Which sites do I need for Austin PD?

[gluciano80]

I have sim 1 and 2 programmed however when I am driving around especially downtown I can't pick up anything, but driving around the south end of the city Sim 1 and 2 work fine.

 

[cjkeller]

I saw your post and had a similar question... I'm not picking up anything, much, anymore. I heard a call just now via Manchaca Fire about an active shooter, heard what sector APD would be on and have heard nothing. The Fire Department is monitoring them, I can't hear anything.

 

[gluciano80]

I saw your post and had a similar question... I'm not picking up anything, much, anymore. I heard a call just now via Manchaca Fire about an active shooter, heard what sector APD would be on and have heard nothing. The Fire Department is monitoring them, I can't hear anything.

That's crazy. I'm monitoring David and Frank sector but not hearing anything about that. What sector did they say? I wonder if TCSO has it, but I'm not hearing anything on their talk group about it.

But I have no trouble picking up any talk group in South Austin using Simulcast 1 or 2. Everything comes in fine.

 

[motorola_otaku]

All public safety should be on Simulcast 1. I believe 2 is public works primary, and only carries public safety traffic as overflow/backup.

 

[gluciano80]

All public safety should be on Simulcast 1. I believe 2 is public works primary, and only carries public safety traffic as overflow/backup.

Thanks. I'll reprogram it to just have Simulcast 1. Do you happen to know if there is a list of which talk groups are primary per site?

 

[cjkeller]

According to the fire department, all of the police were on Frank... and I heard nothing at all on Frank.

 

[gluciano80]

According to the fire department, all of the police were on Frank... and I heard nothing at all on Frank.

Ok. I did hear a shooting out of Frank about ten minutes after I replied to your post. Probably related.

 

[rvacs]

I know there is Simulcast 1 & 2 - but you all ever listen on GATRS for Central Austin - wonder what is on this?

1 (1) 010 (A) Central Austin Travis 764.46875c 764.93125a 765.21875a 765.68125a

 

[rbarker]

The 700 Mhz site serves the State Capitol police and security. DPS capitol and building security. As far as I know APD is not on 700 Mhz. Simulcast 1 is the primary for all public safety but they sometimes are on simulcast 2 also.

 

[gluciano80]

The 700 Mhz site serves the State Capitol police and security. DPS capitol and building security. As far as I know APD is not on 700 Mhz. Simulcast 1 is the primary for all public safety but they sometimes are on simulcast 2 also.

This is confusing. With so many sites how does one know which TG's are associated with each site?

 

[rbarker]

We don't know how they program the radios. We just know that for The City of Austin and Travis Co that most public safety (fire, EMS, police, sheriff) defaults on Simulcast 1 towers, and City services (trash, convention center, water, wastewater, streets, dog catcher, etc) defaults on Simulcast 2. When i monitored the 700Mhz site, I found it to all be capitol related (police and security) I see a lot of comments about reception issues and almost every time, people are using the default antenna that came with the radio. For my BCD436 I found that the Radio Shack Antenna that has the orange 800Mhz on the side worked much better. That antenna is a BNC so you have to convert the SMA to BNC for it to work. https://www.radioshack.com/products...60XXdD60W7QwVO8H83SDFhkCX4UpP0tQaAhfXEALw_wcB

 

[gluciano80]

We don't know how they program the radios. We just know that for The City of Austin and Travis Co that most public safety (fire, EMS, police, sheriff) defaults on Simulcast 1 towers, and City services (trash, convention center, water, wastewater, streets, dog catcher, etc) defaults on Simulcast 2. When i monitored the 700Mhz site, I found it to all be capitol related (police and security) I see a lot of comments about reception issues and almost every time, people are using the default antenna that came with the radio. For my BCD436 I found that the Radio Shack Antenna that has the orange 800Mhz on the side worked much better. That antenna is a BNC so you have to convert the SMA to BNC for it to work. https://www.radioshack.com/products...60XXdD60W7QwVO8H83SDFhkCX4UpP0tQaAhfXEALw_wcB

Ok thanks. I have that antenna on my pro-668. I think the issue is just going to come down to getting an external antenna for my car as the radio waves can't get past the glass/metal of the car.

 

[gluciano80]

Any recommendation on a magnetized external 800mhz antenna?

 

[garys]

The 700Mhz site seems to be a fill in site for the two Simulcast sites. I haven't stayed in downtown Austin for a few years, but the last time I did, I didn't hear a thing on it. If it works like the fill in sites in other systems with which I'm more familiar, it will only be active when someone is affiliated with the site.

Thanks for the information on Simulcast 1. Next time I'm there, I'll lock out Simulcast 2 since it seems to just confuse me.

The 700 Mhz site serves the State Capitol police and security. DPS capitol and building security. As far as I know APD is not on 700 Mhz. Simulcast 1 is the primary for all public safety but they sometimes are on simulcast 2 also.

 

[garys]

I like the Hustler MRM scanner antenna. I've been using the non magnetic version for a number of years and it provides great reception. It's relatively inexpensive, but works very well.

Any recommendation on a magnetized external 800mhz antenna?

 

[gluciano80]

The 700Mhz site seems to be a fill in site for the two Simulcast sites. I haven't stayed in downtown Austin for a few years, but the last time I did, I didn't hear a thing on it. If it works like the fill in sites in other systems with which I'm more familiar, it will only be active when someone is affiliated with the site.

Thanks for the information on Simulcast 1. Next time I'm there, I'll lock out Simulcast 2 since it seems to just confuse me.

So then in that case, wouldn't one want to have sim 1 and 2 programmed? That's how mine is set up and I see apd on sim 2 from time to time. So that makes me wonder, if sim 2 wasn't programmed then would I miss the traffic?

 

[rbarker]

Due to the amount of units scanning that talkgroup you should not miss anything monitoring public safety on Simulcast 1. But just like them, you might experience better reception depending on where you are, monitoring them on Simulcast 2. There is no guarantee that public safety will also be on Simulcast 2. I monitor both. But for instance, say you are listening to a tac channel such as Narcotics and only a few units are on that talkgroup and they are way down near the Creedmoor tower, then you may hear them better off that tower, but no guarantee. Bottom Line, if you want to hear public safety, definately scan simulcast 1, if you have room and can fit it then put in the other towers too.

 

[gluciano80]

Due to the amount of units scanning that talkgroup you should not miss anything monitoring public safety on Simulcast 1. But just like them, you might experience better reception depending on where you are, monitoring them on Simulcast 2. There is no guarantee that public safety will also be on Simulcast 2. I monitor both. But for instance, say you are listening to a tac channel such as Narcotics and only a few units are on that talkgroup and they are way down near the Creedmoor tower, then you may hear them better off that tower, but no guarantee. Bottom Line, if you want to hear public safety, definately scan simulcast 1, if you have room and can fit it then put in the other towers too.

Ok makes sense. Thanks

 

[motorola_otaku]

The 700 Mhz site serves the State Capitol police and security. DPS capitol and building security.

Good to know... that would explain why I didn't hear any of that when I was up there a couple of weeks ago.

As an aside, the DPS patrol talkgroups are carried over Simulcast 1. Heard them just fine.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Good to know... that would explain why I didn't hear any of that when I was up there a couple of weeks ago.

As an aside, the DPS patrol talkgroups are carried over Simulcast 1. Heard them just fine.

It really just depends on where they are. I occassionaly pickup DPS in Travis who are affiliated to Wilco. I actually just turned a portable on in Round Rock and it went to County Wide instead of Wilco. There's so much overlapping coverage on the system in makes NA monitoring a little difficult.

Oh yea, Lockhart and Iron Mountain (going off of memory) are also 700 MHz sites.