Allen Parish Sheriff's Office

[Beaubouef]

I’m reaching out regarding the Allen Parish Sheriff's Office (APSO) (Louisiana) radio system listed in the database. I am a user of a Uniden SDS100 scanner, and despite updating to the latest version of the HomePatrol database using Sentinel, I am not receiving any trunked radio traffic from APSO. I am receiving conventional signal, but not trunked.

I suspect there may be missing or outdated information in the current trunked system listing. I have verified the scanner setup, location services, and full database scans are all functioning properly.

Can anyone with this issue?

 

[cfsimmont]

I do believe the Homepatrol version of Sentinel and the Sentinel for the SDS100/200 are different programs and this could affect your programming.

What sites are you monitoring? Scanning the whole LWIN system takes forever and you will likely miss a lot of radio traffic if you are scanning all sites. Allen Parish has two sites Oakdale and Oberlin, there isnt any point in scanning sites you can't hear due to distance. Allen Parish has no encrypted TG's so that is not your issue. What are you trying to monitor? Only Allen Parish Sheriff's Office? Local PD Fire/EMS? Louisiana State Police? Filters matter, I have found that using the Wide Narrow filter gives me best results both on trunked and conventional but your results may vary. Antenna also plays a big part in reception as well, the stock antenna isn't very good and while it will work there are better options. When mobile I use a roof mounted antenna on the car, for portable use I have the Remtronix REM-800B and it will work indoors as well if you don't have an outside antenna.

 

[YardDart63]

I'm neither near Allen nor an SDS user, so I can't really give the greatest info.

Looking at the DB, there's a DMR (Motorola Capacity Plus Multi Site (TRBO)) system named Allen Parish Sheriff, there's the LWIN system that the DB says "ALL Parish operations are on," and there's both analog and DMR conventional frequencies. I'm assuming you're talking about the Allen Parish Sheriff system.

I've read SDS radios have to have a paid upgrade to receive DMR. Has yours had this upgrade, and are you receiving the DMR conventional channels (155.3175 Coushatta Tribal Fire Dept Dispatch, 158.760 Oakdale PD Dispatch) listed on the DB page?

There's also the possibility that the APS system just isn't in use. They may have it available as a backup (in case something happens to the LWIN system), or they may be planning to migrate to it at some point in the future. Are you receiving anything at all on the LWIN system?

 

[Beaubouef]

I am monitoring a custom database that includes APSO, Oberlin PD, local fire, EMS, State Police Troop D, and some conventional walkie-talkie channels. I'm using a Remitronix 920S Antenna. Yes, State Police and other LWIN traffic come through clear, from far away too. I can hear APSO dispatch to local PD (conventional), but not hear any APSO dispatch to APSO patrol, or APSO patrol to patrol (trunked).

I've never paid for any upgrades. I do hear all Tribal Fire pager test every evening at 6PM if that helps.

The radio traffic doesn't change much if I'm inside or out, other than weather radio is much better outside. I'm pulling all the settings directly from the Sentinel Database, don't know if that matters or not, maybe I need to manually program something?

 

[INDY72]

To receive DMR you MUST pay for the DMR upgrade for Uniden scanners, then activate it. APSO has an DMR Trunked Capacity Plus with three sites. (UHF). You must have the upgrade, put the proper LCN's proper TG's etc.

 

[cfsimmont]

The Allen Parish DMR has two channels listed, both for the Sheriffs Office. If you look at the Allen Parish LWIN channels you will see more channels listed along with channels for other agencies in the Parish. I would suspect that the DMR system was in place before the Parish moved to the LWIN system for more expanded radio coverage. As for why you aren't hearing them, do you have the channels for the Sheriffs Office loaded into your scan list and the service types enabled? If you don't have the specific talk group channels in the scan list and the list is set to "Scan" and not "Search" you won't hear the missing channels.

 

[Beaubouef]

I purchased and upgraded the DMR. The channels and talk groups are loaded and scanning and it WORKS!!! Thank you so much for the information. Should I need to upgrade other things as well? Like Pro Voice, NXDN, or Waterfall in order to be able to listen to more things in my area?

 

[INDY72]

You will only need NXDN to monitor any NXDN systems. Same with PROVOICE. Waterfall is only useful for advanced users doing analysis of systems etc.