Lancaster and Berks conventional PD ops

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BigLebowski

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I know both counties are on their respective TRS's for primary ops, but do any of the municipal agencies in Lancaster and Berks still maintain their conventional systems for backup and/or tactical use?

Specifically Northeast Lancaster County and Berks county around the Cumru Twp/Spring Twp/Wyomissing area?

Thanks!
 

u2brent

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The last conventional LE use I've heard in Lancaster Co were the Constable frequencies, Don't know if they still use them or not. (been a long while since I had a hit)
Occasionally VLAW31 is used..
I imagine that they keep them around for backups, but I haven't heard anything from my location in the southern end..
They may have access to them in their radios, but I never hear anything. I can't say for sure.. Can't speak for Berks Co as it's just too far from me.

As for the local municipal PW's they are still used for road work/snow plows. I think the RR DB is fairly accurate..
I know Bart, East Lampeter, Manheim & Salisbury Twp's PW use the TRS.
 

RichardKramer

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Most Berks locales use their conventional frequencies for public works. Occasionally LE will use them to talk to PW.

Rich - N3VMY - KAG0096
 

u2brent

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Sorry :) It appears that LE has moved on from those conventional freq's..
unless anybody else can provide some additional insight.. They just use the TRS, at least from my vantage point.
 

BigLebowski

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The way the database is set up for Berks County would lead you to believe that there is still significant use of the conventional stuff.

I usually stay in Northeast Lancaster county when I am traveling but occasionally I stay in the Wyomissing area. Just trying to get my Unity programmed with the appropriate stuff that I can still hear.
 

Whiskey3JMC

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Pretty sure all LE in both counties is 100% encrypted, though there's been talk here that Lancaster County may soon be moving back to the clear. Nothing confirmed yet

The way the database is set up for Berks County would lead you to believe that there is still significant use of the conventional stuff.
Radioreference doesn't typically remove frequencies from the database but rather marks them as "Deprecated" if not used at all. If anyone from Berks can confirm whether or not the "law tac" frequencies are still in use as law tac or something else, maybe an update should be submitted to keep the DB accurate. Maybe the conventional law tacs are kept as fallback should the TRS go down?
 
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BigLebowski

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If you look on the Berks database page..

"This subcategory contains legacy VHF channels used by local fire, police, and ems agencies prior to the deployment of the county trunked system. Use in late 2014 and beyond is still being confirmed. As usage is confirmed, frequencies will be migrated to the corresponding local govt subcategory"

There are a large number of conventional police tacs listed under the municipal agencies, that's why I ask. I know most everything is on the TRS but agencies will continue to use conventional tacs for whatever reason sometimes.

FWIW I know I can just program them in and go with it, but I hate to waste space when I only have 1250 channels and a small number of custom scan lists to work with.
 

maus92

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I find it interesting that Berks County has encrypted their fire service - any insight on how that is working out for the volunteer departments?
 

HM1529

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I find it interesting that Berks County has encrypted their fire service - any insight on how that is working out for the volunteer departments?

You might be thinking of Schuylkill County, their neighbor to the north. Berks is not 100% encrypted, but Schuylkill is. It is the only county in PA to be 100% encrypted. Schuylkill County Fire Live Audio Feed
 

maus92

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You might be thinking of Schuylkill County, their neighbor to the north. Berks is not 100% encrypted, but Schuylkill is. It is the only county in PA to be 100% encrypted. Schuylkill County Fire Live Audio Feed
Yes, thank you. I'm setting up various receivers for the weekend bike trips up that way. Last week it was Lebanon, this weekend might include Berks, and I guess I also looked at Schuylkill County and mis-remembered which county was totally encrypted, lol. Same question though - how is the policy working out in Schuylkill?
 

HM1529

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So back to the topic at hand... I guess no one is here from Berks that can verify any of these?

I dont see the members from that area active in the forums much nowadays. I used to work up there pretty regularly, but not anymore...only very infrequent trips that dont give me an opportunity to really hear any rare comms.
 
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