Basics of Scanners
by
Aaron Siller
N5AMS
Basics of Trunking
Trunking
 Updated Scanner Frequencies
What is a Trunking System
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A specialized repeater system with one or
more towers and multiple frequencies
This also allows channelized, semi-private
conversations between many more groups
of users
Types of Trunk Systems
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Project 25
Motorola Smartnet/Smartzone Type I, II
EDACS
LTR
Project 25 Trunking
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This is the new digital systems that can use
a mix of 700/800MHz, UHF, and VHF
frequencies
TxWARN (Texas Wide Area Radio Network)
Who uses P-25 in Houston
Analog Motorola System
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Type I
Type II
Analog Motorola System Type I
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The Original Motorola Systems that were
based on Fleets and Subfleets.
Each system had a certain number of
Fleets assigned, and then each Fleet had a
certain number of Subfleets and radio Ids.
Analog Motorola System Type II
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Motorola Type II Smartnet is a 2nd
generation Motorola Trunking system
The term Smartnet refers to a set of
features that make Motorola Type I and II
trunked systems APCO-16 compliant
This allows for better security, emergency
signaling, dynamic regrouping, remote radio
monitoring, and Several other features
Analog Motorola System
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SmartZone systems are comprised of Type
II Smartnet systems that are networked
together via microwave or land-line data
circuits to provide multi-site wide-area
communications
A feature unique to SmartZone and allows
efficient use of channels at each site is
called "Dynamic Site assignment.”
Analog Motorola System
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The characteristics of a Motorola
SmartZone system are similar to Smartnet
systems with the following changes:
Up to 28 channels per site
Up to 64 sites
Analog and/or digital voice
Analog Motorola System
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Monitoring a SmartZone system with a
trunktracking scanner is the same process
as monitoring any other Type II Smartnet
system, except that you can only monitor
one site at a time
For you to monitor a specific talkgroup on a
SmartZone site, someone's radio must be
affiliated to that specific site
Enhanced Digital Access
Communications System
(EDACS)
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EDACS is much like a Motorola System
except in a EDACS system they use Logical
Channel Numbering(LCN)
Rather than assign a frequency with a
specific identifier, each frequency at a site is
assigned a number between 1 through 25
Who uses EDACS
Logical Trunked Radio(LTR)
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LTR is kinda like EDACS except unlike
Motorola and EDACS, LTR doesn't have a
dedicated control channel.
Each repeater has its own controller and all
of these controllers are coordinated
together.
Logical Trunked Radio(LTR)
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Each of these controllers periodically
sends out a data burst (approximately every
10 seconds on LTR Standard systems) so
that the subscriber units know that the
system is there.
Much like EDACS, LTR is limited to 20
channels per site
Who uses LTR
North Shepherd Dispatch 460.325 (123.0)
Northeast Dispatch 460.125 (123.0)
Southeast Dispatch 460.025 (123.0)
Southwest Dispatch 460.050 (123.0)
Citywide 460.425 (123.0)
Central Dispatch 460.100 (123.0)
Special Ops Dispatch 460.350 (123.0)
Channel 8(simplex only) 460.225 (123.0)
South Central Dispatch 460.550 (123.0)
Channel 10 460.450 (123.0)
Northwest 460.475 (123.0)
Westside Dispatch 460.150 (123.0)
VICE 460.400 (123.0)
IAH Dispatch 453.900 (123.0)
Fire/EMS Dispatch 453.425 (127.3)
North Ops TAC 2 453.500 (127.3)
Central/West Ops TAC 3 453.675 (127.3)
South Ops TAC 4 453.950 (127.3)
EMS TAC 5 460.575 (127.3)
General Info TAC 6 462.950 (127.3)
Fireground TAC 7 462.975 (127.3)
Fireground TAC 8 460.625 (127.3)
Scanner Frequencies (Cont.)
Humble Fire/EMS 154.415 (118.8)
Atascocita Fire/EMS 155.1375 (103.5)
Huffman Fire Department 154.445 (136.5)
MCHD 155.325 (146.2)
Conroe FD 154.190 (146.2)
MCFD 1 158.820 (107.2)
MCFD 2 158.790 (107.2)
MCFD 3 154.965 (107.2)
Frequency Links
Www.radioreference.com
Groups.yahoo.com/group/houstonscan