Official "Charlotte-Meck" Radio Thread

[Soundman]

Mine is working fine,

[kd8x]

Anybody have any idea who is now using this talkgroup since Eastland mall has shut down.. I can't quite figure it out by the comms but they do run license checks etc once in a while like a normal PD would but I don't think it is CMPD...Any ideas????

[kg4pbd]

The old system is pretty quiet tonight except for highway patrol and CFD alarm. I'm hearing South division on the P25 system but not on the old system.

[trumpetman]

SmartX was supposed to be dropped sometime soon, they've been pushing it back over the past few weeks, looks like it finally happened.

Odd that they added so many voice channels to the analog system only to kil the SmartX (and loose the need for added capacity) within a few weeks of each other.

[kg4pbd]

Is anyone having good luck with a particular radio on the new system? The only P25 radio I have is a 396, and the multipath distortion makes it very difficult to monitor. I'm in the middle of two sites and even my yagi doesn't help. I've heard the GRE's do better with these systems.

[trumpetman]

Scott,

I'm having reasonable luck with a PRO106, it seems to handle the multipath issues decently enough; I have not tested it next to a Uniden with newer firmware however.

I've got a few different antennas floating around here, if you wanna meet up one day and grab a bite, we can test out how they do side by side and experiment with different antenna setups if you're interested.

Also, check your PMs please, I sent you one a few days ago.

[hamstang]

In the past 3 months, I have had both a 396 and 500 at my south Charlotte location. Both had the latest firmware updates applied. My elevation is only about 550 ft so I am in a low area. I honestly could not discern any difference in P25 reception between GRE and Uniden. Both had the usual distorted audio issues. I sold the GRE on eBay and use the 396 with a carefully aimed yagi I got from China on eBay for $17. I found I could hook the yagi to the radio and rotate the yagi using the signal meter for reference until I got a STABLE signal whose level didn't go up and down. After aiming the yagi, I get what I would say is 95% perfect decode.

[KG4UDK]

Originally Posted by kd8x

Anybody have any idea who is now using this talkgroup since Eastland mall has shut down.. I can't quite figure it out by the comms but they do run license checks etc once in a while like a normal PD would but I don't think it is CMPD...Any ideas????

Talkgroup 34384 is the CATS Eastland Mall Transit Center.

[kd8x]

Originally Posted by KG4UDK

Talkgroup 34384 is the CATS Eastland Mall Transit Center.

Thanks for the the update. I will probably just delete that one then since it isn't law enforecement.

[trumpetman]

I'd like to make a request to anyone in the area that can monitor the Gaston County 800 system.

Based on the new frequencies in use, it looks as though their analog sites are offline, can anyone confirm that?

If that is the case, can someone spend a day or two listening to the P25 system to identify some talkgroups?

Gastonia FD & PD should be active, along with Mount Holly PD. I'm expecting a few other small town police departments to be active, and possibly some links to county police and fire.

Post anything you find on here or submit it to the database.

Thanks!

[kd8x]

Originally Posted by trumpetman

I'd like to make a request to anyone in the area that can monitor the Gaston County 800 system.

Based on the new frequencies in use, it looks as though their analog sites are offline, can anyone confirm that?

If that is the case, can someone spend a day or two listening to the P25 system to identify some talkgroups?

Gastonia FD & PD should be active, along with Mount Holly PD. I'm expecting a few other small town police departments to be active, and possibly some links to county police and fire.

Post anything you find on here or submit it to the database.

Thanks!

I haven't copied anything from Gaston county on old system for a good long time but on the P25 system in search mode all I have copied unidentified is tg 18572 and 18561 so far.

Just comfirmed tg 18515 is Gastonia PD 2 or the old 460.150 channel by using 2 scanners....

[trumpetman]

Originally Posted by kd8x

I haven't copied anything from Gaston county on old system for a good long time but on the P25 system in search mode all I have copied unidentified is tg 18572 and 18561 so far.

Just comfirmed tg 18515 is Gastonia PD 2 or the old 460.150 channel by using 2 scanners....

Are you still even hearing the control channel on that system? If there's no CC in the spectrum for 0F18-004 & 005 then I'll move them from the DB to the wiki for record.

Thanks for the report on GPD-2. See if you can keep an ear out tomorrow and see if you can get GFD, they should be 800 (they were on analog 800 a while back).

Thanks again!

[kd8x]

Originally Posted by trumpetman

Are you still even hearing the control channel on that system? If there's no CC in the spectrum for 0F18-004 & 005 then I'll move them from the DB to the wiki for record.

Thanks for the report on GPD-2. See if you can keep an ear out tomorrow and see if you can get GFD, they should be 800 (they were on analog 800 a while back).

Thanks again!

I can just barely tell that the old CC is still up and running but it is weaker than pond water....As far as P25, I have not heard any EMS or FD activity at all while co-copying on the VHF frequencies.. No Sheriff activity either...I'll keep Gaston up and active and let you know...

[kd8x]

Originally Posted by trumpetman

Are you still even hearing the control channel on that system? If there's no CC in the spectrum for 0F18-004 & 005 then I'll move them from the DB to the wiki for record.

Thanks for the report on GPD-2. See if you can keep an ear out tomorrow and see if you can get GFD, they should be 800 (they were on analog 800 a while back).

Thanks again!

I can't hear old Gaston 800 CC.. Granted I'm in Concord but with my yagi pointed to Gastonia no longer hearing CC on any of the listed frequencies. I used to be able to pick it up very good with my antenna system. Maybe someone from Gaston county could confirm but I think the system is no longer on the air. Also I am seeing TG 18517 on P25 system but haven't id'ed them as of yet but just guessing it is
Gastonia Vice etc.....

[trumpetman]

Yeah I was out there today, looks like the only analog zone left is in Mecklenburg County.

I heard a medical call go out for GFD on the way back, so I got that in the database when I got home.

Let us know when you can positively ID that TG and we'll get it in the db.

Looks like the only primary users at this point are Gastonia FD & PD and Mount Holly PD.

[Djm803]

For the past few weeks, I haven't heard anything on any of the ems (medic) to hospital talk groups. Are they still using the talk groups that are on the char meck trunked system or have they switched to another system??

[DavidQT69]

I have a question. I'm using a Uniden BCT-15X scanner, programmed via FreeScan. I've been scanning for 15+ years now so I know what I'm doing however I can't seem to figure this out for the life of me... I have programmed the CMPD, MEDIC, CFD, etc, basically the entire Charlotte-Meck area agencies in my scanner. I can hear most of them without issue on the Analog system except some CMPD channels. Right now my scanner only received North & Central Dispatch channels and not hearing anymore CMPD channels, and I know they have switched to a P25 Digital system, however I still hear traffic on the Conference channels like Steele Creek & University Conference. Am I doing something wrong here or are their radios dual-band where their Dispatch is Digital but their Conf & Tac is Analog? I know some of them are patched together according to the database page for the Analog system and I have all talkgroups programmed and unlocked accordingly. I would appreciate help in this, thanks!

-- David

[trumpetman]

Originally Posted by DavidQT69

I have a question. I'm using a Uniden BCT-15X scanner, programmed via FreeScan. I've been scanning for 15+ years now so I know what I'm doing however I can't seem to figure this out for the life of me... I have programmed the CMPD, MEDIC, CFD, etc, basically the entire Charlotte-Meck area agencies in my scanner. I can hear most of them without issue on the Analog system except some CMPD channels. Right now my scanner only received North & Central Dispatch channels and not hearing anymore CMPD channels, and I know they have switched to a P25 Digital system, however I still hear traffic on the Conference channels like Steele Creek & University Conference. Am I doing something wrong here or are their radios dual-band where their Dispatch is Digital but their Conf & Tac is Analog? I know some of them are patched together according to the database page for the Analog system and I have all talkgroups programmed and unlocked accordingly. I would appreciate help in this, thanks!

-- David

You won't hear much public safety on analog anymore. Smaller towns, university police departments, and the Sheriff's Office are the only ones that remain mostly digital. CFD & CMPD all have digital radios and are no longer using the analog system. Same for MEDIC. The radio shop has links setup through SmartX allowing digital traffic to be carried across analog. CMPD has turned off all of there analog dispatch links except for CENT & UNIV. Not sure why conference channels are active still, should only be happening when an analog radio is affiliated.

Start pinching pennies and saving money for a digital scanner, it won't be long before public safety in the Metro area is mostly digital.

In other news, Cabarrus County has begun to start the long and stressful road to migrating to Charlotte's digital system. Site 103 is showing a failed connection to 853.7875 on Pro96Com this morning. Based on previous experiences, it should be another month or so before a control channel is broadcasted and testing begins, then the reprogramming to accommodate the SmartX following that.

[gr8rcall]

hey guys, gonna be in Charlotte early 2013, for a couple of days. Bringing my scanner with me. Will all of the good stuff (Charlotte Fire/EMS and PD, plus CMC Medcenter Helos) have moved to the P25 system by then? or has it already?

That's all!!!

Thanks,
Gr8rcall

[trumpetman]

Most, if not all public safety should be over there by the time you get here. As of right now CFD, CMPD, MEDIC are 9600. Small towns & sheriff are 3600.