Tarrant County

Status
Not open for further replies.

Prycer

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 9, 2007
Messages
35
Location
Aledo, Tx
I've been a member on here for years but fell out of the hobby and moved from Wide-Open Brazos County to not-so-clear Tarrant County. The format of these forums has changed a lot since I was last active so I am having some problems searching.

I am curious if there are any LE comms in the clear in Tarrant County? I know FWPD is not in the clear. But cannot locate info on TCSO, or Benbrook PD (I know they switched late last year, I assume they encypted but cannot confirm).

I also do not currently have a P25 scanner that works or I'd gladly check myself.

Thanks all!
 

Harold

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
337
Location
Texas
Fort Worth Police, Arlington Police, Grand Prairie, and All Law Enforcement in Johnson County are Encrypted. Everyone else is in the clear, with a few encrypted tac channels. Pretty much everyone is on the FWRRS. Everything is in the Database.
 

hiegtx

Mentor
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 8, 2004
Messages
11,169
Location
Dallas, TX
I've been a member on here for years but fell out of the hobby and moved from Wide-Open Brazos County to not-so-clear Tarrant County. The format of these forums has changed a lot since I was last active so I am having some problems searching.

I am curious if there are any LE comms in the clear in Tarrant County? I know FWPD is not in the clear. But cannot locate info on TCSO, or Benbrook PD (I know they switched late last year, I assume they encypted but cannot confirm).

I also do not currently have a P25 scanner that works or I'd gladly check myself.

Thanks all!
There are quite a few cities where, at least for now, their communications are in the clear. While a few cities still have conventional frequencies listed on the Tarrant County database page, by far the majority of them are now on FWRRS. Some, that have recently moved to the trunked system are still listed in the database as conventional.

Look at the FWRRS page in the database.

Look in the Mode column in the talkgroup listings. If you see a D in that colunm, that agency is using P25 Ohase I talkgroups. If you see a T, the P25 Phase II is in use. A capital E, next to the D or T means that talkgrop is encrypted all of the time. If a lower case e is there, then encryption is not used full time; some transmissions will be in the clear.

To montor the P25 Phase I talkgroups (tagged as D) you need a digital scanner capable of monitoring the digital system. If, instead, the Mode is tagged as T, then Phase II is being used, which requires a more capable (and expensive) scanner than that needed for only Phase I.
 

Prycer

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 9, 2007
Messages
35
Location
Aledo, Tx
There are quite a few cities where, at least for now, their communications are in the clear. While a few cities still have conventional frequencies listed on the Tarrant County database page, by far the majority of them are now on FWRRS. Some, that have recently moved to the trunked system are still listed in the database as conventional.

Look at the FWRRS page in the database.

Look in the Mode column in the talkgroup listings. If you see a D in that colunm, that agency is using P25 Ohase I talkgroups. If you see a T, the P25 Phase II is in use. A capital E, next to the D or T means that talkgrop is encrypted all of the time. If a lower case e is there, then encryption is not used full time; some transmissions will be in the clear.

To montor the P25 Phase I talkgroups (tagged as D) you need a digital scanner capable of monitoring the digital system. If, instead, the Mode is tagged as T, then Phase II is being used, which requires a more capable (and expensive) scanner than that needed for only Phase I.
Ah that is what I was missing- what the MODE's meant! Thank you!!!
 

Prycer

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 9, 2007
Messages
35
Location
Aledo, Tx
There are quite a few cities where, at least for now, their communications are in the clear. While a few cities still have conventional frequencies listed on the Tarrant County database page, by far the majority of them are now on FWRRS. Some, that have recently moved to the trunked system are still listed in the database as conventional.

Look at the FWRRS page in the database.

Look in the Mode column in the talkgroup listings. If you see a D in that colunm, that agency is using P25 Ohase I talkgroups. If you see a T, the P25 Phase II is in use. A capital E, next to the D or T means that talkgrop is encrypted all of the time. If a lower case e is there, then encryption is not used full time; some transmissions will be in the clear.

To montor the P25 Phase I talkgroups (tagged as D) you need a digital scanner capable of monitoring the digital system. If, instead, the Mode is tagged as T, then Phase II is being used, which requires a more capable (and expensive) scanner than that needed for only Phase I.

UPDATE:

This has helped tremendously- but what does an "A" in MODE mean? Collin County trunked system for an example.
-PRM
 

hiegtx

Mentor
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 8, 2004
Messages
11,169
Location
Dallas, TX
UPDATE:

This has helped tremendously- but what does an "A" in MODE mean? Collin County trunked system for an example.
-PRM
Tom's already answered your question.

But if this is the system you are trying to monitor:

note that Collin County has started the process of moving to PAWM, the system used by Plano, Allen, and other cities. So far, only a couple of talkgroups (for Collin College) have moved, but as testing continues, and system radios are updated or replaced to work with the new system, then you would need a digital scanner, which is what is needed for the majority of the systems here in the DFW Metro area. Speculation is that once Collin County fully completes the move, is that they will be P25 Phase II (that's the T in the mode column). Some of the other cities, already on PAWM, have also begun to move from P25 Phase I to Phase II.
 

Prycer

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 9, 2007
Messages
35
Location
Aledo, Tx
That is helpful, thanks! Mostly out of my primary range but I had been up that way today from West Fort Worth and was curious what the system looked like on RR. Thanks again!
Tom's already answered your question.

But if this is the system you are trying to monitor:

note that Collin County has started the process of moving to PAWM, the system used by Plano, Allen, and other cities. So far, only a couple of talkgroups (for Collin College) have moved, but as testing continues, and system radios are updated or replaced to work with the new system, then you would need a digital scanner, which is what is needed for the majority of the systems here in the DFW Metro area. Speculation is that once Collin County fully completes the move, is that they will be P25 Phase II (that's the T in the mode column). Some of the other cities, already on PAWM, have also begun to move from P25 Phase I to Phase II.
 

WX5812

Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2018
Messages
398
Location
Fort Worth
Fort Worth Police, Arlington Police, Grand Prairie, and All Law Enforcement in Johnson County are Encrypted. Everyone else is in the clear, with a few encrypted tac channels. Pretty much everyone is on the FWRRS. Everything is in the Database.
So with a p25 capable scanner I can’t hear FWPD etc etc?
I have a Motorola p25 xts5000 800mhz that I would like to use to listen around the Fort Worth area. Anything avaliable?
 

hiegtx

Mentor
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 8, 2004
Messages
11,169
Location
Dallas, TX
So with a p25 capable scanner I can’t hear FWPD etc etc?
I have a Motorola p25 xts5000 800mhz that I would like to use to listen around the Fort Worth area. Anything avaliable?
It does not matter what radio you have. All of the dispatch channels, and most of the other talkgroups, are encrypted on FWPD. Unless you had a system radio, with the correct encryption key (highly unlikely unless you were an actual member of the force), you would only be able to monitor some of the non-dispatch related talkgroups, There are some event and "Code Blue" TGIDs that are not encrypted, but that's about it.

Arlington is fully encrypted, and Crowley & Burleson are also mostly encrypted for their PDs. FW Fire, and most of the other cities' public safety TGIDs are not encrypted. There are a few scattered IDs that are encrypted, but those are few & far between on the smaller cities & towns. Tarrant S.O. is also in the clear.
 

WX5812

Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2018
Messages
398
Location
Fort Worth
It does not matter what radio you have. All of the dispatch channels, and most of the other talkgroups, are encrypted on FWPD. Unless you had a system radio, with the correct encryption key (highly unlikely unless you were an actual member of the force), you would only be able to monitor some of the non-dispatch related talkgroups, There are some event and "Code Blue" TGIDs that are not encrypted, but that's about it.

Arlington is fully encrypted, and Crowley & Burleson are also mostly encrypted for their PDs. FW Fire, and most of the other cities' public safety TGIDs are not encrypted. There are a few scattered IDs that are encrypted, but those are few & far between on the smaller cities & towns. Tarrant S.O. is also in the clear.
Ok thank you. Well atleast Fire and TCSO I will be able to hear. Thanks again for the input.
 

Harold

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
337
Location
Texas
I keep a scanner tuned to the Interop channels. Any time TCSO or even Arlington is working with FWPD, they will patch them to an IO channel. Have acquired quite a few radio IDs, using unitrunker this way.
 

mass-man

trying to retire...
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 15, 2004
Messages
1,870
Location
Parker Co., TX
Parker Co,, at least in my Covid 6 month stay out here is all in the clear! I have ALL the TGs programmed and have never heard a peep of E traffic! Considering you have Weatherford in their own group, SO, Aledo, Willow Park, Hudson Oaks n Springtown in the small city group you pretty much get it all! As well the DPS TG on the SO system!
 

hiegtx

Mentor
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 8, 2004
Messages
11,169
Location
Dallas, TX
I keep a scanner tuned to the Interop channels. Any time TCSO or even Arlington is working with FWPD, they will patch them to an IO channel. Have acquired quite a few radio IDs, using unitrunker this way.
I'm seeing the same sort of thing here in Dallas County, when somebody needs to interact with Garland or Mesquite on the GMRS system. Dallas Air One, and DPS 101, have also had to use interop TGIDs when trying to assist Grand Prairie PD, as well use conventional Uhf interop channels to communicate with the NXDN systems for SWRCC and Lancaster.
 

mass-man

trying to retire...
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 15, 2004
Messages
1,870
Location
Parker Co., TX
I keep a scanner tuned to the Interop channels. Any time TCSO or even Arlington is working with FWPD, they will patch them to an IO channel. Have acquired quite a few radio IDs, using unitrunker this way.
Hmmm...not a bad idea! As the interop freq start to include 700mhz a designated scanner might be a good idea!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top