Outside Base Antenna in Rice Co.

[popnokick]

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A handheld scanner with a duckie antenna is working better than your mast-mounted discone in the same outdoor location? Then something is just plain WRONG with the discone setup!
As was suggested, earlier in thread CUT THE COAX to proper length, attach proper connectors, then test all with multimeter for opens and shorts. If all checks OK, reconnect to indoor scanner and post here with what's different.

[revschuette]

Originally Posted by popnokick

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_1_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9B206 Safari/7534.48.3)

A handheld scanner with a duckie antenna is working better than your mast-mounted discone in the same outdoor location? Then something is just plain WRONG with the discone setup!
As was suggested, earlier in thread CUT THE COAX to proper length, attach proper connectors, then test all with multimeter for opens and shorts. If all checks OK, reconnect to indoor scanner and post here with what's different.

Now, note, I did say I am getting great reception of all the analog traffic in the area, better than before, just not picking up the digital signals in the area, the ones I am getting with my handeld with a duckie antenna outside of my house.

[JASII]

Have you tried opening your squelch all the way open?




https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ecn/pro...2012-09-01.pdf

According to the above, it almost looks like you are equidistant from Z-3:S-20 Z-3:S-44 & Z-3:S-13.

[revschuette]

Originally Posted by JASII

Have you tried opening your squelch all the way open?




https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ecn/pro...2012-09-01.pdf

According to the above, it almost looks like you are equidistant from Z-3:S-20 Z-3:S-44 & Z-3:S-13.

Yes, I am about in the middle of those tower sites.

Yes I have tried opening the squelch open.

[JASII]

Try 851.80000. Here Rice County - Simulcast Site Details (Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER)) it shows that as the control channel, but other places it shows a different frequency. In fact, I think you said you did the analysis mode, but it might be worth gong outside and just searching 851.0125 to 868.9875 with the handheld and the squelch right at threshold to see what control channels you can receive.

Sometimes control channels do switch to an alternate frequency. Many times they will go for a long time on the regular control channel and then switch to the alternate control channel.

[revschuette]

Originally Posted by JASII

Try 851.80000. Here Rice County - Simulcast Site Details (Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER)) it shows that as the control channel, but other places it shows a different frequency. In fact, I think you said you did the analysis mode, but it might be worth gong outside and just searching 851.0125 to 868.9875 with the handheld and the squelch right at threshold to see what control channels you can receive.

Sometimes control channels do switch to an alternate frequency. Many times they will go for a long time on the regular control channel and then switch to the alternate control channel.

I went back and re-entered my control channels and the alternates and I put that one in for Rice Co. I also entered the one given for waterville just so it would be in my scanner. I analized the CC for rice county and it came in at 99%, the other channels are coming in better as well, including Steele as well as state patrol. Not exactly sure what I did, but I am actually picking up digital. I set up a "wild card" talk group and am picking up groups not even in my scanner at the moment. I think much of it is from the MSP.

I guess I will see how things go from here. I will shorten my run of coax though. Thanks for your advice along the way here, it is much appreciated!!

[JASII]

Hey, glad to hear it. That is the best news that I have heard tonight!

[blue5011]

Originally Posted by revschuette

At this point I believe Steel County is really the only one around here. I am still picking Steel up with my handheld outside my home (refer to original post, beginning of thread) and not getting it on my desktop scanner in the house even though I have an antenna outside.
Any advice here would be appreciated. I am new to having outdoor antennas so maybe I am missing something. If I am lacking information here, just let me know. Again, any advice would be greatly appreciated as I believe Rice Co. is going to digital on November 1st. Thanks in advance!!

It could be something as your general elevation. I can routinely pickup the Waldorf tower and sometimes the Janesville tower in Faribault County. It could also be that there just isn't any P25 digital (800mhz) area. I looked at the ARMER Status Site map and the tower at Waterville does not seem to be operational yet.

[mmtstc]

When I worked EMS in Waseca, we would often have to go up to Fblt for calls and coverage, and Morristown was always poor coverage, even on a Motorola portable. Once the Waterville tower goes in, everything will be better.

[blue5011]

Originally Posted by mmtstc

When I worked EMS in Waseca, we would often have to go up to Fblt for calls and coverage, and Morristown was always poor coverage, even on a Motorola portable. Once the Waterville tower goes in, everything will be better.

I have driven from Faribault to Mankato. Never paid much attention to the surrounding area. From Google Earth I see a river, is there a sort of valley there?

On a side note, I am trying to pick up over-the-air digital TV at a small cabin in my pasture. I have found out it is 40-50 feet lower in elevation than my house less than a mile away. I can easily get channel 12.4 & 12.5 from Mankato (transmitter site, Lewisville, 20 miles). But nothing from the Frost tower, which is ESE of me (15 miles away). I believe it is the foliage on the trees actually blocking the signal. I will know for sure in a couple of weeks when the trees leaves are gone.