I have plugged in the DPS frequencies for the Dallas area. I’m near carrolton are they on a trunked system or are they still on the VHF P25 frequencies
DPS in the Dallas area
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Other than the DPS units working the tollways, you'll hear very little DPS traffic in Dallas County. DPS does not patrol the freeways & thoroughfares in this county, as these are handled by the various cities and Dallas County S.O. In the past, occasionally, I would hear DPS Dallas Dispatch (in Garland) talking to field units, but almost exclusively, these were units in Kaufman or Hunt County, In these cases, the dispatcher had more than one base repeater selected, so that you only heard Dispatch, but not field units responding via a different frequency set.
You will hear the units assigned to the tollways on this system: Dallas P25 / NCTCOG Trunking System, Dallas, Fort Worth Area, Texas
Radio traffic on many of the DPS channels are very rare in areas where most of the communications are using the MDTs instead of voice radio calls. There is a talkgroup assigned to DPS on the Denton County trunked system, and also on NTIRN for DPS units working Johnson County, However, I'm out of range for both of those, so no idea of how much either is used. While I have the DPS statewide plan programmed, along with the specific, listed, dispatch channels for this area, I almost never hear anything on them. DPS 101, their helicopter based at Mesquite's airport, can often be heard working with some of the local law enforcement agencies, especially Garland & Mesquite; the copter is using their trunked system's TGIDs for the agency in question, not a 'dedicated' Tx DPS talkgroup. While not often, at times I've heard DPS 101 contacting their base at the Mesquite airport on 156.2175, NAC 162.
While likely out of range for you, DPS is fairly active on the Parker County trunked system, as well as the Vhf channels used by the DPS Mineral Wells dispatch office. I can't hear these at home, but I make a regional trip to Stephens County, and can monitor them when in range.
theoleman
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This best way to hear North Texas DPS outside of NTTA talk groups is to only monitor the DPS and record the hits. They're there but short in duration, Dallas Base D, Aledo Hill Repeater 13 and the talk group on NTIRN (7514). I personally never hear the Waxahachie repeater from my QTH. It may be like the one in Decatur that's mounted to a 30' (unknown) tower.
Record and see what shows up in the list.
Record and see what shows up in the list.
DPS is very active on the Aledo repeater as well as on the Parker County TRS. But one, or both, of those may be out of range for the OP in the Carrollton area.
I’m in the southern part of Dallas, and never hear the Waxahachie repeater. I’m out of range for the NTIRN tgid for DPS. Since that mainly is for communicating with the units in Johnson County, it’s possible that the only site carrying that talkgroup normally is only the Johnson County site, but that is out of range for me to hear.
Occasionally, if one of the Tyler DPS units is far enough west, they may affiliate with the Kaufman County TxWARN site, which I can usually monitor.
Do the troopers type out messages on the MDT terminals? Can they only communicate with dispatch that way or can they communicate with other troopers in other vehicles?
Do they have to be parked while using the terminals? Typing and driving at the same time seems dangerous.
Do they have to be parked while using the terminals? Typing and driving at the same time seems dangerous.
I have heard the units here in Parker Co talk to each other via the repeater or TG on the county system. But only briefly. They use a lot of cellphone communications and the MDT. About 5 years ago I spent a day on a ride along with a DPS Sgt down in McClennan county. He only used the MDT while stopped and most of his communications was NOT via radio.. DPS radio usage ain't what it used to be!!!
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Recently someone threw the DPS Sherman repeater back in the channel lineup. That's kind of misleading as DPS does not utilize the dispatch console at Sherman anymore. It's strictly a rebroadcast of Texarkana center. That repeater was down for ages but I guess they turned it back on as Paris just doesn't have the coverage into Grayson that it has with the rest of the area. Also, I suspect the Texarkana 155.4450 123 NAC repeater is offline. Texarkana units are on GATRRS then when they do go back to VHF they are on Marshall or Sulphur Springs repeaters.
The Denton repeater is weird, I would have guessed it was on Garland but its not. It's tied into Mineral Wells Center. Even had it been on W. Falls would have made sense as Cooke County TXDOT is out of W. Falls.
The Denton repeater is weird, I would have guessed it was on Garland but its not. It's tied into Mineral Wells Center. Even had it been on W. Falls would have made sense as Cooke County TXDOT is out of W. Falls.
So the Denton repeater is still on the air? Is it a full=time rebroadcast of Mineral Wells, or just for the troopers up there? Just wondering...being in Parker Co the Mineral Wells and the Aledo repeaters are pretty busy!
billpritjr
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DPS is very active on Denton Patrol-1. 99% of it is response to vehicle accidents. Reckless drivers, possible DUI's, etc are dispatched out but mostly Sheriff units accept those calls.
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Very much so and last I heard fulltime. It's simulcast with Mineral Wells. If you have radio ID's turned on you will see the same Dispatch ID on their simulcast system. 1433, 1434 are DPS Texarkana. 1436-1438 are DPS Garland. 50-53 I believe are DPS Tyler. If I'm not mistaken 1450's are Mineral Wells ID's.
Sherman is currently being broadcast by Texarkana. When they initially started this remote broadcast thing several years ago Sherman was operated locally during the day and then switched to Dallas overnight, then Mineral Wells, and finally Texarkana full time. Sherman used to control the Denton repeater before all this but as noted above it's now Mineral Wells, however they are still utilizing the Sherman repeater input link in Sherman for these broadcasts. I'm not sure who the Cooke County troopers are going through. It used to be by the Sherman Office but I've never heard them dispatched by Texarkana on the Sherman transmitter which I listen to all the time. Could be Mineral Wells via the Denton repeater but I don't listen to that much. They are also within range of the Decatur repeater for Wichita Falls but I would think Denton would be more reliable.
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