Richmond / Columbia Counties

[jbm32]

I'm thinking about getting the new HomePatrol-2 scanner.
I believe it will decode Columbia County, but not the encryption.

Are you Columbia County scanner users working to get the encryption removed?
I've always heard that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Meaning you have to
make a lot of noise if you are going to get anyone to listen and act.

Citizens should be able to listen to what their public service is doing, and we can
be extra eyes and ears when needed. They can always turn on encryption when necessary.

So, should I get the HP-2 or save $200 and just get the HP-1?

 

[Ryangn]

I don't have nor have I used either HomePatrol but to answer your question Columbia County is phase 2 and yes the HP-2 can do phase 2 and yes Columbia County is encrypted so therefore no scanner can monitor them. If you are getting the HP-2 just to monitor Columbia County save the $200 if you need to. As far as Richmond County goes the HP-1 will work just fine.

 

[dstew67]

Your energy might be best spent talking to elected and appointed officials in Columbia County. Those are people who can actually do something about encryption. I would read up on Georgia's Sunshine Law. You can find it here.

It was enacted with the sole purpose of giving elected and appointed officials, and the public, rules to follow when conducting business. The Georgia Attorney General's office is tasked with enforcing the law. You can file a complaint with that office, if you believe the law is not being followed. With respect to encryption, I would say that precedent has been set firmly that routine business should be conducted in the open, as the Attorney General writes in the guide at the link above. Dispatch channels are normally in the clear. After a quick look at the Columbia County page in the database, I see that they do have licenses for a Phase II system, but no indication that encryption is being routinely used on either the Phase II system or conventional frequencies. But if that's the case, I would start the Comubia County Board of Commissioners. You can find contact information for them here.

You are correct, that citizens should be able to listen to what their public service is doing. But that doesn't just mean listening to them. The law provides other avenues of monitoring elected and appointed officials and agencies. You can request information from them, in the form of blotters, arrest records, reports on crime, etc. None of these are provided free of charge, though. You would probably have to pay fees to pay for expenses related to providing for your request, like copy fees, and possibly reimbursement for the time is takes for employees to fulfill your request.

As for your original question, "So, should I get the HP-2 or save $200 and just get the HP-1?", I would recommend the HP-2, between the two of them. That wouldn't be my choice, but I would go with the one that will allow you the most flexibility. These two scanners are primarily set up for people who travel. If you plan to stay stationary most of the time, I would look at either the Uniden Bearcat or Whistler WS series. You will have to spend a little time programming them, but the rewards will outweigh the time spent learning.

Happy scanning!

 

[jbm32]

Thanks for your very detailed reply. Maybe your right and some comms are in the clear,
but that's not the impression I get from past CC posts.

Thanks for the links, and I will check them out, but I reside in Richmond County so there isn't
much I can do.

Thanks again for taking time to answer my post.

 

[dstew67]

No problem! Happy to help. So will this be your first scanner purchase? If so, the HP model would be a good purchase. I would also look at Whistler. Both companies offer good products.

Also, you may have gotten the impression that you couldn't listen to emergency services when they change over to digital. This is true, if you're used to only listening to conventional systems, or have an older scanner that doesn't do Phase II. This was a common myth a few years ago. The latest models will pick up anything in range that isn't encrypted. As far as I can tell, they are not using encryption.

 

[jbm32]

I had a scanner years ago, but when everything went digital I kind of lost interest.
Now that radios are a little more automated, I thought I would give it another try.
Sounds like the HP-2 is just the ticket for me.

Thanks again,
Jim

 

[jbm32]

I don't have nor have I used either HomePatrol but to answer your question Columbia County is phase 2 and yes the HP-2 can do phase 2 and yes Columbia County is encrypted so therefore no scanner can monitor them. If you are getting the HP-2 just to monitor Columbia County save the $200 if you need to. As far as Richmond County goes the HP-1 will work just fine.

Thanks for your help also Ryangn. As you can see from the above post,
I have decided to go with an HP-2. I might as well be prepared for what
comes in the future, and I might decide to use it when traveling,

All the best,
Jim

 

[dstew67]

You bet! I think the HP would be a decent choice. Don't rule out Whistler, if you haven't read-up on them. I highly recommend a visit to the GRE (now Whistler) and Uniden forums here. You will get a good idea of what the products are like from people who actually own them.

For example: I owned a GRE years ago and was sold on it. I was convinced to buy a Uniden after that, and fell in love with it. I've been a Uniden customer several times over, but I bought a GRE yesterday after reading everything I could on it. Just keep your options open and ask a lot of questions here on the forums, and you should be set!

I see you have 7 posts, so welcome to RR. I've been a long-time supporter.

 

[Ryangn]

Yes if you can afford the extra $200 I would go with the newer radio as well. In Columbia County the only monitorable public safety is Harlem, Columbia County Fire and GSP - I don't think I forgot anything.

There seems to be a lot of anticipation about the new model that Whistler is supposed to release presumably next year if your interested in waiting and seeing. I personally love the 996XT (have two of them) and haven't found a need to upgrade yet. I hope you enjoy your new "toy" and welcome back to the hobby!