Action Radio Maple Grove

[JASII]

Has anybody stopped by Action Radio lately? I was just thinking that it might be nice to listen to a Uniden BCD436/536HP before deciding to buy one, so I called them today and they said that they have them in stock and available to listen to. I just wanted to post that because their webpage doesn't mention those models.

http://www.actionradio.com/webstore/

 

[kc0rzw]

Never been there, don't think I knew they existed. The 436 is much better than the 396 on simulcast. Not perfect, but better. I really like the gps combined with the full database though. Drove out to pennsylvania in june, and didn't have to do anything but turn it on and adjust the volume. It would have taken me about a month to set up my 396 for that trip. The thing I don't like about the 436 is the size, it is a really big radio.

 

[WD0AKZ]

So, does anyone make a trunking scanner that -is- ready for prime time use?

I moved to Oakdale about a year ago and started the hunt for successful P25 decoding using a USB SDR dongle, Unitrunker, and DSD+ on Washington county 853.73750mHz and Talk Groups as found here. I tried all the suggested of tweakings and could never get reliable audio. Then I moved on to a Uniden BCD396XT with pretty much the same results. I did find one sweet spot on a East facing window sill with the 396 standing vertical and a 90 degree adapter allowing the RD antenna to positioned horizontally I would get about 90% decoding and it was actually listenable. In the spring the leaves came out on the trees and the decoding went back down the dumper so the BCD396Xt went back in the box. Then I found a older RadioShack PRO-96, programmed it up for 853.73750 and again very little solid audio. During the past year I have read just about all I could find on this subject, and tried a variety of antennas, the most recent is a 850mHz "Cantena" wave guide which I've only had time to try on the PRO-96. I have taken BCD396XT and the PRO-96 out in the mobile and found spots where I got 100% solid audio and other spots where I got 100% garbled audio, so I know that (at least in the 100% good spots) both radios do work.

As a point of reference, I'm located about a mile N.W. of the 694/494/94 intersection on the East side of the metro area. I am due West across 694 of one of the Oakdale water towers, about 3 miles South of the Washington/Dakota East #276 sight, and I am on the 3rd floor of a aluminum sided co-op. Also, I do not have any better luck getting good audio on the Ramsey/Hennepin/Dakota/Statewide (or any others that I have tried) ARMER systems. Simulcast/Multipath?, probably, but I've run out of things to try. At this point I'm selling the BCD396XT, keeping the PRO-96 as a general coverage scanner, and going back to the SDR radio to wait for a version of DSD (or such) that is closer to the software the big boys are using, and probably pick up a store bought when they get more reliable for me.

Still having fun tho!

George
WD0AKZ

 

[JT-112]

The crux of the matter is that scanners (so far) only decode C4FM P25.

In most urban areas with P25, CQPSK P25 is transmitted. Decoding CQPSK with a C4FM scanner gives you some results, but the results are generally poor, as you've found.

Yes, some people get lucky with location and they'll get decent performance, but it's basically that - luck.

So, no, no one makes a scanner that will perform well on a CQPSK/LSM P25 system, luck notwithstanding.

Why that's the case, well, you'd have to ask the manufacturers. It's not a huge change to make, but perhaps they've done huge lifetime buys of chipsets that only support C4FM and their hands are now financially tied, but that's just a guess.

 

[kc0rzw]

So, does anyone make a trunking scanner that -is- ready for prime time use?

I moved to Oakdale about a year ago and started the hunt for successful P25 decoding using a USB SDR dongle, Unitrunker, and DSD+ on Washington county 853.73750mHz and Talk Groups as found here. I tried all the suggested of tweakings and could never get reliable audio. Then I moved on to a Uniden BCD396XT with pretty much the same results. I did find one sweet spot on a East facing window sill with the 396 standing vertical and a 90 degree adapter allowing the RD antenna to positioned horizontally I would get about 90% decoding and it was actually listenable. In the spring the leaves came out on the trees and the decoding went back down the dumper so the BCD396Xt went back in the box. Then I found a older RadioShack PRO-96, programmed it up for 853.73750 and again very little solid audio. During the past year I have read just about all I could find on this subject, and tried a variety of antennas, the most recent is a 850mHz "Cantena" wave guide which I've only had time to try on the PRO-96. I have taken BCD396XT and the PRO-96 out in the mobile and found spots where I got 100% solid audio and other spots where I got 100% garbled audio, so I know that (at least in the 100% good spots) both radios do work.

As a point of reference, I'm located about a mile N.W. of the 694/494/94 intersection on the East side of the metro area. I am due West across 694 of one of the Oakdale water towers, about 3 miles South of the Washington/Dakota East #276 sight, and I am on the 3rd floor of a aluminum sided co-op. Also, I do not have any better luck getting good audio on the Ramsey/Hennepin/Dakota/Statewide (or any others that I have tried) ARMER systems. Simulcast/Multipath?, probably, but I've run out of things to try. At this point I'm selling the BCD396XT, keeping the PRO-96 as a general coverage scanner, and going back to the SDR radio to wait for a version of DSD (or such) that is closer to the software the big boys are using, and probably pick up a store bought when they get more reliable for me.

Still having fun tho!

George
WD0AKZ

My 396xt was basically useless in the cities, usually the only thing to decode was "copy" or "10-4" at the end of the sentence. The 436 I am able to decode the majority of the calls, but it does get garbled at times. Fortunately, up in northern MN I don't have to deal with that on a regular basis.

 

[WD0AKZ]

sixtytwo: "In most urban areas with P25, CQPSK P25 is transmitted. Decoding CQPSK with a C4FM scanner gives you some results, but the results are generally poor, as you've found."

So that would explain why I received all the local P25 systems poorly.

kc0rzw: "My 396xt was basically useless in the cities, usually the only thing to decode was "copy" or "10-4" at the end of the sentence."

Yup, I'm just getting pieces of clear audio whatever I try.

Time to move on.

Thanks for the comments.

George
WD0AKZ

 

[SCPD]

Getting back to JASII's original question, their website is not always up to date. Since you called and they have them, then go in and put them through a test run. If you are happy, then buy somewhere else or see if they would match a lower priced outfit as I think they are overpriced on scanners. Remember you would have to pay Hennepin County sales tax as well if bought there as well. I like to support local businesses, but gotta get the best price as these scanners ain't cheap!.

Good luck and let us know how they work. I do know that they are in a good reception area for the Hennepin simulcast system. Tried a 396XT a while back there and good solid decode rates.