[Scan-DC] Advice on trunking scanner

[Barile, Philip]

Ryan,

   I just got a Radio Shack Pro 106 portable scanner and have no problems listening to all fire activities in the NCR.  PG is still on the 495 MHz frequencies and will be there for a while longer.  The new communications center for the county fire and PD is in no way finished being built yet.  The transition to the new APCO P25 Phase II system can't take place until then. As Dewey stated if an older system joins with PG Fire then the system will resort back to the FDMA system. That means if PG Fire runs a call with Montgomery, Howard, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, DC or even any of the VA counties in the southern part of the county you will be able to hear the calls.  PG will also have a new frequency in the 154 MHz area as a secondary dispatch/page channel.  

Hope this helps. 



Phil Barile
DHS-OIG
Office of Management
Information Technology Division
IT Specialist/ISSO
Work #: 202-254-4081
Cell #: 202-528-8998
FAX #: 202-254-4296
-----------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry

----- Original Message -----
From: Dewey3 [mailto:dewey3 at gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 05:38 PM
To: Ryan <hobbes615 at gmail.com>; Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net <Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Advice on trunking scanner

With the latter model digital trunk-tracking scanners you will be able to
monitor all ***open*** comms on just about everything in the area EXCEPT PG
Co, MD & Loudoun Co, VA.  They are using a form of Apco-25 Phase II known as
TDMA.  Currently, there are no scanners made that will monitor TDMA comms.
With that said, if a "FDMA" Phase II radio affiliates (phones home and says
I'm listening) with PG Co or Loudoun Co, the transmissions on that talkgroup
(channel) will revert to FDMA, which ***IS*** monitorable.  Loudoun Co seems
to do this quite frequently during the day, and can be heard when they do,
but I haven't heard PG Co operating FDMA at all, except for one week when
they were doing some type of testing.  As far as "going to some new system",
that is one of those only the future will tell questions, BUT, you normally
hear about it at least a year in advance when agencies start proposing
switches.  Encrypted comms can not be answered.

Dewey
MPDC Retired
1983 - 2010

On Tue, Jan 11, 2011 at 4:52 PM, Ryan <hobbes615 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hey, I've been lurking on the list for a little while and I'm looking for a
> intro level trunking scanner.
>
> I live in DC and was wondering what all I would be able to pick up or if
> its
> worth investing in if DC police/Fire/Capitol Police go to some new system
> or
> completely encrypt their communication.
>
> Home Patrol looks cool and its at the top of what I'd like to spend, I'd
> like to have more of a hand held or mobile that could be mounted in my car.
>
>
> Any recommendations?
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