2005-2008 VIPER Discussion (Archive)

[N8IAA]

This is for Jeffmulter: Can the Asheville and Macon CC's be decoded by an analog scanner? Or. just by a digital scanner? I am presuming that they are still on Lo-VHF in the western part of the state. I'm guessing that even tough that it is a 3600 baud system, that it still cannot be decoded by an analog scanner. There is a digital, 3600 baud system that has analog and digital TG's and can't be monitored by my 97, but can by my 96. So, I guess that that answers my question. Oh, well.
TIA,
Larry

 

[scannerfreak]

Saw this and thought I would share:

http://www.reflector.com/local/content/news/stories/2008/02/26/BOCmeeting.html

Pitt County:

In other action Monday, commissioners approved the transfer of $65,158 from the county's contingency funds to the sheriff's budget. The money will purchase mobile and portable radios for the VIPER 800 Megahertz radio system which allows the sheriff's office to communicate better with other agencies throughout the state.

 

[jeffmulter]

>> Can the Asheville and Macon CC's be decoded by an analog scanner?

ALL Viper control channels can currently be decoded with an analog scanner. By definition, a Motorola 3600 baud control channel IS analog.

Larry - what you (and others) are confusing are the terms "digital system," vs. "digital talkgroup."

A digital talkgroup can operate on an analog trunked system, and your analog scanner will decode that talkgroup's I-D. The analog scanner simply cannot convert the voice into something you can understand.

A digital system requires a scanner able to decode the particular digital scheme in use. P25 digital is becoming more common, and the current crop of digital scanners will decode it with some variation in success. There are a couple of digital schemes - Open Sky, Multi-Net - which the current digital scanners cannot decode.

>> I am presuming that they are still on Lo-VHF in the western part of the state.

Because the Viper system has not been built-out in western N.C., low band conventional channels remain in use.

As Viper sites become operational, you will hear the dispatchers transmitting on both low band and the Viper sites, and troopers responding on either low band or Viper ... but their replies are not simulcast on both radio systems.

>> I'm guessing that even tough that it is a 3600 baud system, that it still cannot be decoded by an analog scanner.

Again, any trunk-tracking scanner can decode a 3600 baud control channel.

>> There is a digital, 3600 baud system that has analog and digital TG's and can't be monitored by my 97, but can by my 96.

If the system has analog talkgroups on it, it is not a "digital" system. By definition, it is an analog system with some digital talkgroups. An analog scanner will decode the control channel data.

With regards to specifically monitoring the NCHP, go to the database information on RadioReference ... http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=4087

Look at the talkgroup information, and note the middle column, which indicates if a particular talkgroup is "analog" (A) or "digital" (D). You'll see that all the district dispatch talkgroups for the NCHP are analog (at this time) ... so you can monitor them with any scanner that tracks Motorola trunked systems.

To sum things up, the greatest limiting factor to hearing the NCHP on Viper in western N.C. may be the limited number of operational Viper sites.

I hope that helps, Larry.

And, if you did well at the casinos, you might want to stop by Grove Electronics in Brasstown on the way home and pick up a digital scanner ... for future needs, of course.

 

[N8IAA]

Thanks, Jeff. That answers a lot of my questions. Easy to understand and relate to my knowledge of analog/digital. I have a Pro-96 that is used for digital stuff, as well as, analog. I just wish it did LTR. They added a lot of features on the PSR-500 that I don't deem necessary, other than the LTR. Don't like the UI system of programming. I know that getting used to the DMA of Uniden scanners would be easier, and believe me, I like my GRE's! I'm one that like banks in scanners.
Larry

 

[nitroboie]

Expect to hear lots of action on VIPER starting today throughout the weekend since NCAA tourney is in town.

 

[tglendye]

I am looking for a VIPER site in the northern part of the state around Eden. I see that Eden has a license for a site, but don't see where it is active yet. Does anyone know if there is an active site in that area? I haven't found one in the database yet, and don't know where the closest one is.

Thanks,
Todd

 

[randyK]

You might try the Sauratown mtn. site with 868.4500 for the control channel & maybe the Greensboro site with 868.8875 for the control channel. I don't think any of the Rockingham county sites are up yet. Randy

 

[tglendye]

Thanks for the information.
Todd

 

[jeffmulter]

The Viper site at the Troop H / Monroe communications center is on the air. Control channel is 868.325 Mhz.

According to a friend from Union County, the site was brought up on Thursday (03/20).

So far, during about a half hour of listening, no active talkgroups have been noted on the site. The signal down here - just over the Union County / N.C. line in the Indian Land, S.C., is surprisingly strong off the rooftop discone.

BTW - a new supervisor begins work at the Troop H radio shop on Monday. I understand his name is Ralph Bartlett, and he is from the area. If you have reason to go by the headquarters, be sure to say "hello" and welcome him.

 

[jeffmulter]

Sorry ... I should have included that the site I-D is C123-0019. For those that need it, the site frequencies should be:

868.325 (control)
860.9375
859.9375
858.9375
856.9375

 

[hamstang]

Thanks Jeff I live about 5 miles north of Indian Land SC, but I hear no CC on 868.325 868.675 is the CC I hear with an I-D of C123h-0022

 

[kg4pbd]

Thanks Jeff I live about 5 miles north of Indian Land SC, but I hear no CC on 868.325 868.675 is the CC I hear with an I-D of C123h-0022

868.675 is the VIPER site in Kings Mountain site in Cleveland County.

From Providence Rd & 485 I get a stronger signal from the Kings Mnt. site than I'm getting from the new Monroe site.

Does anyone know what happened to the Heath site? I can barely hear the control ch. now. I used to get it fairly strong here.

 

[reconrider8]

What you use the system id for anyway?

 

[Grog]

What you use the system id for anyway?

If you have a scanner that displays the sustem ID (like my pro 97/2055) it helps to be sure of what system you are hearing.

Once I thought I was getting another tower (SE of me) with a very strong signal but pboy reminded me that the frequency I was hearing was used on a new site that had gone up NW of me. If I had put paid attention to the system ID and cross-checked it with the known list I would have seen that


It is also useful when searching for new frequencies and systems, If I am out of town and find a control channel I can program it in my scanner and write down the system ID and look it up later.

 

[reconrider8]

like 2150 or somethin then go to the viper page and search it to see what you are picking up like?

 

[bonus1331]

The Viper site at the Troop H / Monroe communications center is on the air. Control channel is 868.325 Mhz.

According to a friend from Union County, the site was brought up on Thursday (03/20).

So far, during about a half hour of listening, no active talkgroups have been noted on the site. The signal down here - just over the Union County / N.C. line in the Indian Land, S.C., is surprisingly strong off the rooftop discone.

BTW - a new supervisor begins work at the Troop H radio shop on Monday. I understand his name is Ralph Bartlett, and he is from the area. If you have reason to go by the headquarters, be sure to say "hello" and welcome him.

Been logging since Monday and traffic has been light with:
3632-Troop H Dist. 6
3568-Troop H Dist. 4
3664-Troop H
20016-VIPER Maint.-Is this digital?
15856-Unknown
496-Unknown

Once again, I never seem to have good luck with strong VIPER signal no matter what the site.
Here at Idlewild and 485 on the Union County side; 2 bar signal using either the 800 Yagi (changed all directions) and a Scantenna.

 

[blinddog50]

David,
Much like you I haven't had much luck with VIPER.
Been hearing more two way activity from NCHP off of the Char-Meck trs recently.
Will be heading east this weekend, maybe I'll hear more off other VIPER sites.

 

[hamstang]

BTW - a new supervisor begins work at the Troop H radio shop on Monday. I understand his name is Ralph Bartlett, and he is from the area. If you have reason to go by the headquarters, be sure to say "hello" and welcome him.[/QUOTE]


Ralph is indeed from the area and is a ham operator as is his wife. Good folks.....

Vern WJ4S

 

[jeffmulter]

>> 20016-VIPER Maint.-Is this digital?

Yes - both digital and encrypted ... atleast some of the time. The actual I-D, with the adjusted status bit, will display as 20024 when encrypted.

In the clear on Tuesday, they appeared to be working on the microwave system.

 

[jeffmulter]

>> Much like you I haven't had much luck with VIPER. Been hearing more two way activity from NCHP off of the Char-Meck trs recently. Will be heading east this weekend, maybe I'll hear more off other VIPER sites.

Nice lead-in for me, Blinddog. I've got a PROBLEM with monitoring the Monroe site, and maybe someone reading this thread can help.

When the site came alive, I set one of the 996 scanners to monitor it. I heard nothing in "scan" mode, although I could see a couple of relevant IDs in "hold" on the control frequency.

I'd switch over to "search" mode, and hear the active talkgroups (although the alpha doesn't appear in "search"). When I'd go back to "scan" - with just the Monroe site unlocked - NOTHING.

Now, I tried 2 996 scanners side-by-side. The one is scan - nothing. The one in search - it was active.

I then tried the same test with a 396 and a 246. The same results with all 4 scanners ... nothing heard when in "scan" mode.

I have confirmed the following settings are correct for each scanner:

- correct system (Monroe / Viper) is being scanned / searched
- status bit setting is set to "ignore"
- no talkgroups or groups are locked out
- the talkgroup IDs are entered correctly
- there appears to be no status bit variations on the Troop H patrol channels

Any comments or suggestions ?