Confused

[markh7780]

Im a little confused as to why i really need a trunking scanner when im getting some of the trunk stations on my conventional scanner,same frequencies. I have never owed a digital trunking scanner so a little confused.if anyone could shed some light on this subject would help

 

[mule1075]

A bit to vague what scanner are you using? What frequencies,Location Etc. Help us help you with some more information.

 

[iMONITOR]

Im a little confused as to why i really need a trunking scanner when im getting some of the trunk stations on my conventional scanner,same frequencies. I have never owed a digital trunking scanner so a little confused.if anyone could shed some light on this subject would help

Welcome to Radio Reference! This might be a good place to start:
Trunked Radio Systems
Understanding Trunking

 

[hiegtx]

Im a little confused as to why i really need a trunking scanner when im getting some of the trunk stations on my conventional scanner,same frequencies. I have never owed a digital trunking scanner so a little confused.if anyone could shed some light on this subject would help

As mule noted, we could give you a more complete answer if you indicate your location as well as which scanner. City (or county) and state would be sufficient. Also, either specify the system you are trying to monitor, either by name (in your area) or by providing a link to the database page for the system.

Start by looking at this article in the Wiki: Trunking Basics - The RadioReference Wiki
In particular, be sure and read the 'Short Version' at the bottom of that page.

If you are listening to the frequencies of a trunked system, using a conventional, non-trunking/non-digital scanner, then you must be trying to monitor an analog (not digital) system.

A typical trunked system will have several frequencies, For illustration purposes, let's say 5. On a Motorola Type 2 system, one of those five would be used as a control channel. When a field user keys up hos (or her) radio, the system, through the control channel data, assigns the conversation (on a talkgroup) to one of the voice channels. In the example given, there would be four voice channels, and the conversation would be assigned to one that is not currently in use. Yes, you could 'listen' to the system conventionally, but you would not 'follow' the conversation. The reply might be made on the same conversation, or maybe on a different frequency. On a fairly active system, you'd hear quite a bit conventionally, but you'd only get disconnected bits and pieces of what was being discussed, because the conversation could use any, or all, of the voice channels at one time or another.

If the system you are trying to hear is an older LTR trunked system, your odds would be slightly better, as an agency (or department) may have a "home" channel, where most of their traffic is carried. But, again, if the system is busy, whatever radio traffic you are hearing may bounce back and forth among several channels, so one minute, you could hear, say, law enforcement, then (on the same frequency) another department, such as public works, followed by who knows what.

Bottom line, if it's a trunked system, you need a trunking scanner to actually follow what's being said. Otherwise, you might only hear disconnected snippets of a number of conversations.

 

[hardsuit]

markh7780 - because, conventional scanners cant Demodulate Digital signals. even if your are still getting SOME Analog Trunking signals your scanner wont be able to HEAR and Digital transmissions. furthermore , its a National Mandate that Public Safety has to Migrate to P25 and even P25 Phase II and other Systems. for example Analog Trunking for Security, Rail, Business, Events are Migrating right now to ICOM iDAS and NXDN 6.25 khz FDMA. it provides Mixed Mode Analog/Digital Trunked and Simplex at a Pace the Business can afford. so, going Foreward we are going to Digital and Analog Scanners will still be good as Emergency radios, for Weather, AM-FM radio, AIR, MARINE and easy targets like that.

 

[kruser]

its a National Mandate that Public Safety has to Migrate to P25 and even P25 Phase II and other Systems.

I'd love to see an official link to a federal site or official publication showing this mandate.
AFAIK, there is not nor ever was any mandate that says all public safety must migrate to a digital system.
The only mandates are Narrowbanding in VHF high and higher bands and Rebanding in the 850-860 MHz band.

There may be incentives offered to setup or migrate to a narrowband digital system but nothing that says you must. At least not on a "Nationwide" or Federal level.

 

[markh7780]

WS1040

Hello im using a WS1040 scanner i live in Florida in Lee county.

 

[zz0468]

...its a National Mandate that Public Safety has to Migrate to P25 and even P25 Phase II...

There's no such mandate.

For federal grant money, P25 is required.

 

[N8IAA]

Hello im using a WS1040 scanner i live in Florida in Lee county.

Just so you understand, Mark. The WS1040 IS a digital trunking scanner. Since Lee county has a P-25 Phase I system, you will be able to put the system into your scanner and follow it. Just remember, any TGID that is DE will not be able to be heard by the scanner in the clear. If you decide to enter them to the TG's, there will be a loud buzzing noise when it lands on that TGID.
Depending on what software you use will depend on if the DE TGID's get added.

HTH,

Larry

 

[rayvelcoro]

why trunking?

To MarkH:

The short answer is that conversations on a trunked system randomly jump around different frequencies. So, while listening to a particular trunk frequency on a conventional scanner, you could reasonably expect to hear a SWAT officer ask a question, then the next transmission on that frequency might be a school bus driver saying that his bus is overheating. The officer's conversation was continued on a different frequency.

A trunking scanner will track conversations logically because it follows talk groups, which are more important than individual frequencies that the conversations "hop" across.


(Note: if you live in a small town with a fairly inactive trunked system, you can get away with using a conventional scanner since there won't be many simultaneous conversations occurring.)

Ray