Tac Channel

[BNC173]

I have a Uniden BCD996xt that I have been using for a few years. I can pickup the digital & the Kansas system trunking & all kinds of stuff. When something good happens the local sheriff dept will say go to Tac 1 or Tac 2. I have all the channels listed in RR in my system even the ones listed as Tac but I don't hear anything. I assume these are private channels that may not be listed but I have even turned on close call that I thought would pickup anything in my area & I still don't hear everything. Can someone give any tips of how I can find these? I did read once that maybe they was blocked & the only way was to get a scanner from another country that doesn't block those freq but not sure the pro's & cons of that.
Thanks

 

[nd5y]

What county?
When you hear them mention the tac channels is this on the state trunked system or their own system?

 

[GamerMason]

Mind giving the county you're trying to listen to? This could help answer the question. I know some KS counties use Tac for medical emergencies or high event (like pursuits).

 

[BNC173]

What county?
When you hear them mention the tac channels is this on the state trunked system or their own system?

Jackson County, Kansas on their own I think most of the time but not 100% sure.

 

[nd5y]

According to the database they use KSICS and there are two talkgroups called Tac 1 & Tac 2 that are encrypted.
If you downloaded the database to your scanner it probably does not include encrypted talkgroups.
Assuming the information is correct (which may or may not be the case) you can't listen to them. It's impossible for a scanner to decode encrypted talkgroups. You can use control channel decoding software to display activity and radio IDs on encrypted talkgroups but you still can't listen to them.

 

[BNC173]

Humm I think that was what someone was saying about a scanner that had something built in that would allow that came direct from hong kong or something...kind of a "black market" deal. Thanks for your help

 

[mule1075]

Humm I think that was what someone was saying about a scanner that had something built in that would allow that came direct from hong kong or something...kind of a "black market" deal

Does not and more than likely never will exist.

 

[BNC173]

Thanks, i was just reading that from other post.

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

Also, in some areas, TAC means “talk around channel” and is simplex so you will only hear it if your near by.

 

[rcool101]

Try it in Search / Id mode while scanning that system. Might find some unpublished or unknown Ids that way. I do that on all my radios all the time except my feed radio.

 

[JoeyC]

In addition to all of the above suggestions, I've experienced certain departments using old frequencies that the agency previously used before switching to a trunked system so you might look into the past for something that isn't used on a regular basis. On occasion I have even heard undercover cops on a surveillance use FRS freqs for short range communication.

 

[minasha]

Generally speaking, when units say "go to Tac" they mean switch to a channel that is "flea power". The reason is they want privacy, you will not hear them unless you are very close to them.

 

[hiegtx]

Generally speaking, when units say "go to Tac" they mean switch to a channel that is "flea power". The reason is they want privacy, you will not hear them unless you are very close to them.

While that is often true on a conventional system, the system that the OP appears to be referring to is a trunked system with specific talkgroups. Those talkgroups, when used, would not be in simplex (low power) mode on the TRS. As nd5y noted, the talkgroups for Tac 1 & Tac 2 appear to be encrypted.

 

[KD0TAZ]

Mind giving the county you're trying to listen to? This could help answer the question. I know some KS counties use Tac for medical emergencies or high event (like pursuits).

That's how our county works. They are mainly used for fire and EMS but police/SO use them occasionally too. TAC in this sense means Talk Around Channel. It's another term for Fireground or Event. They send out the page with the location and nature of the emergency and say "Units respond on TAC #". Secure/encrypted channels are referred to as "Private" (ie: Law Private, SO Private) by our agencies

While that is often true on a conventional system, the system that the OP appears to be referring to is a trunked system with specific talkgroups. Those talkgroups, when used, would not be in simplex (low power) mode on the TRS. As nd5y noted, the talkgroups for Tac 1 & Tac 2 appear to be encrypted.

This. KSICS is a statewide P25 system, and a registered radio will pick up any traffic intended for it from any tower in the state. With a non-mobile scanner you will generally only hear traffic that is "local" to your nearby tower (usually your county and neighboring counties). However it is not uncommon for a non-local agency like Highway Patrol or another county's Sheriff to "drag" non-local traffic onto your tower. When a radio registers with a tower, it begins repeating TGs associated with that radio while it is registered. Once it "deregisters", those TGs will continue to be repeated until a pre-determined timeout expires (usually 30 mins or so). So power is basically moot, as even two portables can talk (clear or encrypted) across the entire state provided they are within range of a tower.

 

[slicerwizard]

Once it "deregisters", those TGs will continue to be repeated until a pre-determined timeout expires (usually 30 mins or so).

Seems unlikely as it serves no purpose and wastes limited resources.