Virginia State Police

[clbarker]

Do the State Police only use conventional frequenices, or do they have a trunked system? The other day the local PD switched to the SIRS channel, and then the State Police Channel. The State Police channel wont pick up when im running in Trunked mode. Any pointers/VSP info?

 

[BoxAlarm187]

State Police = VHF High-Band

VSP is currently using VHF-High band for all day-to-day activities. The only exception to this is SIRS and the mobile extenders (UHF).

This link will provide you with just about all of the VSP information you might want.

There IS currently a statewide VHF trunked system under construction, and VSP will certainly be the largest user of this. It's called STARS ... you can do a "search" for STARS, or look for it under the Virginia Trunk Radio Systems here in the RRDB. Richmond will be the first Division to go on-line with SIRS, so I would not look for STARS in the Lynchburg area for at least a couple of years.

I do find it very interesting that you said that the local PD went to SIRS, and then the VSP channel. This would be highly unusual. Was it the road officer or LYNCOM that went to the VSP channel? There are some local, federal, and state officers that have VSP radios in thier vehicles, and they're indentified with either a "9xxx" or "Car" unit number. This would generally be the only time that you'd hear a local officer on the VSP radio.

Hope this helps, please don't hesitate to ask if you have any other questions.

 

[clbarker]

Thanks, that helped a lot!

 

[tglendye]

Hey boxalarm, you just beat me to the punch I do have a vsp question, though while we're on the subject. Do the troopers ever by-pass the vhf system and communicate walkie-walkie across their uhf portables? I think I heard this once a few years ago, but haven't heard it done since.

 

[tglendye]

CL,

What area are you listening in? Just wondering if the local pd switched to tac channel or something else.

 

[BoxAlarm187]

I wouldn't call it common, but I do know of several times that the troopers have used thier portables in simplex mode. It's certainly the exception rather than the rule.

Perhaps BA (Motorhead 3902) can shed a little more light on this for us.

 

[clbarker]

CL,

What area are you listening in? Just wondering if the local pd switched to tac channel or something else.

Im listening from Lynchburg. They switched to the SIRS channel during a manhunt.

 

[ECGBaritoneMastr]

CLBarker,
I caught that search on the scanner too. Local news didn't do a great job of catching it though. Heh.

 

[MOTORHEAD3902]

As far as going portable to portable, the short answer is yes, however, you would have to be pretty close to the units on portable to hear them. The portables crank out a blistering four watts at most and the antennae...well, the stubby ducks in use dont do the radios justice (read:very lossy). I think the farthest I ever maintained comms on portable ("on walkie" in VSP slang) was roughly 3/4 of a mile...a miracle something on the order of fishes and loaves of bread.
The original poster mentioned a local agency coming up on the VSP channel, and though odder things have happened, I would have to scratch my head at that one....think BoxAlarm hit the nail on the head with the "carXXX" or 9XXX comment...not very common, but not unheard of...

 

[clbarker]

Was it the road officer or LYNCOM that went to the VSP channel?

It was the road units that switched to the VSP channel. There was several counties involved in the search. I don't know why they didn't just stay on SIRS...

 

[MOTORHEAD3902]

Just wondering, since i wasnt monitoring this event, exactly which vsp channel (dispatch,tac,surv)did the road units switch to and how did they identify themselves to the dispatcher? It would present a unique situation if the local units just popped up on the dispatch channel and started passing traffic with Appomattox, as the communications manual discourages communication centers from handling traffic with non-coordinated (that is non-VSP and non-"car" or "9xxx") stations.

 

[clbarker]

Just wondering, since i wasnt monitoring this event, exactly which vsp channel (dispatch,tac,surv)did the road units switch to and how did they identify themselves to the dispatcher? It would present a unique situation if the local units just popped up on the dispatch channel and started passing traffic with Appomattox, as the communications manual discourages communication centers from handling traffic with non-coordinated (that is non-VSP and non-"car" or "9xxx") stations.

I'm not really sure. I don't have the VSP channels programmed in, so I'm not familiar witht the different channels. Thats my next project...all I know is that they switched to a VSP channel from the SIRS channel so I couldn't pick it up...*cry*. That's all i know...
Thanks alot,

 

[MOTORHEAD3902]

thats cool,
just program the following frequencies into your scanner:

159.000
158.985
159.135
159.165
154.665
154.695

this will give you all of the VSP dispatch frequencies, as well as tac and surveillance.

enjoy
3902

 

[ECGBaritoneMastr]

CLBarker,
Do me a favor, since you have my PRO-95. Program in those frequencies for me. Thanks! Also, we need to talk to Lt. Royal about getting those unit numbers from the LPD. Just an FYI!

 

[SCPD]

Heard STARS 1 & 5 doing radio checks in Norfolk area on channel 10 on Thurs Aug 25 from 2100 past 2200. STARS 5 was driving around and in the tunnel.

 

[Navycop]

What is the website for the win93?

 

[RagnarD]

What is the website for the win93?

http://www.starrsoft.com

Let me know if I can be of assistance

73
de
chris
kq4z

 

[Navycop]

What does it mean when VSP says "MOA"? I checked 10 codes but saw nothing.

 

[BoxAlarm187]

MOA is one of the disposition codes used at the end of an incident.

MOA - Motorist Assisted
WRK - Wrecker Used
ACR - Accident Reportable
ANR - Accident Non-Reportable
UTS - Uniformed Traffic Summons
UNF - Unfounded
GOA - Gone on Arrival
ADV - Advice Given

Those are the ones that I can think of off hand...