Local scanning

[dyzan]

I have been trying to scan some local feeds but not having much luck with the FE/Green Taxi talk groups.
24132 and 24133 nothing.
24176 and 24189 also nothing.

Sorry for the question, New to scanning.
Thanks

 

[KevinC]

You're going to have to give us a lot more info (mainly your location), before anyone can assist you.

 

[DickH]

I have been trying to scan some local feeds but not having much luck with the FE/Green Taxi talk groups.
24132 and 24133 nothing.
24176 and 24189 also nothing.

Sorry for the question, New to scanning.
Thanks

Those are not frequencies, they are Talk Groups on a trunked system.

 

[natedawg1604]

What type of scanner do you have (make/model)? Also is the system in the RR database for your state? If so, please post a link to it.

 

[dyzan]

Hey sorry for not getting back quicker.. Think I have it figured out.. I am able to listen to the other talk groups and noticed that FE Taxi is encrypted. Guess my only question now is, if it is encrypted how do we know it belongs to FE Taxi? Is there a way to listen to the encrypted channel?
Thanks for the quick responses everyone.

 

[DickH]

... Is there a way to listen to the encrypted channel?

NO. That's why it's encrypted.

 

[natedawg1604]

NO. That's why it's encrypted.

Or log the radio system and figure out if all the radios are always encrypted all the time, or if you have some opportunities to hear certain transmissions on certain radios. With most systems you can tell whether a voice grant is encrypted based on the value of the ENC status bit (0=Clear, 1= Encrypted). Incidentally, did you see the ENC flag on your scanner for FE Taxi transmissions, or hear constantly garbled audio? If not, how do you know it's encrypted?

 

[eaf1956]

Encrypting Taxis now? OMG what next garbage trucks?

 

[natedawg1604]

Encrypting Taxis now? OMG what next garbage trucks?

What surprises me more is a taxi company using a fully duplex repeater at all. A lot of taxi companies don't want their own drivers listening to both sides of a conversation with other drivers. In my area, at least one taxi company uses an LTR system with a dedicated talkgroup for each driver, and they routinely re-program the TGID's/Home Repeater assignments, that's how paranoid they are.

Another taxi company uses a 1/2 duplex VHF base station setup, so the drivers can't hear each other's conversations with dispatch (of course they still hear the dispatch side).

 

[wtp]

or

the reason was so that they could not talk to each other and tie up the dispatch channel.
the only voice they got to hear was the "voice of god" the dispatcher and he could not be "stepped on"
when things get slow folks like to talk.

 

[slicerwizard]

Encrypting Taxis now?

Why not? Gypsy cabs will steal calls - just roll up and "You called for a cab?"

What surprises me more is a taxi company using a fully duplex repeater at all. A lot of taxi companies don't want their own drivers listening to both sides of a conversation with other drivers.

Small fleets seem to be ok with full duplex comms.

A big part of half duplex comms is controlling what the customers hear - it's a lot quieter in the cabin when only the dispatcher's voice gets through. Hell, some companies use a second "quiet" talkgroup for engaged cabs - the customers get a completely quiet ride unless the dispatcher has an urgent need to call a 10-8 driver.

 

[K2RNI]

What surprises me more is a taxi company using a fully duplex repeater at all. A lot of taxi companies don't want their own drivers listening to both sides of a conversation with other drivers. In my area, at least one taxi company uses an LTR system with a dedicated talkgroup for each driver, and they routinely re-program the TGID's/Home Repeater assignments, that's how paranoid they are.

Another taxi company uses a 1/2 duplex VHF base station setup, so the drivers can't hear each other's conversations with dispatch (of course they still hear the dispatch side).

Yeah I know how that is. The unrelated that goes over the taxi repeater here sometimes lol

 

[K2RNI]

Encrypting Taxis now? OMG what next garbage trucks?

Even though you're not supposed to a lot of cabs will listen to each others calls on the scanner and steal fares. The yellow cab here went onto a trunked system but it was LTR so you can still monitor their home channel without a trunk tracker and they have their fares grabbed by the smaller local cab company sometimes. The over the air banter afterwards sometimes is pretty funny, I can just imagine someone riding in the cab hearing all that.

 

[dyzan]

Hey.. I know it's encrypted because it shows up on the database as such..
https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=7079
As you can see.. in the Wellington County Commercial Talk Groups FE/Green Taxi is showing 4 Talk groups.
2 of which are showing as encrypted.
Just wondering if the encrypted channels are in fact FE/Green Taxi... How would you know if it is in fact FE/Green taxi if we can't here what they are saying?
As for now I will keep listening to see if there is any chatter on the un-encrypted talk groups.
Thanks everyone... very informative!

 

[dyzan]

Also wanted to add, I have been using the Uniden Bearcat BCD436HP.. Is there a better scanner I could be using, or is this scanner good?

 

[ofd8001]

As far as "Are these talkgroups really FE/Green Taxi", unless you can speak with the system administrators, or someone from the taxi service, it would be impossible to tell. For the hobbyist to confirm, it would require listening to the talkgroups, but if the talkgroups are encrypted, they can't be listened to.

Which scanner is better is a lot like beauty - it's all in the eye of the beholder. I just got a 436 after having two 536s for a couple of years. I am happy with it.

 

[natedawg1604]

Hey.. I know it's encrypted because it shows up on the database as such..
https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=7079
....

Do you have DSD+? If so, it displays "ENC" in the event log window if the voice grant is Encrypted. Just because the database says it's encrypted doesn't mean they always use encryption on all the radios. If the database says it's encrypted it most likely is, but never assume they are using 100% encryption on every radio all the time, unless you have several days (or weeks) of DSD+ events logs confirming this.

 

[CrabbyMilton]

Cab operators know that the rival can listen so they don't want them to steal fares.
Around here, I like to listen to senior citizen/ disabled van services. The banter can be pretty funny on those as well. Those rides are specifically prearranged so very little chance for those fares to be stolen.