Great explaination of the differences in the regions.
New England is
FBI VHF and have never left, with a robust Network
CBP VHF and regular users of DNET-01, DNET-02 and DNET-25
BP went from Stand-Alone VHF Repeaters to a robust Vote-Scan Network for each of the "Stations in the Sector"
ICE has (mid 2000's) gone from Chirp-Chirp [Nextel] as a convenience to VHF on many of it's former channels. But is now expanding to a Nice VHF Vote-Scan Net
DEA has continued to maintain it's UHF P25 and Analog (Dual Mode) nets and no VHF for them has been found, Yet it is in the Radios (APX) for travel outside of New England
USMS - on the VHF FBI channels, with a few of their own still
Other than limited Reports from CT and ME, where the FEDS do have some Interop on the Trunks, those agencies generally work with an agency or two and are handed a radio for the event, but nothing Full-time
And finally, ENC, if you don't try to listen, you won't know if it's ENC or NOT
Use varies by Mission, Field Office, number of outside units/agencies, and Squad
and one more Finally, keep those NIFOG interops in the Scan List. You never know who/what might go down, as the FEDS do support the locals from time-time with technological and aeronautical assets and we will find them on the the interops
Correct, FBI has moved steadily back to VHF Hi and P25 with heavy use of encryption. They also rely a lot on Local, and Statewide TRS nets and usually fully encrypted there too, but sometimes do go in the clear, and do still have a little analog VHF Hi. DEA operates in the clear a LOT more than you would think, and mainly on the same few UHF nets they have used forever but upgraded to P25 in lot of areas! USMS runs UHF analog, and P25, and VHF Hi in a few places, and on several Statewide TRS Nets, and surprisingly in the clear most of the time.
