Zapata County Tx- Border Patrol hearing nothing

[wiz4769]

Ok, so long story short, my dad goes fishing a couple times a year down at lake Falcon. He said its Zapata County for sure where he goes. I tried to set up his RS Pro 106 with Zapata County sheriff and Border Patrol. Of coarse we live in DFW so I had to just load up the frequencies I found and told him to let me know how it went the next time he went down there. He just got back and after 3-4 days he said he never got 1 hit, he tried long periods and different times of day. He said he could physically see a roadblock/Check setup and he tried for about an hour and never got anything. So my question is what frequencies would be missing?

Again I added Zapata County Sheriff just the 2 main ones, 155.55000 and 155.80500 both with PL 131.8...then I added what shows in the DB for Border Patrol there, 166.97500 PL 203.5 and 170.72500 PL 100....I really dont know why he never heard 1 hit with this, nothing really to mess up on these...Is there any other frequencies I should of added or an idea why he never heard anything? He was thinking he would hear all kinds of stuff as he witnesses them all the time as this is a hotspot for border action. So any help would be great.

 

[ChrisP]

.then I added what shows in the DB for Border Patrol there, 166.97500 PL 203.5 and 170.72500 PL 100....I really dont know why he never heard 1 hit with this, nothing really to mess up on these...Is there any other frequencies I should of added or an idea why he never heard anything? He was thinking he would hear all kinds of stuff as he witnesses them all the time as this is a hotspot for border action. So any help would be great.

I can't speak for the Zapata SO, but the Border Patrol has all gone to APCO P-25 digital, and mostly encrypted. Since you programmed the frequencies with a PL tone, he would have heard nothing, not even the encrypted digital noise.

I don't have any current updates for the Border Patrol frequencies in that area, but they are beginning to change and add channels in other areas of the TX/MX border, so the only way to find them, encrypted or not, is search the VHF federal band, 162-174 MHz...

- Chris

 

[wiz4769]

Ok so the data is just old and not valid it would seem in this area of the border. Hes not savy enough to scan for anything I havent set up for him so I guess he will just have to wait till some of this is updated and will be out of luck if its all encrypted.

 

[mass-man]

It appears you did the best you could based on the info you had, ie the RRDB! Chris is right about the Border Patrol...all P25 and often encrypted. As for the SO, they could have moved to a different radio system and it might not be in the DB. Thats a desolate part of the state and a new radio system could go unnoticed. Next time he goes, show him how to search a preset range, say 154-160 and see if he hears anything.

 

[texasemt13]

From some friends in BP, and some specifically here in Texas.

The Laredo sectors and El Paso sectors should switch to full-time P25 soon. In the Laredo Sector (where I live) most BP is still analog, in the clear. However, the closer you get to the border, the more you will find P25 (some encryption) used. There are a lot of analog repeaters around and a lot of P25 repeaters around.

Even though CBP and OBP might be P25 & encrypted in most of the country, they are not down here (though you will find some encryption). It's a good mix still but that is changing (supposedly this year). Whether it is full time encyption has yet to be seen.

If you're importing info directly from RR my biggest suggestion would be to change the mode of ALL the federal frequencies (or just all of CBP and OBP) to "Auto." That way it will hear the transmission whether it is in analog or digital, no matter what. That's how mine are setup and I don't miss a beat. If I was more local to the area (Zapata Cty) I could offer better suggestions relating to specific frequency usage. If you haven't already, make sure you check out the Texas Federal Wiki. It's a "little better" for regional programming than working through the DB.

 

[al95]

Where I live here in Brownsville,TX I always hear CBP/ICE in the clear. Some channels are P25. If you are only programming those two frequencies good luck because CBP/ICE use alot more frequencies. Those frequecies can be found in this link CBP Nets - The RadioReference Wiki or in this page
http://forums.radioreference.com/texas-radio-discussion-forum/143008-texas-federal-monitoring.html

 

[ecps92]

The BP/ICE/CBP PL/DPL/NAC for one region is different in others.

I would leave the tone blank, however many are or have moved to P25
so, having a Digital Scanner too .. this might explain that issue.

Again I added Zapata County Sheriff just the 2 main ones, 155.55000 and 155.80500 both with PL 131.8...then I added what shows in the DB for Border Patrol there, 166.97500 PL 203.5 and 170.72500 PL 100....I really dont know why he never heard 1 hit with this, nothing really to mess up on these...Is there any other frequencies I should of added or an idea why he never heard anything? He was thinking he would hear all kinds of stuff as he witnesses them all the time as this is a hotspot for border action. So any help would be great.

 

[al95]

I often hear the in 163.67500, 162.875, 170.7750, 170.7000, 168.97500 this are some of the most use frequencies in my area.

 

[jf4164]

Hello:

I am in West Palm Beach, Florida--about 70 miles north of Miami. I see u made reference to 170.725 mHz out your way.
This is our active frequency here in Palm Beach County--It NEVER shuts up Input is in the 163 range.
They run p/l of 100.0--NOT digital--plain old analog.

Just FYI

73's

John Fulford--WA4VPY

 

[nycap]

Ok, so long story short, my dad goes fishing a couple times a year down at lake Falcon. He said its Zapata County for sure where he goes. I tried to set up his RS Pro 106 with Zapata County sheriff and Border Patrol. Of coarse we live in DFW so I had to just load up the frequencies I found and told him to let me know how it went the next time he went down there. He just got back and after 3-4 days he said he never got 1 hit, he tried long periods and different times of day. He said he could physically see a roadblock/Check setup and he tried for about an hour and never got anything. So my question is what frequencies would be missing?

Again I added Zapata County Sheriff just the 2 main ones, 155.55000 and 155.80500 both with PL 131.8...then I added what shows in the DB for Border Patrol there, 166.97500 PL 203.5 and 170.72500 PL 100....I really dont know why he never heard 1 hit with this, nothing really to mess up on these...Is there any other frequencies I should of added or an idea why he never heard anything? He was thinking he would hear all kinds of stuff as he witnesses them all the time as this is a hotspot for border action. So any help would be great.

if you can see them then you use a analog/digital capable frequency counter with the anntena tuned for 162-174.

 

[memo124]

Zapata County

Those frequencies are correct. I listen to them every time I travel to Laredo from Edinburg. You should add 154.190 for fire.

154.650 for Sheriff mobile
151.415 for TX Parks & Wildlife
159.210 dor DPS P25