Capital District BCD436HP Help

[IC518]

Greetings and Happy Friday to all! So, I need some assistance from the 518 folks out there with some issues and stuff I'm having here in Albany with my BCD436HP. So, I am trying to hear all PD, FD, EMS, NYSP, Thruway, DOT, and CDTA in Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Columbia, Schoharie, Greene, Fulton, and Montgomery counties. I know that some stuff is encrypted and that's cool. But according to the database and things I have read here in the forums, a lot isn't and I seem to be missing pieces of this puzzle. Granted, I have been out of the hobby since the late '90s and lack understanding of the new tech being used out here. But I am pretty sure that I can reasonably reach my goal until I can get the better SDS100 when I can afford that.
So, I can get STAR Paratransit from CDTA but not the buses themselves?
My old Whistler WS1010 picks up Troop G just fine, but not the BCD?
How can copy Greene county and even somehow hear Troop K in Poughkeepsie, but not hear closer stuff?
Does the DOT even use low-band radios to communicate, or am I barking up the wrong tree?

Any and all assistance would be appreciated! Does anyone have a Sentinel list they can share?
Thank you all!

 

[dave3825]

So, I can get STAR Paratransit from CDTA but not the buses themselves?

What is your range set at? The buses have a 12 mile range and the systemwide (STAR Paratransit) has a range of 40 miles. Also, not sure who affiliates with what site, but do you have the 3 sites in the BCD?

My old Whistler WS1010 picks up Troop G just fine, but not the BCD

What antenna and do you have all the service types of interest set to ON? Also, on the BCD, what is your squelch set at?

 

[k2hz]

DOT uses Low Band but most scanner antennas are very inefficient on Low Band frequencies. Also, DOT channels do not have a lot of activity except during snow plowing season.

 

[DaveNF2G]

The CDTA system is weird. Only a handful of talkroups are used consistently for particular functions. STAR on 12 iirc, Supervisors on 16 (Encrypted), etc. The buses seem to pop up on numerous talkgroups with no rhyme or reason.

 

[dave3825]

(Encrypted)

The db does not reflect any encryption. If you can confirm, can you make a submission?

 

[IC518]

As far as I am aware, only CDTA Supervisors are encrypted. It's the rest of the system that's mystifying in reference to the only units being regularly heard are the STAR units and not so much the buses. I was referring to the systems such as Colonie Police and Troy Police in terms of their encryption status.

 

[IC518]

What is your range set at? The buses have a 12 mile range and the systemwide (STAR Paratransit) has a range of 40 miles. Also, not sure who affiliates with what site, but do you have the 3 sites in the BCD?


What antenna and do you have all the service types of interest set to ON? Also, on the BCD, what is your squelch set at?

I have the CDTA sites in the BCD and I'm only hearing STAR units from the middle of the city. As far as settings go, the range is set for 50.0, the squelch is at 3, and all services are on as well as the Monitor/Download options on Sentinel.

 

[IC518]

DOT uses Low Band but most scanner antennas are very inefficient on Low Band frequencies. Also, DOT channels do not have a lot of activity except during snow plowing season.

I was hoping to monitor them this winter.

 

[dave3825]

I was referring to the systems such as Colonie Police and Troy Police in terms of their encryption status.

Albany/Schenectady Counties Trunking System, Regional, New York

Albany/Schenectady Counties Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

Troy Trunking System, Troy, New York

Troy Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

 

[IC518]

Right. CPD Patrols and Ops are encrypted (DE) as well as Troy PD with the same designator.

 

[IC518]

My list...

 

[seagravebuff60]

somehow hear Troop K in Poughkeepsie, but not hear closer stuff?

I'll chime in Here for Troop K. They cover Columbia County and have pretty good repeaters in Austerlitz and Hudson believe. 1K Units can be heard. SP Poughkeepsie is the dispatch center for NYSP Troop K Zone 1 and 2, so that's why you are hearing "Poughkeepsie".

NY State Police Troop K - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

How can copy Greene county

So Greene County is Troop F, It Looks like Zone 3. Im not up that way enough to listen to them, but all the frequency info is in the database, and more info like unit identifiers in the wiki, also you can download the information directly from the DB into your scanner. I recommend using ProScan.

Subcategory: Troops/Troop F (Middletown) (NY State Police)

Subcategory: Troops/Troop F (Middletown) Details (NY State Police)

www.radioreference.com

NY State Police Troop F - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

Supervisors on 16 (Encrypted),

Maybe submit an update to the database if you can confirm?

I know that some stuff is encrypted and that's cool.

Since we are on this topic, I have a question.
Does Colone Fire use the Fire Dispatch TG (15102) on the P25 system? If so, what site does it affiliate to? I was recently there and didn't hear anything on that TG, I was monitoring both the County and Metro Simulcast.

 

[IC518]

I'll chime in Here for Troop K. They cover Columbia County and have pretty good repeaters in Austerlitz and Hudson believe. 1K Units can be heard. SP Poughkeepsie is the dispatch center for NYSP Troop K Zone 1 and 2, so that's why you are hearing "Poughkeepsie".

NY State Police Troop K - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

So Greene County is Troop F, It Looks like Zone 3. Im not up that way enough to listen to them, but all the frequency info is in the database, and more info like unit identifiers in the wiki, also you can download the information directly from the DB into your scanner. I recommend using ProScan.

Subcategory: Troops/Troop F (Middletown) (NY State Police)

Subcategory: Troops/Troop F (Middletown) Details (NY State Police)

www.radioreference.com

NY State Police Troop F - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

Maybe submit an update to the database if you can confirm?


Since we are on this topic, I have a question. Does Colone Fire use the fire dispatch TG on the P25 system? If so, what site does it affiliate to? I was recently there and didn't hear anything on that TG.

 

[IC518]

Colonie is on the Albany/Schenectady P25.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Colonie is on the Metro Cell.

The CDTA system is P25 Phase II, with one observed encrypted TG.

The last time I checked, Troy PD was only encrypted on the City P25 system (0E6) but clear on the EDACS system (0001). I'll have to re-verify.

EDIT: I did make a submission on the CDTA info just now.

 

[seagravebuff60]

Colonie is on the Albany/Schenectady P25.

Thank you! But I was referring to the fact that I was recently monitoring and didn't hear anything on that TG (15102); I was monitoring both the County and Metro Simulcast. Does Colone Fire use the Fire Dispatch TG? If so, what site does it affiliate to? Maybe MY SDS skipped over the transmission. Furthermore, I wasn't able to listen to it on the Open Mhz Feed. So I was wondering what happened, but its ok.

 

[mikec10]

Thank you! But I was referring to the fact that I was recently monitoring and didn't hear anything on that TG (15102); I was monitoring both the County and Metro Simulcast. Does Colone Fire use the Fire Dispatch TG? If so, what site does it affiliate to? Maybe MY SDS skipped over the transmission. Furthermore, I wasn't able to listen to it on the Open Mhz Feed. So I was wondering what happened, but its ok.

TG15102 is for Colonie Fire Dispatch. I monitor it on the Metro Simulcast. I had it setup that way on my SDS100 and 200. I now have it on my Unication G4. Plenty of dispatching coming thru.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Colonie also does initial paging and dispatch on 154.385 MHz CSQ. Replies and other activity are on the trunked system.

 

[IC518]

154.385 has been their townwide pagers for years. 855.4625 used to be their main/dispatch freq on the old trunked system, but I guess that’s all different now.