grem467
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The executive staff at HFD make the decisions regarding fleet mapping and encryption for their agency. This is true for all agencies coming on the system. If they want to enc they make that call.
City of Houston Project 25 TRS
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Have you tried the Fire Chief? Now if he is working for the HFD, it maybe a real bad ideal for him to ask the chief this question. I'm not liking this either. I agree with some encryption, but there isn't no need for all of those talkgroups to be encrypted. It crazy.
Mike Dupree
Mike Dupree
I know it's still a topic of debate but is the current UHF dispatch channel for HFD going to remain active as a simulcast or is dispatch just going to be unencrypted on the new system (which doesn't seem like big plus since it can't currently be monitored anyway)?
I can hear it all day long on my PSR-800.
I know you can hear them on the current system but I thought this one was transitional. Will you be able to hear them when they switch to the 700mhz system come 2013 or whenever they switch?
Remember that the current HFD setup on the PW simulcast is a temporary solution to allow them to abandon the UHF system that has literally fallen apart. The HFD channel line-up will be completely overhauled when the final transition happens.
Squadborough said:
And
I think he means he can hear it all day long on the 3D8 system, not the UHF channels. I can also, but really, the robot doesn't sound any better in X2 than he does in analog. :lol:
In any case, I think that everyone who has said anything about it so far has said that the dispatch channel will not be encrypted when it moves to the 700 MHz system.
It's funny the one HFD Channel/Talkgroup that gets on my last nerve is the one that isn't encrypted. That robot goes for hours without any stopping. No wonder why they left the duty up to a computer. That would kill somebody's ability talk after a while. Plus the cost of paying someone to do nothing but that. I meant for this to kind of be a bit funny.
Mike Dupree
Mike Dupree
N5AMS
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Yes but when they move to the 700MHz area on TxWARN they are supposed to be Phase II and with no scanner yet to monitor those transmissions yet (and I don't see that there will be one by 2013 from either company) why would it matter if its ENC or not we wouldn't be able to monitor it anyways
But when that day comes that a P2 scanner does arrive (and we all know it will) people would be able to listen if it wasn't encrypted.
And I'm not defending or condoning encryption, just commenting.
N5AMS
Member
But when that day comes that a P2 scanner does arrive (and we all know it will) people would be able to listen if it wasn't encrypted.
And I'm not defending or condoning encryption, just commenting.
well yea when that day comes i agree I was just saying right now it wouldn't matter
Lou I just got an email about Houston Fire but confused the email is saying their talk groups are Phase II and his psr 800 is decoding? This is wrong right those fire groups are stil X TDMA right?
thanks
thanks
While I hope that there will be a scanner soon that can decode that as well. If I hadn't been following this, I wouldn't have known that there was a difference. I'm hopeing for something that is user programmable that can work both the X2 and P2. And maybe even provoice and Mototrbo. Just my two cents.
Mike Dupree
Mike Dupree
Jeff, what Rick says here. ^^^
They are temporarily operating on the Houston Public Works system (P25 X2 TDMA) and will eventually move to a P25 Phase 2 TDMA system. The only thing I am not clear on is if they will again take the current frequencies, previously set up on Hou Pub Safety TRS and reactivate that system, or just leave them where they are now (on TxWARN P25).
I lost track of the current status of PSR800 work to decode Phase 2 TDMA instead of X2 only. It seems to me that I remember seeing something about there being a problem with it, but I don't remember what or where I saw that. Maybe one of the more knowledgeable folks could comment. As far as ProVoice, that isn't going to happen, but I am not sure how ProVoice is going to survive the mandated reduction in bandwidth usage, I thought I remembered that it couldn't fit in less than 11 or so kHz which would be a problem in fitting it into 6.25 kHz channels. I think also, that it is unlikely Mototrbo or any of the current crop of DMR type methods are going to be a target for scanner manufactures anytime in the future.
Thank you!!!
Mike Dupree
Mike Dupree
Howdy,
I have a basic understanding on the HPD side of the system change over. Couple of facts and food for thought. I am not a techy, but I have a basic understanding of trunked radio systems, encryption, p25, etc...
HPD has issued APX7000 handheld radios to almost all non uniformed officers including the uniformed crime reduction unit. All radios were issued with leather cases and speaker mics. Every officers will be issued his or her own radios. The days of issuing radios out at the beginning of a shift are over. The radios are being issued fully programmed with the TXwarn, Harris County, New HPD plan, Old HPD plan, a backup system, and various other federal freqs. Although the radios are pre-programmed, the 700/800 systems do not yet recognize the radio as an authorized user.
HPD will for a FACT, encrypt all channels including dispatch channels. Not sure what will be done with the wrecker drivers, but obviously there are many simple solutions to that problem. The information about temporarily using the public works system is very correct.
I am an avid radio operator and enjoy listening to radio traffic. I have no idea why HFD feels the need to encrypt fire ground channels but I can definitely understand why the PD needs to encrypt their channels. Suspects are constantly being caught with scanners and stolen police radios while committing crimes in Houston. Unfortunately, a significant number of wrecker drivers have been arrested for serious criminal offenses where their ability to monitor police activity assisted them in their criminal exploits.
Luckily, the new radios can be disabled over the air if they are lost or stolen. I also received information that the city will be utilizing over the air programming. If I gather any other information that is not sensitive in nature, I will be sure to pass it along!
I have a basic understanding on the HPD side of the system change over. Couple of facts and food for thought. I am not a techy, but I have a basic understanding of trunked radio systems, encryption, p25, etc...
HPD has issued APX7000 handheld radios to almost all non uniformed officers including the uniformed crime reduction unit. All radios were issued with leather cases and speaker mics. Every officers will be issued his or her own radios. The days of issuing radios out at the beginning of a shift are over. The radios are being issued fully programmed with the TXwarn, Harris County, New HPD plan, Old HPD plan, a backup system, and various other federal freqs. Although the radios are pre-programmed, the 700/800 systems do not yet recognize the radio as an authorized user.
HPD will for a FACT, encrypt all channels including dispatch channels. Not sure what will be done with the wrecker drivers, but obviously there are many simple solutions to that problem. The information about temporarily using the public works system is very correct.
I am an avid radio operator and enjoy listening to radio traffic. I have no idea why HFD feels the need to encrypt fire ground channels but I can definitely understand why the PD needs to encrypt their channels. Suspects are constantly being caught with scanners and stolen police radios while committing crimes in Houston. Unfortunately, a significant number of wrecker drivers have been arrested for serious criminal offenses where their ability to monitor police activity assisted them in their criminal exploits.
Luckily, the new radios can be disabled over the air if they are lost or stolen. I also received information that the city will be utilizing over the air programming. If I gather any other information that is not sensitive in nature, I will be sure to pass it along!
I am sure most of yall have noticed, but we are now back on UHF and using are old radios. This is due to the inability to communicate in the hot zone of incidents. We can't even walk into a grocery store without losing reception. That is just one of many problems. We will probably go back once the final move is complete.
I was wondering why I was picking up all of the HFD UHF channels during a small band opening on Thursday night...
That does concern me a bit. I may not agree with the encryption, but I'm concerned about the safety of the firefighters using the new radio. But then I not know, TxWARN P-25 does have several towers in the Houston area. Do you think they will check that out, ofter they switch to TxWARN and see?
Mike Dupree
Mike Dupree
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