That Guy...

[AJSully421]

So, I am going to be "that guy".

I got a Uniden BCD436HP for the sole reason of being able to listen to Benbrook, Tarrant County, Texas PD on the Fort Worth P25 radio system.

I thought this would be easy...

I got on Sentinel, and looked for Benbrook, added it to my favorites, it seemed to add all sorts of "sites" to scan that list lots of radio frequencies, I added my location and a range, turned on that favorite to scan... and nothing. I turned on everything within a range, and heard other nearby PDs on Law Dispatch select only, some analog, some on P25 systems....

I used to scan them before they went to the P25 system, and just want to hear what they are doing around town.

Help? Does anyone know if they went encrypted, if there is something obviously missing from my settings, known issues with the Fort Worth P25 system?

Thanks!

 

[hiegtx]

So, I am going to be "that guy".

I got a Uniden BCD436HP for the sole reason of being able to listen to Benbrook, Tarrant County, Texas PD on the Fort Worth P25 radio system.

I thought this would be easy...

I got on Sentinel, and looked for Benbrook, added it to my favorites, it seemed to add all sorts of "sites" to scan that list lots of radio frequencies, I added my location and a range, turned on that favorite to scan... and nothing. I turned on everything within a range, and heard other nearby PDs on Law Dispatch select only, some analog, some on P25 systems....

I used to scan them before they went to the P25 system, and just want to hear what they are doing around town.

Help? Does anyone know if they went encrypted, if there is something obviously missing from my settings, known issues with the Fort Worth P25 system?

Thanks!

Benbrook is not shown as encrypted in the database. But unless someone submits details that indicates encryption is actually being used, then the database might not be correct.

When you went on Sentinel, & added Benbrook to your Favorites, did you append the Benbrook Department (on FWRRS) to your Favorites list? When you append any portion of a trunked system to a list, Sentinel also appends all of the sites in the system. For Benbrook, you should make sure that the 'Layer 2' site is in your list. I would also keep Layer 1, Benbrook is listed as Layer 2, but if that site was down, users likely would be moved over to utilize Layer 1. The database only shows 3 talkgroups for Benbrook.

Can you post your Favorites list, so that we can take a peak & note any discrepancies?

To to that, export your list to an *.hpe file. That option is under the drop-down File menu in Sentinel. Click the export option, and Sentinel will ask you which list. Select the list, making sure that you include FWRRS. Note where your PC saved the exported *.hpe file.

Using Windows Explorer (also referred to as File Explorer), find the folder where you saved the exported file.
<Right><Click> on the file, which will pop up a menu with actions to do.
Click on "Send To", then select 'send to Compressed (zipped) folder'.
That creates a zipped file from your hpe file, and you can attach the zipped file to a post.

 

[AJSully421]

Yes, I appended it in the favorites and it added pretty much every site and frequency that I can see on the RR list for the FWRRW, and yes, both Layer 1 and Layer 2 are in there. It is scanning all of that, there is just crickets on the radio. Is there any way that the trunking system is out of sync or something?

Here is the file as you asked. Thanks for your help.

 

[willdanl]

Benbrook is on layer 2 and not encrypted. Sounds like sentinel added all the sites from the fwrrs and maybe even grabbed some conventional frequencies. All you need are their 3 talk groups and layer 2 site.
I must also warn you that my 436 struggled terribly with that system - I lived in SW FW ( Summer creek area) and the 436 did not handle the simulcast at all. Drove me to spend nearly $900 on a G5 when they came out in early 2016. Hopefully you can get the programming lined out and maybe you’re in a spot where it works ok. I visit Benbrook occasionally but I don’t even take the 436 when I do, so I can’t tell you if it works in that part of town or not.

 

[AJSully421]

Thanks. It is strange. It seems that lots of stuff on Layer 2 is encrypted, but that seems to be talk groups, not the actual frequencies, or the Benbrook Talk Groups.

I live on a hill on the west side of the lake. I could probably use binoculars and see the tower at I-20 and Campus Dr.

I will play with it some more. I just wonder, I run full scan on those layers and talk groups and hear NOTHING but Parker County SO Dispatch and then some White Settlement and Blue Mound. Not one FWPD call on any of those. Makes me think they encrypted EVERYTHING.

 

[sonm10]

I would start with only a single site. I'm guessing you are trying to scan too many at once.

 

[AJSully421]

Ok, I will try that. There are 23 frequencies in FW Layer 2 alone where this is supposed to be operating. Thanks!

 

[AJSully421]

No joy, still "silence of the scanner"...

 

[BenScan]

Actually, most of the stuff on layer 2 is not encrypted.

Layer 2 is VERY busy with lots of stuff, so if you are not hearing anything, then as others have said it's probably due to simulcast issues. Most scanners get confused by having the same signal coming in from different directions. Your scanner is probably hearing the signal from from layer 2 from towers 1 & 2 below, but not able to decode clearly. The simple thing to do, is drive around with the scanner on, preferably to a spot that is closer to just one tower, so the scanner doesn't get as confused. At home, you can use a directional antenna to help out, but in reality you are probably better off investing in a Uniden SDS 100 or SDS 200, Unication G4 or G5.

Thanks. It is strange. It seems that lots of stuff on Layer 2 is encrypted, but that seems to be talk groups, not the actual frequencies, or the Benbrook Talk Groups.

I live on a hill on the west side of the lake. I could probably use binoculars and see the tower at I-20 and Campus Dr.

I will play with it some more. I just wonder, I run full scan on those layers and talk groups and hear NOTHING but Parker County SO Dispatch and then some White Settlement and Blue Mound. Not one FWPD call on any of those. Makes me think they encrypted EVERYTHING.

 

[AJSully421]

OK, I see. I am about equally distant from the 1 and 2 towers... however, I do have a church on the back side of the hill that I live on that has a clear view of Downtown, but the hill will block tower 2. I will try that. But... if it doesn't work sitting at my desk at my house... then why bother?

Next, it looks like the SDS100 is the answer. Y'all are worse than the guys on the gun forums encouraging me to spend more money!

 

[Harold]

Parker County SO Dispatch and then some White Settlement and Blue Mound. Not one FWPD call on any of those. Makes me think they encrypted EVERYTHING.

This confuses me, because Parker County is not on the FWRRS and White Settlement is on Layer 1 of the system as are most of the encrypted talkgroups. Blue Mound FD is on Layer 2 but has very little traffic. You won't hear any FWPD talkgroups because they are all encrypted. Reprogram a Favorite with only the Layer 2 site and the three Benbrook talkgroups and select to scan only that Favorite.

 

[AJSully421]

Alright. Thanks everyone for your help.

I went and parked on the hill, and started hearing EVERYTHING on Layer 2. Medstar ambulance giving patient stats and ETAs, public works talking about whatever... and I was "Avoiding" stations as I went. It was not only listening to Benbrook as a favorite like it was supposed to and like I wanted... but as I started filtering out all of the junk, I did hear a few calls from Benbrook, so I know that it did work.

I got back home and have it here in my office at my desk........ crickets.

I pulled out my huge folding antenna and plugged it in... nothing.

So, if this thing does not work at my house, where I am 99% of the time, and where is the only place that I care to know what BPD is up to, it seems that this is not going to work for me.

I did order a 800 mhz specific upgraded antenna to try, but I have little hope of this working properly. If the upgraded antenna does not make it work, then this is going back.

 

[BenScan]

Your best bet for an antenna is one that is directional, like a "yagi" that you can point to a particular area. An "omni directional" antenna will likely be a waste of time and money and just add to the frustration. Even with a directional antenna, you're likely to still have problems receiving it. Trust us, many of us here have already been down that road.

Good luck!

Alright. Thanks everyone for your help.

I went and parked on the hill, and started hearing EVERYTHING on Layer 2. Medstar ambulance giving patient stats and ETAs, public works talking about whatever... and I was "Avoiding" stations as I went. It was not only listening to Benbrook as a favorite like it was supposed to and like I wanted... but as I started filtering out all of the junk, I did hear a few calls from Benbrook, so I know that it did work.

I got back home and have it here in my office at my desk........ crickets.

I pulled out my huge folding antenna and plugged it in... nothing.

So, if this thing does not work at my house, where I am 99% of the time, and where is the only place that I care to know what BPD is up to, it seems that this is not going to work for me.

I did order a 800 mhz specific upgraded antenna to try, but I have little hope of this working properly. If the upgraded antenna does not make it work, then this is going back.

 

[hiegtx]

Alright. Thanks everyone for your help.

I went and parked on the hill, and started hearing EVERYTHING on Layer 2. Medstar ambulance giving patient stats and ETAs, public works talking about whatever... and I was "Avoiding" stations as I went. It was not only listening to Benbrook as a favorite like it was supposed to and like I wanted... but as I started filtering out all of the junk, I did hear a few calls from Benbrook, so I know that it did work.

I got back home and have it here in my office at my desk........ crickets.

I pulled out my huge folding antenna and plugged it in... nothing.

So, if this thing does not work at my house, where I am 99% of the time, and where is the only place that I care to know what BPD is up to, it seems that this is not going to work for me.

I did order a 800 mhz specific upgraded antenna to try, but I have little hope of this working properly. If the upgraded antenna does not make it work, then this is going back.

You don't need a 'better' antenna when dealing with Simulcast. Getting a 800MHz specific antenna is not going to produce results when you're already being hammered by distortion. What you might try, is 'less' antenna, such as this:
The Paper Clip Antenna | RadioReference.com Forums

A directional antenna, as Ben has suggested, might possibly work for you when stationery at home. You aim it at one specific tower, so that signals from other transmit sites in the simulcast are excluded, or at least attenuated enough so that they don't impede your reception. However, while that might work when you are only at a single, fixed, location, that's nothing you can use when out and about in the area, or even when you are in a different room in the house, away from your directional antennas connection.

Read more about Simulcast in the Wiki:
Simulcast digital distortion - The RadioReference Wiki

Yes, I appended it in the favorites and it added pretty much every site and frequency that I can see on the RR list for the FWRRW, and yes, both Layer 1 and Layer 2 are in there. It is scanning all of that, there is just crickets on the radio. Is there any way that the trunking system is out of sync or something?

Here is the file as you asked. Thanks for your help.

I looked at your file. You have all of the FWRRS sites, which is how Sentinel handles appending from the main database. I would remove, or at least set as Avoided (locked out) all of the sites except Layers 1 & 2, unless you did want to hear some of the other agencies. If you do, then you would need to include their talkgroups, as well as the appropriate sites. From your location, you almost certainly out of range for the Dallas Simulcast & TMS sites, as well as Irving & Grand Prairie.

 

[AJSully421]

I pulled those so that I was only scanning Layer 2. It worked up on a hill, but not in my office. Maybe I need a SDS100 to better handle the simulcast... I will try the antenna tomorrow, and then maybe exchange this for the SDS and try again.

Thanks again everyone!!!

 

[KTR722]

If you get an SDS, be sure to turn on all of the service types (Law Dispatch, Law Tac, Law Talk, etc...), IIRC the programming out of the box has those turned off for whatever reason and you will not hear anything and wonder why for possibly a while.

 

[AA5ST]

To AJSully421

Just to let you know I had the same problem trying to hear Azle PD & FD
when they got on FWRRS with my old BCD396XT, Had to get an SDS100
and a 800 MHz REMTRONIX Antenna and siting on my desk right now
hearing Benbrook PD & FD just fine in Azle. Hope that helps.

Let me know if need help with a Sentinel File for Benbrook area I have a working one.

Michael Stuart - AA5ST
Azle, Texas - Parker County

 

[AJSully421]

KTR: Pro tip... thanks!

 

[AJSully421]

Michael... I bit the bullet and ordered the SDS100. I will GLADLY take any file that you have established and is known to work. THANKS!!!

 

[AA5ST]

Michael... I bit the bullet and ordered the SDS100. I will GLADLY take any file that you have established and is known to work. THANKS!!!

Here is the Sentinel Favorite Lists for Benbrook area the quick key is set
to 8, it has Benbrook P.D. & F.D., Texas Christian Univ. TCU P.D., Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary P.D. and Tarrant County Sheriff all on the
FWRRS . The file is: SW Tarrant Area.zip it cover anything from I-35W to the
west and I-30 south in Tarrant County.

Also Edgecliff Village Fire? They are VHF Conventional but I cannot pick
them up in Azle even on my SDS200 with an outside antenna but you
should be close enough to.

Michael Stuart - AA5ST
Azle, Texas - Parker County