Local School District Listening

[domtheavgeek]

Hello,
I recently found out the frequencies for one of my local school districts and started to try listening. After listening for about 5 hours I hadn’t heard anything, so I am now coming to this forum to see if anybody would know why. Could the frequencies possibly be encrypted?

Thanks,
Dominic

 

[bob550]

Perhaps there's not much happening in your school district. Check the database on this site and look for "E" in the "Mode" column associated with the district you're trying to monitor. What school system is this (name, county, and state)?

 

[domtheavgeek]

Perhaps there's not much happening in your school district. Check the database on this site and look for "E" in the "Mode" column associated with the district you're trying to monitor. What school system is this (name, county, and state)?

The frequencies are not on the radio reference website, it is Guilderland Central School District in Guilderland, NY

 

[k2hz]

Can you give some specific information about what you are attempting to listen to? If the frequency is for school bus transportation it should be heard throughout the district but if it is in-school admin or security it may only have on-campus coverage.
Some school districts may also have low power, portable only, frequencies used for things like sports and special events.
Many school districts that have their own licensed frequencies have now switched to area trunked systems for additional features like GPS tracking and wide area coverage.
And, yes, a few school districts have gone to encryption due to special circumstances.

 

[domtheavgeek]

Can you give some specific information about what you are attempting to listen to? If the frequency is for school bus transportation it should be heard throughout the district but if it is in-school admin or security it may only have on-campus coverage.
Some school districts may also have low power, portable only, frequencies used for things like sports and special events.
Many school districts that have their own licensed frequencies have now switched to area trunked systems for additional features like GPS tracking and wide area coverage.
And, yes, a few school districts have gone to encryption due to special circumstances.

My main attempt is for the transportation department, in-school would be nice, but not needed.

 

[domtheavgeek]

Here is the DEC and HEX:

 

[R0am3r]

Thanks Dom! I see you posted the district. Hopefully someone can help you.

 

[domtheavgeek]

Dom - Please help us help you. What district are you trying to monitor?

The Guilderland Central School District in Guilderland, NY.

 

[k2hz]

I looked at the license for Guilderland, WQFS214, and the frequencies likely to be used for transportation are 452.0125 and 461.5375. What frequency are you listening to?

 

[domtheavgeek]

I looked at the license for Guilderland, WQFS214, and the frequencies likely to be used for transportation are 452.0125 and 461.5375. What frequency are you listening to?

I have all of them inputted into the scanner and I am constantly scanning.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

What model scanner are you using to monitor? Have you tried enabling ID Search (Uniden) or wildcard talkgroup (Whistler) to determine if perhaps they've changed talkgroups? If they went encrypted you'd be able to sit on the talkgroup listed in the DB and it would flash ENC briefly, maybe emit some garbled audio depending on what scanner you're using

 

[KevinC]

Here is the DEC and HEX:

This would put them on this system...

Albany/Schenectady Counties Trunking System, Regional, New York

Albany/Schenectady Counties Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

Do you have a scanner capable of decoding P25?

 

[domtheavgeek]

This would put them on this system...

Albany/Schenectady Counties Trunking System, Regional, New York

Albany/Schenectady Counties Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

Do you have a scanner capable of decoding P25?

My scanner has trunking and digital capabilities, it is the Uniden BCD325P2.

 

[domtheavgeek]

What model scanner are you using to monitor? Have you tried enabling ID Search (Uniden) or wildcard talkgroup (Whistler) to determine if perhaps they've changed talkgroups? If they went encrypted you'd be able to sit on the talkgroup listed in the DB and it would flash ENC briefly, maybe emit some garbled audio depending on what scanner you're using

I am using the Uniden BCD325P2, do you mean the Close Call feature?

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

This 325P2 might not be the most ideal scanner to monitor the aforementioned system due to potential simulcast distortion. Are you able to receive other talkgroups on the system reliably?

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

I am using the Uniden BCD325P2, do you mean the Close Call feature?

No. See ID Search explanation here. This will get the scanner scanning talkgroups on the system unknown to the RR database

 

[domtheavgeek]

This 325P2 might not be the most ideal scanner to monitor the aforementioned system due to potential simulcast distortion. Are you able to receive other talkgroups on the system reliably?

I am able to listen to the local police/fire/ems perfectly.

 

[k2hz]

Since it appears they are on the Albany P25 system, do you have their specific TG programmed. Your scanner may not have the "Schools" TG enabled by default.

 

[domtheavgeek]

Since it appears they are on the Albany P25 system, do you have their specific TG programmed. Your scanner may not have the "Schools" TG enabled by default.

No I don’t, how would I enable that.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Since it appears they are on the Albany P25 system, do you have their specific TG programmed. Your scanner may not have the "Schools" TG enabled by default.

The 325P2 doesn't discriminate service types (Tag field in database)