Weird West Texas

[Ensnared]

I traveled to Mayberry of west Texas, Big Spring. By the time I arrived, I was already resigned to the reality of no more LE or F/EMS monitoring.

So, I made the best of it. I programmed Midland PD P25, GATRRS, & some of the surrounding counties.

Between Sterling City & Big Spring, I started hearing unknown talk groups since ID search was employed. I asked Steve my scanner buddy and he enlightened me. I did not have my computer and could not find the talk groups on my android.

My night involved listening to GATRRS talk groups 3625 (Val Verde SO Dispatch) & 3732 (DPS Del Rio Ops A). This reminded me of listening to "Reverend Ike" on AM radio from that massive Del Rio station, remote past. Some of you may not even know what I am talking about, LOL.

I believe there is an ICE facility in the former armory near FM 700. My friend drove me up and showed me the U.S. Government Warning sign. I noticed there were white vans outside, unmarked. So, I wonder if I heard these border frequencies because of their presence. I don't know.

I also heard GATRRS Midland DPS like gangbusters & DPS conventional repeater 22. Finally, I also heard Midland PD Dispatch very well. I was listening from the 2800 block of Goliad. I believe if I had antenna height or was at the state park in Big Spring, I could have pulled in more Midland PD traffic. I was in the shadow of the mountains in that "fine" city.

When I got to Brown County, I started hearing talk group LCRA P25 talk group 8501 (Gillespie Law Primary 1).

Since I am tired from the trip, I will review my road trip recordings, up and back, to see if I can find anything new.

More to come.

 

[rattlerbb01]

I traveled to Mayberry of west Texas, Big Spring. By the time I arrived, I was already resigned to the reality of no more LE or F/EMS monitoring.

So, I made the best of it. I programmed Midland PD P25, GATRRS, & some of the surrounding counties.

Between Sterling City & Big Spring, I started hearing unknown talk groups since ID search was employed. I asked Steve my scanner buddy and he enlightened me. I did not have my computer and could not find the talk groups on my android.

My night involved listening to GATRRS talk groups 3625 (Val Verde SO Dispatch) & 3732 (DPS Del Rio Ops A). This reminded me of listening to "Reverend Ike" on AM radio from that massive Del Rio station, remote past. Some of you may not even know what I am talking about, LOL.

I believe there is an ICE facility in the former armory near FM 700. My friend drove me up and showed me the U.S. Government Warning sign. I noticed there were white vans outside, unmarked. So, I wonder if I heard these border frequencies because of their presence. I don't know.

I also heard GATRRS Midland DPS like gangbusters & DPS conventional repeater 22. Finally, I also heard Midland PD Dispatch very well. I was listening from the 2800 block of Goliad. I believe if I had antenna height or was at the state park in Big Spring, I could have pulled in more Midland PD traffic. I was in the shadow of the mountains in that "fine" city.

When I got to Brown County, I started hearing talk group LCRA P25 talk group 8501 (Gillespie Law Primary 1).

Since I am tired from the trip, I will review my road trip recordings, up and back, to see if I can find anything new.

More to come.

LCRA TG 8501 pops up on a lot of sites where it shouldn’t. I’ve picked it up everywhere that I can remember, even Nacogdoches. I’m thinking that one of their radio techs is a Fredericksburg resident…..

 

[Ensnared]

LCRA TG 8501 pops up on a lot of sites where it shouldn’t. I’ve picked it up everywhere that I can remember, even Nacogdoches. I’m thinking that one of their radio techs is a Fredericksburg resident…..

The longest distance I ever heard was from Fairfield to Conroe on IH45, TxWarn. Of course, this was before they came down with the encryption plague.

Back when Houston PD was on UHF, I used to hear them skipping here in Waco. Since I was very familiar with this radio system and city, I heard various transmissions confirming who was talking.

However, I've never ever heard that long of a distance, from Big Spring to the Texas/Mexico border area.

Wow. I guess it won't be as boring as I thought.

The funny thing is that Big Spring PD and Howard County won't be able to solve crime any better with the surprise element of encryption.

I used to work at the former Gulf Station on Birdwell Lane and 3rd street. I detailed the DPS cars. Before they came back, I would drive north of IH20 balls to the wall with the sirens and lights going, several occasions. Back then, you would activate the siren by pressing the right horn button.

One of the Troopers could not stand me, I wonder why? This was when X band was positioned outside the window, huge radar. That turd accused me of breaking it. It pissed me off because he loved to jack with me. It was broken, but I wasn't that stupid. He was talking about the outside cone. I was very careful with that bulky thing.

Yes, I did play with the radar and use it on passing cars.

When I lived there in college, I was on a watch list by DPS and Big Spring PD. I am a Church brat. I am surprised I did not go to prison. I don't like being in jail.

At age 69, this is incredibly funny to me. I was a wild child.

 

[Ensnared]

LCRA TG 8501 pops up on a lot of sites where it shouldn’t. I’ve picked it up everywhere that I can remember, even Nacogdoches. I’m thinking that one of their radio techs is a Fredericksburg resident…..

I found an encrypted frequency in Runnels County. I don't know if it is fully encrypted. The frequency is 158.7750.

Here is what I don't understand. I thought that the SDS 100 and 436HP skipped encrypted channels. I heard the sound of encryption. The "ENC" showed up as well.

 

[hiegtx]

I found an encrypted frequency in Runnels County. I don't know if it is fully encrypted. The frequency is 158.7750.

Here is what I don't understand. I thought that the SDS 100 and 436HP skipped encrypted channels. I heard the sound of encryption. The "ENC" showed up as well.

Were you hearing the garbage on both your SDS100 and 436HP, or only the 436HP?

 

[Ensnared]

Were you hearing the garbage on both your SDS100 and 436HP, or only the 436HP?

I did not turn the 436HP. It is a back up.

 

[JethrowJohnson]

I found an encrypted frequency in Runnels County. I don't know if it is fully encrypted. The frequency is 158.7750.

Here is what I don't understand. I thought that the SDS 100 and 436HP skipped encrypted channels. I heard the sound of encryption. The "ENC" showed up as well.

I've never had that happen on my 436HP but sometimes at the beginning of transmissions I think it takes it a second sometimes to realize it's encrypted because it'll start with the garbly noise and then quickly mute and skip it if I'm scanning, or show ENC if it's in Discovery. I've seen YouTube videos where the SDSx00 don't mute the encryption, but if I remember correctly, those were all P25 Phase II channels.