Does an RTL-SDR work alright on the P25's in Collin County?
I'm looking to get me one to test.
Collin County P25
- Thread starter mwjones
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Does an RTL-SDR work alright on the P25's in Collin County?
I'm looking to get me one to test.
If you have your DSDPlus.networks and DSDPlus.sites defined correctly, it should auto-populate the DSDPlus.p25data automagically, and thus should follow the Control Channel .
If trying to access it initially and have it search for a control channel, set the system up in the DSDPlus.siteLoader file, and then go to Control -> Open Network/Site Loader Window, when you select it there, it will search all known Control Channels until it finds the active one.
Here's the appropriate snipet of my DSDPlus.siteLoader file:
Code:
P25, BEE00.3BA, 0.000, "Plano, Allen, Wylie, Murphy (PAWM)"
P25, BEE00.3BA, 1.001, "PAWM Simulcast"
P25, BEE00.3BA, 1.002, "Collin County Simulcast"If using DSDPlus Fastlane (the paid version), One will work fine for you, but you'll lose the ability to monitor the control channel when it switches over to a traffic channel (just like a scanner). Adding a second will allow you have the second one follow voice, while the first stays with the control channel, giving you the activity monitor even when you're listening to a call.
Likewise, with two and the free SDRTrunk (I'm using 5.0 Alpha 6) and sufficient horsepower on the computer, I can monitor all frequencies on the system at once, listening to two at the same time, but recording all 14 traffic channels at once (so I don't miss a transmission, although on the new County system the main channels I no longer record them).
Sadly, I'm up to 6 RTL-SDR's in my configuration now, but having that many allows me to run DSDPlus and SDRTrunk in parallel, along with Unitrunker (which I'm still trying to get working so I can monitor the legacy Motorola system). It also allows me to keep logging here at home on my "main computer", while taking a few of them out for "field research" with my Laptop when I'm trying to track down those various systems around the Metroplex.
I'm using two SDRs on DsdPlus FL. It does alright, but I am confused about how to set up SDRtrunk. It's not the most user friendly.
Granted SDRTrunk is a bit of a headache to set up. Instead of taking this thread off topic, DM me, and I'll walk you through getting started. Once you've done it the first time, it actually is a bit easier than DSDPlus (no text files to edit).
And the legacy Moto system is now off the air, no control channel detected, and all frequencies are just static.
I wonder if those 800 MHz. frequencies will roll into PAWM or PAWMCO? Maybe even become Simplex tacticals??
Likely none of the above. My guess is they will release the frequencies back to the FCC.
Both PAWM and PAWMco have sufficient capacity for their needs, and aren't hitting congestion. Since the frequencies are at the same sites as PAWMco, the coverage for PAWM is not necessary. Also the equipment (microwave/repeaters/etc.) would all have to be replaced, at considerable expense (although I would think the new Microwave/fiber links for the P25 system would have the capacity, you're still talking repeaters and more, for capacity you may never need).
As far as Simplex Tactical, the statewide Simplex plan is already out there, and adding additional local ones would be redundant.
Keep in mind, the 6 frequencies are licensed only for wideband (25KHz) use. The FCC will likely carve them up to 12 narrowband (12.5KHz) frequencies, thus expanding the availability for other users. If the County was going to repurpose them, they would have to apply to the FCC to change them to narrowband, and justify their continued use. Also, as Public Safety agencies transition over to 700MHz, many of them get the new frequencies on the condition of returning the 800MHz frequencies they're vacating.
As for monitoring PAWM and PAWMco, I have both of them programmed as separate sites in separate scanlists in my TRX1. Which one would you recommend me monitoring between the two?
I know the issues with simulcast. I'm at Virgina and Coit area in Frisco/Prosper area, so I know im most definitely pulling from several different towers around me.
I'd like to know if anyone has a TRX, what settings and programming do you use to recieve it better?
While you can leave them set as two different systems, on different scanlists, which one you listen to would be based on what you most wanted to hear.
While, in some cases, there may be some overlap (hearing a PAWM associated TGID on PAWMco, or the other way around), primarily which agencies do you want to monitor? If only the cities and agencies that are part of the PAWM group interest you, then only monitor that site. Or, you you re mainly looking for CCSO, and the agencies that moved from the county's old analog system, then concentrate on PAWMco.
Frankly, I would combine the two sites into one system, then enter the talkgroups you want to hear. If you want to use a wild card to listen for new talkgroups, then enter all talkgroups that have been identified, then lock out the ones you have no interest in. That way, you'd still hear the ones of interest, plus any new ones, without hearing public works gasping on about a pothole Elm St, or the water department fretting over a clogged sewer.
Well, mostly I want to listen to Frisco, Collin County SO and County Fire Dispatch. Mckinney would be nice too, but meh.
I already have Frisco in there.
Agreeing with Michael. The original documents showed that all the 800 MHz trunked freqs are "give-back frequencies". They go back to FCC for use elsewhere.
Seeing a bit of roaming now from Plano PD Dispatch 2 (west) showing up on the County layer, as well as Plano Fire Dispatch. Since day one we've seen roaming to the south, CCSO Dispatch and County Fire Dispatch are ALWAYS on both layers.
Community College PD seems to be hitting the County layer quite heavily. I suspect all of the older PAWM radios finally got the code plug updated, and roaming fully turned on now that the Moto system has been sent to the big recycler in the sky. The College using the County layer would make the most sense since they have campuses that technically were outside of the PAWM's core coverage area, so the County layer improves what was likely some spotty coverage areas.
monty22001
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mwjones,
I am using the defaults on the networks and sites info. Is that something I'd need to get off this forum's premium downloads to get? At this point I can just tell the CC has changed and update the CC file.
Premium Subscribers to RR have access to download the DSDPlus.sites and DSDPlus.groups files for each P25 system. Those downloads are then pasted into your running copy of those files (since you can have multiple systems in each). For DSDPlus.networks, you could use the contents of this WIKI Page, but to me that's a bit overkill (it is supposed to have a good portion of the US and Canada systems in it)
To help you get started, let me give you the bits from three config files on my DSDPlus install (pardon my formatting, it just makes it easier on the eyes when you start getting a large number of systems) - take each of the following bits, and using Notepad or Notepad++ paste them into the appropriate files on your install and save.
DSDPlus.networks:
P25, BEE00.3BA, "Plano, Allen, Wylie, Murphy (PAWM)"DSDPlus.sites:
; PAWM/Collin County
P25, BEE00.3BA, 1.001, "PAWM Simulcast"
P25, BEE00.3BA, 1.002, "PAWMCo Simulcast"
DSDPlus.siteLoader:
P25, BEE00.3BA, 0.000, "Plano, Allen, Wylie, Murphy (PAWM)"
P25, BEE00.3BA, 1.001, "PAWM Simulcast"
P25, BEE00.3BA, 1.002, "PAWMCo Simulcast"
Once those files are saved, DSDPlus if running will automatically re-load them into the running config.
Then, go to the "Control" Menu, and click on the "Open Network/Site Loader Window"
When the Network/Site Loader window opens, click on the site you wish to monitor:
As long as the system doesn't appear in RED in that list, the system will then follow the control channel for that site without issue. If it does appear in RED, you'll need to manually tune it at least once (for P25 systems) or set up the DSDPlus.frequencies file for NexEdge/Capacity Plus/Connect Plus/Tier III systems.
Hope this helps.
Anyone know what TG 1152 is?
Have it keep showing up but I can't find any mentions of it.
Also, on an unrelated note, has anyone ever hear anything out of any of the hospitals like Medical City Mckinney or Baylor Scott and White Mckinney? I see the control and alternate channels in RR but wondering if anyone has ever seen any traffic on them.
Have it keep showing up but I can't find any mentions of it.
Also, on an unrelated note, has anyone ever hear anything out of any of the hospitals like Medical City Mckinney or Baylor Scott and White Mckinney? I see the control and alternate channels in RR but wondering if anyone has ever seen any traffic on them.
1152 Is Collin College Campus PD Dispatch - see their subsection of the PAWM Page.
Baylor, Scott & White is still building out their NexEdge system which is not in production yet (one of my other "projects" that I'm trying to build out the RR data for). The sites that had the old LTR Passport system are still using it at this time (which does not include Centennial in Frisco or McKinney). There is a thread about the system here.
I'm not in range of Medical City McKinney, so I can't say that I've monitored their Capacity Plus system.
The Medical City McKinney system is definitely in use. It's not super busy, but you'll hear the most activity on TGID 80.
I'm assuming the hospitals use low powered radios, so you have to be decently close to pick them up.
On an unrelated note, my TRX 1 has started pulling in Plano FD for some odd reason tonight. Frisco has dropped out a little. Running a TRX 1 with a small dipole on a sucton cup window mount that's on a window facing West. I'm in the 380 and Coit area. Anyone have any idea how the Frisco P25's antenna is oriented at Frisco PD?
I should be able to pick up Prosper and Frisco clear as anything else, but I mostly pick up the Jail and Juvenile Detention the most.
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