Unidentified MPSCS talkgroups

[russellv2]

Been catching some unidentified talkgroups on the MPSCS system the last couple days. I monitor the Holly tower.

IDs: 14599, 16647, 27911, 37127, and 55559.

Any ideas what they are? I have a hypothesis... are they data or regroup channels or something of that nature? They appear only for a moment when scanning, have no audio or encrypted audio that I can tell.

 

[rdale]

Are you sure they are MPSCS? Can you confirm your tower number when receiving? There are no 5-digit talkgroups in MPSCS are far as I know.

 

[mikey60]

What radio are you using on the system? I know at least some of the earlier Unidens had issues with false talkgroup IDs on occasion, and I don't know if the current crop still do or not.

I seem to remember some reports of more recent radios having it as well, but I don't recall if those were on 9600bps systems.

Mike

 

[Thunderbolt]

My 796D also has the same occasional problem with talkgroups IDs popping up, but with no audio. This mostly off the Ann Arbor and Northville towers. IDs: 14599, 16647, and 27911 are very common from those sites.

73's

Ron

 

[tarantir]

I have seen similar occurrences off of site 310. When it does occur generally I’m in a not so good reception area for the site. What I have noticed is right before a regular TG comes through I see one of the 5 char id for a second.

I equate it to possibly a Patch ID, the 5 digit ID is consistently the same in relation to the TG that displays a second later. My feeling is either my radio isn’t tracking the CC very well since I’m in a fringe and it’s displaying other info from the CC or the MPSCS radio affiliating with the site is on the fringe of the site and the site CC is displaying the “Patch” for a second before picking up the TG stream.

 

[jimsokol]

I have seen these on mpscs on my 296d, but only when logging or recording thru the arc250 program. When I looked at the screen of the scanner a few times when this happened, these were not shown, but a correct talkgroup id was.

...jim

 

[rdale]

I've never had this show up on the Pro96, and no sign of it from my trunker96 logs either.

- Rob

 

[itsaawgood]

When your scanner locks on one of those talkgroups....see if it is a Digital signal....I'm betting its not. I live about 25 miles inland in southwestern Michigan and I pick up Wisconsin talkgroups on the MPSCS freq's all the time. Talkgroups with that many #'s in them have to be some other system.

 

[jimsokol]

I don't know about the original poster, but in my case it was a digital transmission from a valid talkgroup on MPSCS. One of the 5 digits displayed in the arc250 program, but talkgroup 3068, for example displayed on the physical scanner.

I suspect in my case it is either an ARC250 bug or a flaw in the control data coming from the 296d.

I have also NOT seen this on the pro-96.

...jim

 

[russellv2]

Thanks for the ideas. Let's see to elaborate a little further.

As I said, it's off the Holly tower.

My 796D locks onto the talkgroup ID for just a second and then usually goes on scanning. It doesn't jump over to another talkgroup as was mentioned. Nor does it display something different between the scanner and the control software on the PC. Could be a patch ID though I guess. Didn't know they did that on the MPSCS.

The out-of-state talkgroup is an interesting idea, though I don't know how that would work being in the part of the state I'm in. (Canada?) And I believe it's a digital signal, though I'm not sure.

Since it doesn't happen on the Pro-96, it may be a Uniden thing.

Oh well. Thanks for the possibilities. A fun little puzzle to wrap your brain around.

 

[tarantir]

Jim, I have seen the exact thing your seeing with my 296 even the TG you listed. Which leads me to believe it is not an adjacent system.

I'm glad to know it's not just my radio.

 

[jimsokol]

Russellv2,

They do patches on mpscs, but they don't cause any change in the talkgroup displayed. For example, in my area, at non-peak times, the north and south MSP regional dispatch talkgroups are patched. When that happens, you see the normal display or one of the talkgroups on the scanner. This was verified with the pro96comm program with a pro-96.

...jim

 

[russellv2]

Cool! I learn something everyday.
Now if I could figure out where I put my toothbrush!

 

[mikey60]

They do patches on mpscs, but they don't cause any change in the talkgroup displayed. For example, in my area, at non-peak times, the north and south MSP regional dispatch talkgroups are patched. When that happens, you see the normal display or one of the talkgroups on the scanner. This was verified with the pro96comm program with a pro-96.

They do similar things in District 2. It's not unusual after 11:00 PM for the D2East and D2North talkgroups to be patched together, and for D2South and D2West to be patched together overnight.

Mike