Boise area scanning scene??

[cowboymike1971]

Hi, I was checking into what the scanning scene/community is like in the Boise area. I see that there is a new Digital? system coming on-line soon? What is the projected up and running date? who should be on this system? is it going to be scannable? What is the scanning scene in Boise area like? Are there a lot of you out there? I noticed this board seems very quiet and I don't see any "yahoo groups" for that area.( I hope more people are into scanning and maybe quiet and not into posting?) May be moving to the area from washington state maybe within a year. I am into scanning and the hobby and would like to try to get info from possible future fellow Boise area scanner folks. Are most of the area systems conventional as of now? If a new Digital sysytem goes on-line who/what will stay VHF/UHF conventional? Thanks and Happy Holidays..

 

[firemedic7526]

The digital system is on-line for all ps except fire. Most pd action is encrypted on the 700 digital system.

Fire is on VHF. There is some pd stuff in the 400 but for how long???

Boise has a small 800 trunk but it sounds like just bus & service stuff.

Boise is a pretty slow, and that's a good thing, place. Not like any other mid size city.

Good luck!

 

[cowboymike1971]

I just PM'd ya.. Thanks.

 

[n6brr]

Ada County LE dispatch channels are still in the clear on UHF and multicast on the 700 Mhz trunked system. Only the 700 Mhz tac channels are encrypted. ISP is UHF as well as the neighboring counties.

Check Yahoo Groups again. There is an IdaScan group that may interest you and is probably the best place to pose specific questions you may have. There are a number of locals that are monitoring the 700 trunked system.

 

[firemedic7526]

Oh yea, good point missed them the state police. BLM/USFS during the fire season, State Com, and the air ambulances.

Didn't mean to say there's nothing worth listening to. Meant that Boise is a pretty safe place and that's a good thing

Once the simulcast is shut off I think you will find that most pd freqs will be encrypted on the 700 sys.

 

[cowboymike1971]

I understood what ya meant. Thats a very good thing. Bummer about the encryption, but the hobby will probably see more of it in the future. Thanks for all the good info

 

[cowboymike1971]

So do yo think that once everyone completes the move to this new system that only PD and possibly EMS stuff will be encrypted? Or do you think Fire and Sheriff and all will go to encryption as well? Is this sytem pretty easy to monitor now? and your using a BC396T?

 

[firemedic7526]

System is easy to monitor using the 396T. The ACSO for the most part looks now to be encrypted. EMS, no idea I don't listen to them at all.

 

[cowboymike1971]

So since this system is statewide supposedly, can you also hear the other areas like pocatello and blackfoot and the other stuff on the system from the Boise area? So once this gets up and fully functional you shpuld be ablke to hear all the other users as well even from Boise?

 

[firemedic7526]

I don't know about that, hearing all around he state.

I'm not sure if others are jumping on the 700 Kool-Aid. There seems to be some falling out with the concept, state wide 700 interop. There's nothing interop about it since 700 does not talk to th feds, blm, usfs, etc. This is a wildfire state in the summer and that commo takes place on vhf narrowband and not 700. "Patching", right....

There also seems to be some question about grants and the requirements of DHS grants. Many agencies are discovering that there may be in fact no 700 digital requirement for grants as some were told???

Remember that this is a rural state. That being said think about it, 3000.00 for a portable! That's allot of pancakes, waffles, fish, etc.

The billion dollar cell industry cannot cover the state. Why would we think millions of dollars could cover the state?

It's all rather ridiculous and amazing how addicted some are to the Kool-Aid. Boarders on criminal, we'll see how it turns out.

To top it off, where's fire in Ada County? Yea, you hear them on the system but they are using vhf. It's simulcasted. Look at the equipment they carry, it's vhf. Why?

I suspect the media will soon ask the tough questions for the tax payer.

rant rant rant.....

 

[cowboymike1971]

Yes this seems to be the case i'm reading on several different boards around. Seems these companies got some pretty"slick" salesmen and they talk a good talk. Hopefully we see a trend back to VHF/UHF due to the fact that so many systems are unreliable or just downright incompatable. It just would bea bummer to own several scanners and be into a fun hobby just to listen to pub works or bus drivers.. Seems as if all the "action bands" will be encrypted before too long. seems to be the trend..

 

[tmfok7]

Yes this seems to be the case i'm reading on several different boards around. Seems these companies got some pretty"slick" salesmen and they talk a good talk. Hopefully we see a trend back to VHF/UHF due to the fact that so many systems are unreliable or just downright incompatable. It just would bea bummer to own several scanners and be into a fun hobby just to listen to pub works or bus drivers.. Seems as if all the "action bands" will be encrypted before too long. seems to be the trend..

Look at Benton County Fire (Washington) and their 800 mhz system. Sounds like they are going to go back to VHF for several different reasons. I wonder, and I have to admit I'm not up on the finer points of the newer radios, whether their [encryption] is something that can be turned on and off. I have used a system that had encryption (Motorola 800 system with STX radios) and the audio sounded like the person was in a barrel going thru a reverb! Needless to say, we didn't use it that often! Maybe Firemedic will be correct and the [media] will ask the question and have more clout than we as hobbyists surely would and force the issue of their access to general information. And P.S., if you do move down there, "Good Luck"! It will be a whole lot more saine than here!

 

[thewenk]

I don't know about that, hearing all around he state.

I'm not sure if others are jumping on the 700 Kool-Aid. There seems to be some falling out with the concept, state wide 700 interop. There's nothing interop about it since 700 does not talk to th feds, blm, usfs, etc. This is a wildfire state in the summer and that commo takes place on vhf narrowband and not 700. "Patching", right....

Normally you can't hear all around the state. However, I have heard communications between people in Boise and people in Pocatello on certain occasions-all administrative or testing type stuff. The capability does exist if needed.

The statewide 700 system sure does talk to BLM is E. Idaho. This past summer Bingham county fire crews were communicating with BLM fire ops on several occasions. I don't know what radios BLM was using, but they were definitely on the 700 system on the Bingham county fire TG.

Dave