Dallas Morning News Freq ?

[walsabrook]

I work near Plano TX. On close call I am constantly seeing frequency 464.9250. This seems to be the Dallas Morning News facility near my office . I’ve seen previous threads in 2006 showing this was print operations. FCC license now indicates this is a trunk system license . When monitoring the channel I’m hearing what seems to be parts of a conversation, so I’m guessing that is the case. I’m seeing code RAN7 on the scanner display when receiving (NXDN ?) Does anyone have any more info on this system ?

 

[hiegtx]

I work near Plano TX. On close call I am constantly seeing frequency 464.9250. This seems to be the Dallas Morning News facility near my office . I’ve seen previous threads in 2006 showing this was print operations. FCC license now indicates this is a trunk system license . When monitoring the channel I’m hearing what seems to be parts of a conversation, so I’m guessing that is the case. I’m seeing code RAN7 on the scanner display when receiving (NXDN ?) Does anyone have any more info on this system ?

I've never tried to monitor that system, since it's out of range for me from home.

The Morning News is on this license:

FCC Callsign WQPT295 (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, INC)

FCC Callsign WQPT295 (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, INC)

www.radioreference.com

It does show as trunked, with three frequencies. However, it does not show as authorized to use NXDN. DMR, yes, NXDN no.

Which scanner are you using?

Self Radio has a system with a site in west McKinney (it's site three under the system page in the database), and they are licensed for NXDN use on frequency 464.9375 at that location. According to the database, that site on the Self system uses RAN 3. Frequency 464.9375 is not shown as part of that system, but Self may be using it for another purpose. While that is not the exact frequency you are referring to, it's an adjacent channel. Depending on your scanner, & how close you are to that site, that may be the actual frequency you are hearing.

For the Morning News, I would enter the three frequencies on their license into a DMR trunked system, then try to run the LCN finder.

I would also suggest that you program in 464.9375 as a conventional channel, with the RAN set as 'search'. If you get reception, with an RAN of 7, then you've identified the correct frequency (in other words, you are hearing 464.9375, not 464.925).

 

[walsabrook]

I’m using a Uniden BCD325P2 with DMR and NXDN installed

 

[hiegtx]

I’m using a Uniden BCD325P2 with DMR and NXDN installed

OK, that will work for the systems, but it does not have the capability to run an LCN finder.

In that case, I would enter all three frequencies for the Dallas News into a DMR One Frequency system. Enter each frequency as a separate site, with the color code set to search. Also set the new 'system' to use ID Search so that you'll see any talkgroups in use. Be sure to create a department, and have at least one 'dummy' talkgroup in place, otherwise it might not scan correctly.

For 464.9375, enter that as a single frequency NXDN channel, with the RAN set for Search, just to see what you might hear.

You'll need to either create these manually, directly on the scanner, or use ProScan or ARC-XT. FreeSCAN does not correctly support DMR entries, and cannot be used at all for NXDN.

Tentatively, I may be out in McKinney for a while on Friday, having lunch with one of my friends over at Hutchins BBQ. If that pans out, I may see what I pick up, if anything, on either my SDS100, or one of the 436HPs.

 

[walsabrook]

Question? I’m seeing 4 freqs on the license

451.3000
461.4750
464.8750
464.0250

Is there a way to know which are used on the trunk system ? I’m f

 

[walsabrook]

I’m fairly new to digital scanning, but been involved in all type of radio all my life. Been licensed amateur radio since 1982...Using pro-scan to program both my BCD325P2 and BCD996P2

 

[walsabrook]

Also, at my office, I’m on the 3rd floor and can see the Dallas Morning News building from my window . So I’m very close ...

 

[hiegtx]

Question? I’m seeing 4 freqs on the license

451.3000
461.4750
464.8750
464.0250

Is there a way to know which are used on the trunk system ? I’m f

I would suggest the "DMR One Frequency" system I mentioned before.
(I overlooked the fourth frequency when I said there were three on the license).

I’m fairly new to digital scanning, but been involved in all type of radio all my life. Been licensed amateur radio since 1982...Using pro-scan to program both my BCD325P2 and BCD996P2

Also, at my office, I’m on the 3rd floor and can see the Dallas Morning News building from my window . So I’m very close ...

Try the ProScan file I attached. Save it to wherever your other ProScan files are located.

You can either load just that one file, or use the 'import' to add to what you have now.

For the Dallas Morning News, I set it up as a "DMR One Frequency" trunked system. Without running an LCN Finder (which neither of your scanners have), it's not going to scan correctly as a DMR Trunked system with all four frequencies in the same site. But, making it an OFT (One Frequency Trunked system), with each frequency entered as a separate site, you will see any talkgroups in use, and also the color code (I have that set to search). If you see a talkgroup show up (over time) on more than one of the "sites", that tells you that it is set up as a trunked system, with more than one frequency. If you are in range where you have your PC with ProScan installed, I'd let ProScan run to log whatever is being used. I've set this 'system' to run using ID Search, since we have no idea what talkgroup numbers might be in use. If you start hearing one or more of them, then you can start trying to figure out what each is used for,

For Self (also in the file), I have created a NXDN One Frequency trunked system using the five frequencies licensed to Self at the McKinney location, but are not shown in the database as assigned to that site (Site 3). Once again, it is set to ID Search, and each frequency is in a separate site. The RAN is set as Search hear as well. As for the News site, if you see one or more talkgroup being heard on more than one of the entered frequencies, that may give some idea of what type of system is being used,

 

[mwjones]

The Plano Production Plant of the News is using DMR, but no trunking (at least that I've found) despite being licensed for it. Be careful though, as you may pick up a Capacity Plus system on 461.4750 with Color Code of 5, but that is the 100 Watt powerhouse known as Medical City Denton (that sent me off on a wild goose chase when I started investigating the Plano Plant and the system for Medical City Denton has been submitted to RRDB and is just pending it being published - so either way its still a win).

So, in actuality, setting it as a DMR One Frequency for each frequency is likely the right solution, much like how the new frequencies I just had added for Frisco ISD would be entered.

 

[hiegtx]

The Plano Production Plant of the News is using DMR, but no trunking (at least that I've found) despite being licensed for it. Be careful though, as you may pick up a Capacity Plus system on 461.4750 with Color Code of 5, but that is the 100 Watt powerhouse known as Medical City Denton (that sent me off on a wild goose chase when I started investigating the Plano Plant and the system for Medical City Denton has been submitted to RRDB and is just pending it being published - so either way its still a win).

So, in actuality, setting it as a DMR One Frequency for each frequency is likely the right solution, much like how the new frequencies I just had added for Frisco ISD would be entered.

Even though DMNews may not be using a “full blown” DMR Trunked system, I suspect that you still may see talkgroups in use. The Fairnont and Adolphus hotels in Dallas mostly use a single frequency, but there are still talkgroups to separate out the various departments.

If I make it to Hutchins on Friday, I may try to see if the LCN finder can do anything from that far off.

 

[walsabrook]

I programmed my BCD325P2 as you suggested for single channel DMR with each channel having its own “site”. Just got to the office and will monitor it today to see what I hear...

 

[walsabrook]

Just heard on 451.3000 TG 5 CC5 user gave the person on the radio the address of DM News office that is by my office here. So you are correct it’s DMR ! Thanks for your help !

 

[hiegtx]

Just heard on 451.3000 TG 5 CC5 user gave the person on the radio the address of DM News office that is by my office here. So you are correct it’s DMR ! Thanks for your help !

You're welcome

As you have time to listen, you'll probably find additional talkgroups.