Virginia State police

[SWARD]

I live in the tidewater area of Virginia. I have three questions.

1, It seems I hear less state police radio traffic every month. Is more encrypted?
2. I see even the new police cars are equipped with a low band antenna. Is this for CB or is it for the old sirs mutual aid radio.
3. On that note I never hear traffic on the old low band sirs radio system. Some times I here a trooper self dispatch and tell the radio room he was notified of a incident from what ever county he is patrolling. Some times the radio room will dispatch to assist county units. Are they using cell phones in the vehicles and talking directly from the car to the local counties.

Thanks fore your help. I'm sure many of you have more experience on stars that I do.

 

[kb3isq]

Are you monitoring the STARS system? I hear troopers in Accomac and North Hampton along with Route 64 on the Chesapeake STARS system

 

[LeSueurC]

Which antenna are you referring to as the lowband antenna? Around Hampton Roads I see 3 antennas, a small antenna for lowband, a large VHF whip, and low profile 700/800 antenna.

 

[KG4INW]

Yes, they're all still equipped with low band radios for SIRS.

 

[BoxAlarm187]

Many counties will issue a county radio to the VSP area office so the trooper can talk directly with the local PD or SO.

 

[W4UVV]

VSP SIRS and other comm activity

I live in the tidewater area of Virginia. I have three questions.

1, It seems I hear less state police radio traffic every month. Is more encrypted?
2. I see even the new police cars are equipped with a low band antenna. Is this for CB or is it for the old sirs mutual aid radio.
3. On that note I never hear traffic on the old low band sirs radio system. Some times I here a trooper self dispatch and tell the radio room he was notified of a incident from what ever county he is patrolling. Some times the radio room will dispatch to assist county units. Are they using cell phones in the vehicles and talking directly from the car to the local counties.

Thanks fore your help. I'm sure many of you have more experience on stars that I do.

-----------------------

1. One of the main reasons is more VSP dispatch/mobile comms are via MDTs. Some VSP and other STARS user's LE related comms are encrypted by design. For example, DGIF's original STARS comm policy was truck mounted MDTs would be used for primary comms and voice comms were to be used for backup comms. The policy later was changed to encrypt all comms although occasionally a few can be heard in the clear.

2. The low band antenna is for SIRS. Years ago before STARS, a few VSP mobiles may have monitored CB Ch. 9 but that practice eventually was stopped. SIRS comms are active primarily in the more city/county rural areas. Years ago before trunked systems many city/county metro areas decided not to use SIRS and stopped monitoring because it was too "distracting" to their "regular" comms. Later some of these trs users added SIRS as a separate talkgroup but a few others, as far as I know, still don't use SIRS.

3. SIRS comms by design were to be between a VSP mobile to mobile and/or mobile to area city/county dispatch/mobiles but not direct mobile comms to a VSP dispatcher. Within the past three years several SIRS repeaters were licensed/installed in selected rural areas which additionally include VSP direct dispatch/mobile comms capability. Some VSP mobiles additionally have 4 vhf antennas configured in a diamond pattern for LOJACK stolen/vehicles reception/tracking signals on 173.0750 mhz. Other selected VSP mobiles have vehicle license tag reader capability.

John
W4UVV

 

[tglendye]

Also, some troopers simply have a scanner. They may hear a crash/ incident and self dispatch.

 

[LeSueurC]

-----------------------

1. One of the main reasons is more VSP dispatch/mobile comms are via MDTs. Some VSP and other STARS user's LE related comms are encrypted by design. For example, DGIF's original STARS comm policy was truck mounted MDTs would be used for primary comms and voice comms were to be used for backup comms. The policy later was changed to encrypt all comms although occasionally a few can be heard in the clear.

2. The low band antenna is for SIRS. Years ago before STARS, a few VSP mobiles may have monitored CB Ch. 9 but that practice eventually was stopped. SIRS comms are active primarily in the more city/county rural areas. Years ago before trunked systems many city/county metro areas decided not to use SIRS and stopped monitoring because it was too "distracting" to their "regular" comms. Later some of these trs users added SIRS as a separate talkgroup but a few others, as far as I know, still don't use SIRS.

3. SIRS comms by design were to be between a VSP mobile to mobile and/or mobile to area city/county dispatch/mobiles but not direct mobile comms to a VSP dispatcher. Within the past three years several SIRS repeaters were licensed/installed in selected rural areas which additionally include VSP direct dispatch/mobile comms capability. Some VSP mobiles additionally have 4 vhf antennas configured in a diamond pattern for LOJACK stolen/vehicles reception/tracking signals on 173.0750 mhz. Other selected VSP mobiles have vehicle license tag reader capability.

John
W4UVV

Here in Hampton Roads VSP monitors ORION, and a lot of the local cities monitor ORION as well on Incident Command 1. This has taken the place of SIRS, at least in the Hampton Roads area.