Wanting To Learn About LCRA COMMS

[josephdavis13]

Wanting To Learn

How do you detect all the frequencies on a Texas LCRA tower site. How do you determine what order the frequencies are placed in and what equipment is needed.

Thanks

Joseph

 

[musicman476]

Joseph,

You simply just need to find the site on the LCRA system page that is closest to where you are. If you're in Austin, I would look first at site 915 or 903. To monitor this system, you need a scanner that can track EDACS wideband systems. Once you've chosen the correct site, determine how to set up an EDACS system on your scanner and enter the frequencies in the exact order they are listed on the database page. Be sure not to skip any channels as you enter the freqs. Let us know if we can help any further!

 

[josephdavis13]

Allow me to restate my question differently. I have a Uniden BCD396T programmed with all the LCRA frequencies. It may appear the Creedmoor site 914 control channel may have changed. If the control channel changes how do I determine if the control has changed and if so will it affect the order in which the frequencies should be in. Or will it matter of the control changes and affect my ability to receive information from the site.


Thanks

Joseph

 

[musicman476]

You may know this already, but the best way to determine which freq is the control ch. with your scanner is to press hold while in ID Scan or Search mode, not while the scanner is stopped on a transmission. You will then see and hear the current CC.

936.4875 or 937.9250 should be your control channel for that site. I'm sure others will correct me if the following is false, but as long as your control channel is still part of the Creedmor site, your LCNs won't change. Naturally, the control channel gets an LCN just as the voice channels do, so changing control channels does not change the logical channel numbering. Hopefuly that's accurate.

 

[josephdavis13]

Thanks for replying to my question, it is definitely more information and understanding that I had prior to your response.


Thank you,

Joseph

 

[rbarker]

To monitor the LCRA system you go to http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=TRSDB&sid=48 and you put in the FREQUENCIES for the towers that are near you. Then you put your radio on SEARCH and it will AUTOMATICALLY find the control channels if the towers are within range. Understand that not every tower will always be in range. For instance, you probably will not hear the Lukenbach tower in Austin (it's just too far away) If the tower is in range, and then you radio will get that control channel, if a radio on that same tower is tuned to the talkgroup, then you will hear that talkgroup on that tower. For instance, If a Fredericksburg PD unit comes to Austin and is monitoring his talkgroup, then you will hear that talkgroup as he passes by the towers. If he goes from N Austin to South Austin, you will no longer hear that talkgoup on the N Austin tower. He will prob come up on a S Austin tower. If you are hearing a Hays Co talkgroup on a N Austin tower, then that mean someone with that talkgroup in their actual radio is tuned to the N Austin tower. But that talkgroup will not always be on the N Austin tower unless radio are always hitting that tower.

 

[josephdavis13]

Ok, thanks.

 

[josephdavis13]

My updated BCD 396T programmed with the new LCRA information on the Creedmoor site is working great. I can receive Hays County, New Braunfels, Gillespie County and the Cities of Klye and San Marcos from my office in down town Austin, Tx.

 

[southhaysfireman]

Our radios will randomly swich to the S. Austin tower for no aparent reason and it anoys me because i then can only hear one channel. the one im on

 

[josephdavis13]

I was told the LCRA Communication's towers are activated and deactivated by operators. I was also told that if a i.e. patrol car from San Marcos comes to Austin and keys their radio it will activate the tower also. This applies to any other LCRA vehicle that is equipment with LCRA radio equipment.