Houston Police/Fire

[teebee]

Which TxWarn site is the best one to monitor for Houston City Police and Fire. I have monitored several TxWarn Sites and have never heard any traffic from either of them. I have heard Harris County SO Talking on mainly Harris County East, Northwest and Northeast Simulcast sites.

 

[KevinC]

Use RFSS 3 sites for HPD/HFD.

 

[teebee]

Actually I was monitoring some of those and still no traffic. Are all of them active for HPD and HFD?
I see 1-5 and 11-17 listed which I have programmed.

 

[KevinC]

Actually I was monitoring some of those and still no traffic. Are all of them active for HPD and HFD?
I see 1-5 and 11-17 listed which I have programmed.

Which scanner are you using and what part of town do you live in?

 

[teebee]

BCD536HP
Actually live in Lake Charles and in Houston at times. On the other hand when weather conditions are favarable I can pick up many of the TxWarn site in and around Harris County/Houston Area as I am picking up many of them right now and last night. Hearing many agenices including Harris County SO and Constables right now, just cannot hear one HPD and HFD

 

[KevinC]

BCD536HP
Actually live in Lake Charles and in Houston at times. On the other hand when weather conditions are favarable I can pick up many of the TxWarn site in and around Harris County/Houston Area as I am picking up many of them right now and last night. Hearing many agenices including Harris County SO and Constables right now, just cannot hear one HPD and HFD

Ok. While in town your scanner won't work very well on sites 1-5 as they are simulcast. Sites 11-17 aren't simulcast but are outlying and may not carry much HPD/HFD traffic. Keep in mind only the dispatch channels are in the clear and everything else is encrypted.

Keep in mind the HPD/HFD TG's on site 5 aren't the same ones you'll hear on the other sites. On site 5 you'll only hear the ones listed as being on the GGSL, such as this one...

30182

75e6

D

HPD SE MA

Southeast Dispatch Mutual Aid (General Government Services Layer)

 

[scanfan03]

Use RFSS 3 not 1 for HPD/HFD and some outlying city PDs/FDs. So your sites will be site 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4 which are all TDMA and 3-5 is the general services simulcast which is for the phase 1 stuff which has the MA next to the name as shown above. By rule of thumb, anything with a high TGID is on the city system (RFSS 3) while anything with a low TGID is on the county system (RFSS 1).

 

[Ensnared]

Ok. While in town your scanner won't work very well on sites 1-5 as they are simulcast. Sites 11-17 aren't simulcast but are outlying and may not carry much HPD/HFD traffic. Keep in mind only the dispatch channels are in the clear and everything else is encrypted.

Keep in mind the HPD/HFD TG's on site 5 aren't the same ones you'll hear on the other sites. On site 5 you'll only hear the ones listed as being on the GGSL, such as this one...

30182

75e6

D

HPD SE MA

Southeast Dispatch Mutual Aid (General Government Services Layer)

I did not know HPD/HFD were encrypted at the mobile level. Thanks.

 

[Echo4Thirty]

I did not know HPD/HFD were encrypted at the mobile level. Thanks.

The Regional Operator and main dispatch TGs are in the clear, the firegrounds are AES enc.

 

[Ensnared]

The Regional Operator and main dispatch TGs are in the clear, the firegrounds are AES enc.

So, you can hear HPD mobiles. I did not even notice the last time I was in Houston. There is so much to listen to down there.

 

[Echo4Thirty]

I was referring to HFD, HPD is in the clear on the main dispatch talkgroups but their tacs are AES encrypted as well. There is no way to monitor either agency when they are on their encrypted talkgroups.

 

[Ensnared]

That is interesting. It sounds just like Houston. Oh well, there is plenty of wonderful agencies to monitor. I just spent a great deal of time sifting through the various "monitored" federal frequencies. I used to monitor DEA all of the time when I lived there. I have never heard them on TxWarn although they have several talk groups. "Onward Through the Fog" Oat WIllies

 

[KevinC]

I used to monitor DEA all of the time when I lived there. I have never heard them on TxWarn although they have several talk groups.

That's because they are encrypted...as they should be.

 

[Ensnared]

That's because they are encrypted...as they should be.

Yes, I was aware of the "e." I don't expect them to surface on my scanners. I used to chase federal, but it is not worth the effort. Thanks for your response.