Upper MD Eastern Shore Consortium

[TinEar]

I spent the weekend attempting to see if I could hear this net from here in Glen Burnie. I could. After listening, I discovered about three dozen new talkgroups which I submitted to the database. However, it's very difficult to identify a TG with "speed listening." I came to the conclusion that the net has potentially grown beyond the three counties that we assumed were assembled on that net. I found at least one new MSP Barrack and a slew of talkgroups that didn't seem to be tied in to the three listed counties.

How about those that can receive this net taking a listen and see if you can help me identify some of the talkgroups. It would be appreciated. And it's fun.

[Edit] The Control Channel is consistently on 868.9875 for monitoring purposes.

 

[troymail]

When I wander upstairs and out of my basement, I
lock into the control channel but with 0 out of 6 bars...

I'll keep an ear out to see if anything comes up...

EDIT:
Oh: suprise... went up to my second floor and picked
up Talbot Fire on Dispatch and TAC-3 (the suprise was
it was digital and you know how I loved the digital on
my radio!!). Anyway - it was pretty clear... even from
Western AA County. I also heard MSP Easton and some
of the Sheriff talkgroups.... There may be some hope
for this digital stuff after all!!!!

 

[TinEar]

Good! I'm glad someone else can hear this net. I went into this thinking this net was comprised of a bunch of sleepy, small town police and fire departments with little activity. No way! The activity over there is wild and wooly with lots of interesting listening. You don't hear the murders and carjackings and real high profile cimes like listening to D.C. or Baltimore but there are still plenty of human interest events happening constantly. This net is going onto a bank in my scanner for regular listening.

 

[mandlair]

upper maryland

I'm in delaware and they are pretty active I think they have a main dispatch for all local police. but not sure Mike

 

[TinEar]

That's what I'm beginning to believe too Mike. I was hearing ambulance dispatchers that were not part of the three counties and police activity that was definitely not the county sheriff or state police stuff. It'll take a lot of listening to fill in all the blanks considering the number of unidentified talkgroups I found. Also, the encrypted portion of that net is very active across several talkgroups. I wonder what that's all about? Could it be part of a federal net that's operating on their frequencies? We'll never know because of the encryption I guess unless someone happens to talk about it openly.

 

[mandlair]

upper maryland

i'll keep my ears open i work in the area 2or 3 days a week. I have the talkgroups that are on the site. I know some info they are talking about because of my travels. Mike

 

[ericcarlson]

I was hearing ambulance dispatchers that were not part of the three counties and police activity that was definitely not the county sheriff or state police stuff.

From what I've heard Kent County decided against joining the consortium in 2000 and instead went with new narrowband VHF-high repeaters (one of which is supposed to be a patch for Queen Anne's County).

For some background on this system see these old CHM newsletters:
http://henney.com/chm/0600/
http://henney.com/chm/0801/

Dorchester also decided against joining and they have an LTR MultiNet listed in the TRS database:
http://www.trunkedradio.net/modules.php?name=TRSDB&sid=382

I suppose Dorchester might have abandoned their system and joined the consortium. However, I checked for FCC licenses in Dorchester for the consortium and couldn't find any -- only Kent, Queen Anne's, and Talbot.

Other agencies are supposed to have talkgroups on the system including the Department of Natural Resources, State Police, and State Highway Administration. Also keep in mind that there may be patches to neighboring jurisdictions' trunked or conventional systems.

-Eric

 

[TinEar]

only Kent, Queen Anne's, and Talbot.

I think you meant Caroline rather than Kent, didn't you Eric?

Anyway, the more I listen, the more I'm learning that there are many more public safety organizations involved on this net. It appears that there is direct control of some smaller police and paramedic departments that are capable of communicating on this net in response to requests (or perhaps orders) from the Counties. I've got more TGs that I'll submit later tonight or tomorrow once I gather a few more and try to make more associations.

My biggest question is who all those people are that are using the encrypted talkgroups. There is heavy activity on them day and night. Then there's the problem of trying to associate the many analog TGs with the proper county. I've got snow plows and sand spreaders all over the place - I suspect from all three counties - but until I get a street map of the area to learn where they are, it's next to impossible to tell their affiliation.

Thanks for the info Eric. It's much appreciated.

 

[ka3jjz]

From what I've heard Kent County decided against joining the consortium in 2000 and instead went with new narrowband VHF-high repeaters (one of which is supposed to be a patch for Queen Anne's County).

For some background on this system see these old CHM newsletters:
http://henney.com/chm/0600/
http://henney.com/chm/0801/

Dorchester also decided against joining and they have an LTR MultiNet listed in the TRS database:
http://www.trunkedradio.net/modules.php?name=TRSDB&sid=382

I suppose Dorchester might have abandoned their system and joined the consortium. However, I checked for FCC licenses in Dorchester for the consortium and couldn't find any -- only Kent, Queen Anne's, and Talbot.

Other agencies are supposed to have talkgroups on the system including the Department of Natural Resources, State Police, and State Highway Administration. Also keep in mind that there may be patches to neighboring jurisdictions' trunked or conventional systems.

-Eric

Eric and others - I'm pretty sure I saw this somewhere, that Dorchester has decided to abandon their LTR system and the county has decided to put out bids on a 800 system so they can join Caroline, Talbot and Queen Anne. So it
would appear that it is in the works.

73s Mike

P.S. Did a little digging on the LISR Maryland board and found that I had quoted a fellow by the name of Brian Tolley (hi Bri !) who had that info back
June 2003. M.

 

[ericcarlson]

only Kent, Queen Anne's, and Talbot.

I think you meant Caroline rather than Kent, didn't you Eric?

Oops! Yes, Caroline not Kent.

-Eric

 

[emtLarmy15]

Dorchester County sometime in fall of 2003 did sign with MOTO to build them a system, which I believe is an astro system that will be linked to the Upper Shore.

Also I was under the impression that Caroline County was on the system. While I was in the Police Academy, two of the guys from my class, one from Queen Annes and one from Caroline were talking about the talkgroup they can talk on that is like a general police talk channel.

I may be wrong on all this info, so dont put it in the bank.

chris

 

[TinEar]

emtLarmy 15. Caroline IS on the net.

I submitted another batch of TGs and some identifications of others to the database today (Jan27) so they'll be there soon.

 

[nucboy3]

My sources in the Talbot and Dorchester Counties EMS Depts. have told me that Dorchester County will be going on line with this system around March of this year. I do not know if the City of Cambridge will also come on line with the county. As far as encrypted transmissions on the digital system, I do not think that they have that capabillity because just about 90 min ago I was listening to the survalience of a drug suspect in Talbot County. I do know that from time- to-time I will hear a hissing sound on any one of the channels but the time span of the noise does not seem to be long enough for a two-way conversation; plus you do not hear the officers telling each other to go to "secure"as they have in Easton PD. If anyone has any information that this digital system does have encryption it would be helpful to know.

 

[TinEar]

nucboy3, there are indeed encrypted transmissions on the net but I have no idea who they belong to. Having worked with that stuff for a lot of years, I can tell there are two way conversations going on but that's like knowing nothing when it comes right down to it. I don't know who they are, where they are or what they're doing. The encrypted activity is heavy and goes on day and night. Considering the schedule, I'd lean toward a military type comm net but that doesn't make sense to me either. Perhaps we'll learn at some point.

[Edit[ Talkgroups 3248 and 8304 are the most active of the encrypted talkgroups...they seem to be the leaders of the pack.

 

[TinEar]

nucboy3, I think I misunderstood what you were saying about the encrypted portion of this net. You're correct that there are no encrypted transmissions as part of the three county public safety talkgroups. The encrypted transmissions seem to be a net unto themselves operating on the three county system. By the way, I even heard an encrypted I-Call a few nights ago. That I-Call was not in the same series of numbers used by the three counties when they use I-Call.

 

[TinEar]

I'd be on the lookout for additional frequencies to be added to this net. With three counties using public safety activity, all their Department of Public Works activities and the large encrypted net, they have just 10 frequencies assigned. It's already loaded and the addition of Dorchester County (if it happens) will strain the system to the breaking point. Another four or five frequencies would seem to be necessary if/when this happens.

 

[ericcarlson]

The encrypted transmissions seem to be a net unto themselves operating on the three county system. By the way, I even heard an encrypted I-Call a few nights ago. That I-Call was not in the same series of numbers used by the three counties when they use I-Call.

One idea I had (complete guess) is that the encrypted talkgroups might be used by the Maryland State Police Narcotics Task Forces (each of the three counties has one).

-Eric

 

[TinEar]

That's a thought Eric and one I'll keep in mind. However...(you knew there had to be a "however"), if that's what it is, they sure have a lot of activity in those counties. I don't know where to find similar transmissions on other systems so I have no point of reference for activity levels but this one is constant and heavy. I mentioned somewhere that TGs 3248 and 8304 seem to be the main groups or dispatchers based on numbers and duration of transmissions but there is so much more of it spread across many tallkgroups. I'm puzzled but you've given me something to work on.

 

[ericcarlson]

I can't come up with any government facilities in that area that could explain the encryption. It's possible that one or more local police departments joined the trunk and decided to use encryption on all their talkgroups. I suggest that you try to identify the local police departments' talkgroups (or old conventional frequencies) and see if any departments are unaccounted for. (This may be a long shot given the rural nature of the area. My guess would be that these city departments operate on the Sheriff's talkgroups.)

Here are some city police departments (this list may not be complete):
Caroline County: Denton, Federalsburg, Greensboro, Preston, Ridgely
Queen Anne's County: Centreville
Talbot County: Easton, Oxford, St. Michaels

-Eric

 

[TinEar]

The only cities/towns I've heard referenced are Graysonville, Greensboro and St. Michael's. I've got one TG that might just be St. Michael's but I don't have enough confidence in it yet to submit it.

Finding freqs for some of those towns on the Eastern Shore shouldn't be difficult using the FCC database which should at least give me some starting points. I'm not sure if I can hear that far but, then again, I didn't think I'd be able to hear the Consortium as well as I do either from this side of the bay. I can't seem to find the fire/EMS freqs for Kent County. I hear their police department loud and clear on 159.21 mHz. Finding new freqs and systems is where I find the most enjoyment in this hobby.