Going Digital in East San Diego County

[cinephonic]

Hi Everybody,

(I recently discovered RadioReference.com and this is my first posting on the California Forum.)

I live in East San Diego County in a little town called Descanso, located on the southern border of Cuyamaca State Park. I use a Uniden BC 895XLT base scanner and am mainly interested in monitoring fire and law enforcement activity in my area to stay abreast of any situations which might impact the immediate vicinity I live in. Can anyone tell me how soon the majority of the fire and law enforcement agencies in my area will be switching over to digital-only communications systems? (I’m guessing that some of the rural fire stations and the State Park wouldn’t have the funding to go digital any time soon, but I don’t want to be caught without the ability to listen in on what they’re saying.)
Any help or information will be greatly appreciated.

Eric in Descanso

 

[brandon]

The Sheriff's department and CHP El Cajon office already digital as well as every other law enforcement in San Diego (except San Diego PD). Fire agencies are all analog except a few talkgroups. The Cleveland NF is on 168.750 and 168.150 and is analog.

 

[SkipSanders]

Sooner or later, you will need digital, of course. All federal agencies, including forestry, are required to be migrating to P25 digital systems.

CDF is still VHF analog, and I haven't heard of plans to change, yet, but note they are also using the countywide trunk system, so far using analog talk groups. Almost all of the county trunk fire talkgroups are analog, except (why?) the master group, Fire Command and Control, which is digital.

Bottom line, for now. You're ok with fire, but cannot listen to law enforcement in your area at all without digital capability, more than a few things like some CHP still on low band.

You may also be interested in http://www.scandiego.com/ which has a very nice set of forums, fairly active, with some very knowlegable users.

 

[nhp9943]

The Sheriff's department and CHP El Cajon office already digital as well as every other law enforcement in San Diego (except San Diego PD). Fire agencies are all analog except a few talkgroups. The Cleveland NF is on 168.750 and 168.150 and is analog.

CHP Digital??? Are you sure?

 

[karldotcom]

in sd yes

 

[SkipSanders]

CHP has been assigned talkgroups on the county RCS system, for all offices, but currently only the CHP East (El Cajon) office is using them. Much of their traffic is on the RCS now, and their talkgroups are digital. They do still use the low band repeater as well, especially further east, though that may change as the RCS East Loop is coming into full use and linking, now.

 

[WayneH]

They do still use the low band repeater as well, especially further east, though that may change as the RCS East Loop is coming into full use and linking, now.

Creating the East Zone only addresses capacity yet doesn't add more sites. That is one of CHP's concerns but coverage is also. The last I heard they wanted to go back to low-band but the infrastructure wasn't ready for dispatching (mobile use yes, but nothing else).