AARRS seriously 😡

[NC5267]

From where he is, in Windcrest, he's between sites 14 & 15, which appear to be non-simulcast, so that's good for mim, though at times, he might not hear talkgroups from other corners of Bexar County, which are not carries on either of these sites.
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From your location, in Cibolo, you should be able to get the Seguin site (09), as well as 14 & 15. But if you hold off until getting an SDS100, then simulcast will not be an issue for you.

Sites 14 and 15 don't carry any of the traffic from the AARRS. It only carries the TXDOT HERO program dispatchers. These Sites 11.12.13 and 14,15 are part of an old overlay system called SAUA when the Provoice system was up and running. It was funded with a state or Homeland Security grant. It was never very active, only when a subscriber radio would be on a random channel. Mainly DPS used it for the ones that didn't have a pro voice-capable radio. Sometimes some PD or SO traffic would come across. But, very rare. Now I have only heard the HERO drivers dispatched on that system. It's not connected to the AARRS. I don't know any agency that has it programmed in. It used to have a separate page.

Site 9 is an extension of the AARRS. I am in the Live Oak area and can't pick it up. I know from a friend that works for a local task force in his what he called "SAPD radio; that site is called SA Extended."

 

[hiegtx]

Sites 14 and 15 don't carry any of the traffic from the AARRS. It only carries the TXDOT HERO program dispatchers. These Sites 11.12.13 and 14,15 are part of an old overlay system called SAUA when the Provoice system was up and running. It was funded with a state or Homeland Security grant. It was never very active, only when a subscriber radio would be on a random channel. Mainly DPS used it for the ones that didn't have a pro voice-capable radio. Sometimes some PD or SO traffic would come across. But, very rare. Now I have only heard the HERO drivers dispatched on that system. It's not connected to the AARRS. I don't know any agency that has it programmed in. It used to have a separate page.

Site 9 is an extension of the AARRS. I am in the Live Oak area and can't pick it up. I know from a friend that works for a local task force in his what he called "SAPD radio; that site is called SA Extended."

Good to know. With so few frequencies assigned to sites such as 14 & 15, I knew they were not carrying all the traffic. Just did not know how limited (only HERO).

 

[otter9309]

It’s all the same system, one side is just Phase 1 and multicast.

 

[NC5267]

It used to be a standalone system when the Provoice system was operational—separate FCC callsigns from the AARRS sites. Federal grants funded it, and I heard Daily Wells maintains it, but only if someone calls them about issues. Very little traffic even then. I think the only reason the HERO guys are on it is that DPS would use the system to access the Provoice system when they didn't have provoice radios. So TXDOT being another state agency, jumped on it. Why they only show up on the sites I mentioned above and not on the AARRS sites.

I have seen some of the programming of a few agencies' new radios on the AARRS system, and none of those sites are programmed in. So it looks like just the state has those sites programmed in. Most of those towers are colocated with AARRS towers also.

 

[rattlerbb01]

It used to be a standalone system when the Provoice system was operational—separate FCC callsigns from the AARRS sites. Federal grants funded it, and I heard Daily Wells maintains it, but only if someone calls them about issues. Very little traffic even then. I think the only reason the HERO guys are on it is that DPS would use the system to access the Provoice system when they didn't have provoice radios. So TXDOT being another state agency, jumped on it. Why they only show up on the sites I mentioned above and not on the AARRS sites.

I have seen some of the programming of a few agencies' new radios on the AARRS system, and none of those sites are programmed in. So it looks like just the state has those sites programmed in. Most of those towers are colocated with AARRS towers also.

I added some more notes to the AARRS page hoping people will read them before locking onto the 700 sites. If anything, with the GATRRS TxDOT site, Harlandale ISD site, and possible others, I would bet that the 700 MHz sites' days are numbered honestly.

On a related but separate note, I've long thought that it was strange that a seamless connection between the Middle Rio Grande and core GATRRS sites near Austin has never materialized along US 90 and IH 35.

 

[KevinC]

On a related but separate note, I've long thought that it was strange that a seamless connection between the Middle Rio Grande and core GATRRS sites near Austin has never materialized along US 90 and IH 35.

All they need is a high VHF site in Medina County for 90 and one (maybe 2) on I-35. I’d put money on TxDOT having the plans for 35.