No more transmission?

[avdefender]

I live in Longview, Texas. About 5 days ago (07/12/10) my scanner quit receiving all emergency transmissions. How do I find the new freq. ? Apparently the system has been updated but I can't find any info on it. Can anyone help?

 

[hiegtx]

I live in Longview, Texas. About 5 days ago (07/12/10) my scanner quit receiving all emergency transmissions. How do I find the new freq. ? Apparently the system has been updated but I can't find any info on it. Can anyone help?

There's a note on the Gregg County page that Longview is on the TxWARN system. I see that the East Mountain site (02-037) on that system has been recently added (on 07/15). There's also a Longview site.

Were you listening to the old system? That's now tagged as "depreciated, meaning it, possibly, is no longer in use. I'm way out of range to confirm either of these systems. Someone closer may jump in with additional details.

To hear the TxWARN system, you'll need a scanner capable of trunk tracking a P25 Standard (fully digital) system.

 

[avdefender]

I was listening to their trunked freq, Motorola II is what it says on my scanner. I have a Pro-94. It was my understanding that they were on a digital trunk. I may be wrong or just out of date. All I know is that my scanner is silent.

 

[hiegtx]

I was listening to their trunked freq, Motorola II is what it says on my scanner. I have a Pro-94. It was my understanding that they were on a digital trunk. I may be wrong or just out of date. All I know is that my scanner is silent.

See this new thread:
http://forums.radioreference.com/te...-longview-switched-analog-digital-radios.html

Apparently, they now, indeed, have made the jump to digital. Probably, your Pro-94 was programmed for the old analog system, which was still used until all the digital radios were installed, handhelds issued, tested, etc.

The Pro-94 will not receive the digital system. You would need a digital capable scanner. Digital trunk-trackers in the Wiki here.

Current models would include:
Handhelds: GRE's PSR-500 ; Radio Shack Pro-106 (made by GRE, same basic scanner as the 500); Uniden BCD396XT
Base/Mobile: GRE PSR-600; Radio Shack Pro-197 (made by GRE, same basic scanner as the 600); Uniden BDC996XT

Previous models, which would work as well, include:
Uniden: BCD396T (handheld) and BCD996T (base/mobile)
Radio Shack: Pro-96 (handheld) and Pro-2096 (base/mobile)

The digital scanners would also allow you to receive TX DPS. Unfortunately, they are considerably more expensive than an analog scanner.

 

[abvilongview]

pro 164

Can you tell me if my current pro 164 will work in Longview. I tried to do some research but am not clear about this. I have tried to program with Win97 but get errors when I input the talk group.

 

[Boulder]

Can you tell me if my current pro 164 will work in Longview. I tried to do some research but am not clear about this. I have tried to program with Win97 but get errors when I input the talk group.

I believe that the Pro 164 is only an analog scanner so you would not be able to hear with that. You would need a digital scanner that Hieg mentioned in his post above

 

[hiegtx]

Can you tell me if my current pro 164 will work in Longview. I tried to do some research but am not clear about this. I have tried to program with Win97 but get errors when I input the talk group.

As Boulder mentioned, the Pro-164 is an analog scanner. Use the link I provided (it's underlined in blue), and scroll down to where it says "RR System Compatibility".

There is a list of system types the scanner can trunk-track. The TxWARN system now being used by Longview, is P25 Standard, which is a digital system. You'll also see that for the Pro-164, under "System Voices", it shows 'Analog'. No digital capability.

Now look at the TxWARN P25 system page:
Texas Wide Area Radio Network (TxWARN) Project 25 Trunking System, Various, Texas - Scanner Frequencies

On the system page, you'll see that 'the system type' is Project 25 Phase I (FDMA). In choosing a scanner to monitor this system, the system type must be listed under that scanner's "RR System Compatibility".
Under system voice, it shows as APCO-25 Common Air Interface Exclusive. This means that is is a digital system, all the time. No analog (non-digital) transmissions at all.

Now, just for reference, look at the Radio Shack Pro-106.
Under the RR System Compatibility, you'll that Project 25 is a listed system.
Under System Voices, you'll see three different listings:
Analog
Analog and APCO-25 Common Air Interface
APCO-25 Common Air Interface Exclusive

So, the Pro-106, as well as the other scanners I suggested above, would receive both analog & digital signals, and trunk track the system Longview has now moved to.

The scanners I listed under 'current models' have the ability to use the NAC codes, which perform a function similar to that of the PL/CTCSS tones & DCS codes used on conventional, analog frequencies. Using the NAC codes, you can differentiate the various TX DPS frequencies. Also, some of the county and city departs are beginning to switch to digital, but not on trunked systems either. They are also using the NAC codes.

The current model scanners will also track systems using 700mhz frequencies. While there appear to be none, currently, in your area, ETMC is adding some 700mhz sites, which, from past will likely be tied into TxWARN. And, just across the border, in Louisiana, the LWIN statewide system is largely 700mhz trunking sites.

Of the 'previous model" scanners listed, the Uniden BCD396T & BCD996T will both track 700mhz systems. However neither they, nor the Radio Shack Pro-96/-2096 can make use of the NAC. While you can, via software "open up" the frequency coverage of the 96 & 2096 to receive 700mhz frequencies, these scanners still will not track a system in that band.

 

[avdefender]

Thanks to all for the help. Looks like I'm going to have cough up some money for a new scanner. I've two 1000 channel trunk scanners that are worthless as tits on a bore now. Thanks again.

 

[Boulder]

well luckily they are not completely worthless just yet. While the city of Longview has moved to digital there is still plenty in the East Texas realm that you can still scan with good old analog scanners including the ETMC East Mountain site is still going, along with majority of the Sheriffs offices and Police Depts in East Texas and a lot of the rural VFD's if you are interested in scanning anything out of the city.