Polk County, WI P-25

[wisconsinjimmy]

I am not sure where to post this so here goes, what scanner should I purchase to scan the new P-25 system I live in Polk County, WI and counties around me are Burnett to the North, Barron to the East, St Croix to the South and to the West is Chisago County, MN. I have two old scanners one is a Bearcat, Radioshack, today while reading the news paper an article caught my eye, Burnett County has been ordered by the FCC to switch by August first of 2014 but a glitch has come up with the local Indians over the right to access one of the antennas. I believe Polk is right behind. Will the new scanners be able to catch both conversations dispatch and car?
Thanks
Jim

 

[ryolsen8]

Radio System

I am not sure where to post this so here goes, what scanner should I purchase to scan the new P-25 system I live in Polk County, WI and counties around me are Burnett to the North, Barron to the East, St Croix to the South and to the West is Chisago County, MN. I have two old scanners one is a Bearcat, Radioshack, today while reading the news paper an article caught my eye, Burnett County has been ordered by the FCC to switch by August first of 2014 but a glitch has come up with the local Indians over the right to access one of the antennas. I believe Polk is right behind. Will the new scanners be able to catch both conversations dispatch and car?
Thanks
Jim

Morning Jim,

Are you wanting to receieve the P-25 system? Burnett County is currently using very out of date equipment, and NEED to switch to the new narrowband equipment soon. (They were given an extension to continue off of the old equipemnt..) Polk County is up to date with our Equipment.. I am on a Fire Dept. in Polk County and am very active in keeping up with the Radio Systems around the area. I don't believe anyone around here will be moving to the P-25 (at-least not soon). So, you should be good with the VHF Scanners that you've got. If you do, however, want to purchase a Digital Scanner, I'd recommend the Uniden Bearcat BCD396XT.

On a side note, are you on Cushing Fire?

 

[sfd119]

Jim,

Any P25 scanner will work. Could you link me to that article about Burnett County's radio system? Also, Polk County does run quite a bit of P25 traffic...

 

[ryolsen8]

Jim,

Any P25 scanner will work. Could you link me to that article about Burnett County's radio system? Also, Polk County does run quite a bit of P25 traffic...

Only with Polk Law, at-least that's all that I've ever heard them..

 

[sfd119]

Only with Polk Law, at-least that's all that I've ever heard them..

Yeah, just Law. Still wanting verification on the FCC deadline for Burnett. Now THAT will be interesting.

 

[ryolsen8]

Newspaper Link

Here is the link to the article:

Tribe’s concerns delay county’s communications projects - Leader

 

[ryolsen8]

Yeah, just Law. Still wanting verification on the FCC deadline for Burnett. Now THAT will be interesting.

Yes,it sure will be..

 

[sjgostovich]

I would get...

Hi there, I live down in St. Croix but travel up your way quite a bit. You will need a digital scanner for sure if you want to hear anything around you. I'm not sure if Burnett will be going digital or not but Polk is running mixed mode, Barron is full time digital, all the MN 800mhz is digital. You'd be really limiting your options by not getting a digital scanner and they are cheap to be had on Ebay (Pro106's are going for $200). I have mostly GRE products but my Home Patrol 1 works great up that way to. Just my $0.02.

 

[ryolsen8]

Hi there, I live down in St. Croix but travel up your way quite a bit. You will need a digital scanner for sure if you want to hear anything around you. I'm not sure if Burnett will be going digital or not but Polk is running mixed mode, Barron is full time digital, all the MN 800mhz is digital. You'd be really limiting your options by not getting a digital scanner and they are cheap to be had on Ebay (Pro106's are going for $200). I have mostly GRE products but my Home Patrol 1 works great up that way to. Just my $0.02.

Barron Co is running with Law on Digital and the only digital activity in Polk is our Law Main..

 

[sfd119]

Burnett's new FCC lic has P25 on it....

 

[ryolsen8]

Really!?

Burnett's new FCC lic has P25 on it....

Are you serious!? Wow, now, that would be sweet! Full P-25 or partial (Like Barron..)?

 

[sfd119]

Are you serious!? Wow, now, that would be sweet! Full P-25 or partial (Like Barron..)?

Actually, I read the designator wrong. 8K10F1D would be P25 Phase 1 C4FM data...not voice.

 

[wisconsinjimmy]

Morning Jim,

Are you wanting to receieve the P-25 system? Burnett County is currently using very out of date equipment, and NEED to switch to the new narrowband equipment soon. (They were given an extension to continue off of the old equipemnt..) Polk County is up to date with our Equipment.. I am on a Fire Dept. in Polk County and am very active in keeping up with the Radio Systems around the area. I don't believe anyone around here will be moving to the P-25 (at-least not soon). So, you should be good with the VHF Scanners that you've got. If you do, however, want to purchase a Digital Scanner, I'd recommend the Uniden Bearcat BCD396XT.

On a side note, are you on Cushing Fire?

I am over by Tarbet Lake and I am not on the FD health is not good enough, wish it was. I am still using the VHF scanners and was just kicking around about getting a newer machine.
Jim

 

[sjgostovich]

I take from reading that article that Burnett is going to do some type of simulcast system?

 

[sfd119]

I'm not entirely sure. Each tower site has a different in / out freq. My guess is it would be like Barron where everything is repeated across the different "sites"

 

[n9upc]

Burnett Co filed a waiver because they could not meet the narrowband (not digital) deadline due to funding and tower related issues. I do believe that this is the "deadline" that was being referred to in the article. It is also important to remember that the tribal police do run a completely different radio system than the county system, but they do use the county system also. The tribal police run a P25 system but I do believe can fall back to mixed mode if need be.

As for the license emission designation on the license many will do digital as well as narrowband analog in case they choose to migrate at a later date. I rarely see licenses for public safety (License type PW) not get filed without digital emissions as an option.

As for scanners I suggest the Uniden Home Patrol 1 (as it is easy to program) and allows a person to program if traveling with great ease. Just enter a zipcode and boom it loads the database for you. I travel from St Croix Co to Sawyer Co and beyond A LOT and only really have to enter two zipcodes and I have everything along the way.

If you do not plan to listen to the WISCOM System or the ARMER (MN) System but are looking for some good scanners then I suggest the 396xt (handheld) or 996xt (mobile) as they are easy to program for conventional VHF.

Happy scanning and listening!

 

[sfd119]

t is also important to remember that the tribal police do run a completely different radio system than the county system, but they do use the county system also. The tribal police run a P25 system but I do believe can fall back to mixed mode if need be.

Not sure why you're bringing this up. Tribal PD has both analog and digital repeaters and also use Barron, Burnett, and Polk's Law1 channels...but that really doesn't have much to do with Burnett's out of compliance problem.

As for the license emission designation on the license many will do digital as well as narrowband analog in case they choose to migrate at a later date. I rarely see licenses for public safety (License type PW) not get filed without digital emissions as an option.

I just looked at the license again. Still no digital voice on their license.

 

[n9upc]

I am simply pointing out to the OP about the different systems out there that use P25 conventional, analog, and P25 Trunking. Thus it can help him decide to either go for the high end scanners with many features or simple ones based on the need that they feel.

Not to hijack the thread, but if Burnett filed a hardship for extension then they where granted the waiver and it expires in September 2014. Also I have seen many agencies and people file the wrong emission for P25 and put data instead of voice. I have even heard people argue that in fact P25 turns voice into data so it should be considered data. Either way it was a simple observation and who knows maybe they might be running some sort of P25 mobile data. As for posting anymore about Burnett I see a thread is active and I will move it over there.

As for the OP I use to use a Pro96 for digital prior to purchasing (jumping) on the BCD-436HP bandwagon. Good luck in your decision and happy listening.