I am wondering if every county in Texas will eventually be on this system? Anything close to Bell County?
Waco P25 Site Up as Part of Tx Warn (1A7)
- Thread starter Russell
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No. Unless some new roadmap or plan gets released, the system will only exist in:
-counties belonging to the Houston/Galveston Area Council
- Harris
- Galveston
- Brazoria
- Fort Bend
- Waller
- Wharton
- Colorado
- Austin
- Montgomery
- Walker
- Liberty
- Chambers
-counties covered by the current ETMC analog system (someone else can post that list.. not my part of the state ;p )
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Waco/McLennan was already covered by the ETMC system or was at least in ETMC's service area, right? There you go.
I'm not saying it won't happen ever with the voice of authority, only that it's not in the system roadmap that's out right now.
I'm not saying it won't happen ever with the voice of authority, only that it's not in the system roadmap that's out right now.
BVWACS (Brazos Valley Wide Area Communications System) will probably only cover Washington and Brazos counties. Grimes County has been very resistant to any discussions about migrating to a trunked system, despite, as a local news article once said, "being surrounded by other counties using trunked systems" (Walker and Montgomery to the east, Waller to the south, and Brazos to the north). I am not too sure about the rest, but there is a proposed site at Sawdust Ranch in Burleson County (I have heard nothing about any new licensces being filed with the FCC for this). As for Robertson County, they recently got new frequencies for their SO and county fire, so I doubt they would simply throw that away for a trunked system. That's not saying that they won't at some point, but right now it doesn't seem likely.
Waco is part of Zone 2; all the sites/counties listed in motorola_otaku's post are in Zone 1. From that post I assume this "roadmap" applies to Zone 1, led by the Harris County group. ETMC is hot and heavy moving sites in Zone 2 over to P25 from the old ETMC system. The Waco P25 site is a combined site using frequencies from the City of Waco and new rebanded frequencies from the ETMC Waco site. ETMC in Waco was supposed to move over to the new P25 site last week.
If you review the licenses and applications, you'll see the ETMC (Zone 2) sites take off where the Harris County (Zone 1) sites leave off when moving north from Houston. We also saw a site for a time in Austin (city not Austin County) squawking 2-01 and we have yet to see another Zone 2 site less than 2-30.
Is the "roadmap" posted anywhere?
On the other note "all counties in Texas on the system"? I don't see this happening either. The cost of covering every county would seem prohibitive. However, it should be noted that some of the counties out west are using VHF trunked systems. The Middle Rio Grande Valley is one example and they share Austin's controller. Also, take a look at Permian Basin Interoperatbility Network areas coming on line with 800 in the city and VHF in outlying areas. VHF is much more appropriate for that coverage area. If those counties do go trunked, I would think they would continue down the VHF trunked road.
Rusell
If you review the licenses and applications, you'll see the ETMC (Zone 2) sites take off where the Harris County (Zone 1) sites leave off when moving north from Houston. We also saw a site for a time in Austin (city not Austin County) squawking 2-01 and we have yet to see another Zone 2 site less than 2-30.
Is the "roadmap" posted anywhere?
On the other note "all counties in Texas on the system"? I don't see this happening either. The cost of covering every county would seem prohibitive. However, it should be noted that some of the counties out west are using VHF trunked systems. The Middle Rio Grande Valley is one example and they share Austin's controller. Also, take a look at Permian Basin Interoperatbility Network areas coming on line with 800 in the city and VHF in outlying areas. VHF is much more appropriate for that coverage area. If those counties do go trunked, I would think they would continue down the VHF trunked road.
Rusell
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This is what I'm noticing also. I wouldn't doubt it if eventually the MRG system stretched down close to Brownsville, as part of a border interoperability project, which (I'm hoping) CBP will have access to in the Laredo, Del Rio and McAllen areas.
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Found in this very forum:
http://www.region49.org/txrc/files/Texas_SCIP.pdf
http://www.nctcog.org/cs/radio/pdf/HarrisCountyPresentation091307.pdf
Also found in the first document: a Council of Governments map:
Yup, I've seen these documents. I guess I was hoping there really was a comprehensive roadmap. We're on the same page - I agree that a statewide system is far from being considered, especially based on the presentation and doc linked here.
The Harris County presentation speaks of coverage in only 71 counties - less than one third of Texas; shows Dallas/Fort Worth with interoperable coverage, but that map refers only to a loose collection NPSPAC repeaters that are not even on the air and not a real "system" yet makes no reference to the NCTCOG Overlay; refers to Parker County as a large coverage area; among numerous other misnomers. In the ETMC map there are large holes surrounded by coverage but don't have coverage themselves. They definitely have a long way to go. We will end up with a mish-mash non-interoperable of systems just as we do now and only a couple of billion dollars poorer.
All that being said, there is some good info in there but no comprehensive plan even for the areas discussed, let alone the entire state. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing the work that has been done; I commend all those who have worked hard to created the regional systems we do have. However, it is terribly expensive and we simply can't afford to cover the entire state at these prices. And when they're finished, a Harris County Detective cannot drive to Parker County and expect to use his radio even though they are "interconnected".
The Harris County presentation speaks of coverage in only 71 counties - less than one third of Texas; shows Dallas/Fort Worth with interoperable coverage, but that map refers only to a loose collection NPSPAC repeaters that are not even on the air and not a real "system" yet makes no reference to the NCTCOG Overlay; refers to Parker County as a large coverage area; among numerous other misnomers. In the ETMC map there are large holes surrounded by coverage but don't have coverage themselves. They definitely have a long way to go. We will end up with a mish-mash non-interoperable of systems just as we do now and only a couple of billion dollars poorer.
All that being said, there is some good info in there but no comprehensive plan even for the areas discussed, let alone the entire state. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing the work that has been done; I commend all those who have worked hard to created the regional systems we do have. However, it is terribly expensive and we simply can't afford to cover the entire state at these prices. And when they're finished, a Harris County Detective cannot drive to Parker County and expect to use his radio even though they are "interconnected".
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Ensnared
Member
Hello J444607: I live here in Waco. Here is what I've monitored on this new TxWarn for Waco:
TG's
3742 EMS to Providence
3741 EMS to Hillcrest
3740 Waco EMS Dispatch
I have loaded the TxWarn into the PSR 500 and utilized the Wildcard scanning option; however, I've not identified any other rogue talk groups.
I don't know how many digital scanner enthusiasts there are in Waco, but maybe we might get together and exchange information some day over coffee. As my signature indicates, I am semi-retired from the prison system.
By the way, that Bearcat IV is still working?
TG's
3742 EMS to Providence
3741 EMS to Hillcrest
3740 Waco EMS Dispatch
I have loaded the TxWarn into the PSR 500 and utilized the Wildcard scanning option; however, I've not identified any other rogue talk groups.
I don't know how many digital scanner enthusiasts there are in Waco, but maybe we might get together and exchange information some day over coffee. As my signature indicates, I am semi-retired from the prison system.
By the way, that Bearcat IV is still working?
Keep in mind that the Harris County presentation dates back to 2007, and things have changed greatly since then.
Ensnared
Member
JRR4607: As I've indicated, I have monitored three TxWarn TG's in Waco:
Waco EMS dispatch
EMCT to Hillcrest
EMCT to Providence
Do you have you radio operating on Wildcard? I've not heard any DPS on TxWarn in Waco.
Call me if you have time: 254-751-9605
Waco EMS dispatch
EMCT to Hillcrest
EMCT to Providence
Do you have you radio operating on Wildcard? I've not heard any DPS on TxWarn in Waco.
Call me if you have time: 254-751-9605
The only thing that I have operating on wildcard is the new TxWarn. DPS are not operating on this system yet as far as I know. DPS is operating on the same frequencies, but I programed them under the new P25 system.
Ensnared
Member
JRR46007: Yes, I've been monitoring DPS on their P25 system. I have not heard DPS on TxWarn either.
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