Wake County System, request all information

[blueline72]

Hello everyone, can anyone that has any information about the new Wake County system that is coming online please pass it along. I would really appreciate it. I am particularly looking for any detailed information about programming certain scanners to read the system....but all information is appreciated!! Thank you!!

 

[maultsby]

If you're talking about the system that Garner PD, Wake Sheriff (and other agencies) are switching to, it's not a new system. They're just the newest users on the system. It's listed in the "RR Database" as the Wake County Smartzone system, though the talkgroups aren't up to date. Up to now, most of the talkgroups have been analog (meaning you could monitor them with any normal 800 MHz trunking scanner). However, some of the new talkgroups (like Wake Sheriff) are digital, meaning when you hear the talkgroup on a normal trunking scanner, you only hear something similar to modem tones. To listen to the digital talkgroups, you have to get a digital trunking scanner (currently at least 500 bucks, even used!)

I have more specific questions about the digital talkgroups on the trunked system, if anyone else has the knowledge...

Using a PRO-95 to monitor the system, I hear digital talkgroup 28752 on the Fairgrounds tower. I programmed it into a (transmit inhibited) XTS radio, and only hear a little bit of voice traffic on that talkgroup. It appears to be the same traffic as 6768 (Jail traffic). However, I hear the digital transmissions (on the scanner) on 28752 almost CONSTANTLY, even when I don't hear voice traffic on the XTS. Can someone with a digital scanner listen to this talkgroup and see if you have the same experience? Any idea why there are constant digital transmissions? It seems like it's tying up one of their channels needlessly.

Has anyone else used an XTS for monitoring? If so, I'd like a copy of the codeplug, since I'm new to using XTS radios and am sure I've got some of the options set incorrectly.

 

[nctrunkguy]

Just talked to one of the telecommunicators for Wake Co S.O. He told me that the system was supposed to be online May 20, but trunking problems are delaying the cutover date. They can talk to the deputies on the network right now, but only if they are having trouble copying the unit(s) on the old system. Don't know when the new cutover date will be.

 

[KE4ZNR]

Garner PD already has Moto 800Mhz Digital Astro Capable Smartzone radios installed in some of the squad cars...they just have not hooked up mics to the radios yet...I guess they don't want the officers to get confused as to which radio to speak on! I know the frequencies/talkgroups on my website are in some serious need of updating and I hope to be able to spend more time working on that when things slow down after my wedding in late July...If anyone wants to send info my way I will post it on the site!
Happy Monitoring!
Marshall ke4znr
http://trunked.nctrafficman.net

 

[blueline72]

all frequencies used

can anyone advise the frequencies being used with this system.. I understand there are several radio systems tied in to this one....do the systems share frequencies or does each radio switch to that particualr system when needed?? Can you please provide info on all frequencies that should be programmed in for scanning this new intergrated system?? Thanks, blueline72!!

 

[maultsby]

http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=TRSDB&sid=1536
This is a link to the system in the RadioReference.com database. Each site has its own set of frequencies. I've never actually heard traffic on the Downtown and NE Raleigh sites. The control channels are active, but I've never heard any talkgroups on those sites. Holly Springs and Fairgrounds are the only sites I've heard traffic on.

 

[KE4ZNR]

http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=TRSDB&sid=1536
This is a link to the system in the RadioReference.com database. Each site has its own set of frequencies. I've never actually heard traffic on the Downtown and NE Raleigh sites. The control channels are active, but I've never heard any talkgroups on those sites. Holly Springs and Fairgrounds are the only sites I've heard traffic on.

for at least 3+ years there was traffic on the downtown site located on the archdale building (CC was 868.0375Mhz) as well as the Northern Wake Site located near the landfill off Durant Rd (868.375Mhz)...sometime last year those sites quit transmitting...I don't know the reason behind the switch but Mr. Maultsby is right in that the only active sites I can pick up here in Garner are the Fairgrounds/Blue Ridge Rd site (CC of 868.7875Mhz) and the Holly Springs Site (868.4625Mhz)...I have been given info from a reliable source that the Butner site is still active with a CC of 868.8125Mhz but I have not personally confirmed this...dang, I gotta catch up with some of my sources and see what new info I can find out about the Smartzone!!
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[nctrunkguy]

Training:
User training continues.

Equipment Install:
Installation of municipal law enforcement mobile equipment in final
stages.
County public safety mobile equipment in final stages of installation.
Remaining portable radios to be programmed and assigned, soon.
Console talkgroup ID's being entered into configuration manager.
Radio information, including alias information being entered into
configuration manager.
Backup ECC console radio equipment is being optimized.
CAD Alpha paging testing will begin next week. Port is configured.
Tone and Voice code plan being finalized.

Interoperability:
NCSU Public Safety Fleetmapping is complete.
Fuquay, Rolesville and Wendell Police fleetmap is complete.
154.280 Mhz base stations have been installed and are operational at the
Wake Forest, Little River and South Tower sites.
All National Public Safety conventional repeaters are installed and
operational.

Upcoming Events:
CAD Voice "Locution" database is in final stages.
Console interface to be installed for "Locution" and status messaging.
DeTrunking Logging Recorder bids are in and review will start June 1 for
bid award recommendation.
Wake Sheriff is scheduled to cutover to 800 system on Saturday, May 29.
MOSCAD Database phase one integration to be complete in June. I will provide talkgroup info as soon as I can get my hands on it. :wink:

 

[WB4DAV]

I can confirm the Butner Site is active with cc 868.6125

Marshall I'm looking forward to additional info that you may receive on the Wake System!!

 

[maultsby]

If the sheriff's dept is going live on Saturday, I would imagine they would HAVE to activate the Durant tower again. There's no way in the world they're going to have 800 MHz coverage in the Rolesville area from the Fairground and Holly Springs towers...

Does nobody know about talkgroup 28752? My theory is that it's malfunctioning talkgroup. I can't believe they would have a voice channel tied up almost 24/7 just to rebroadcast 6768.

 

[PJH]

If you are hearing digital sounding traffic on an analog scanner, but nothing on the XTS (if properly flashed for digital), then chances are those transmissions are encypted. If they are, then there is nothing you can do about that to monitor it.

Also, if this is a SmartZone system, you will ONLY hear talkgroups on your local tower if there is a radio affliated to that tower. If everyone's radio is on Channel 1 and affiated on tower A, then you will not hear anything on any other tower until a radio on channel 1 moves into that area. Some talkgroups may be setup as "system wide" were they will always be present, but that takes up system resources and are usually reservered for emergency commuications.

Also, for all you Motorola users, DO NOT SET YOUR RADIO FOR SMARTZONE!!!!!!

Again, let me say....

DO NOT SET YOUR RADIO UP FOR SMARTZONE OR AUTO AFFILATION!!!!
The reason is that if you do, everytime you turn your radio on or to a trunked talkgroup, it WILL transmit onto the system. The problem is that if your ID matches an authorized user's ID, it will log both radio's off and the controller will most likely send a radio kill command rendering it useless. In addition, if the system admin enabled the security features, if your radio transmits an ID that the system doesn't know about, again the controller may send a kill command.

Unless you know how to properly setup a trunking radio, I highley suggest selling it and getting a scanner if that's all your going to use it for. Its just a safety thing for everyone. The wrong settings can create serious havoc on a trunking system. Also with a scanner, you will be able to hear any PC's and undocumented talkgroups. You can only scan a max of 10 talkgroups, or 16 conventional channels at a time with a Motorola radio.

 

[maultsby]

I appreciate the advice on being careful about programming an XTS. I've got mine set up to not affiliate, and the concentric switch on top is set to TX inhibit on both settings.

While just using a scanner is a good idea in theory, it's sad when it's cheaper to get an XTS than it is to get a digital scanner. Maybe in a few years when digital scanners come down in price.

 

[PJH]

For trunked systems, the best thing to do is create more than 16 personailitys per zone, and put the trunked ones at 17+. This way one cannot access to Tx on anything your channel selector cannot go to.

Also, even if TX Inhibit meathod is used, certain controller commands can cause the radio to Tx if recieved, even if the TX inhibit is use. Pretty much as long as you have your trunked stuff in personality 17 or higher, and its set to anything BUT Smartzone, you SHOULD be good!

Motorola never designed their radio's to be used as receivers, and hence no "recieve only" options for TRS's, just conventional. MA/COM at least kept that option for the EDACS radios where you can do just that.

 

[INDY72]

Motorola never designed their radio's to be used as receivers, and hence no "recieve only" options for TRS's, just conventional. MA/COM at least kept that option for the EDACS radios where you can do just that.
************************************************************

According to another thread, the EDACS Provoice and ESK systems are set up so that even if you have an edacs radio, if it is not affiliated with aforementioned system, it will not monitor that system. And also a question as to a Motorola Radio being cheaper than a scanner... You must have gotton the deal of the century on it since most Motos cost on average of $800.00 to $1,500.00, and the most expensive scanner on the market is around only $500.00. Anyway on the topic of using the Moto as a scanner, just be very careful as was stated, some systems are designed to que up any radio monitoring it with query commands, and then when the radio affiliates/acknowledges that can be killed.

 

[PJH]

The run of the mill EDACS analog systems out there can be monitored without afflilation and set as rx only with lines such as the Orions and MPA's. There are no ProVoice EDACS systems anywhere near me, and I have not played with them so I cannot take a guess about that.

Some XTS's got quite cheap when the "Nick" radio's really started to flood back on to the market, but Motorola put a stop to that, and rumor has it that they created an eBay name and started buying them to get them out of circulation. Now that "everyone" has them, the used Astro market is starting to go back up in price.

As another kicker, with the release of the XTL5000, XTS5000, Astro Spectra Plus - AMSS/WAC AMSS is no longer a supported option, and I believe that the affilate on PTT is no longer an option. With these new radio's, the radio is forced to affiate once on that talkgroup. It is unknown if the hidden talkgroup trick will work or not. Also, you cannot monitor a 9600bps system with these radio's. The radio MUST affialate in order to receive a talkgroup. So far people out in CO have not been able to make the radio's legally work for Rx only.

Grrr.

 

[KE4ZNR]

BTW:
I have updated my Central NC Trunked System Website (about dang time too!) it can always be found at either http://trunked.nctrafficman.net or the mirror site of http://home.nc.rr.com/nctrafficman/Trunked.html...Any updates or corrections are always welcome!

 

[blueline72]

next question reference this system

I have been able to locate some of the hex codes associated with this system. When I attempt to enter these codes into my truck tracking scanner, it states it is an invalid code.....for example...the code "7E5" is listed on the master sheet for channel "J"....but when entering the code I get the invalid entry. Is ths because it is te new APCO-25 system. Will upgrading to a scanner like a BC796 solve this problem?? Thank you for your replies!! Brian

 

[PJH]

That talkgroup as listed is in hex. Make sure that the scanner is set to HEX and not DEC (unless you have the dec equilivant).

 

[blueline72]

in addition to above question

does anyone have a way to convert the assigned Motorola Hex Code ID's to the Talkgroup ID's?? Such as 7D0 = 2000??? as an example....B

 

[ericcarlson]

If you are using Windows, open the Windows Calculator application (in the Accessories program group). Switch the calculator to scientific mode, select "Hex" mode, enter the hex value, then click "Dec" and the value will be converted to decimal.

-Eric