Williamson County / Round Rock Area - Scanning Tips

[rvacs]

Hello All,

Any other Williamson County or Round Rock Scanning people out there that can give me some tips.

Have a digital trunktracker scanner - what systems do some of you scan in the Williamson County area? Like mostly PD / TAC some fire etc.

I understand Round Rock PD / Pflugerville PD / Georgetown PD are all encrypted?

Any other close by systems that are fun to listen to in the clear?

In regards to GATRS - do I just need to add the frequencies listed for the Willamson County site?
Like 854.8625 / 854.9875 / 855.2125 etc. (seem like 17 of them)

What about Texas Highway Patrol - what site.(where would I find them in the Database?)

Thanks a Ton!!

Really sad we can't listen to Round Rock PD - oh well.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Ensnared]

Very Limited

Hello All,

Any other Williamson County or Round Rock Scanning people out there that can give me some tips.

Have a digital trunktracker scanner - what systems do some of you scan in the Williamson County area? Like mostly PD / TAC some fire etc.

I understand Round Rock PD / Pflugerville PD / Georgetown PD are all encrypted?

Any other close by systems that are fun to listen to in the clear?

In regards to GATRS - do I just need to add the frequencies listed for the Willamson County site?
Like 854.8625 / 854.9875 / 855.2125 etc. (seem like 17 of them)

What about Texas Highway Patrol - what site.(where would I find them in the Database?)

Thanks a Ton!!

Really sad we can't listen to Round Rock PD - oh well.

Thanks,
Rich

Yes, you do have limitations living in Williamson County. First of all, what type of radio are you wanting to program? Also, what programming software will you be using to program your radio? Will you be using any outside antenna setup?

I have a file that contains the various GATTRS talk groups in several counties including Williamson along with DPS & Federal. This file is in Win500 format. Let me know if you would like for me to send it to you via email.

 

[rvacs]

Update.

Thanks Ensnared,

I am using a new BCD536HP which is using Uniden Sentinel Software.
I am just wanting to know right now with not using an external Antenna - in the RR Database which frequencies I need in there for GATRS.

Thanks,
Rich

Maybe like a CSV or txt comma delimited export would be helpful.
I will pm you my email.

 

[Firebuff198689]

I know Round Rock PD encrypted but what about Round Rock Fire Dept are they encrypted aswell? What is Round Rock Freq and what kind of digital scanner will I need for Williamson County?

 

[Ensnared]

Mixed "E"

I know Round Rock PD encrypted but what about Round Rock Fire Dept are they encrypted aswell? What is Round Rock Freq and what kind of digital scanner will I need for Williamson County?

There are some talk groups in the clear, EMS/Fire for Round Rock.

Since there is significant simulcast distortion on the following P25 trunking system that includes Round Rock, I strongly recommend buying one of two radios: Uniden 436HP (hand held) or Uniden 536HP (base). Greater Austin/Travis Regional Radio System (GATRRS) Trunking System, Austin, Texas - Scanner Frequencies

I have another digital scanner from another company, GRE. The system listed above destroys my reception on this radio due to simulcast distortion. You see, the GRE radios can become "confused" about signal to receive. I know this is a gross oversimplification, but that is it in a nutshell.

You don't have to possess advanced programming knowledge in order to operate these Uniden radios.

Both of these fine radios can be programmed by two easy methods: a) entering the zip code; b) using a GPS device to load the radio system parameters.

Since you are limited in Willliamson County, you might entertain an outside antenna to reach into Austin. You might even be close enough to Austin to hear them without an outside antenna. I would check with the locals.

 

[rbarker]

If you have a BCD536HP, it should do it automatically as long as you are scanning in your zip code and I would reduce the range down to just 1 or 2 miles at first until you are comfortable with what you are hearing. The BCD465HP does this automatically but usually in the older scanners you do control channel scanning and only have to put in the few control channels. Also if you are using an older scanner there are several older frequencies still in use:
155.61 Jollyville Fire tone out
155.6925 Georgetown Fire Tone Out (have to be close like near downtown)
462.975 EMS tone out (off and on)
856.2125 Round Rock Fire Tone outs

 

[banditt2344]

Thanks Ensnared,

I am using a new BCD536HP which is using Uniden Sentinel Software.
I am just wanting to know right now with not using an external Antenna - in the RR Database which frequencies I need in there for GATRS.

Thanks,
Rich

Maybe like a CSV or txt comma delimited export would be helpful.
I will pm you my email.

Did you figure out your BCD536. I also purchased mine around the same time period. I was on the pre-order list for one. I also live in Round Rock. Have you found any StarFlight channels?

 

[rbarker]

Monitoring Williamson County Scanning Tips

If you are using a BCD536 HP with Sentinel software and the radio has been updated, then all you need to do is be sure the radio is set on a Round Rock zip code and I would suggest a range on only about 2 miles just to start out and that should do it for you. You do not need to go enter frequencies, since the software does that for you. But right now the control channel in Williamson County is 857.9625. Understand that a lot of Williamson Co traffic is scrambled and the scanner will just skip over that instead of letting you hear the scramble. So a lot of their traffic cannot be heard. STARflight talks on the normal EMS channels and will switch over to whatever talkgroup they need to. In Williamson Co that may be Helo 1 talkgroup. I've also been hearing STARflight talking on 155.340 to other helicopters. STARflight usually transports to Brack so you commonly hear them giving patient reports on Brack Crash talkgroup.

 

[rbarker]

Williamson County Fire West Dispatch 4518 has Automated Dispatch locution.