Encr

[SSN571]

Howdy,
I have been looking at the database for Brazoria County Texas. I see that there are TxWARN (P25) things with regard to police departments. I guess that this P25 thing comes in Type and Phase 1 and Phase 2 flavors; and I have much to learn regarding all this new digital etc. tech.

I am using a HomePatrol-1 scanner, and if I understand correctly it is ok for
Phase 1 but I would need a HP-2 to receive Phase 2.
All that I see on the database, is the police are in this Type 2, but I don't see what Phase. Also is there some way to find out if a particular police department is encrypted? It is my understanding that once an agency is encrypted, one can never hear it.

It's Saturday night, and I have heard EMS, County Sheriff and Police dispatch from several towns, but not the one I live closest to, and I am wondering why.

 

[n4yek]

Make sure you are looking at the correct TxWARN system because in Brazoria County it shows 2 different systems when you scroll down to the bottom of the page:
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=2542

The system type labeled 'Motorola Type II SmartZone' is being phase out because it is at the end of it's life
It is being replaced with the one labeled 'Project 25 Phase II' and that is the one you need to look at.

In the link for the TxWARN P25 Phase II system Texas Wide Area Radio Network (TxWARN) (P25) Trunking System, Various, Texas - Scanner Frequencies at the top it shows the system type is a 'Project 25 Phase II'.

Scrolling down to Brazoria County talkgroups, it shows a mix of 'T, D, and E' in the mode column meaning if you want to hear any talkgroup with a ' T ', then you will need a Phase II scanner.
(T = TDMA digital or P25 Phase II, D = FDMA digital or P25 Phase I, and E = Encypted)

Uniden scanners will mute 'encypted' talkgroups so you don't hear them, but on other scanner manufacturer radios, you still hear the audio. It is just scambled so hearing it is a nuisance anyway.

You said you hear activity from other towns but not the one closest to you, I bet that town is called Pearland. It shows in the database that they are exclusively using TDMA which your Home Patrol 1 does not receive.

 

[awd]

I wonder what's the difference between their PD-1 (unencrypted) and their Dispatch East/West channels (encrypted)? If they dispatch off of the encrypted TGs then a HP-2 wouldn't do you any good either. I've never had enough of a chance to sit and monitor Pearland TGs when I visit.

 

[SSN571]

Morning n4yek,
The town is Lake Jackson.

 

[SSN571]

HomePatrol-1

The ultimate home for this scanner will be Rusk Tx (Cherokee County) so I don't know if worrying about all this P28 type 1 or 2 / Phase 1 or 2, is necessary. It's for my wife's aunt, who is sort of a neighborhood / really small town watcher for all the seniors.

 

[hiegtx]

The ultimate home for this scanner will be Rusk Tx (Cherokee County) so I don't know if worrying about all this P28 type 1 or 2 / Phase 1 or 2, is necessary. It's for my wife's aunt, who is sort of a neighborhood / really small town watcher for all the seniors.

At this time, all of Cherokee County public safety shows to be conventional, with the possible exception of EMS. There shows to be a conventional dispatch frequency for Champion EMS, but I think they may also use one of the trunked systems (LTR) on the same page.

Neighboring Smith County is on the TxWARN P25 system, and there is a TxWARN site in Cherokee County. No usage has been reported/submitted to the database, but possibly there could be future use. The talkgroups for Smith County are P25 Phase I, but that could later change to Phase II. From what I have seen posted, all of this system (at least in the Houston Metro area) will be changing to Phase II. While a Phase II scanner would not be needed in Rusk, at this time, it might be in the future. For now, the HP-1 would work just fine.

 

[awd]

From what I have seen posted, all of this system (at least in the Houston Metro area) will be changing to Phase II..

Yeah, I've heard from our county's sysadmin that Harris County (the managing agency for TxWARN) may go full Phase II in a few years. Probably not next year or the following year though, although this is just my inference. My county this year is finishing the transition to Motorola APX series radios.

 

[hiegtx]

Yeah, I've heard from our county's sysadmin that Harris County (the managing agency for TxWARN) may go full Phase II in a few years. Probably not next year or the following year though, although this is just my inference. My county this year is finishing the transition to Motorola APX series radios.

That's what I've been picking up as well, both here on RadioReference, as well as on the HoustonScan Yahoo group.

Of course, the Rusk site & Cherokee County are in the area served by the old ETMC (East Texas Medical Center) system, that merged into TxWARN a few years ago. So, I don't know if this part of the system will go to Phase II along with the Houston metro area or not.

 

[SSN571]

Thank all of you for your replies. I am just hoping that the HP-1 will work in Cherokee County for a few years (until we retire there).

Gad; I was an avid shortwave listener about 30 years ago, and things were so simple then. This is the first time that I have actually tried to get involved with scanners. We bought my mother-in-law and her sister a Radio Shack scanner years ago and they were happy with that (I only had to get the frequencies in and they were off and running). Evidently it died, and I got this HP-1 for the spousal units aunt as a replacement.