Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg - Arggh! Help Please

[KN4EHX]

Thank you so much for taking the time to break it all down. Think I'm going to bite the bullet and get the Uniden BCD325P2. I mostly follow Knox County Rural Metro FD which is analog and was gonna get the BC125AT at the recommendation of others in the General forum but, with your update (at least for me) for GSMNP and PF, I'll benefit from a less expensive digital scanner. I'd love the 436HP for easy programming but I've had a few Uniden scanners over the years and understand the programming so I can save $150.

I've been using a Baofeng UV-5r for Rural Metro monitoring but in the car while driving, the picket fencing and dropouts are horrible. I've recently learned in the RR threads that those have a AT1846S transceiver chip that isn't designed to handle signals while driving. Plus, I really miss how Uniden scanners well, scan. The UV-5r only has one "bank" and is way too slow scanning through the freqs. Thanks again.

You can get by with the BCD325P2, but if you’re in Knox County there is a lot of simulcasting. I’m uncertain how the 325 will hold up to that. You might want to spring for the SDS100 if you can stand to save the extra dimes and nickels.

I don’t have either one so I can’t really say what will or will not work for the area. Hopefully someone in the area can give better advice. Occasionally someone will post on the scanners forums who has the best prices at the moment so that might help you out some.

 

[Gsquared]

If you every go again you should be able to hear them on the VHF P25 frequencies for GSMNP in the Federal Section for Tennessee. The P25 System is linked parkwide. There is a little encryption in use but not much. Only the LE Rangers have it. They also talk on “local” a lot which is 167.150 and it is a simplex frequency that is also p25. It is in use a lot in Cades Cove.

I'm trying to shake the dust off the portion of my brain that dealt with scanning a few years ago so let me ask this. When you're talking P25, say for instance the GSMNP P25, that just means the frequencies are digital. If an RR list shows multiple frequencies for an agency or company, then the radio is scanning all of those channels (digital or not) unlike a trunked system where there is a main control channel with embedded frequencies. Am I close?

 

[Gsquared]

You can get by with the BCD325P2, but if you’re in Knox County there is a lot of simulcasting. I’m uncertain how the 325 will hold up to that.

So I had to look up simulcasting and this is what it says "Simulcast refers to the process of transmitting the same signal from different tower locations over the same frequency at the same time." This is hurting my brain as I don't understand what this really means and, I'm not sure when looking at the Knox list which agencies or companies use simulcast. I really only listen to law enforcement, fire/rescue, GSMNP rangers and the forest service sometimes. So basically, government services. As far as the SDS100, I appreciate the advice but I definitely can't justify almost $700 for a radio right now. So how do I look at the RR lists to see what agencies/companies use simulcast?

I just looked up past posts about the 325P2 and found this:


I can probalby eek out the extra $150ish for the BCD436HP if this will allow me to accuratly monitor the stuff mentioned above.

 

[KN4EHX]

So I had to look up simulcasting and this is what it says "Simulcast refers to the process of transmitting the same signal from different tower locations over the same frequency at the same time." This is hurting my brain as I don't understand what this really means and, I'm not sure when looking at the Knox list which agencies or companies use simulcast. I really only listen to law enforcement, fire/rescue, GSMNP rangers and the forest service sometimes. So basically, government services. As far as the SDS100, I appreciate the advice but I definitely can't justify almost $700 for a radio right now. So how do I look at the RR lists to see what agencies/companies use simulcast?

I just looked up past posts about the 325P2 and found this:
View attachment 120177

I can probalby eek out the extra $150ish for the BCD436HP if this will allow me to accuratly monitor the stuff mentioned above.

DIGITAL SCANNERS

www.remtronix.com

TACN is a state wide trunked system. Not everyone simulcast but in the metro areas they do. This also includes Johnson City, Kingsport, Chattanooga, and about anywhere else larger than Kingsport. You might get by without a SDS 100 and again someone might come to the rescue and say you don’t need one for Knox County.

To answer your other question about P25 being digital - yes - P25 is digital radio. There is P25 Phase I and Phase II (1 and 2). Phase II is the latest and greatest update to P25 and it is a little more efficient than Phase I.

Any P25 simplex is always Phase I. As far as I am aware there is no Phase II simplex so monitoring P25 simplex is not a difficult task

Simplex is radio to radio for short range communications. No repeater or trunked system involved. No different than using the little bubble pack radios from Walmart except they are using either analog or P25 digital modes to talk to each other within short distances.

YouTube is definitely your friend in learning some of this stuff. No worries though! We will always answer the best we can.

I’m not too far away from Knoxville so when you do get a scanner I’d be happy to assist you however I can when you get one. Don’t know how useful I’ll be but I will at least help you to navigate the waters and I’m sure many others on here will do the same.

 

[Gsquared]

DIGITAL SCANNERS

www.remtronix.com

You might get by without a SDS 100.

I hope so, there are two Uniden BCD436HP for sale here that I just inquired about so if either one are still for sale, I'll just get one and see what it'll pick up in my area. Worse comes to worse, I sell it in the classifieds.

 

[medic9351301]

Pigeon Forge Police Main is completely unencrypted on TACN. Their TAC 1 and TAC 2 channels have selectable encryption. They affiliate with the Greentop Site and Newport Site (English MTN). They use to be on their own P25 system but now they are on TACN. They repeat pretty much everything Fire and EMS is responding to in their jurisdiction. Central 911 raises PFPD Dispatch on Interagency to tell them usually which is 460.500.

If you every go again you should be able to hear them on the VHF P25 frequencies for GSMNP in the Federal Section for Tennessee. The P25 System is linked parkwide. There is a little encryption in use but not much. Only the LE Rangers have it. They also talk on “local” a lot which is 167.150 and it is a simplex frequency that is also p25. It is in use a lot in Cades Cove. There will be another set of p25 repeaters too for emergency service use soon, they just raised enough money about a month ago for radio upgrades. The whole system is getting redone because it honestly has not been in good shape for awhile the links constantly go down, they have to relay traffic, and a lot of traffic is broken. The NC side LE Rangers now use VIPER a lot and it is linked to TACN. So if you ever come back you should be able to hear them on those.

zac is the gsmnp rangers encrp on their tacn tg or just the vhf p 25

 

[zachgallop]

zac is the gsmnp rangers encrp on their tacn tg or just the vhf p 25

No encryption on the TACN/VIPER side. The Law Enforcement Rangers do have the capabilities to use encryption on their VHF Network. The majority of the LE Rangers do not have it on most of the time, but there’s a couple that run it almost all the time. But for the most part you should be able to hear them.

 

[N1XDS]

No encryption on the TACN/VIPER side. The Law Enforcement Rangers do have the capabilities to use encryption on their VHF Network. The majority of the LE Rangers do not have it on most of the time, but there’s a couple that run it almost all the time. But for the most part you should be able to hear them.

I agree with Zach...When I was in the parking having fun in a side by side I took my APX 6000XE with my and no issues listening to the park rangers.

 

[jblackst]

The Knox County TACN node is a 5 site simulcast system, within the TACN/TVCRS system. It's a weird turf war.

 

[surfacemount]

The Knox County TACN node is a 5 site simulcast system, within the TACN/TVCRS system. It's a weird turf war.

It's not weird. Knox wanted their own stuff, so instead of just working a deal, they essentially built out their own system that can sever from TACN and exist on its' own. Knox County Sheriff even had their own trunked system parallel to the 161c system, so, they kind of have a history of this behavior.

What *is* weird is how they rolled it out, and how they have had it mapped for awhile.

 

[BigLebowski]

Sevier County, a model of interoperability.

 

[surfacemount]

Sevier County, a model of interoperability.

They are definitely a model of... something. Doesn't look like they learned much from the fire OR the lawsuits. (shrugs) As long as the ratepayers think they're happy

 

[spencerwww]

A good portion of Sevier County is difficult to scan, at best. Just the way those good 'ol boys like it.

I hear there trying get rid land units radio qonder if the stay needed or p25 pigeon forage pd. Is on p25 can anyone understand if maby there wanting switch its clear to I hear they were going through tired soe ding money on land system

 

[W1KNE]

So if the information in this thread conflicts with the RR DB, which it seemingly is, would someone please submit the corrections so the DB gets up to date? This includes the updated encryption status on both conventional and Land Air trunks.

 

[Tomcu96]

what about the attractions like when the power goes out because when I used it I was listening to a whole lot on their analog system

 

[surfacemount]

I don't understand your questions. Most of the attractions have simple little business band radios from what I saw last time i was up there... wow, like almost two years ago. They wouldn't be affected by a power outage. But they wouldn't have much message traffic either, with the power out, most of them can't make any money.

 

[medic9351301]

tin cans and strings lol