Help with Mass State Police system

[bobruzzo]

I have been trying to get a logical Mass state police system favorite list compiled. I only want to monitor the Bristol County section because thats the only control channel I can reliably hear. Its 859.8375. I live in Cranston RI. So in Proscan I simply just select that particular system. Troop "D". But what OTHER departments should I choose? Look at attached picture...There are all these other departments. Maybe things like the DOT, Conservation, DOC, DCR etc might be of interest. But there is no way to see if certain talk groups are able to be heard on the Bristol County zone. When I first set up my SDS200 earlier this year I just programmed the Troop D and added a bunch of all those other departments. But I want to make a new favorites list sort of slimmed down with just talk groups that apply to Troop D and the Bristol County area. I cant hear any other control channels for other areas like the Cape and Boston. So I am in Proscan now trying to figure out how to build this FL. I chose only TROOP D.....but not sure which related departments to add to this. The second picture is my "proposed" favorites list....

 

[Ravenfalls]

Add everything & put radio in search. Listen probably take few weeks. Know what talkgroup in your area.
You might occasionally hear something distant.

Listen to both systems. Some have moved & others not yet.

Besides the DOT not many along talkgroups with other state agencies.

Cities, pull up a map & that's easy.

 

[faojk911]

Bob, not sure if you're looking to validate if these departments operate on the Bristol/Plymouth zone or what's worth listening to. The list looks pretty organized so far by description/department, so I'd say it's personal preference as to who is of interest to monitor. I mostly monitor public safety, so I can't vouch for the utilities/highway talk groups, but on Bristol/Plymouth site, you will hear Troop D (and based on your location, you may be interested in Troop H who patrol the 95, 295, 495 corridor from Attleboro into Boston), State PD air wing talk group, Rehoboth PD are on the system, Dept of Fire Services (State Fire Marshal, HazMat teams) have activity on the site, as well as DCR Fire Towers (while in season), SOPS and LOCPS talk groups for State PD events/interop. If my memory serves me correctly, you'll also hear some Cape towns (Bourne, Falmouth, Sandwich, as well as the Cape fire mutual aid channels). Hope this helps some.

 

[bobruzzo]

OK I understand....sort of like the RISCON system here in RI where there is some of overlap of talk groups amongst the sites. I have this system programmed in my bcd996p2 out in my car. I leave it on SEARCH and random talk groups pop up at times and I just copy down the TG number then look it up and add it to the "unclassified" folder. Whats confusing is I assumed any talk groups out of, say Boston or the Cape would be on the control channels for those areas. I cant hear any other CC other than 859.8375 so I thought I would only hear talk groups in that particular site area. Reception mobile is very good in high spots and near the bay. At home its a bit noisy with lots of static. I use an 8 element yagi pointing east. I am thinking maybe a yagi TWICE that size might improve reception. But I have a huge hill directly to my easy which doesnt help. So to recap, I should program just the frequencies and CC's for Bristol/Plymouth counties, since that all I can pick up here, and add talk groups from troop D as well as neighboring troops like H and the rest of the other organizations/departments.

 

[faojk911]

Yes, stick with the Bristol/Plymouth zone (Site 3 I believe in RR?) for your location. That'll give you the Troop D and H coverage, as well as talk groups I mentioned earlier, such as the upper Cape towns. Again, I never ran a search or monitored anything outside of public safety, I always use 'ID Scan' for my preprogrammed talk groups, sorry I can't confirm if agencies not typically affiliated to this zone occasionally pop up here. As a side note, particularly if you're mobile or for experimental purposes, Site 5 Metro Boston Simulcast, as referenced in RR, will open up more talk groups to monitor. I'm able to monitor that site, with some noise, from the Attleboro area.

 

[XPS720]

Great subject: I always had great signal at Central for troop A, B, C, D, F and H now I get no more signal and I hear no more on Central. What happen to central simulcast?

 

[faojk911]

I never listened to anything outside of eastern MA, but a lot of western MA has been migrating to the new state P25 trunk system. Not sure if you're monitoring that, but my guess would be those agencies made the switch. All still heavily analog on this side of the state, with the exception of a few local P25 conventional systems and Rhode Island's P25 trunk system.

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

Troop D out of the RR library
I live a few miles from the Zone 3 Acushnet tower
They also the Low Band Channels 42.4600 For Local Talk in the City Of New Bedford and 42.500 for the Cape.

33968	84b	A	D-PTL-1	MSP North Dispatch - D, D1, D4 Plymouth County	Law Dispatch
34000	84d	A	D-PTL-2	MSP South Dispatch - D3 Bristol County	Law Dispatch
34032	84f	A	D-PTL-3	MSP Cape/Islands - D2, D7	Law Dispatch
34064	851	A	D-PTL-4	Special Events, Car-to-Car	Interop
34160	857	A	D-ATG	Announcement Group (All Talkgroups from Dispatch)	Law Dispatch
34288	85f	A	DET-D1	Bristol/Plymouth Detectives	Law Tac
34320	861	A	DET-D2	Cape Cod Detectives	Law Tac
34544	86f	A	SSS-D	BIS Special Services Section	Law Tac
34704	879	A	NARC-D	Narcotics	Law Tac

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

For other Stuff in Zone 3 you can add Troop H Boston the Events and Special Ops And the AIR WING talk groups too !
For fun of listening I have The HOC ( Highway Operations) Boston Groups loaded in and I also hear them on Low Band 47.2800

Pete N1EXA

 

[Nascar18]

Bob,
I would make MA. State Police favorite list. You have all the State PD , Trp. H-1, H-2 and H-3 & D-1, D-2, D-3 and D-4. The SOPS channels and special events, MEMA amd MEP, Statewide. Then program with the TG # and put the scanner "In Scan" for that list. There is plenty to listen to in just that list. I don't think you will see many changes in the system till CoMIRS starts up in a couple of years.

From your location and antenna setup, I would try Station C you might be able to hit the control channel.

 

[StoliRaz]

I live in Bristol Co MA and listen to everything. The only narcotics/gang talkgroup I ever hear anything on these days is A-troup. I used to occasionally hear the D Narc/Gang in Plymouth/Brockton but probably haven't heard anything from them in a couple years now. I enjoy hearing the goings-on in the entire eastern side of the state. Enjoy it now, once the whole thing goes digital we're only getting tiny hyperlocal simulcast areas 🙄