Bell County

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Wes

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I didn't get a chance to do any monitoring, but Bell County SO has new handheld Harris radios. They're saying they're on a "new" radio system as well. Also, saw Temple EMS (which is the name that AMR is using there) operating with Motorola XTS series handhelds. (As y'all probably know, AMR replaced Scott & White for EMS in Temple and much of the county.)

Looks like changes in the area?
 

Project25_MASTR

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The database doesn't reflect that Bell county is operating primarily on the P25 system. It was kind of a big deal politically though because many of the smaller departments etc in the county (and neighboring counties) are somewhat fed-up with trying to get the local radio shop or Daily Wells to service them and have been switching to Motorola and from what I've heard, it was almost as if a good portion of the current system subscribers threatened to abandon the system if the county didn't reconsider their stance on GE/MaCOM/Harris only subscribers and allow Motorola.

I know the programming is some what different compared to what I've seen of Motorola's trunking systems.
 

Wes

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I would actually love to see the database get updated, but it's not a system I'm regularly within range of to monitor.
 

n5ou

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P25

I know that KPD has recently switched to a new radio they are calling "digital". I work in an office that includes both KPD and "others". Others are still analog and monitor le2 on the old EDACS system. They also monitor KPD on analog.
That tells me they installed a bridge as part of the upgrade they did at Bell County Call Center. So I guess we need to re-scan the 800mhz blocks for new p25 activity as I have verified it is not provoice but rather p25 kpd is using, but the bridge is allowing others to continue to use analog systems concurrently. A while back the did a p25 test down on 700mhz but I have already verified there is no control channel or activity down there.
Has anyone already scanned the p25 stuff to save me some work?

Thanks
N5OU
 

Project25_MASTR

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SID: 000A
WACN: 924D5
RFSS: A

Channels:
857.2375
858.2375
859.2375
856.0875
859.7625
856.4875
857.0875
858.4875
859.4875
859.0375
856.4625
857.4625
858.4625
859.4625
858.0375
856.7275
858.7375
859.7375
855.4875

FCC License is under WMPL266
 
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Ensnared

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Former Warden

I know that KPD has recently switched to a new radio they are calling "digital". I work in an office that includes both KPD and "others". Others are still analog and monitor le2 on the old EDACS system. They also monitor KPD on analog.
That tells me they installed a bridge as part of the upgrade they did at Bell County Call Center. So I guess we need to re-scan the 800mhz blocks for new p25 activity as I have verified it is not provoice but rather p25 kpd is using, but the bridge is allowing others to continue to use analog systems concurrently. A while back the did a p25 test down on 700mhz but I have already verified there is no control channel or activity down there.
Has anyone already scanned the p25 stuff to save me some work?

Thanks
N5OU

I talked to an informant who used to be a Warden who worked with me in GV. When ahs worked for Bell county, she indicated that Bell was migrating to a new digital system; however, she was unaware as to whether this was the old 700 mhz license or not. It has been sitting dormant for years.

I've been monitoring several PV talk groups in Temple. I am still attempting to differentiate whether some of these countywide or exclusively set for Temple. I am unaware of any KPD units having digital. Great find!

I am going to setup a Favorite list for the frequencies you listed and set it on ID search to see what I can find.

At present, I am monitoring surveillance on EDACS 9-047, attempting to establish PC on someone. I have only identified one countywide talk group, but I cannot tell if it is associated with the DA or some task force. In time, I will submit.
 

Ensnared

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Bingo: Active TGs

Today, I loaded the frequencies and am already hearing LE traffic on TG 51185. To me, it sounds like Phase II. I am hearing what sounds like Temple Dispatch on this talk group. If I were a betting man, I would say this one is Temple PD Dispatch. I am going to dust off my PSR 500 to find out the various control channels, provided that they have been finalized, if that is proper wording.

While I am typing this, I also heard:

TGs:

50497 LE (said Bell County). This sounds like Bell County Dispatch, can't be sure yet.
50289 LE (area Stan Schlueter & 190, also heard Catalina)
50508 LE
50502 LE (Identified as Killeen)
65186 (?}
50289 LE (talking about Rancier)
 
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hiegtx

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Today, I loaded the frequencies and am already hearing LE traffic on TG 51185. To me, it sounds like Phase II. I am hearing what sounds like Temple Dispatch on this talk group. If I were a betting man, I would say this one is Temple PD Dispatch. I am going to dust off my PSR 500 to find out the various control channels, provided that they have been finalized, if that is proper wording.

While I am typing this, I also heard:

TGs:

50497 LE (said Bell County). This sounds like Bell County Dispatch, can't be sure yet.
50289 LE (area Stan Schlueter & 190, also heard Catalina)
50508 LE
50502 LE (Identified as Killeen)
65186 (?}
50289 LE (talking about Rancier)
On your 436HP, you should see either PT0 or PT1 (the slots being used) if it is P25 Phase II. If using Phase one, you'll see only P25 in the display.
 

Ensnared

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Thanks, hiegTX. I have it on record at present in order to monitor these once I get back to Waco. God, I love finding new talk groups. A special thanks goes out to MCore25. That was nice radio angling. You never know what you're going to catch. LOL.

But, hiegTX, this is the one that still puzzles me in light of this new discovery: https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=6897
 
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Project25_MASTR

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Thanks, Steve. I have it on record at present in order to monitor these once I get back to Waco. God, I love finding new talk groups. A special thanks goes out to MCore25. That was nice radio angling. You never know what you're going to catch. LOL.



The channels I listed are the control channels. It does appear to be simulcast (license suggests 3 or 4 sites).

With Harris, every channel is capable of being control (from what I’ve read). With Motorola, only 4 channels can be control channels (two per switch).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Ensnared

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Adjustments

The channels I listed are the control channels. It does appear to be simulcast (license suggests 3 or 4 sites).

With Harris, every channel is capable of being control (from what I’ve read). With Motorola, only 4 channels can be control channels (two per switch).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am going to hook up my PSR 500 tomorrow and find active CC and AC with Pro96Com so that we can start submitting these. I have never seen a radio system with that many control channels. In my opinion, I believe these are system frequencies. Of course, I like to wait until everything is known a little more. I hope the system in question is exclusive to LE because I really hate locking out sanitation, city hall, etc.
 
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hiegtx

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I am going to hook up my PSR 500 tomorrow and find active CC and AC with Pro96Com so that we can start submitting these. I have never seen a radio system with that many control channels. In my opinion, I believe these are system frequencies. Of course, I like to wait until everything is known a little more. I hope the system in question is exclusive to LE because I really hate locking out sanitation, city hall, etc.

The channels I listed are the control channels. It does appear to be simulcast (license suggests 3 or 4 sites).

With Harris, every channel is capable of being control (from what I’ve read). With Motorola, only 4 channels can be control channels (two per switch).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Don't forget what MCore noted- that since this appears to be a Harris P25 system, as opposed to Motorola, every system frequency can turn up as a control channel. I've seen comments elsewhere that some Harris systems change daily.
 

Ensnared

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Woodway: 1st Cherry

Yes, I cut my teeth on the first VHF P25 I knew to exist, Woodway, Texas. I remember getting really irritated trying to find the AC and CC out of the identified lot when it kept changing frequently. This is why I said I was going to wait until things settled down.

Bearcom took forever to find the right CC and AC; however, their system was complicated by the VHF analog/digital battleground over the same frequency. In fact, it was a mess. Then, when that did not work, they resorted to the really bizarre, Marine band. LOL.

Finally, Bell County is going to have a P25 trunking system. I am tired of the scratchy signals I receive on analog.
 

Project25_MASTR

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Yes, I cut my teeth on the first VHF P25 I knew to exist, Woodway, Texas. I remember getting really irritated trying to find the AC and CC out of the identified lot when it kept changing frequently. This is why I said I was going to wait until things settled down.



Bearcom took forever to find the right CC and AC; however, their system was complicated by the VHF analog/digital battleground over the same frequency. In fact, it was a mess. Then, when that did not work, they resorted to the really bizarre, Marine band. LOL.



Finally, Bell County is going to have a P25 trunking system. I am tired of the scratchy signals I receive on analog.



Don’t get me started on VHF…some days I hate it and others I love it.

Bearcom has nothing to do with it by the way. Astro 25 systems are sold and engineered direct by Motorola. Labor is contracted out to the MSS (Bearcom in the case of Woodway, CTS in the case of Western Counties, RZ for a lot of the 800 MHz side of GATRRS). Motorola had a lot of problems with the Woodway system.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Embalmer-Mortician

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SID: 000A
WACN: 924D5
RFSS: A

Channels:
857.2375
858.2375
859.2375
856.0875
859.7625
856.4875
857.0875
858.4875
859.4875
859.0375
856.4625
857.4625
858.4625
859.4625
858.0375
856.7275
858.7375
859.7375
855.4875

FCC License is under WMPL266

On my 436hp 856.7275 becomes 856.7300. And I tried to search WMPL266 on the FCC ULS site to verify all the frequencies and the license doesn't come up. So much fun.
 

Ensnared

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Bingo: Another Fish

New TG: 50498, definitely LE, unknown agency. Have hooked up PSR 500, working on this now. Wow, I forgot how to operate Pro96.com. I am hearing one CC at present, 857.2375. I am still attempting to get this PSR 500 to decode.
 
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Embalmer-Mortician

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Embalmer-Mortician

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Is the EDACS system still there? Maybe those are what's left of it.

No they aren't part of the EDACS system. I am going guess the list above was determined with software so it is probably what the system is reporting so who knows.
 
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