Where is everybody?

[sambo300]

Back after a 4-5 year hiatus from the hobby. When I was last involved,I thoroughly enjoyed my Home Patrol 2. I'm in East TN nearly looking at Holston Mountain. I now have a Uniden BCD536HP. Excellent radio...but there's a learning curve.....I'm getting there. Seems like on the TACN Washington,Sullivan and Greene Counties have encrypted. Kinda miss the old analog Greene County signal. Still some good stuff on the TACN in the clear and starting to find some DMR stuff. Hi to all TN people,hope you all are doing great.

 

[buddrousa]

West Tn here Welcome Back

 

[surfacemount]

Knox/Roane/Loudon/Monroe here. It's falling off as new tech comes online, just is what it is. I can remember when the frequencies would be on a tattered xerox copy protected by clear tape on a counter in about every electronics place in the area. Now there are no more shops lol

 

[Floridarailfanning]

Welcome back to RR.

I'm located on a small ridge in North-Western Blount County and have an excellent view of the Smokys. The tower farm on Greentop, the towers at Look Rock, and the exclusive Blackberry Firetower are all visible on clear days.

My main monitoring objectives are finding and identifying new trunked systems and tracking Federal users.

 

[buddrousa]

I got 8 stitches in my head at Blount County Memorial the year of the World's Fair in Knoxville.

 

[Floridarailfanning]

I got 8 stitches in my head at Blount County Memorial the year of the World's Fair in Knoxville.

Did you fall off of a ride or something?

 

[tvengr]

Did you fall off of a ride or something?

Probably off the top of his scanner rack!

 

[buddrousa]

Maryville Truck and Tractor Pull Show that Friday Night riding the SLED.
Back then we were doing Shows 46 Weekends a year.
The Sled was Tennessee Orange and did shows from Oklahoma to East Coast GulF Coast to Michigan.

 

[K2NWC]

Back after a 4-5 year hiatus from the hobby. When I was last involved,I thoroughly enjoyed my Home Patrol 2. I'm in East TN nearly looking at Holston Mountain. I now have a Uniden BCD536HP. Excellent radio...but there's a learning curve.....I'm getting there. Seems like on the TACN Washington,Sullivan and Greene Counties have encrypted. Kinda miss the old analog Greene County signal. Still some good stuff on the TACN in the clear and starting to find some DMR stuff. Hi to all TN people,hope you all are doing great.

You're absolutely correct. Sullivan County really led the charge on taking most of the area to full-time encryption. Washington County was probably 18-24 months behind. I attempted to diplomatically, respectfully, politely request that Chief Turner (JCPD) reconsider that decision but only received the standard blanket "officer safety" response. I responded and pointed out that the department has enjoyed a number of encrypted talkgroups for genuinely sensitive traffic for years, and that encrypting the primary dispatch talkgroup simply did not enhance officer safety. Unfortunately I think there are so few of us remaining that know or care, that we simply do not have enough of a voice to gain any traction.

Out of curiosity, what kind of DMR traffic are you catching? I bought a couple of Motorola XPR-7550s for use on the amateur bands, but then the regional DMR repeater network somewhat fell apart for reasons unknown to me. I ended up grabbing a license in the business band so I could use my 7550s for my consulting business. Would love to see/hear some more DMR traffic in the area!

 

[N8IAA]

I got 8 stitches in my head at Blount County Memorial the year of the World's Fair in Knoxville.

Not from TN, Budd, but was at the World's Fair in Knoxville. Horrible rain storms when staying in town. Washed out the Japanese buildings. Interesting time. Klingmans Dome was awesome! So was the drive through the Smokey Mountain Park. Saw deer, elk and bears.

Sorry for the off topic post...............

 

[sambo300]

You're absolutely correct. Sullivan County really led the charge on taking most of the area to full-time encryption. Washington County was probably 18-24 months behind. I attempted to diplomatically, respectfully, politely request that Chief Turner (JCPD) reconsider that decision but only received the standard blanket "officer safety" response. I responded and pointed out that the department has enjoyed a number of encrypted talkgroups for genuinely sensitive traffic for years, and that encrypting the primary dispatch talkgroup simply did not enhance officer safety. Unfortunately I think there are so few of us remaining that know or care, that we simply do not have enough of a voice to gain any traction.

Out of curiosity, what kind of DMR traffic are you catching? I bought a couple of Motorola XPR-7550s for use on the amateur bands, but then the regional DMR repeater network somewhat fell apart for reasons unknown to me. I ended up grabbing a license in the business band so I could use my 7550s for my consulting business. Would love to see/hear some more DMR traffic in the area!

On DMR....From RR database,The Tri-Cities Communications Capacity Plus stuff,which mostly has Transit Mix Concrete and Cox Disposal on it. And Hospitals such as Franklin Woods,Sycamore Shoals and Johnson City Medical Center. And while I'm talking to another local.....I can't seem to get much,if anything at all when I analyze Holston Mountain Simulcast on the TACN. And with my location.....near Food City in Elizabethton with a Diamond discone around 30 feet up..I really shouldn't have any problem,I wouldn't think. It's like the site......after making filter,attenuation adjustments,etc...is just dead. May take the portable and drive right up to the mountain and see what happens. Good to see another local here. And on the JCPD and other locals re: encryption.....beating a dead horse til the media gets involved. Let WJHL and WCYB know that they have a RIGHT to hear in the clear radio traffic.....then the squeaky wheel might get the grease. I guess....

 

[KN4EHX]

You should be able to receive THP District 5 Dispatch 1 in the clear in your area. Greene Fire is also in the clear. Interop Law 7, 8, and 9 are typical places to go for police and EMA. TEMA and Dept of Homeland Security are all clear. You won’t hear much from DHS everyone is kind of still getting educated on where to go with their radios and the various talk groups. SOME and a big emphasis on the some … of Sullivan and Washington Co. stuff is in the clear; mainly fire and rescue stuff. Yeah, the big E is getting a little crazy around here.

THP Statewide too but it is mostly crickets. If it involves more than police and EMA it will be on the DHS TGs. Department of Health might become a little more lively in the near future. UT Lifestar.

 

[medic9351301]

was in pidgeon forge on the parkway fri sat night went to gburg sat walked around looking like a tourist .
only heard pidgeon forge on the state system . the rangers must have been having a picnic with yoggi and boo boo . they were dead.
all comms were locked up tighter than twinkies at a weight watchers convention lol.

 

[KN4EHX]

The Park Rangers are using VHF Phase I although they do have a TG on TACN 7/800 I’ve not investigated if they actually talk on it or not; they are half way E. You’ll hear their dispatch in the clear and most of the Rangers in the clear but some will be encrypted. PFPD is on TACN but Sevier SD is on Land Air NXDN and is full E. THP District 1 Dispatch 1 is always hopping - covers from Sevier to Knox County.

I used THP Statewide myself on Sunday so if you heard anything on there that would have been me and THP Fall Branch District although our conversation was a very short exchange.

Keep in mind there is only so many talk paths and trunking is on demand so unless there is a subscriber sitting on the TG you are monitoring it might not actually be live. I occasionally connect to Greentop from Hamblen County and I know TWRA is also using TACN from here full E so it is likely the TG you would have actually been able to hear were crickets in general. We tend to not chat a whole lot in my brief experience with TACN.

 

[ka4bni]

was in pidgeon forge on the parkway fri sat night went to gburg sat walked around looking like a tourist .
only heard pidgeon forge on the state system . the rangers must have been having a picnic with yoggi and boo boo . they were dead.
all comms were locked up tighter than twinkies at a weight watchers convention lol.

The Great Smokey Mtns park P-25 conventional repeater was struck by lightning a few weeks back. It's down right now. They're using the TACN talk group for the park and probably some simplex channel until the repeater is repaired.

 

[medic9351301]

does the park rangers have a muti band motorola radio . or do they carry two radios . just curious since they have both systems for use .

 

[KN4EHX]

The Great Smokey Mtns park P-25 conventional repeater was struck by lightning a few weeks back. It's down right now. They're using the TACN talk group for the park and probably some simplex channel until the repeater is repaired.

Their VHF coverage is incredible. I can hear them from Johnson City on P25 conventional. I’d say the 7/800 puts a dent in their coverage within the park. Although the Greentop and English Mt. TACN sites have good coverage too I’d bet it isn’t as good as their VHF site(s).

 

[sambo300]

Their VHF coverage is incredible. I can hear them from Johnson City on P25 conventional. I’d say the 7/800 puts a dent in their coverage within the park. Although the Greentop and English Mt. TACN sites have good coverage too I’d bet it isn’t as good as their VHF site(s).

Around 5 years ago with my HP2 I could get them regularly. Since I've gotten back into things ,no luck. Up until 3 weeks ago was usjng the BCD536HP now the SDS200. From Elizabethton discone around 30 feet up. KN4EHX.....gotten them recently? Years ago I think I'd get them from Clingman's Dome repeater VHF.

 

[KN4EHX]

I took a trip to knife works a couple months ago and it was working then. I know I don’t hear them on TACN at home but I pick up the short mt site here so no danger of hearing them on it. I’ll put it on my scan list on the scanner and maybe I’ll hear them in the next day or two when I’m around Jefferson County.

 

[jblackst]

Knox area here - still watching and listening (at least to what you can hear without an encryption key).