Pro 197 and Simulcast starting over

[bep]

This is the system I am interested. SITE 2

Overlay Regional InterOperability Network (ORION) Trunking System, Various, Virginia - Scanner Frequencies

Due to recent resignation from a job, I have plenty of time on my hands to solve my terrible reception with this system site. Currently reside at the furthest north east section of the city. Planning on setting up a temporary Yagi on a pvc pipe on a third floor balcony. There are plenty of trees to deal with. I am thinking if I solve this issue where the antenna is easily accessible, it will be easier once I get it on the roof, that will be slightly higher. Currently using a ST2 and I am only receiving 40% (guess) of at the transmissions.

Looking for direction to set the scanners expert setting to to start. Do I aim the antenna at the site, and then fiddle with the scanner settings, or the other way around. Seems I am chasing my tail on this.

Any methotical steps and advise will be appriciated. Missed a 2 alarm fire right down the street because of my poor reception

 

[GeneseeCoMI]

This is the system I am interested. SITE 2

Overlay Regional InterOperability Network (ORION) Trunking System, Various, Virginia - Scanner Frequencies

Due to recent resignation from a job, I have plenty of time on my hands to solve my terrible reception with this system site. Currently reside at the furthest north east section of the city. Planning on setting up a temporary Yagi on a pvc pipe on a third floor balcony. There are plenty of trees to deal with. I am thinking if I solve this issue where the antenna is easily accessible, it will be easier once I get it on the roof, that will be slightly higher. Currently using a ST2 and I am only receiving 40% (guess) of at the transmissions.

Looking for direction to set the scanners expert setting to to start. Do I aim the antenna at the site, and then fiddle with the scanner settings, or the other way around. Seems I am chasing my tail on this.

Any methotical steps and advise will be appriciated. Missed a 2 alarm fire right down the street because of my poor reception

There's three separate towers for that system. Try to pick up the other two first. It's not a simulcast, if it was it'd say so.

 

[Jim41]

My suggestion would be to press the FUNC then TUN buttons to call up the alternating display that will show the % of successfully decoded control channel frames. (You have to press these buttons when there are no voice transmissions occurring.) The radio will stay tuned to the control channel.

Then vary the direction of your Yagi antenna to maximize the decode %. Work slowly. Be patient.
Once you get the maximum %, try other radio settings to see if you can raise the % figure further.

Let us know how well this works.

Jim41

 

[bep]

Jim 41 thanks for the Function + Tune, helped a lot.
Set up Yagi temporary to see if there was a difference prior to going to the roof. My SO will not allow it to stay where it is. I am now getting 99-92% where I was getting 80-64% on the ST2. My Pro197 is still on the ST2 and the 106 is on the yagi.
Decode is still an issue, but I am catching more transmissions now.
The "T" is almost constant where on the ST2 it flickers on and off a lot
Signal strength is solid 5 bars where ST2 is 4th and 5th bar flicker
Transmissions fade off sometimes on the ST2
Any suggestions on where to go to help with the garbled transmissions?

Thanks

 

[Spitfire8520]

There's three separate towers for that system. Try to pick up the other two first. It's not a simulcast, if it was it'd say so.

Not all database admins put "simulcast" into the site name and I do not believe it is required of them to do so. In this case it looks like a 6 site simulcast.

Any suggestions on where to go to help with the garbled transmissions?

You might want to play with the attenuation setting for the system, especially since you are playing with a yagi that has a gain in the direction it is pointed. The hope is that you'll end up cancelling out the weaker sites so that you'll end up only receiving only the site you are pointed to. Maybe try to readjust the direction while attenuation is on to see if you can fix it that way.

I previously mentioned a few locations you may want to point towards over at http://forums.radioreference.com/ge...295821-assistance-va-beach-va-multi-site.html. If you are still getting distortion, perhaps you want to try shifting it so that it points slightly towards nothing in particular to see if you can isolate the site as much as possible.

It's good to hear that some of the issues are stating to clear up!

 

[bep]

I had forgotten that I amplified the signal from the attic to my office since it is a long run, and needed it when I had an old mag mount on the roof. I disconnected the amp. I have a lower % (83%-92%), and signal strength is now three bars. It seems to be better (at the moment). Fingers crossed.

Spitfire, I still cannot find that page with the sites on it. From the link I can, but where is it from the system homepage. Know it sounds silly.

 

[Spitfire8520]

Oops. Deleted.

 

[Spitfire8520]

When you go to ORION and click on the name of the site (in this case Virgina Beach), it's supposed to be listed under Site FCC Licenses. In this case, it is not for some unknown reason. Since it is not listed there, I used the RadioReference Database FCC Data search using the control channel frequencies marked in the database.

So on my screen, it would look like:

Search FCC Licenses By State
Choose State
Virgina
Frequency
860.4625

Alternatively, you go to where the state you are interested and there's a small tab that says "Search." In that case, it looks like the following:

Search Virginia FCC Licenses
Enter Frequency
860.4625

The information publicly available from the FCC is a very powerful tool for those that know how to find it.

 

[GeneseeCoMI]

Not all database admins put "simulcast" into the site name and I do not believe it is required of them to do so. In this case it looks like a 6 site simulcast.

But there's three sets of frequencies and two of the sets are 700 MHz freqs and the other isn't. If it's simulcast it needs to say so. It's too confusing not to as demonstrated by the OP.

 

[kc4jgc]

If I'm not mistaken, there's a SEVENTH simulcast site now, atop the Westin, same location as the new STARS site. Unfortunately, the RRDB is confusing to the uninitiated. The 800 MHz sites are within the city for city comms only. The 700 MHz sites (there are at least 5) are the ORION sites in the region.

BEP, were you to isolate one site successfully?

 

[bep]

It appears so. I am aiming, slightly off direct pointing, to the Holly Rd site. Tried hitting the Shore Drive site but could not pick it up since I am way lower than that area. I figured the Holly Rd site is remote from the others. Still seems to be working well. Decode is ranging from 84% to 98%.
It is holding on to transmissions better and catching more talk.
Will be watching it a few more days to see. Overcast and rain usually did the signal in. Waiting for rain, since we need it.
Thanks again for everyones assistance

 

[bep]

Now the fun begins. For a day and one-half all has been pretty good, and now.....
Signal cutting in and out, garbled transmissions. Decode % dips to mid to low 70's then bounces up to the 90's.
Nothing has changed physically with the antenna or equipment.

Hmmmmmmmmm

 

[kb8rvp]

Have you tried turning on the attenuation the Att button? If it's a simulcast this helps in some locations by reducing the signal from other towers in your area and only picking up the one that is near you. I have a simulcast system in my area and could not pick it up very well and I switched to the Uniden 536HP and for simulcast systems it made a night and day difference over the Pro-197.

Good Luck

 

[bep]

When Att is set to on, I lose the "T" and also have zero signal strength bars, so no reception. Fringe area here.
I will, later this AM, plug in the line amp and then try Att, what do I have to loose.

Thought of getting a newer scanner, but the cost and the unknown of actually achieving better reception keeps me at bay.

 

[bep]

Working on a month now, with the yagi antenna finding its sweet spot. As of late, the signal is wavering from 99% to sometimes into the 60's. Voice understanding is good to moderate, at times crystal clear and other times marbles. I di attach a amp to the antenna line in the attic, since it is a long run to the scanner.

Should I tweak the radio settings, or look at the antenna and aim for a slightly lower %?

I am getting closer to being happy scanning again.