Monitoring Public Safety System in Manitoba

[2C42]

I've been trying to figure out the system on my scanner for a little while now. Boy, am I beating my head off the wall. The only real progress I have gotten is to just go to Custom Search and lock in 770 MHz to 773 MHz.

I have had decent success by doing this, however this success is very short lived. I've only recently started catching little blips of conversations, occasionally. I know I am missing something, but just cant wrap my head around currently. When the scanner is scanning in Custom Search mode, I have the hexadecimal (P25 NAC xxx) pop up. If anyone can help that would be greatly appreciated. This is for the Public Safety System in Manitoba for clarification.

 

[BC_Scan]

First, we need to know the type of scanner (or dongle). If only one, it does not trunk track you would need multiple. While in search mode, you need to write down the control channels your scanner can hear. I imagine you are using not a great antenna.

Second, you need to program the target system. Unfortunately, the database does not reflect which tower in Brandon there are , we will need to know from you.
Third, most good stuff to hear is encrypted. You might hear school buses, town works , not really anything worthwhile.
Fourth, not a lot of info has been obtained from users on the system. If your going to pursue this, you need to do a lot of listening and figuring out.

 

[2C42]

The scanner in question is a Uniden BCD 436HP. I am using the stock antenna, mostly. I do have previously installed antenna wiring in my truck that I use quite often. For clarification, it was a Shaw Communications fleet truck, previously.

I have written down quite a few channels. I know roughly which channels by heart are going to give the results. I have discovered repeater frequencies while in Custom Search and wrote those down as well.

Now I have tried programming the specific system but probably because of the encryption, I still cant get anywhere. That being said, I know of one tower for sure in Brandon that is part of the system. Apparently, there is only one in Brandon, but I call BS on that, for the most part.

In your fourth point, you are not wrong. It's hard to find out any information, considering the system we are discussing. In the end I would like to buy a pre programmed SD card but, I feel like that may not be helpful if the database isn't fully correct.

 

[mciupa]

And how do we make the database correct? It is by contributions and confirmation by local monitors. RadioReference only archives what the membership submits. We had some good database submissions from a couple of members in the past, but they haven't checked in for a while.

Perhaps you can search and submit for more PSCS control channel towers in your area to disprove the "BS".

 

[2C42]

And how do we make the database correct? It is by contributions and confirmation by local monitors. RadioReference only archives what the membership submits. We had some good database submissions from a couple of members in the past, but they haven't checked in for a while.

Perhaps you can search and submit for more PSCS control channel towers in your area to disprove the "BS".

I wasn't referring to the RadioReference database itself. This was told to me by a technician I had spoken with, and which loosely confirmed that, there was only one repeater tower in Brandon. The only reason I said I don't fully believe it is because I can stare at a similar tower and its got essentially the same equipment as the other tower. This is only my observation, I am obviously not an expert.

Also I understand that it's everyone's contributions that help make this database what it is, this is why I have made submissions in general.

I am essentially learning as I go, and I am not exactly tech savvy. My apologies that I wasn't more informative in my previous message.

 

[mciupa]

I'm just happy that you are paying attention to the system. I wish more people would.

 

[kayn1n32008]

I've been trying to figure out the system on my scanner for a little while now. Boy, am I beating my head off the wall. The only real progress I have gotten is to just go to Custom Search and lock in 770 MHz to 773 MHz.

I have had decent success by doing this, however this success is very short lived. I've only recently started catching little blips of conversations, occasionally. I know I am missing something, but just cant wrap my head around currently. When the scanner is scanning in Custom Search mode, I have the hexadecimal (P25 NAC xxx) pop up. If anyone can help that would be greatly appreciated. This is for the Public Safety System in Manitoba for clarification.

This is a multi-site, multicast, 700MHz P25 trunk system.

You are hearing snippets of conversations because you are most likely listening in conventional mode, rather than monitoring the control channel and having the scanner follow the channel grants. My guess is the system uses transmission trunking, where each transmission gets a unique voice channel grant from the controller out of the available pool of channels on what ever site you are hearing.

 

[2C42]

This is a multi-site, multicast, 700MHz P25 trunk system.

You are hearing snippets of conversations because you are most likely listening in conventinal mode, rather than monitoring the control channel and having the scanner follow the channel grants. My guess is the system uses transmission trunking, where each r
transmission gets a unique voice channel grant from the controller out of the available pool of channels on what ever site you are hearing.

I believe you are correct. I am scanning Custom Search currently because I feel like that is where I'm having the most success currently. Mostly just playing around and seeing what I can find. I do have the full database on my scanner.

Another thing to add is I have the repeater find on and for example if I land on let's say 773.5397 MH z and it picks up a repeater which would be 803.5937 MHz according to the scanner.
But according to the database, it goes from anywhere 850 MHz to 900 MHz for FDMA and TDMA. So, I am not sure what the scanner is doing in that regard. Let alone if the scanner can even get through the encryption, it seems like it's trying.

 

[kayn1n32008]

I believe you are correct....

Another thing to add is I have the repeater find on and for example if I land on let's say 773.5397 MH z and it picks up a repeater which would be 803.5937 MHz according to the scanner.

The 773.5397 frequency is the repeater output, the 803.5397 frequency is the repeater input. The mobiles and portables transmit on the input and listen on the output.

But according to the database, it goes from anywhere 850 MHz to 900 MHz for FDMA and TDMA.

FDMA and TDMA are terms that describe how the system works.

P25 is a protocol used to communicate between the repeaters and the portables and mobiles. It can be applied to all LMR bands above 138MHz.

You need to create a trunk system, that contains the control channels for the site(s) you are in range of, so the scanner can follow the voice channels for talkgroups you wish to listen to.

Let alone if the scanner can even get through the encryption...

Your scanner will not decrypt any encrypted transmissions. It does not have the ability to have encryption keys loaded into it. P25 digital voice is not encryption, it is simply a method to digitize analogue voice to transmit it from one place to another.