DETROIT & PRO-96

mikejeffdfd · #1 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 09:34 PM

Can anyone tell me what scanner you are using to receive Detroits new system, and if you are receiving clear transmissions. I have the uniden 396 and it is not working very well right now. Can anyone give me some feedback on the radio shack pro-96 or any other scanner that is monitoring the Detroit system without any major problems.

Thanks
MIKE DFD

Alpha432 · #2 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 09:53 PM

If I enter the frequencies of the Flatrock Tower in the same bank as the Detroit simulcast system and its talkgroups would I necessarily recieve the signal for the Detroit system better? And If I travel to Northville and enter in that tower would I still revieve the Detroit system?

rdale · #3 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 10:00 PM

The Detroit system can only be received on the Detroit system freq's.

seamusg · #4 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikejeffdfd

Can anyone tell me what scanner you are using to receive Detroits new system, and if you are receiving clear transmissions. I have the uniden 396 and it is not working very well right now. Can anyone give me some feedback on the radio shack pro-96 or any other scanner that is monitoring the Detroit system without any major problems.

Thanks
MIKE DFD

I have a pro-96 and a bc796 and both won't receive Tower 701 very well - it's not the brand of scanner. but where you are at.

seamusg · #5 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alpha432

If I enter the frequencies of the Flatrock Tower in the same bank as the Detroit simulcast system and its talkgroups would I necessarily recieve the signal for the Detroit system better? And If I travel to Northville and enter in that tower would I still revieve the Detroit system?

You can put in all the towers you want, but it is a smart zone system - if that tower doesnot have a radio for that TG that TG will not be rebroadcasted.

seamusg · #6 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdale

The Detroit system can only be received on the Detroit system freq's.

If you are refering to Detroit TG's NOT TRUE, if a Detroit unit roams out of Detroit It will be picked by another Tower. I can hear the Detroit Water Dept on the Mt. Clemens Tower at times.

mikejeffdfd · #7 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 10:35 PM

I am in Detroit at 7 mile & Livernois 1 mile from the tower at palmer park

rdale · #8 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 10:43 PM

"if a Detroit unit roams out of Detroit It will be picked by another Tower"

We all understand that. If you want to monitor the Detroit system, as he was asking about, you have to have tower 701 in. Adding others will do you no good if you want to hear all comms.

seamusg · #9 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 10:46 PM

There is one person who has been posting on where he can receive tower 701 - he says he can't get it in Harper Woods - 1 Mile north of the Denby tower - From what both of you report it's not working north of 7 mile insted of 8 mile. maybe they will have to go back to the drawing boards

rdale · #10 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 10:55 PM

A user or a scanner listener? I don't think scanner reception issues would cause Detroit to build a new tower ;>

seamusg · #11 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdale

"if a Detroit unit roams out of Detroit It will be picked by another Tower"

We all understand that. If you want to monitor the Detroit system, as he was asking about, you have to have tower 701 in. Adding others will do you no good if you want to hear all comms.

It is not the Detroit System - it is MSPCS - tower 701 is a subset of MSPCS not just Detroit- because it is MPSCS - a lot of people think they can program in any tower and the Detroit TG to get it, especially when you can get some of Detroit 's traffic because of the smart zone feature.
There are about 10 threads right now on the Tower 701 reception troubles - I'll end with if you can't receive tower 701 - get an antenna that will. (p.s. I don't monitor Detroit since I can't understand them.)

seamusg · #12 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdale

A user or a scanner listener? I don't think scanner reception issues would cause Detroit to build a new tower ;>

This is not a Detroit system, nor is it one tower it is 10 towers.

SEMTTP · #13 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 11:06 PM

Guys calm down....The issue is actually with MPSCS Sub-Systems, and currently those two are Detroi, and Monroe. The answer is not to get a better antenna, it is all in the sub system and how it is laid out. I think the problem lies in the FIRMWARE of the scanners, What they told us would work does not work

but how would they know that if there were no SUB System to try?

Hopefully Uniden and Radio Shack will see this and do something for those of us that have invested 500-600 dollars on these scanners. Write to uniden and radio shack. The problem is with the FIRMWARE of the scanners not the antenna's

Eric

rdale · #14 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 11:06 PM

You lost me. This thread is about being able to receive the Detroit talkgroups. Programming in other towers, as he asked, won't help. 701 is the only one you need.

Just because scanner listeners are having problems does NOT mean that the actual users are having problems, so nobody has to "go back to the drawing board" unless DFD or DPD is finding a coverage issue.

A better antenna will help, both my Pro96 and BCD396 worked better in side-by-side tests in Monroe Co with at least the RS800 replacing the stock.

seamusg · #15 (**permalink**) 09-18-2005, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdale

You lost me. This thread is about being able to receive the Detroit talkgroups. Programming in other towers, as he asked, won't help. 701 is the only one you need.

Just because scanner listeners are having problems does NOT mean that the actual users are having problems, so nobody has to "go back to the drawing board" unless DFD or DPD is finding a coverage issue.

A better antenna will help, both my Pro96 and BCD396 worked better in side-by-side tests in Monroe Co with at least the RS800 replacing the stock.

Maybe GRE and Uniden need to go back to the drawingboards.

diskmonger · #16 (**permalink**) 09-19-2005, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdale

You lost me. This thread is about being able to receive the Detroit talkgroups. Programming in other towers, as he asked, won't help. 701 is the only one you need.

Just because scanner listeners are having problems does NOT mean that the actual users are having problems, so nobody has to "go back to the drawing board" unless DFD or DPD is finding a coverage issue.

A better antenna will help, both my Pro96 and BCD396 worked better in side-by-side tests in Monroe Co with at least the RS800 replacing the stock.

No, actually the thread was about someone having a 396 and not being able to hear clear transmissions. I think Eric was answering the original question.

To expand on what Eric said and to answer the original question of the thread, I believe he is correct. There needs to be a firmware change. Many people are having the same problem. This is the same problem most people having listening to the Monroe system as well.

Jeff

rdale · #17 (**permalink**) 09-19-2005, 12:48 AM

Eric is correct in that a firmware update is probably necessary. Adding control channels from neighboring towers won't. Sort of like my original reply ;>

seamusg · #18 (**permalink**) 09-19-2005, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SEMTTP

Guys calm down....The issue is actually with MPSCS Sub-Systems, and currently those two are Detroi, and Monroe. The answer is not to get a better antenna, it is all in the sub system and how it is laid out. I think the problem lies in the FIRMWARE of the scanners, What they told us would work does not work

but how would they know that if there were no SUB System to try?

Hopefully Uniden and Radio Shack will see this and do something for those of us that have invested 500-600 dollars on these scanners. Write to uniden and radio shack. The problem is with the FIRMWARE of the scanners not the antenna's

Eric

I beleve there three with Genesee and soon to be four with Macomb

Alpha1906 · #19 (**permalink**) 09-19-2005, 03:39 AM

I live at 10 Mile and Southfield Rd. and I get the Detroit Fire Departement, but not so clear as it fades in and out, especially at crucial times when dispatch is giving the location of the box alarm. When I'm in the city, Seven Mile & Greenfield area and connect the scanner to a Belden roof antenna we've had since the 80's, I hear everything perfectly. I do happen to think it has alot to do with your antenna.

Thunderbolt · #20 (**permalink**) 09-19-2005, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SEMTTP

Guys calm down....The issue is actually with MPSCS Sub-Systems, and currently those two are Detroi, and Monroe. The answer is not to get a better antenna, it is all in the sub system and how it is laid out. I think the problem lies in the FIRMWARE of the scanners, What they told us would work does not work

but how would they know that if there were no SUB System to try?

Eric

When the PRO-96 upgrade was released, and later the Uniden 796D, both scanners were supposed to be able to decode and track CQPSK simulcast systems. The actual demodulation testing was based on simulcast systems operating on the Twin Cities' ARMER TRS, which are in fact subsystems to main system. Likewise, the same testing was done on identical 9600 baud, 800 MHz simulcast systems in Arizona. Both comparison tests were a huge success and plans went forward from both GRE and Uniden to produce subsequent scanner models, such as the PRO-2096 and Uniden 396D, which so far have not had any problems with the aforementioned systems. However, we have three MPSCS simulcast subsystems that have come online in the past several months and we are pulling our hair out.

Michigan loves to test the latest in technology that is out, and it might be possible the data decoding firmware in our scanners needs an upgrade that allows for greater error correcting capabilities. Incidentally, none of the Detroit PD/FD or Wayne County Sheriff units have reported any reception problems like we are. This leads me to believe that GRE and Uniden will have to personally analyze our local systems, so they can build better scanners in the future that will not have these current problems. Especially, since narrowbanding will be coming along with 700 MHz to our state in a few years.

73's

Ron