Travelling through Texas

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bwilborn

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Aug 23, 2007
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Evans, CO
Greetings,

I will be travelling through Texas via I-35 through Dallas, then down I-45 and US-287 to Palestine, where I will be staying for a week. I'm programming a 396 and 330 for my trip down and could use some advice as to what systems I should program in to listen to PD and fire on my way down.

So far, I've figured out that I should probably configure the statewide P25 bandplan, but was wondering how much of the county-specific stuff on analog is still in use. then there's Dallas, which is a whole undertaking in and of itself.

If anyone could help steer me in the right direction, that would be super.

Thanks!

-- B
 

Boulder

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May 15, 2007
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Wood County, TX
Looks like Anderson County (palestine) was installing a LTR TRS system but not much info listed in the DB and not sure if it is operational at this time. Would be a good time to see if it is in operation and snag some TGIDs for the DB or see if they are still on the Conv. Freq.

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=2916
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=2523

I know Dallas County SO /Constable and Dallas PD & FD are on analog Conv. channels as i can get most of them from here at nights usually
 

texasemt13

CenTex DBA
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Hunter, TX
Drive slow through Corsicana... it's in Navarro Cty. where 287 turns from a southerly to an easterly road. You'll pick up the analog there pretty good- I wouldn't worry about the Oncor/TXU EDACS or E. TX Med. Ctr. Probably better use those banks for other portions of your trip. I programmed all of Navarro Cty. and Corsicana on one bank when I travelled through on 31.

Depending on what day of the week your travelling through- wait, no, nevermind. Not much goes on there.
 

KE5MC

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Dec 19, 2002
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Location
Lewisville, TX
Cities on-route

Collin County
Plano P/S
Mckinney P/S

Dallas County
Carrollton P/S
Lewisville P/S
Richardson P/S
Dallas PD/FD several 450 MHz not trunked
 

bwilborn

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Aug 23, 2007
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Location
Evans, CO
OK. Are there any trunked systems that I should be considering? I think I've got a pretty good idea of what I'm going to program as far as non-trunked stuff goes.

-- B
 

hiegtx

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Dallas, TX
Greetings,

I will be travelling through Texas via I-35 through Dallas, then down I-45 and US-287 to Palestine, where I will be staying for a week. I'm programming a 396 and 330 for my trip down and could use some advice as to what systems I should program in to listen to PD and fire on my way down.

So far, I've figured out that I should probably configure the statewide P25 bandplan, but was wondering how much of the county-specific stuff on analog is still in use. then there's Dallas, which is a whole undertaking in and of itself.

If anyone could help steer me in the right direction, that would be super.

Thanks!

-- B
The statewide DPS plan is a good place to start. In many of the counties, you'll hear the county's DPS units on the individual county frequencies as much, or more, than on the DPS channels themselves.

The DFW metro area has multiple trunked systems, as well as a large amount of conventional activity. Dallas (City) PD/FD are conventional, on a fairly strong system, that you should be able to hear for some distance either side of the county. Mesquite's TRS has a strong signal as well. Dallas County & a number of the smaller cities are also conventional, not trunked.

Don't know what software you're using for either scanner. You'll find files in the *.usd format on the DFWScan Yahoo group. I have *.usd files for the multiple public safety systems in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, & Denton County, as well as the ETMC system that is used by Waxahachie in Ellis County (it's a multi-site system, but that's the only site I can receive from home, & the only activity that interests me on that system). Also have files for Dallas and other conventional users in Dallas & Ellis County, with some coverage of Navarro, Johnson, Kaufman, & Henderson County, plus a file for the commonly used medevac frequencies in the area.
 

hiegtx

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Dallas, TX
OK. Are there any trunked systems that I should be considering? I think I've got a pretty good idea of what I'm going to program as far as non-trunked stuff goes.

-- B
If you're coming in from the north, on I-35, & going to take the I-35-E split to Dallas:
Denton County TRS will probably be readable shortly after you cross into Tx.
Continuing south, you'll pass into the Lewisville TRS
Next up will be Carrollton
The Dallas conventional frequencies (many of them at least) will be readable probably somewhere in Denton County, at least the southern part. Once you cross I-635, you'll be in Dallas, which is conventional, even though some of the TRS's mentioned will still be readable. Others you may not pass through, but could hear, include Mesquite, Plano, Irving, & Garland.

All of the smaller cities in the southern part of Dallas County are conventional, not trunked, but, with a good antenna (R/S 800Mhz for example), you'll still be able to hear Mesquite, & possibly Garland, as well as the Dallas City LG trunk system at least to the county line, if not farther.

Once you get into Ellis County, the only TRS of interest (to me) is the ETMC system. Everything else os conventional. It's been too long since I've been to or through Anderson County to have any idea what's active or not there.
 

bwilborn

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Joined
Aug 23, 2007
Messages
72
Location
Evans, CO
Awesome, thanks! I'm actually using bcTool to configure my radios. It's a pretty good program in my opinion. I'm just about there! I've researched this trip all week and have all of my Kansas and Oklahoma stuff put together, now I've just got to work on Texas.

Thanks again!

-- B
 

letarotor

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Dec 19, 2002
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Location
Arlington, TX
DPS is still using a mix of analog and digital in north Texas. The channels are all spaced very close to each other. With the BCD996T you have the capability to program conventional channels in with the "digital only" mode. I would suggest doing that on all the digital channels, putting them in their own group, and then also programming all the conventional DPS channels with their respective CTCSS tone codes in another group. If my theory is correct (haven't tried it yet) you should only hear digital channels when they are digital and analog channels when they are analog.

Mark
 

motorola_otaku

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I can confirm that DPS in Ellis County uses Ellis County SO VHF for their ops. When I was heading back south a couple of weeks ago, a trooper working a speed trap nailed the guy next to me, then came across Ellis SO 1 (155.835) with the info. Heed the warnings to drive slow through there!

I'm still not 100% sure what they use in Navarro County; either the Navarro SO VHF channels or the Fairfield P25 repeater on 159.2175. But everything south of Dallas into Palestine is going to be VHF conventional. I would recommend grouping each county's SO/PD/Fire channels into separate banks; that way, you can switch them on and off as you cross county lines and not miss something in your immediate area because someone in the county behind you is talking.
 
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