Use of OLD VSP SURV tri cities

[MOTORHEAD3902]

3/7/09 2026: Past hour or so, I've been rcvng static filled comms on the old VSP Surv 154.695. Users are using STARS radios, as denoted by the MDC @ the beginning of each tx. Not a band opening that I can tell. Unk who these folks are, and the tfc is so weak @ my place (NE PG County) that I can't even discern the nature of any of the tfc. . . and I don't recognize any of the voices,LOL.

Also, unknown why anyone locally would be using the old SURV. It IS available, but the folks who have a need to use a SURV channel, are generally using one of the myriad STARS Surv TG's. I can rule out troopers just screwing around, as when a trooper switches to the legacy system, they no longer have use of the MDT. This would become an aggravation to the dispatchers at DIv, to say the least.

Anyone else getting this?

 

[tglendye]

Do officers w/ other agencies who are also sworn VSP have access to the SURV channel?

One of your statements brings up a question in my mind. I am pretty sure I have heard 2nd Div. troopers refer to their MDT, however they are still on conv. Is it a program in the radio that turns the terminal off after the Div's have migrated to STARS?

Thanks,
Todd

 

[MOTORHEAD3902]

I dont think the guys from the other agencies that have migrated to STARS have access to our legacy channels, though I don't know that for gospel. Anything's possible, I guess. One of the neatest surveillances I ever monitored was on that freq but conducted by VDGIF Investigators back in the pre-STARS days..
The guys in 2nd are still using the Verizon link with their MDTs. When a Division transitions to STARS, the MDT modems and/or aircards are removed from the MDTs and said MDTs are interfaced with the STARS radios to handle data on the STARS network.

 

[MOTORHEAD3902]

I think I have I.D-ed the origin of the SURV users. I managed to copy some readable speech. It is VSP, but not local to me, just that the users are in a good geographic position for their signals to carry...
Back to the usual stuff. For now.

 

[ACU1000]

BA, it is possible you are hearing traffic from the stong signals I sometimes get from the PA area. I get it on both the conventional TAC and SURV.

However, I think tglendye may have a valid possibility... he's not talking about guy from other agencies migrating to Stars, I think he is referring to task force members typically called "Special Officers" of the VSP. However, the task force guys who have access to a VSP car and radio usually have older hand-me-down VSP BCI cars with older conventional radios (allbeit, the 'officers' he refers to are not 'sworn VSP' per se, they simply have what is called "Special State Police Authority.")

As a side note, while the cars and radio unit number are typically assigned to a specific person participating on a task force, I know first hand cars are loosly passed around (or there used to be a lot of this back in the day, don't know about now.)

Two choices...

a) its a conventional GE S825 squaking when it keys up (unlike the Aerotrons, they did that on tac and surv) likely in a task force car

b) its coming in from another agency out of state altogether.

 

[MOTORHEAD3902]

Hows life treating you?

Naw, the squawk isn't the G/Star from a GE radio. It's definitely MDC. The Motoroller radios, when in conv mode ID with MDC (some complete with preamble) on TAC and SURV as well as relay. Reminded me of the older generation GE radios when I first noticed it, too. The newer Motorola radios (STARS capable) have a very "compressed" audio when in conv mode, and this , combined with MDC id on key up, matches the tfc I mentioned tonite.
And, like I said, I caught enough traffic during a moment of clarity that i was able to ID that these guys are VSP, though not local to me in First Div or Fifth...they just happend to be in an area that promoted signal propogation.

And, I know what you mean by hearing PA on conv TAC and SURV, I used to hear Hamburg calling their troops all the time during summer morning tropo. Not PA, but i made contact with a SC SLED unit back in the conventional CSQ days from 95 at the 33mm. I heard DTMF tones on my old GE radio in the work car and heard a unit with a funky ID number hailing "any station that can copy", with a thick accent. I acknowledged him and he advised he was with "tha SLED" and was out with a DIP passed out behind the wheel...at a location I never heard of. He evidently had the same puzzled feeling, as he asked where I was and who I was. Kinda chuckled when I came back to him, and thanked me for my time, "But haint a lot ya kin do fer me, brother, y'all have a good one". I didnt hear from him again, but dang, wasn't that neat!

Anyway, it seems I have hijacked my own thread, there ought to be a law...

 

[ACU1000]

But then again, I like posts like that.

I'm good. Thanks for asking!

Any chance you will be at the VSPA conf this weekend, if so I will see you there.

 

[tglendye]

Good info guys, thanks