Another new DART System

[BenScan]

Looks like it's time to change things up again. I was looking at recent FCC licenses (FCC Callsign WRVI965 (Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority), which led me to find the link below.

"L3Harris Technologies is supporting the Dallas region’s public transportation communications modernization efforts under a $24 million contract to enhance the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) radio system to Project 25 standards with next-generation technology."

<DARTing Toward Interoperability>

Imagine if they had just gone straight to P25, instead of OpenSky. They'd already be at "next-generation technology".
I suspect a lot of encryption by the way they describe it.

Happy Scanning,
Ben

 

[BenScan]

deleted

 

[mwjones]

That's interesting. With the 900MHz rebanding, it was known that they were going to have to give up their original frequencies in that band, and the license modification requests basically granted them new frequencies in the 850/860MHz band which was designated to also by OpenSky (see WROH243).

Guess that L3Harris convinced them it was time to put OpenSky out to pasture (possibly also due to the fact that while there was some interoperability with all of the other regional P25 systems, it wasn't truly interoperable). The question then becomes since this only shows 2 frequencies for a 2-site simulcast, what happens to all the 700MHz frequencies currently in use on the (never used) P25-Phase 1 system and OpenSky - will they just be another layer on the system?

 

[Motoballa]

I put in all the new frequencies shortly after they got the new licenses and I hear a control channel every so often but it's few and far between. No traffic or any data coming across either when it's up. It's only up for a few hours at a time then back down so it seems like they're still testing and getting everything together.

Not sure if this has been shared before but this is the only other thing I could find on it: https://dart.org/about/board/boardagendas/custitem6_10may22.pdf

 

[riverradio68]

I wonder if they'll encrypt bus dispatch?

 

[Motoballa]

Not sure if this has been shared before but this is the only other thing I could find on it: https://dart.org/about/board/boardagendas/custitem6_10may22.pdf

Funny how that got taken down....It had been up since May and I saw it when it was first uploaded that month. If I have one saved I'll reupload it.

 

[BenScan]

Another license added. FCC Callsign WRVM739 (Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority)

 

[KI5IRE]

Does DART provide police services for the entire TRE line, including Tarrant County? I’ve never really payed attention near the TRE stations and haven’t been to any of them in years or rode the train.

 

[KI5IRE]

Just noticed a new license issued in April for the new DART system.

FCC Callsign WRWY936 (DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY)

No longer seeing a control channel on any frequencies, including the ones currently in the database, as of recent. Anyone else seen any activity?

 

[mwjones]

I also see WQLF480 was issued about the same time, bringing us up to at least 5 licenses that have P25 Phase 2 on them, with many of them appearing to be simulcast.

I was in Plano near the site there, and didn't pick up an active control channel. That being said, it would not surprise me if Harris is implementing Phase 2 control channels on this system (they've been doing that on a number of utility systems as of late, although with this system needing some interoperability with other agencies that are on Motorola, they may leave it phase 1 Control Channel), which would render most scanners useless. Alas, I have my DSDPlus which will pick it up and decode it if they go that route.

Give the system a month or two and we may start seeing signs of life. The fact that 2 of the licenses were just granted, they are probably still building it out.

Here's the licenses I show so far and where they are located:

WQLF480 (Downtown Dallas, Buckner, Carrollton, Ledbetter, Richardson, UNT-Dallas)
WROH243 (Downtown Dallas, Buckner, UNT-Dallas)
WRVI965 (Downtown Dallas, DFW Airport)
WRVM739 (Downtown Dallas, DFW Airport, Hurst)
WRWY936 (Downtown Dallas, DFW Airport, Carrollton, Garland, Plano)

I've also found that a couple of the OpenSky licenses have been modified for allowing P25 Phase 2:

KNGK465 (Downtown Dallas, Buckner, Carrollton, Richardson, UNT-Dallas) - this one currently expires in November 2023)
WQZV416 (Garland, Plano)

 

[riverradio68]

I'm actually kind of surprised DART didn't go with a POC network for busses and trains and just keep a P25 system for DART Police. This North Texas Harris sales rep must not have gotten a scanner as a Christmas present when he/she was a kid ... Encryption for bus service, really?

 

[kv5e]

Gotta keep those tolls increasing and spend money like seasoned bureaucrats. DART has spent money like a drunken sailor in port for decades.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

I'm actually kind of surprised DART didn't go with a POC network for busses and trains and just keep a P25 system for DART Police. This North Texas Harris sales rep must not have gotten a scanner as a Christmas present when he/she was a kid ... Encryption for bus service, really?

PoC isn't as cheap as people think it is. Cost of the device plus the re-occurring cost of service (per device) can often outweigh the cost of a LMR subscriber and the long term cost of ownership of a radios system, especially at larger economies of scale.

 

[BenScan]

Hearing some tones on some 800 Mhz DART frequencies today. Might be the beginning of setup.

 

[mwjones]

Hearing some tones on some 800 Mhz DART frequencies today. Might be the beginning of setup.

Don't know if I'll get that far in town this weekend with the gear, but I have a business meeting most of the day Monday in Lewisville that should put me in range of the Carrollton site - and I'll take my mobile rig and (very extended) battery pack with me. I've been listening for it everytime I come into town, but so far haven't been successful.

 

[KI5IRE]

Are these tones audible? I have noticed some sort of sub audible tones/carriers on several new DART frequencies since last year, but nothing DSD would decode.

 

[BenScan]

Hearing audible tone, periodically on frequencies below. However, no trunked system info coming through.
P25 talk group 1, Radio ID 1

856.4125
856.7875
858.8375
859.2375

Using SDRTrunk and Trunking Recorder

 

[kmartin]

I'm thinking they will link to NTIRN

 

[mwjones]

Hearing audible tone, periodically on frequencies below. However, no trunked system info coming through.
P25 talk group 1, Radio ID 1

856.4125
856.7875
858.8375
859.2375

Using SDRTrunk and Trunking Recorder
View attachment 157585

I drove to Richardson (near TI campus) today, and took the mobile rig with me (DSDPlus), looked all up and down the 700MHz, 800MHz, and 900MHz bands, and while there was some carriers on their channels, there was no control channel, and thus nothing to decode.

Listening to the audio (since the SDS100 didn't have anything to decode I could hear the audio), it sounds like static, which is a sign that this may be gearing up to be a full L3/Harris P25 Phase II implementation, including control channels. If that's the case, only a handful of trunked radio decoders, including DSDPlus, will be able to decode it, leaving conventional scanners deaf to the control channel (since Motorola still only does Phase I on control channels). This is from experience traveling through Oklahoma and far East Texas where American Electric Power is building out a multi-state L3/Harris system.

I'll take my mobile rig to Lewisville Monday (office near SRT and I-35E) and see if I have any better luck from Carrollton site, but I doubt it, they're likely getting the repeaters up, but don't yet have the controller or the backhaul operational yet.

I'm thinking they will link to NTIRN

Been discussed before, but not likely - NTIRN is primarily Motorola, DART has been using L3/Harris for a long time (which is why they've had that abomination called "OpenSky"), also they like their walled garden. P25 gives them interoperability on the radio side, and allows other agencies to communicate with them if they absolutely need to (I suspect you'll never see an NTIRN subscriber radio affiliate with DART, but I suspect you'll occasionally see DART PD affiliate on NTIRN, particularly when there's a multi-agency response to an accident involving a DART vehicle)