Phoenix Area Trunked Radio System Quick Guide

Welcome to the Valley of the Sun!

While this page is designed to help the new hobbyist or a traveler unfamiliar with the Phoenix area to get started listening to one of the fastest growing areas of the country, we do expect the user to have a basic understanding of radio terminology.

Please note that this is an introductory level page concentrating on basic public safety monitoring for the valley's trunked systems. The author has intentionally not included some technical information that would not lend itself to the nature of this page. Also, some details that more experienced listeners might be looking for are not here for the same reason. If you want more detail on the valley's systems and users, may we respectfully suggest you consult RadioReference.com, or purchase the Southwest Frequency Directory.

We acknowledge that there are non-trunked conventional systems in the valley, including fire departments, highway patrol, ambulances and the like. This page is not intended to address conventional systems. Please refer to the Maricopa County Database for information on these systems.

If you have suggestion or comments regarding this page, please contact the author at radioprescottr@hotmail.com. The Wiki project is a collaborative effort, but if you feel the need to unilaterally alter the information here, a courtesy message to the author would also be appreciated.

This page was last updated January 24, 2011

Here we Go!

The majority of trunked radio users can be found on one of the four main systems in the valley. Here is a list of the systems and their subscribers (users):

Topaz Regional Wireless Cooperative (TRWC)

• Mesa
• Apache Junction
• Gilbert
• Queen Creek
• Apache Junction Fire District
• Rio Verde Fire District (pending)

Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC)

• Buckeye
• El Mirage
• Goodyear
• Peoria
• Phoenix
• Surprise
• Tempe
• Chandler Fire
• Daisy Mountain Fire Department
• Guadalupe Fire Department
• Maricopa Fire Department
• Sun City Fire Department
• Sun City West Fire Department
• Sun Lakes Fire Department
• Scottsdale (pending)
• Paradise Valley (pending)
• Tolleson (pending)

City of Glendale

• Avondale
• Glendale

Maricopa County Radio System

• Maricopa County
• Scottsdale
• Paradise Valley

Which radio to use

The current trend in public safety communications is to use digital technology. Also, since television's move to digital broadcasting, a new band of 700 MHz frequencies have become available for public safety systems.

In the valley, there are analog systems, digital systems and combination systems on both 800 MHz and 700 MHZ frequencies. For instance, the Maricopa County system combines analog and digital communications on an 800 MHz system. Phoenix, Glendale and Mesa systems are fully digital and use both 700 and 800 MHz frequencies. Small systems like Chandler are only analog.

Most 'trunking' scanners can track the 800 MHz analog trunking systems. To track digital systems a P25 compatible scanner is required; to track the new 700 MHz trunked systems, a 700 MHz capable radio is needed.

We do not recommend any particular brand of scanner. We do recommend that you research your purchase carefully to ensure that you can hear the systems you want to hear.

The following scanners are known to be able to monitor the valley's systems:

• Uniden BCD396T, BCD996T, BCD396XT,

BCD996XT and Home Patrol

• Radio Shack PRO-106 and PRO-197
• GRE PSR-500 and PSR-600

Note that the analog ony scanners like the BCT15 or PSR 300/400 cannot receive digital or 700 mhz trunking, but still may work for analog systems. The PRO96/2096 does receive digital, but cannot trunk on 700 mhz due to firmware limitations.

A final note: Scanners are not built to the same standards as professional radios and you may not be able to hear what you want to hear. For user comments on specific radios, visit the appropriate radio discussion forums at Radio Reference or visit Yahoo Groups for your scanner of interest.

Systems and Sites

We will refer quite frequently to systems and sites. Simply speaking, a system consists of one or more sites.

A site is a specific transmitter location with a set of frequencies assigned to it. Most wide area systems have many sites. When all sites in a system use the same frequencies, the system essential becomes one site - it is only necessary to program in one set of frequencies to monitor that entire system. When each site in a system has its own set of different frequencies, you must enter each site's frequencies separately to monitor that system.

A simulcast system transmits the same traffic on some or all of the sites in the system. The valley's systems uses simulcast technology that some scanners have difficulty tracking. This is usually because of the relative positions of the scanner and the site you are monitoring. Sometimes moving your radio's location, adjusting or changing antennas, or adding attenuation to the frequency may help (see your radio's user guide). For more details on reception issues see the appropriate radio discussion forums at Radio Reference or visit Yahoo Groups for your area of interest.

What to program

Most trunked scanners require at least the data frequency (the control channel) to be programmed for each site. Some older scanners require all the voice frequencies to be entered as well. To listen to just valley public safety traffic (and not all users on a system) you also need the correct voice channels and a list of users you wish to hear - known as talkgroups. A complete list of frequencies and talkgroups can be found at the links on the bottom of this page.

Listening to the Valley

For the purposes of monitoring the valley's public safety agencies, you need to know the system that provides the coverage for your area of interest. We have included a list of system names, locations and relative coverage areas to allow you to decide what systems you should program. Not all systems are linked to each other.

RWC=Phoenix system TRWC=Mesa System MCo=County System YRCS=Yuma County system

Greater Phoenix Area System Coverage

The following systems carry most of the public safety traffic in the valley. Please note that these simulcast systems are designed to provide coverage to a limited geographic area. Not all systems can be received from all locations. A hobbyist should program the systems that they are best able to receive to hear the desired public safety traffic.

OWNER	SITE NAME	SITE NUMBER	COVERAGE	USER
RWC	Simulcast A	Site 201	Phoenix metro area	Phoenix Police
RWC	Simulcast B	Site 101	Phoenix metro area	Phoenix and Valley Fire Departments
RWC	Simulcast C	Site 202	Southeast Phoenix: Chandler, Ahwatukee, Sun Lakes	Phoenix, Chandler (after expected migration
TRWC	Simulcast D	Site 301	East Valley Cities	Mesa, Gilbert, Apache Junction Law and Fire
RWC	Simulcast G	Site 501	West Valley Cities	Peoria, Buckeye, El Mirage, Surprise
RWC	Simulcast F	Site 205	Tempe	Tempe
RWC	Simulcast H	Site 301	Scottsdale	Scottsdale, Paradise Valley (after migration)
City of Glendale	Glendale	Site 001	Glendale area	Avondale, Glendale
MCo	Thompson Peak	Site 001	Primary East Simulcast	MCSO All Districts, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley Moving to H
MCo	White Tanks	Site 002	Primary West Simulcast	MCSO All Districts
MCo	Central Court	Site 009	Primary Downtown Simulcast	MCSO All Districts, Central Jails
City of Chandler	Chandler	Site 001	Chandler	Chandler PD Moving to C

The following stand alone sites are not normally connected to the above simulcast systems and generally carry localized traffic only. They are included for those listeners who may need to monitor a specific location outside the RWC-TRWC-County simulcast footprint:

OWNER	SITE NAME	SITE NUMBER	COVERAGE	USER
RWC	Quintero IR	Site 502	Peoria, Quintero community only	All subscribers
RWC	Sky Harbor IR	Site 103	Aviation users at KPHX	All subscribers
RWC	Daisy Mtn Conv	Site 902-904	Conventional at Daisy Mtn FD	All subscribers
RWC	Outlet Mall IR	Site 204	North Phoenix	All subscribers
RWC	Estrella IR	Site 105	Far Southwest, Phoenix, Goodyear	All subscribers
MCo	Oatman Mtn	Site 003	Southwest Rural	MCSO District 2
MCo	Yarnell Hill	Site 004	Northwest Rural	MCSO District 3
MCo	Mt. Gillen	Site 005	Northwest Rural	MCSO District 4
MCo	Bronco Butte	Site 006	Northeast Rural	MCSO District 4
MCo	Mt. Ord	Site 007	Northeast Rural	MCSO District 5
MCo	Humboldt Mtn	Site 008	Northeast Rural	MCSO District 4
MCo	Southeast Center	Site 010	Southeast Rural	MCSO District 1
MCo	Durango Jail	Site 011	Durango Jail users	MCSO Durango Jail
MCo	Chandler	Site 012	Southeast Rural	MCSO District 1
MCo	Smith Peak	Site 013	Northwest Rural	MCSO District 3
MCo	Towers Mtn	Site 014	Northwest Rural	MCSO District 3
MCo	South Scottsdale	Site 015	Southeast Rural	MCSO District 1
TRWC	Thompson Pk IR	Site 302	East Northeast Valley	MCSO District 1
TRWC	White Tanks IR	Site 303	West Valley	MCSO District 1

The following Public Safety Interoperability Communications (PSIC) sites are phasing in during 2010-2011. They are expected to be used for mutal aid and/or interoperability to RWC for users not subscribed to RWC:

OWNER	SITE NAME	SITE NUMBER	COVERAGE	USER
RWC	Thompson Peak	Site TBD	Northeast Maricopa County	All users
RWC	Far North Mtn	Site 108	North Maricopa County	All users (CC active 1/11)
RWC	North Mtn	Site 107	Northcentral Phoenix	All users (cc active 1/11)
RWC	South Mtn	Site TBD	Southcentral Phoenix	All users (Active 2009)
RWC	Sacaton	Site TBD	South Maricopa County, North Pinal County	All users
RWC	White Tanks	Site 208	West Maricopa County	All users

The Yuma Regional Communications System (YRCS) maintains sites in Maricopa County for communication and interoperbility in Maricopa, Pinal and eastern Yuma counties.

OWNER	SITE NAME	SITE NUMBER	COVERAGE	USER
YRCS	Oatman Mtn	Site 107	East Yuma County, South Maricopa County, Northwest Pinal County	Yuma SO, DPS, others TBD (Active 2010)
YRCS	South Mountain	Site 120	Maricopa County	Yuma SO, DPS, others TBD (Active 2010)

Talkgroups

Each Agency on a system has its unique talkgroup (channel) assignments. Dispatch talkgroups are the busiest, with much routine traffic. Tactical talkgroups can be used for small incidents or to coordinate large events. Many agencies use a 'hot' channel to dispatch urgent calls. We recommend including 'hot' talkgroups in your scan list.

One of the buzzwords popular in the telecommunications field is interoperability - the ability for users from different agencies (and even on different systems) to communicate with each other at the scene of an incident, without relaying through a third party. Interoperability (mutual aid) channels can be very exiting, but there use is sporadic. A good practice is to program these talkgroups in their own folder or group and scan them regularly. You may be surprised at what you will hear!

A word about encryption and scrambling: You may also notice that some talkgroups are scrambled and you will not be able to understand the traffic on those channels. (These talkgroups are marked with the letter 'E' on the Radio Reference pages listed below.) Due to the nature of digital encryption, specific technical information is needed to convert the scrambled signal to clear speech - and that information is only released to those individuals or agencies that need it. No scanner on the market today can be programmed to monitor encrypted communications.

Radio Reference Frequency and Talkgroup Links

We offer the following links to the most current data available for the following Phoenix Metropolitan are systems:

• Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC)

• Topaz Regional Wireless Cooperative (TRWC)

• City of Glendale

• Maricopa County Radio System

• City of Chandler

• Yuma Regional Communciations System (YRCS)