Scanning DTRS

[dracer777]

Alright, so i have a little experience scanning the DTRS in Colorado, mostly i scanned Greeley PD, but i am left wondering how it works. If i can pick up far-away TGs like Weld county south and CSP on the main HW (I-25), that leaves me to believe there are regions or groups of towers that broadcast the same talkgroups. But what is the deciding factor of what TGs get broadcast off of what towers? I can't listen to Loveland or fort Collins, so I know it is not range based. AT least i dont believe so. If there is any info you think i should know that i didnt ask, feel free to include it, i love information Sorry if these are super n00bish questions. Thanks in advance for your well informing replies. Also, i noticed some maps on the statewide DTRS database page where one shows the towers in different colors(green, red, blue) and a "mac regions" map, dunno if that has anything to do with my question.

 

[dracer777]

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and mods, if this should be in the colorado discussion forum, please relocate it, i wasnt sure where to put it.

 

[GrayJeep]

Alright, so i have a little experience scanning the DTRS in Colorado, mostly i scanned Greeley PD, but i am left wondering how it works. If i can pick up far-away TGs like Weld county south and CSP on the main HW (I-25), that leaves me to believe there are regions or groups of towers that broadcast the same talkgroups. But what is the deciding factor of what TGs get broadcast off of what towers? I can't listen to Loveland or fort Collins, so I know it is not range based. AT least i dont believe so. If there is any info you think i should know that i didnt ask, feel free to include it, i love information Sorry if these are super n00bish questions. Thanks in advance for your well informing replies. Also, i noticed some maps on the statewide DTRS database page where one shows the towers in different colors(green, red, blue) and a "mac regions" map, dunno if that has anything to do with my question.

This definitely should get moved to the Colorado group.

I have yet to figure out a pattern for what TGs get transmitted on which tower. It's not an obvious criteria anyway. There is definitely some grouping but someone else might be able to explain why.

I hear Greeley and Weld TGs on Horsetooth, Buckhorn and Bald Mtn towers which also carry FC and Larimer county traffic. If you've only programmed for the Greeley 35th st tower that would explain why you aren't hearing much more than Greeley. That's an in-town tower. If you can't hear any other towers from your location then you're pretty much stuck unless you relocate or get a better antenna.

If you get the Pro96com program and run your scanner by computer you can see which tower carries which TG and which towers are "neighbors" to the one you are listening to. Neighbors might carry similar traffic.

 

[rickak]

It's really quite simple. You only hear a talkgroup on a site if there is a radio set to that talkgroup affiliated with (connected to) that site. So how to you know for sure? You don't. That's why monitoring the statewide system is a bit of an art. The talkgroups with the most radio's out there "tuned" to it, like primary law and fire talkgroups, will be easiest to find as there are more radios out there to be affiliating with sites. Others, like DOW talkgroups for instance, have very few radios out there to affiliate on sites, so they are very hit and miss when monitoring.

Rick

 

[dracer777]

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Yes, for the most part, i only listened to greeley, right now im in the process of moving, im in lafayette and will soon be moving to dacono, permanently. and dacono is right on the boulder/weld boundary. so ive been dying to figure out how exactly the dtrs works. for those who know more than me, is it basically go to the tower list, find the furthest target tower i can hear and hope they broadcast the tg that i want to hear?

 

[GrayJeep]

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Yes, for the most part, i only listened to greeley, right now im in the process of moving, im in lafayette and will soon be moving to dacono, permanently. and dacono is right on the boulder/weld boundary. so ive been dying to figure out how exactly the dtrs works. for those who know more than me, is it basically go to the tower list, find the furthest target tower i can hear and hope they broadcast the tg that i want to hear?

Go to the tower list, program all that you can hear in the area and observe the results. But note that you can probably hear Thorodin but there's no reason it would carry Greeley PD. Choose towers that are likely to have what you want.

Or use Pro96com to use a more analytical approach on a tower-by-tower approach.

Even though you are listening from Lafayette while identifying yourself as posting from Greeley.... the Horsetooth, Buckhorn, Bald Mtn towers are still your best bet.

Gunbarrel, while close to Lafayette, doesn't seem to carry much Greeley traffic though it carries Weld County sometimes.

On the Colorado group look for Halfpint and send him a PM. He's somewhere near Dacono and will be able to give good advice for Dacono area. The Mead tower is close by but seems to have a different subset of traffic than some of the other towers.

 

[dracer777]

Even though you are listening from Lafayette while identifying yourself as posting from Greeley.... the Horsetooth, Buckhorn, Bald Mtn towers are still your best bet.

sorry, i just moved from greeley a couple weeks ago, when i was in greeley, i was listening to greeley mostly, now that my local pd doesnt use the dtrs, i am try to figure out what i can listen to on the dtrs and how it works while im at it. but thanks for your replies

 

[scanningthemountains]

Does anyone know if the Gre Psr 300 will pick up dtrs? i'm trying to figure out what i need to pick up the new tower at prospect mountain...

 

[dracer777]

Does anyone know if the Gre Psr 300 will pick up dtrs? i'm trying to figure out what i need to pick up the new tower at prospect mountain...

No, you need a digital scanner. I recommend the Pro-106, thats what i have, and while i dont have experience with the uniden scanners, from reading about it, the Pro-106 looks easier to program, PM me if/when you get one and need help programming.