firmware update, it jumped Polk Co. system back to the old analog racom 800 mghz trunking system, which was weird, because I had the ISICS and other P-25 Phase 2 systems programmed in, and they stayed jusdt fine....But for somoe reason, it just messed with the Polk Co. system and reset it back to the old RACOM system. Thanks. I will just program, it under the SARA system now.

Chris
 

firemedic78

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I am still looking for some help with this thread. Is the Information for Polk County law and fire updated and correct on this website? I programmed the SARA System using my ARC XT Scanner software which takes me right to all the information from radio Reference and I programmed polk co using the SARA system from RR internet section of ARC XT but I am still not getting any reception. If anybody knows updated control channels please post them. Thank you.
 

iascanguy

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The information for Polk County is correct, listening as I type. What scanner do you have? I have a 396XT which is compatible with ARC XT, although I use Freescan, so I can send you the file I have for Polk County but you would have to download Freescan to compare it with what you have, maybe use Freescan to send it to your scanner and see if it works.

Donald
 

baker50021

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Try the Polk City Site, it's a shade closer to Menlo but if you still aren't getting anything you're probably to far out for digital.

jb
 

firemedic78

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I am not in Menlo right now, I am just North of the polk/Dallas County line. Even when I'm in Polk County I do not get reception. I am wondering if I need to change my system setting. Right now it is set to P25 Standard. Does it need to be set to EDACS SCAT, WIDE, NARROW, LTR ,ect....
 

firemedic78

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Menlo, IA
The information for Polk County is correct, listening as I type. What scanner do you have? I have a 396XT which is compatible with ARC XT, although I use Freescan, so I can send you the file I have for Polk County but you would have to download Freescan to compare it with what you have, maybe use Freescan to send it to your scanner and see if it works.

Donald

I am using a BCD996P2.....I guess you can try and email me the file....my email address is firemedic78@msn.com

Is freescan software easily downloadable and free, or is there a cost? I added an additional tower site, but I'm wondering as I need to change my system setting From P25 standard to EDACS, or EDACS NARROW/WIDE, SCAT, ect......

Either way, in order to open up your file I'm going to need that software so let me know if it's free and easily able to download.
 

firemedic78

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Menlo, IA
The information for Polk County is correct, listening as I type. What scanner do you have? I have a 396XT which is compatible with ARC XT, although I use Freescan, so I can send you the file I have for Polk County but you would have to download Freescan to compare it with what you have, maybe use Freescan to send it to your scanner and see if it works.

Donald

Never mind about the freescan issue, I found the downloadable link on radio reference website and I have it saved to download once you email me the file then I can download the software and then my computer will be able to open your file and then I can go ahead and download that file into my scanner. So just send the file to the email address I listed and we'll see if that works. Thank you.

Chris
 

MidwestRadioListener

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I'm using the information from RR and listening to polk with no problems. P25. When I have went into Dallas however signal seems to go away pretty quick at least from my hand held scanner - even if I lock on the Polk City site it doesn't carry that far West for me. I wondered if they have the antennas shaded to the West or may have somewhat of directional antennas to boost signals within their county.
 
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