Quick Question Statewide about the Highway Patrol and Digital

[AlphaDelta10]

Does anyone know if the Highway Patrol in any area in South Carolina has gone digital? I know the local highway patrol channels around here are on the Palmetto 800 but I don't know if all of them are. Just wondering.

Thanks!

 

[radiowaves1]

Pal 800

I know here in Horry county we hear SCHP, SLED, DNR, DHEC, US Marshals, Probation Pardon Parole, SCANG and others in digital mode especially during bikeweeks on select talkgroups. Its best to use the search function during special events like those and you can get those seldom used but reserved talkgroups. I have the North Myrtle Beach, Marion, Conway Pal 800 sites (towers) in all of my scanners as well as my XTS 5000 in sequential order relating to the control channels. Coverage is good when you do it this way as the Conway Pal 800 tower comes in scratchy when you get in the northern part of Horry county and usually fades out totally near Georgetown. If you'll add mutliple Pal 800 tower sites in your scanner/radio with only the control channels it really helps with coverage. Back to the digital question, many users of the Pal 800 system only go to digi mode within their own agencys as every user does not have that capability as of yet. Mostly due to upgrading their radios (cost wise) to have the capability to slide over to the digital side. SCHP & SLED are the biggest users (i hear any way) of the digital mode and I'm sure there are others I might not be hearing. I know that Darlington County is digital and they come thru on my handheld here at my house some 60 miles away. I discovered that by accident one day when downloading sites and talkgroups from RR. Bikeweeks and other events like that including during the height of tourist season the SCTAC and ICALL freq's are very busy inclduing the Astro format Ch 4 & 5. Horry County Police has already announced their decision to go 100% digital beginning in 2011. Hope that helpps you a bit.

Happy listening,
Mike

 

[Caesar]

I have not heard any SCHP talkgroups in digital at this time, there might be but not that i have heard in the midlands yet...

 

[brian]

There are no SCHP digital talkgroups at this time. All of their comms on their assigned talkgroups - well documented in the RR database - are analog.

They do have access to some talkgroups for other agencies that are digital, and their radios are capable of digital. But their routine talkgroups are all analog.

SLED is mostly encrypted. 55040 seems to be their talkgroup of choice, and it's always encrypted. They do have an will occasionally use some analog talkgroups, but my experience has been that's very infrequent.

 

[radiowaves1]

Follow up...

While its true that most of the SCHP talkgroups are well documented in the RR database and are used in analog mode most of the time, those of us who use these frequencies & talkgroups on a daily basis would tend to know what is really going on. There are digital talkgroups assigned to SCHP that are not listed in RR and just because one does not see it in the listings for talkgroups should not come to the conclusion that there are none. Example, I had been listening to our 15th District DEU unit that wasn't listed for Horry County Police for over a year waiting to see if it was going to be lsited. I sent it in and its now there. The old West Side talkgroup (272) listed as no longer in use is actually used now for special events such as DUI checkpoints, Parades & festivals like the Loris bogoff and others so that officers do not tie up other talkgroups. Talkgroup 48 which used to be our county's primary talkaround is used now for training like SWAT team, new officer radio acclimation etc.

I work for a nuclear facility in security (D.O.E.) and our talkgroups aren't listed in the Palmetto 800 section. And guess what? They are digital including our 3 talkgroups in which we can talk directly to...SCHP. We use XTS 3000's and a few 5000's and scan other surrounding agencies near the facility including listening to digi SCHP transmissions. And yes, we had to attend the Moto rep's training classes for use of our radios when we got them so I do know what I'm doing with the radio as well as what I'm hearing.

My point here is: Just because its not listed in the almighty Radio Reference data bank does not mean it does not exist. Even when a "data base administrator" all but calls one a liar in a public forum. Like it or not, thats the way it is and shall remain!

Mike

 

[brian]

Wow, dude, relax. I clearly didn't express myself appropriately in that post. No offense intended.

My point is that as far as SCHP's primary dispatch and tac/ops talkgroups, I think we have them pretty well covered. At least according to the zone sheet published for them several years ago.

I think this statement I made. "They do have access to some talkgroups for other agencies that are digital, and their radios are capable of digital. But their routine talkgroups are all analog." would address the talkgroups you're referring to that are used primarily by other agencies but are accessible by SCHP.

Are there talkgroups out there in use that aren't identified? Sure are, lots of em, never said there weren't. And if you know some, how about share em with the rest of us so we can all be enlightened?

 

[radiowaves1]

All is kewl...

I'm relaxed. Just responding thats all. I recieved some e-mails referring to your post and all of them came to the conclusion that "...the guy all but called you a liar..." and after reading your post thats what it sounded like to me as well. However, you posted that wasn't what you meant so I believe you and moving on now.

Take care,
Mike

 

[brian]

No problem. My intent was certainly not to imply you were lying.

My reply to the OP should have been, "I don't know about any digital SCHP talkgroups, and I think we know about most of the commonly used ones." I concede to anyone who has privileged, insider knowledge.

We're all in this together, so if you have some information you'd be willing to share to help out your fellow hobbiests and make the data in the database more complete, I'm sure we'd all love to have access to it. Email me direct if you'd prefer not to use the database submission engine.

 

[trunktracker71]

yes i agree i am constantly searching for any new talkgroups that are digital that the schp or sled might have but i havent heard any yet being in the fire dept myself i think that would be a useful tool also if anyone lives near darlington county i have some of the new talkgroups that we are going to be useing after the first of the year if anyone is interested

 

[Caesar]

I use UniTrunker constantly on the Palm800 and SCHP has NO Digital Talkgroups that they use for their own use only. They may switch over to SLED/LEx Co/Columbia PD and many other talkgroups that are digital so yes most all of their radios are digital capable, but even the older xts2500's are capable of digital transmissions. There may be some digital in horry county but Lexington/Richland county is lacking unless they added them last month.

If Horry county or anyone has any talkgroups that we are missing please do share them with us. The Radio Reference database is only as mighty as it is due to those willing to share there findings.

 

[trunktracker71]

the schp ins memo units have now gone digital on the same talkgroup 26704 the same one that they have always ran on it started wed morning just in case anyone listens out for them and now cant recieve them

 

[AndersonMBK]

the schp ins memo units have now gone digital on the same talkgroup 26704 the same one that they have always ran on it started wed morning just in case anyone listens out for them and now cant recieve them

What do those units actually do?

 

[LarrySC]

They take the tag off your dump truck if you fail to pay your insurance!!!!

 

[AndersonMBK]

I'll have to keep the insurance on my dumptruck up to date then..

What about the state transport police? I don't think I've ever hear any of their communications, although they have been patroling the Easley area very heavily here lately. They like to stand outside of their cars at the 153/123 loop a lot like they are looking for something..

 

[lugoffman]

Does anyone know if the Highway Patrol in any area in South Carolina has gone digital? I know the local highway patrol channels around here are on the Palmetto 800 but I don't know if all of them are. Just wondering.

Thanks!

26704 Tgid SCHP MEMO SCHP Insurance Enforcement (Memo Units went DIGITAL the INS memo Says units on schp, have gone digital now with the same ID they had before 26704 the switch happened two days ago Dec 17th
SCHP MEMO SCHP Insurance Enforcement (Memo Units
I was told this by a guy on www.scanamerica.us ( SORRY I DID NOT SEE THIS ALREADY POSTED )

 

[shadow357]

I'll have to keep the insurance on my dumptruck up to date then..

What about the state transport police? I don't think I've ever hear any of their communications, although they have been patroling the Easley area very heavily here lately. They like to stand outside of their cars at the 153/123 loop a lot like they are looking for something..

You will hear the transport police on the same tg's as the regular hp. Just listen for a 4000 unit number instead of the 2000 unit numbers.

S