can anyone pick up Texas DPS area 3 ?

[iweberdudei]

Hello.

Can anyone receive Texas DPS frequencies on a digital scanner? I am having trouble with that.

Would appreciate any advise.

My new Uniden Bearcat Scanner just arrived today. Its an APCO25 digital scanner, Trunk Tracker IV, BCD996XT.

I bought it from Scanner Master. I paid $70 for them to program Texas DPS (highway patrol) frequencies, all areas of Texas. I am living in Area 3 (corpus christi/San Antonio). Area 3 has over 30 DPS frequencies assigned to this area. I have the scanner on, and its scanning away, but I have not heard any traffic in the past 3 hours .

I am wondering why that might be. I paid over $700 for the radio and software accessories. I am somewhat disappointed. Can Anyone help? I have the scanner indoors with an outdoor antenna.
Thanks very much.

Jimmy in Corpus

 

[scannerfreak]

Moved to the Texas forum. Please do not post the same thread in multiple forums. Thanks..

 

[jclarkr6]

Jimmy, are you picking up any other frequencies on the Texas DPS system? If you are, then I would double check the frequencies that have been programmed into your scanner for Texas DPS Region 3, paying special attention to the dispatch frequencies. If you are not receiving any frequencies on the DPS system, you should make sure that the Texas DPS system is programmed into a conventional system and that the appropriate audio is selected for each channel (All, Analog Only, or Digital Only). I see that several of the dispatch frequencies, including DPS Corpus Christi dispatch, are used in P25 Mode, so you will need to ensure that the dispatch frequencies for the area that you want to monitor are set to receive the appropriate type of audio. You can determine if a frequency is used in P25 Mode by looking under the "Mode" column in the database. All the information you need to program/double check the frequencies can be found here: Department of Public Safety (DPS) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Personally, I don't trust anyone else to program my scanner. I feel that doing it myself ensures that the programming is accurate and it also allows me to become more familiar with my scanner. My BCD396XT came preloaded (from the factory) with the Illinois Starcom21 (P25) system. However, many of the sites and frequencies were incorrectly programmed or just flat out wrong. I ended up deleting the preprogrammed Starcom21 system and replacing it with a Starcom21 system that I programmed on my own by hand.

 

[canek]

LTR Passport

can I Program my pro-92 with ltr passport syst. thank you.

 

[iweberdudei]

THANKS for the replies

NClark Thank you.

I agree, programming a scanner yourself allows one to become familar with the radio....I have already come to realize that.

Well, The Texas DPS (region 3) has about 30 frequencies in this area. I have found that only two are active with on air traffic. Of course I've only been monitoring for a day. Those two said channels are definitey programmed in my scanner. The others are silent and may possibly be as back up channels or something. Who knows (or old channles no longer in use).

As for allowing others to program, I do think some of the channels are wrong, but, I am sure the programmer just copied and pasted from Radio reference dot com. The same thing I could have done myself and eventually did later.

While getting adjusted to my new scanner, I went through some costly growing pains. I accidently deleted part of the frequencies that I had paid big bucks to have programmed. I was so mad at myself.

But, that incident forced me to stress a little more and well, after smoking a cigarette and scratching my head (and Im not a smoker) I went back inside, sat down, and I finally figured out how to program the freakin thing myself and was able to recupe the lost channels. So all is well now. Ain't nothing like learning the hard way.

As for P25, I did notice that. Indeed. The pre prgrammed freqs in my scanner were set as "conventional". My software application (ARC-XT Basic) allows me to change the mode to P25 and other modes. But when I did change it to P25, just as an experiment, the spreadsheet changed its look and I could no longer see the scanner frequencies and information. I will be calling my vendor's tech support about that query.
But, as its set to "conventional" I can still monitor "2" DPS channels in my area on conventional mode, even though they say P25 on Radio References web site. My guess is, in this day and age, most troopers run their 28's and 29's via lap top computer mounted in their cars. So less on air traffic. I dont know. I'm still learning.

Thanks for such a generous response.

Jimmy M

 

[texasemt13]

Well, The Texas DPS (region 3) has about 30 frequencies in this area. I have found that only two are active with on air traffic.

You hit it on the head.

Those two said channels are definitely programmed in my scanner. The others are silent and may possibly be as back up channels or something. Who knows (or old channels no longer in use).

You hit it on the head again. Backup, late night chat, and some are no longer used. Report what you can.

 

[iweberdudei]

I looked for a Texas Forum and could not find one.

 

[iweberdudei]

YEP and for the record ( and this came from pains taking sweat blood and tears and a labor of love) the ONLY two DPS frequencies working at any given time for region 3 (corpus christi) are:

155.46750 and 155.88750

hehe

 

[Michael-SATX]

Here in San Antonio about 2 years ago, a DPS officer handed me this list of freqs
that his boss gave him so that I could program them into their Pro-2096 Digital Base
scanner that we installed with an outside RS 200-0043 disconne antenna at their
DPS helocopter hanger at Stinson Field, where they keep 1 of their 10 helocopters.
The wanted to be in tune with the surrounding area in case they were called in to assist.

These are the names and the freqs as listed on their "radio programming data sheet":

DPS PD CH-A1 155.460000
DPS PD CH-A2 155.467500
DPS PD CH-B1 155.445000
DPS PD CH-B2 155.452500
DPS Rptr SW-1 159.210000
DPS Rptr SW-2 159.217500
DPS Rptr SW-3 159.097500

ps ~ I will add into my Pro-106 your 155.88750 just for grinns, your never know in SA ?

 

[iweberdudei]

Thanks Michael.......very much.

Yeah My scanner vendor programmed San Antonio freqs...I will take those channels you posted and compare to what I have stored already.......Thanks again.... and yes I travel through San Antonio all the time (the company I work for is based there also) And so I would love to monitor those at some point. Thanks again.

Jimmy M