GATRRS in Travis County

[unico]

I've been running BCD-996P2 for a few years, no major problems. I took some time off, came back, fired up my scanners, notta. I updated the firmware, and new channels for Simulcast 1 & 2, still nothing. Shortened my antenna, only showing signal on 1, but not stopping on any ID, even in ID search.

Any idea what I've done wrong?

Thanks for input, besides to get a SDS-200, one is on order.

 

[letarotor]

I've been running BCD-996P2 for a few years, no major problems. I took some time off, came back, fired up my scanners, notta. I updated the firmware, and new channels for Simulcast 1 & 2, still nothing. Shortened my antenna, only showing signal on 1, but not stopping on any ID, even in ID search.

Any idea what I've done wrong?

Thanks for input, besides to get a SDS-200, one is on order.

I was wondering if it was because it is a simulcast system on the sites you're trying to monitor. But I still think you would get some kind of something breaking through even if it was just digital noise.

Have you checked the continuity on your coax cable and what type of cable / how long of a run is it? I'm guessing you probably have good cable since you did the work on your antenna and I'm sure knew what you were doing.

What happens when you put the 996P2 on the data channel for the site you best receive?

I don't think encryption is a problem on that system? I'm up in Fort Worth and I don't really get to listen to GAATRS (sorry if I got that acronym wrong) unless I'm passing through Austin. But if an ID Search still got nothing, then I doubt it's an encryption issue since you would have surely picked up something in the clear.

Hopefully you won't have the problem when you get your SDS200 hooked up. I know this reply isn't really any help but it's all I can think of currently I'd check the connections and cable and maybe double-check the antenna has no problems. And if the closest tower is still far away, or blocked by terrain, maybe it's not able to decode and read the control channel on a site?

Brian
COMMSCAN

 

[tvengr]

Any idea what I've done wrong?

What programming software are you using? I have ARC-XT, ProScan, and FreeSCAN. If you attach your programming file, I will check it for problems.

 

[KTR722]

Simulcast 2 has been down for a few weeks, make sure you are just trying to connect to Sim 1.

 

[unico]

Just monitoring Simulcast 1. On hold on 851.2875 MHz, I see SID:013h-0101, and can see different IDs flash by, but never stops anywhere in scan. I use Proscan, attached is latest programming.

All my scanners are on back-order. :-(

 

[tvengr]

The one thing I notice is that most of the talkgroups are locked out.

 

[unico]

Yes, was only trying to listen to a select few. But not getting much when in ID search, should be not stop.

 

[rbarker]

Simulcast 2 is still not working. Does anyone know what's going on. The intellirepeater sites are being used a lot more now. Also not sure if related but i'm told that Blanco Co tower is not reliable after last weeks storms and some equipment is not working correctly. They have switched back to their 154.755 repeater. Good thing they left that turned on

 

[Ensnared]

Yes, I went to Precision Camera today and did not bother to activate the full DB with the zip code. I knew that this would likely take some time to figure out, but I never realized it would take this long, wow.

 

[Ensnared]

Yesterday, I made a run to Austin. When I was blazing down Toll Road Express, I heard an APD Narcotics channel key up. Later, I also heard Gulf Coast Interop. Both, were watching targets. Since I was driving in Austin, I did not attempt to see the talk group.

If I am hearing them talking on GATRRS, does this mean the DB frequencies are accurate? Or, are we still in the dark?

 

[blantonl]

DB is accurate and fine.

Simulcast 2 was deprecated it appears, that's it.

 

[kd5dga]

So, what has happened to all the VHF Northwestern repeaters located in Lampasas and Burnet counties? So far only Watson is running and the others are now dead.

 

[rbarker]

I hear radio traffic on the Gulf Coast Interop occasionally but they have all been surveillances in Houston. I assume that is a talkgroup that is linked to other systems such as in Houston and that someone here was scanning that talkgroup.

Also I am hearing Hill County GATRRS radio traffic on Marble Falls site I'm pretty sure.

 

[Ensnared]

DB is accurate and fine.

Simulcast 2 was deprecated it appears, that's it.

Thank you for clearing that up. However, I still have a question about the Simulcasting layers in the past. They used have the most confusing system involving layers, downtown and the outer areas, I think. Does this mean I don't need to do this any longer. After looking all over the page, I could not see anything about those blasted layers, I guess like Tarrant County, If so, thank God!

 

[rbarker]

In Travis County, all will be on Simulcast 1. Many of the sites are fill in sites but you cannot depend on them. Williamson County and Bastrop County are their own sites too. In the Hill Country on VHF towers, I would assume that there is a "home" tower but the radio will also search for neighboring towers if the signal is better.

 

[Ensnared]

In Travis County, all will be on Simulcast 1. Many of the sites are fill in sites but you cannot depend on them. Williamson County and Bastrop County are their own sites too. In the Hill Country on VHF towers, I would assume that there is a "home" tower but the radio will also search for neighboring towers if the signal is better.

Wow. I am thrilled. My pea brain had great difficulty understand and programming the layers. Bravo GATRRS.

 

[n7uv]

Hi all -
I'm mapping coverage for the GATRRS system in the Austin/Travis Co area. Used the site and license info available here to pin down the location and height of about 10 base stations, all in the Austin simulcast section. Thanks to those who've contributed that!
My question is regarding the area right along the Burnet/Travis border, north of the river. I see there's a "Lime Creek" site in Leander, but I'm looking for coverage closer to the county line, say around Lago Vista/Andice/Liberty Hill/Bertram. I don't see a far NW GATRRS site, nor do I see something over in Burnet Co. Any help?
73 - Jon N7UV

 

[rbarker]

I'm in Lago Vista, I guess the closest Simulcast site is Lime Creek which is close to Lake Travis. The other sites like Honeycomb and Singleton Bend also cover a lot of the radio traffic. I thought the transmitters were already mapped out at: Site Map: Greater Austin/Travis Regional Radio System (GATRRS) Trunking System, Austin, Texas (radioreference.com)

 

[n7uv]

I'm in Lago Vista, I guess the closest Simulcast site is Lime Creek which is close to Lake Travis. The other sites like Honeycomb and Singleton Bend also cover a lot of the radio traffic. I thought the transmitters were already mapped out at: Site Map: Greater Austin/Travis Regional Radio System (GATRRS) Trunking System, Austin, Texas (radioreference.com)

Thanks for the link to the map - not sure why I couldn't find that before. That makes it much easier. I see that Honeycomb and Liberty Hill sites do a lot of the work out that way.
Cheers and 73 - Jon N7UV

 

[rbarker]

Marble Falls IR Site Details (Greater Austin/Travis Regional Radio System (GATRRS)) (radioreference.com) Is also close too It shows to be in Travis County along 1431