Dallas City Local Government

[alexkjohnson]

Im testing out a few RTL SDR using SDRTrunk Recorder and RDIO-Scanner. Im not that happy with the quality of my audio. replaced the computer with a better one 2 weeks ago, got better antennas, i have a good clean signal coming in, but still getting random garbling on my private feed im testing.

I'm not thrilled with my audio quality on the new system either. Need to play with the gain settings and sample rates tonight, but I think it may ultimately be an artifact of the simulcast aspect of the NTIRN system. I'm using the same discone antenna that I used previously for the UHF analog channels and it's probably getting clobbered from multiple sites. I live fairly close (mile or so) from the DPD NC substation, so may try a yagi pointed in that direction. Does anyone know if the NTIRN system uses transmit antennas co- located at DPD stations or are they scattered elsewhere around the city?

 

[BenScan]

Anyone still receiving Dallas City Local Government Trunking System, Dallas, Texas? Wondering if it's finally been turned off.

 

[nd5y]

Anyone still receiving Dallas City Local Government Trunking System, Dallas, Texas? Wondering if it's finally been turned off.

It was there a few weeks ago.

 

[BenScan]

It was there a few weeks ago.

It was there this morning, but it's always been kind of marginal from my home, and I'm not getting it now.

 

[KI5IRE]

I was receiving it in NRH as of last week. Had some activity logged, but nothing nothing really notable. Haven’t checked in a few days.

 

[hiegtx]

System is still up, though the signal strength appears to be somewhat reduced from what was usually seen when it was the primary system.

I've seen a whopping 7 hits in the last three weeks. Two for Streets, 1 for Sanitation (trash), 2 for Animal Control, and 2 for Code Enforcement.

 

[kmartin]

Is Cockrell Hill still on this system ? Or have they moved on ?

 

[DustyH777]

Is Cockrell Hill still on this system ? Or have they moved on ?

They are still on the Dallas P25/NTCOG system, there is not a lot of activity on those channels.

 

[AviAdelman]

Well, I finally bit the battery. I sold my BCD325P2 scanner and purchased the SDS100 scanner (delivery tomorrow )

Question to the hive: The SDS100 scanner will sit on my desk about 80 percent of the time. Should I upgrade the stock antenna to something better (read - better reception)

My home is near the Lakewood / East Dallas area, which is two miles from the simulcast tower on Dawson Street (near DPD Central Division).

All suggestions considered!

BTW, a tip of the hat to Russell - I uploaded the City of Dallas' complete TGID list (nearly 400) and he added them to the RadioReference.com database within days.

I was forced to file an Open Records Request for the list, since the City is NOT very amenable to citizens monitoring their comms.

They have been trying to shut down my own version of the active incidents page for about two years (www.DallasPoliceWatch.com)

 

[hiegtx]

Well, I finally bit the battery. I sold my BCD325P2 scanner and purchased the SDS100 scanner (delivery tomorrow )

Question to the hive: The SDS100 scanner will sit on my desk about 80 percent of the time. Should I upgrade the stock antenna to something better (read - better reception)

My home is near the Lakewood / East Dallas area, which is two miles from the simulcast tower on Dawson Street (near DPD Central Division).

All suggestions considered!

BTW, a tip of the hat to Russell - I uploaded the City of Dallas' complete TGID list (nearly 400) and he added them to the RadioReference.com database within days.

I was forced to file an Open Records Request for the list, since the City is NOT very amenable to citizens monitoring their comms.

As close as you are to one of the main site transmit locations, I seriously doubt that going to a "gain" antenna (such as the REM 820S) is going to make any difference for the two Dallas sites in NTIRN. Now, if you wanted to also add, say, PAWMCo, GMRS, or one of the other trunked systems in the area, then it might be to your advantage.

They have been trying to shut down my own version of the active incidents page for about two years (www.DallasPoliceWatch.com)

Apparently, they are ignoring the fact that the exact same data is on your site, as well as Open Calls.

The city keeps bragging about how much of the IT infrastructure has been restored since the ransom ware incident. But while Open Callas is back, the Fire site is not.

 

[AviAdelman]

My focus (pardon the pun) is Dallas Police and Fire/Rescue. So adding GMRS departments is not an issue for me.

Re Dallas Fire/Rescue - I reached out to them the other day re their active incidents page, still waiting on a reply.

Re my page - Chief Slick Eddy originally wanted to shut their active incidents page back in 2021. His reasoning: Too many people come out to crime scenes. He then wanted to stagger it back 24 hours. And the crimewatch people just went nuclear on him.

Yeah, nope. I pulled DPD data and found that in two years maybe 40 people were arrested at a scene, but they were not people who just showed up, but people who were involved in the (pick one) family violence, accident, shooting etc.

And from personal experience, when there are cops on the street and the bubble gum lights are hot, no one even bothers to open their doors or look out the curtains.

The DPD data is back online, which means Dallas Police Watch is back online.

 

[Russell]

Yes @AviAdelman for that, there's quite a bit of info there and jives perfectly with some other info I've received. Please bear with me while I sort it all out.

I sure would like to see the County list, in case anybody has eyes on that.

Thanks,
Russell

 

[AviAdelman]

I will file an open records request for that tonight.

Avi

Edit: I had to file FOUR separate requests: Sheriff, District Attorney, Constables, and one general request to all other departments.

That is gonna be one messy long list.

 

[AviAdelman]

Question to the masses:

My new scanner won't arrive until tomorrow, so all I have is my BC125AT set up for the old (analog) DPD channels.

And they have been silent all day - even Fire is not hot


If anyone reading this is hearing DPD comms on the new Project 25 channels, please reply.

 

[hiegtx]

P

Question to the masses:

My new scanner won't arrive until tomorrow, so all I have is my BC125AT set up for the old (analog) DPD channels.

And they have been silent all day - even Fire is not hot


If anyone reading this is hearing DPD comms on the new Project 25 channels, please reply.T

They definitely were active today, on both the old, as well as NTIRN. Large multi alarm structure fire on Marsalis at a Church.

Besides the P25 tac channel on NTIRN (referred to as Channel 4), I was hearing quite a bit of activity on the analog simplex fireground frequency. (The fire was within 2 miles of my house.)

Don’t forget that a number of talkroups are available on the Broadcastify Calls platform. Click on one of the talkgroups that is ‘highlighted’ in bold numbers to listen.

 

[hiegtx]

I’m still hearing DPD on their old channels as well as NTIRN. Some of those on NTIRN are also on “Calls”.

 

[AviAdelman]

This is really weird. Not hearing a peep on the old (analog) channels here in East Dallas...

 

[IAmSixNine]

With DPD having 7 primary patrol channels it may help to specify which ones are silent on UHF. So ill chime in and note that yesterday DPD 1 was silent. No longer patched. 1 xray unit keyed up several times to check radio status and never got a reply. So the repeater is still up but the patch is not active. This was from 6pm to 10pm last night, again on the UHF DPD 1 channel. Plenty of activity on the DPD Central channel on NTIRN. UHF DFR 1 was also about the same.

 

[AviAdelman]

With DPD having 7 primary patrol channels it may help to specify which ones are silent on UHF. So ill chime in and note that yesterday DPD 1 was silent. No longer patched. 1 xray unit keyed up several times to check radio status and never got a reply. So the repeater is still up but the patch is not active. This was from 6pm to 10pm last night, again on the UHF DPD 1 channel. Plenty of activity on the DPD Central channel on NTIRN. UHF DFR 1 was also about the same.

ALL DPD channels - old (analog) and new (digital) are completely silent. I have confirmed this with another crimewatcher in SW (I am in Central).

If I read what you are saying correctly (newbie alert!), the repeater is not repeating?? That would not explain why NTIRN is silent.

My SDS 100 arrives in a few hours. I may not even open the box until I am sure DPD is on the air again.

I have sent emails to DPD PIO, and some City officials who have the misfortune of being on my email list , as well as media folks on the DPD's media list. One media person told me City Hall may be offline for Kunkle's funeral.

 

[AviAdelman]

With DPD having 7 primary patrol channels it may help to specify which ones are silent on UHF. So ill chime in and note that yesterday DPD 1 was silent. No longer patched. 1 xray unit keyed up several times to check radio status and never got a reply. So the repeater is still up but the patch is not active. This was from 6pm to 10pm last night, again on the UHF DPD 1 channel. Plenty of activity on the DPD Central channel on NTIRN. UHF DFR 1 was also about the same.

My friend in SW bought my Uniden BCD325P2 (in advance of my purchasing the SDS 100). When I was using it, I could listen to DPD on NTIRN channels.

Comments posted here on the forum said the BCD325P2 was not the best for simulcast, which prompted me to sell it. I think the implication was I was hearing comms that were through a repeater / patch and not 'pure' NTIRN.

My question: If the DPD has completed the transition to Project 25, will that mean the BCD325P2 is now a paperweight?? She only wants to listen to SW Division channels (unlike my interest in all channels due to my work as a freelance photographer).