DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) - WORTH THE UPGRADE?

Hello and welcome Back... Is it Worth Upgrading your Scanner with DMR

I get asked alot about this question from various emails about the Uniden DMR upgrade and whether its worth paying the $89 for the unlock code.

I would say... Yes

Since unlocking the DMR function of my UBCD436PT, i would say, it has put the 'fun' back into scanning...

DMR unlocking is available on certain Uniden Radio Scanners inc UBCD436-PT, UBCD536-PT, USDS100 & UBCD325P2... Sadly no to UBCD396XT :(

To program DMR Frequencies, most radios will use Sentinel which is an excellent program, once you learn how its set-out.
On the 325P2, you can use Freescan software but Freescan does not support DMR programming, only the 'Digital' tab.
The Sentinel program allows colour code setting that DMR uses making it easier for the scanner to decode. (I use the 'Auto' tab in Sentinel and once i know what colour code the frequency uses, i then enter that into the program)
You can also use Proscan to program 325P2 but will set you back $50 U.S. but it has a good DMR setup

For those who don't know what DMR is, DMR stands for Digital Mobile Radio and just about everything from Bus Company's to Shopping Centers, even Surf Life Savers (Bondi Rescue Anyone?) uses DMR Radios.

Non DMR enabled radios can still pick up the frequency but will hear a strange 'Hammering' sound which is the encryption stream which is why my 436PT will decode but the 396XT wont.


FREQUENCIES (some of the ones i've picked up )

Busways - 507.4125  Col Code 1
Westmead Hospital - 412.975  Col Code 4
BTW Penrith - 464.0375  Col Code 8
VRA (Volunteer Rescue) - 465.925  Col Code 5
Westmead Hospital - 412.700  Col Code 7
Blackjack Security - 164.5375 & 164.300  Col Code 1
Westfields Mt Druitt - 471.150  Col Code 1
Westmead Childrens Hospital - 412.5375  Col Code 15
Westfields Penrith - 466.625  Col Code 7

The list above is just a snippet of whats available.

On September 26th 2020, is when Surf Lifesavers start their patrol season so hopefully should get some hits there as well...Being in mind, most DMR radios are only 5W, so you usually have to be in a close vicinity but with a good outdoor antenna up high, you never know..


What you scanner screen should look like if your decoding DMR properly.. (below)

#DMR
#Uniden
#DigitalMobileRadio
#Upgrade
#NSWRadio
#UBCD436PT
#UBCD536PT

NSW GRN - NSW WIDE FREQUENCIES (COWs)

Hello and Welcome Back... There's COWs in that field

During the 2019 Bushfires in NSW, Several GRN towers lost communication as fire damaged the wiring and control boxes... The solution was COWs

No silly, not the Mooo Type

COWs or "Cell On Wheels" (see pic below) are a portable GRN solution, able to be ushered anywhere around NSW in a Jiffy..

Currently, as i write this, my local tower 'Glenbrook' has been switched off  for upgrades and a COW is put in its place.
The problem was, i had entered all the frequencies for that tower into my scanner aaaand.. Nothing

The problem was, the replacement was a COW and not much was known about the frequencies that belonged to COWs.

Two things stood out...

1. The COW was currently being used (Glenbrook)
2. It is portable, so a search should hopefully show an Ambulatory (Portable) system or NSW Wide.

Turns out i was right with the second thought, the 'NSW Wide' stands out like the proverbial, with all the other 45 or so pages of Government frequencies assigned to various long sounding sites.

Just to be sure on my theory, i ran the frequency that is active at Glenbrook into the search, sure enough, it came back as a 'NSW Wide' frequency...

And that is todays lesson on COWs

I set up my findings under 'COWs - Portable Sites' in my scanner and entered all the frequencies below and got several hits...

Happy with my findings, which i will now share with you.


FREQUENCIES

414.4750 - Station 1
414.4875 - Station 2
414.5000 - Station 3
414.5125 - Station 4
414.5250 - Station 5
414.5375 - Station 6
414.5500 - Station 7
414.5625 - Station 8
414.5750 - Station 9
414.5875 - Station 10
414.6000 - Station 11
414.6125 - Station 12
414.6625 - Station 13
414.8625 - Station 14
415.3875 - Station 15
415.4000 - Station 16
415.4125 - Station 17
415.4250 - Station 18
414.95625 - Notional Station - HGSA Band 2
420.40000 - Notional Station - HGSA Band 5
423.90000 - Notional Station - HGS Band 5
423.1125 - Station 1
423.2375 - Station 2
423.3625 - Station 3
423.4875 - Station 4
423.6125 - Station 5
423.7375 - Station 6
423.8625 - Station 7
423.9875 - Station 8

#COW
#CellonWheels
#Cell
#GRN
#Frequencies