I used to enjoy listening to the local trunked PD/FD activity when I go to bed. I live in Carrollton TX which is part of the Metrocrest Quad Cities radio system. Since they went to P25 I can only listen to the Dallas conventional traffic. I am wanting to purchase a P25 capable scanner such as the Uniden BCD436HP so I can again listen to the activity around me including many of the nearby cities here in North Dallas.
However from what I can determine by searching through the threads on this forum, all the PD activity on the Metrocrest Quad Cities traffic is now encrypted. This essentially kills my plan to buy a new scanner.
So am I correct that I can not listen to the PD traffic? Is there anything else around worth monitoring with a P25 scanner to make the purchase worth it?
Thanks,
Dennis
My reception on the Metrocrest system is spotty at times. I'm way too far south for good reception. The new system has a lower signal level. I suspect they adjusted the antenna angle, and possibly power, to cover basically their jurisdictional area. The same thing happened with Grand Prairie. Part of their application to modify their existing frequencies, from the old Type II mixed mode system, was their commitment to lower their antennas on the towers, and readjust the pitch angle, to focus coverage within their city limits. The old system was no problem for me to monitor. The new one is virtually unmemorable from my house in Oak Cliff, even with external antennas.
I have Metrocrest loaded in one scanner, and currently have it parked on the system. All the PD talkgroups I'm seeing are encrypted, although Fire is not currently. So, unfortunately, even with a new P25 Phase II scanner, you would not be able to monitor PD in the four member cities, unless for some reason a channel flipped over to 'clear'. I leave the PD in the system, but set their TGID's for a -5 (negative five) second delay. That way, if the channel was not encrypted, for whatever reason, I would hear the transmission and could pause the scanner on it if I was interested. The negative delay forces the radio to resume scanning instead of sitting on the encrypted transmission. So, at present, your PD is out of reach.
For the Plano system (PAWM), Frisco, and the Denton County system, he dispatch channels are not encrypted, though some secondary or tactical TGID's are. Dallas, of course, is not encrypted for the dispatch frequencies.
