Wauconda Fire on SC21

[wcltdnut]

Good morning, After sitting in storage for years. I finally entered all nearby control freqs into my old school Pro 106. Been listening to the VHF simulcast on 159.1450. I have noticed that during a tone out on VHF, On SC21 , 33448 ( WFD talkgroup ) is a dead carrier on my scanner. Is Wauconda FD on a silent encryption ? Is a newer scanner on the near horizon for me to hear dispatch and responding engines and trucks ? I am hearing Crystal Lake, and surrounding FDs on SC21 with my Pro 106 . Sidenote. Entering and naming all the freqs and talkgroups is a real pain for me on this 106 . Any assistance is very much appreciated . Thank you. Dave

 

[kevino]

STARCOM21 talkgroup 33448 is shown in the Radio Reference database as P25 Phase II. The Pro-106 does not decode that mode.

 

[wcltdnut]

STARCOM21 talkgroup 33448 is shown in the Radio Reference database as P25 Phase II. The Pro-106 does not decode that mode.

OK. That explains it. New scanner time.... Thank you. ( Guess its time for a upgrade ....... lol )

 

[K9DAK]

Yes, Kevino is correct. 33448 is Lake Zurich & Wauconda (LZ dispatches for Wauconda). Fireground is still NBFM analog on 153.8300 (Red Fireground). You might check out bluetailtechnologies.com and take a look at the P25RX-II or the MicroP25RX. Excellent receivers that for me deliver subscriber-quality audio on P25 Phase II, and I'm in simulcast hell smack in the middle of 4 simulcast towers. My TRX-1 is pretty much useless for P25 P2. The P25RX-II also has a software version that will allow scanning of not only P25, but VHF NBFM, DMR and NXDN... pretty cool little box. I'd be happy to share my programming file with you if you get one.

 

[ILjim]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the obvious choice(s), the SDS100/200 scanners. I listen to both the Lake County and Cook North/NWCD Simulcast sites, and the SDS worked very well on both of them. Also, the Fire 3 TG does affiliate with both sites on a regular basis as well. Not trying to dismiss the P25RX-II & MicroP25RX as I've heard great things about them, but just pointing out that there's many options nowadays.

 

[wcltdnut]

Thanks for the responses. I am slowly getting back into Starcom 21 comms. When I purchased the 106 in 2000.... The P25 networks were fairly simplistic. I am figuring out that listening with current standards.... The technology has moved forward just a little bit. With the little bit of research I have done. I am reading that simulcast sites could present problems. So.... my question is. What specific problems am I looking at ? And how or what can I do to alleviate those issues ? I am in Island Lake. My main interests are local FD and ISP ( I am a former firefighter ) Thanks.

 

[wcltdnut]

Yes, Kevino is correct. 33448 is Lake Zurich & Wauconda (LZ dispatches for Wauconda). Fireground is still NBFM analog on 153.8300 (Red Fireground). You might check out bluetailtechnologies.com and take a look at the P25RX-II or the MicroP25RX. Excellent receivers that for me deliver subscriber-quality audio on P25 Phase II, and I'm in simulcast hell smack in the middle of 4 simulcast towers. My TRX-1 is pretty much useless for P25 P2. The P25RX-II also has a software version that will allow scanning of not only P25, but VHF NBFM, DMR and NXDN... pretty cool little box. I'd be happy to share my programming file with you if you get one.

Question. Is Whistler planning on a updated scanner to combat the simulcast issues ? I have been researching the SDS 100, But I am seeing multiple threads about battery problems . I am not all warm and fuzzy with what I am reading about those problems. Thanks. Dave