The state of Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN)

[buddrousa]

I get my info from direct inside sources I will not share who that I have had from day one. This is also the info that was shared with agencies in our area. If you want better than mobile coverage it is your responsibility to pay for sites to get said coverage.
I have known this before the 1st West Tn site was ever built.
Also how many FIRSTNET TACN meetings have you been to.
We choose to not join due to in building coverage and the cost to add a sites was well above what we would spend to upgrade our existing system.

 

[ccfire]

I will also say buying the cheapest radios that will work on the system well you get what you pay for. If you want the Coverage the THP gets buy the same Car and Portable setups.

We use Motorola radios our portables in my department as well as most others in Monroe County are apx 8000s

 

[buddrousa]

Did you buy the mobile repeater option like the state of TN did so it would work in the most areas

 

[L9capt1st]

I don't mean to hijack this conversation, but I saw your response on another thread and would like to ask you a question... I'm a retired fire Ladder captain and recently move to Sevierville TN, I'm looking at purchasing a scanner to listen to the fire departments around this area and I'm having trouble figuring out if I can listen here or not... Talked to bearcat and they program scanners and said they can program for this area... What do you know about this area and what will work and what wont... Thanks

 

[buddrousa]

Most everything in that area is on a NXDN Trunking System running ENCRYPTION but locals will chime in.

 

[jblackst]

I'm a retired fire Ladder captain and recently move to Sevierville TN, I'm looking at purchasing a scanner to listen to the fire departments around this area and I'm having trouble figuring out if I can listen here or not...

Specifically, do you want to listen to Sevier Co FDs (incl Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg), or neighboring counties/cities?

More importantly, congrats on your retirement and welcome to East TN!

 

[L9capt1st]

Specifically, do you want to listen to Sevier Co FDs (incl Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg), or neighboring counties/cities?

More importantly, congrats on your retirement and welcome to East TN!

Thanks for the welcome... I would like to listen to Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and neighboring counties/cities like Knoxville and Newport TN fire departments. I'm not up on all the programming of scanners, I got online to the bearcat store, and they said they could program these counties and cities for me for a charge to program, I don't mind paying for that service if it works, they told me I would have 30 days to return scanner if it doesn't work and I would get all my money back except what I would pay for programming.. So, I'm getting conflicting statements. I'm trying to get some other information before I lose some money on programming, any additional information from anyone on here would be much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[INDY72]

Knox County & Knoxville: ALL Law Enforcement is full time encrypted, Fire and EMS is clear on Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN) Trunking System, Various, Multi-State. Sevier County: Fire paging/tone out is clear, all ops are encrypted on the Land Air Communications (NXDN) Trunking System, Various, Tennessee ALL County Law Enforcement EXCEPT Pigeon Forge PD is full time encrypted on same TRS. Pigeon Forge Fire is on that same TRS thus is encrypted currently (They will be moving onto the TACN and then can be monitored.) Pigeon Forge Police use the TACN and dispatch is clear, with tacticals partly encrypted. Sevierville PD is encrypted, FD tone out/paging is clear, but ops on the TRS are encrypted. SC is run by a buttload of butthole good ole boys that want to make sure you never hear them plotting to go to the courthouse basement and smoke weed.

 

[jblackst]

As @milf put it pretty succinctly, Sevier County is difficult, at best. Bottom line, I'd be wary of paying anyone that says they can setup a scanner to listen to Sevier County agencies. The good news, though, you should be well within reach of a TACN site (Greentop or Knox Simulcast) that will provide you with plenty to digest, if you're interested. No LE (except maybe interops and some THP?), but lots of other traffic...

 

[zachgallop]

I just want to share some of the newly discovered talkgroups that have been discovered off English MTN for Hamblen County. Last time that I monitored both their analog system and digital system Morristown-Hamblen EMS and the Rescue Squad had not changed over. I had heard they were still waiting on some more radios to come in. Also, I have not had a lot of time to monitor but here is some of the talkgroups that I have noticed:

TGID: 49001
SECURE STATUS: ENCRYPTED
NOTES: PRETTY ACTIVE POSSIBLY ENFORCEMENT LAW DISPATCH

TGID: 49002
SECURE STATUS: SECURE
NOTES: PRETTY ACTIVE POSSIBLY LAW ENFORCEMENT DISPATCH OR SECONDARY LAW CHANNEL

TGID: 49005
SECURE STATUS: CLEAR
NOTES: PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES, AND MORRISTOWN POLICE UNITS UTILIZED THIS TALKGROUP DURING VETERANS DAY PARADE

TGID: 49013
SECURE STATUS: SECURE
NOTES: WAS REALLY ACTIVE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THOUGHT AT FIRST MAYBE LAW DISPATCH CHANNEL BUT NOT CONFIRMED.


TGID: 49021
SECURE STATUS: CLEAR
NOTES: SEEMS TO BE MORRISTOWN FD MAIN

TGID: 49022
SECURE STATUS: CLEAR
NOTES: SEEMS TO BE SECONDARY CHANNEL FOR MORRISTOWN FD. ALERTING TONES AND RADIO TRAFFIC.


TGID: 49040
SECURE STATUS: CLEAR
NOTES: SEEMS TO BE VOLUNTEER FIRE MAIN “VFD MAIN”.

TGID: 49042
SECURE STATUS: CLEAR
NOTES: SEEMS TO BE TAC CHANNEL FOR SOUTH HAMBLEN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT. ONLY THEIR UNITS APPEARED TO BE ASSIGNED HERE.


TGID: 49043
SECURE STATUS: CLEAR
NOTES: SEEMS TO BE TAC CHANNEL FOR EAST HAMBLEN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT. ONLY THEIR UNITS APPEARED TO BE ASSIGNED HERE.

TGID: 49044
SECURE STATUS: CLEAR
NOTES: FIRE DEPARTMENT RELATED TRAFFIC.

 

[Jrbucs91]

Does anyone know the new information for THP now in district 5 have they went fully phase 2 I've noticed no traffic on radio now 8 also came upon a frequency 853.337 that seems to be associated with the highway patrol can anybody help thanks .

 

[buddrousa]

All of my Uniden Scanners swapped from P25 Phase 1 to P25 Phase 2 without me doing anything.
What scanner are you using

 

[redkey65]

Hey everyone, I’ve been providing a feed for many years, but now that my county has switched over to TACN, my setup no longer works. I’m sure this has already been covered in here and I have searched some of the other threads, but what do I need to purchase to get my broadcast back online? Thanks in advance

 

[RadioCopFFFR]

Hey everyone, I’ve been providing a feed for many years, but now that my county has switched over to TACN, my setup no longer works. I’m sure this has already been covered in here and I have searched some of the other threads, but what do I need to purchase to get my broadcast back online? Thanks in advance

What County are you in? Also, TACN can be monitored on multiple scanners. TRX 1 and 2, Bearcat 436 and 536, SDS 100 and 200. You may want to check your counties info in the data base for TACN. Your county may have agencies that are using encryption on the system. If so then a scanner won't be of much use to you since it isn't capable to decode encrypted traffic.

 

[redkey65]

What County are you in? Also, TACN can be monitored on multiple scanners. TRX 1 and 2, Bearcat 436 and 536, SDS 100 and 200. You may want to check your counties info in the data base for TACN. Your county may have agencies that are using encryption on the system. If so then a scanner won't be of much use to you since it isn't capable to decode encrypted traffic.

I appreciate the reply. I’m in Hamblen County and no one is currently using encryption.

 

[ccfire]

I appreciate the reply. I’m in Hamblen County and no one is currently using encryption.

I have a sds 200 it was expensive but it works great a friend of mine has to 536's he likes them

 

[jeepsandradios]

I wouldn't want an ancient RICK/IVR setup, I'd want what was promised.

The DVRS is far different from the RICK setups of the past. Multiple states use this platform and have little to no issues with them. I installed 100's of RICK boxes back in the day on lowband/uhf systems. Thats like a rotary dial phone vs Smartphone.

 

[zachgallop]

Jefferson County Law Enforcement Agencies are currently in the process of trying to get a grant so that they can purchase P25 radio equipment so that these agencies can leave Land Air and join TACN. This project also includes White Pine Police (does not use Land Air). The Jefferson City Police Chief seems to be handling the paperwork for the 2 million dollar grant. Over the past few months several Jefferson County LE agencies having been testing TACN on Motorola APX NEXT portables on the Motorola Test TDMA 1 Talkgroup. There has been talks about of the fire departments and other agencies moving as well, but it is unknown where that funding will come from at this moment for those particular agencies. Danridge Fire has been discussing buying APX NEXT portables as well for the TACN system.

 

[INDY72]

I question use of NEXT's for fire... A purely touchscreen radio for fireground use seems bad. One puts away one's cell phone before going into thousand degree flames, the NEXT interface is more like a cell phone on the faceplate... Can the big screen take it?

 

[jeepsandradios]

I question use of NEXT's for fire... A purely touchscreen radio for fireground use seems bad. One puts away one's cell phone before going into thousand degree flames, the NEXT interface is more like a cell phone on the faceplate... Can the big screen take it?

I think it depends on which NEXT they are testing. The Next XE is designed for Fire. I have the basic Next and its fine for EMS calls and MVA. It still has a 16 position dial and I don't know when I moved zones last. I have tried to change zones with my fire gloves on and it doesn't work. My solution was "viki". Now I just say change to channel xyz and it goes. The Next XN is even nicer than the XE so either would be fine for fire service.