Clark County MARCS portables

heard a unit this morning announce his portable wasn't getting out. I continue to hear this happen on a irregular basis, not as prevalent as the old high band, but with this new system more than it should.
Last week they were so garbled one morning they had P&R in to do radio checks. Are more powerful transmit towers needed?
Why does OSP sound so good yet CCSO with new freqs, get distorted??
I can sit here and get a decent signal and minutes later with no change made have the signal go digital, granted its on a 400 dollar scanner that does its best to decode and not a Five Thousand dollar portable.
Oh do I miss the days of pre narrowbanding one frequency radio channels!!
Is anyone else experiencing this issue?

"Are more powerful transmit towers needed?"

With this type of system, they may need more site(s). If the sites are, say, 50 watts, that's over 10 times as powerful as the portable. Generally, even an equally powered site will out talk a portable or mobile's talk in. In other words, a 5 watt repeater at a good site, will likely talk out further than a 5 watt portable will talk in.

It's either a portable issue, or a location issue in relation to the site they are using.

I'm sure a MARCS expert will chime in. I'm just a conventional, analog man.

I guess Springfield Township Fire has some of their MARCs radios in...

sspnelson said:

heard a unit this morning announce his portable wasn't getting out. I continue to hear this happen on a irregular basis, not as prevalent as the old high band, but with this new system more than it should.
Last week they were so garbled one morning they had P&R in to do radio checks. Are more powerful transmit towers needed?
Why does OSP sound so good yet CCSO with new freqs, get distorted??
I can sit here and get a decent signal and minutes later with no change made have the signal go digital, granted its on a 400 dollar scanner that does its best to decode and not a Five Thousand dollar portable.
Oh do I miss the days of pre narrowbanding one frequency radio channels!!
Is anyone else experiencing this issue?

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The primary problem area is Western Clark County and it is mainly with the portable units, especially when trying to use them inside a building. I think the problem is basically one regarding terrain. New Carlisle is approximately 200 feet lower in elevation compared to the Springfield area. Eastern Clark County is approximately 200 feet higher in elevation than Springfield, consequently no problem in that area. What is needed is a new site near the western Clark County area. One is scheduled to go online soon at Wright State University and I hope that is close enough to alleviate the problem.

ccso dispatcher

Ive missed hearing Jeff lately with CCSO and fire, is he on vaca or has he moved on. If you know drop a line, if you dont know him no need to reply!!

sspnelson said:

Ive missed hearing Jeff lately with CCSO and fire, is he on vaca or has he moved on. If you know drop a line, if you dont know him no need to reply!!

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It is my understanding that Jeff got into some kind of difficulty. Don't know the circumstances and even if I did, it would be inappropriate to discuss them here. I heard he is supposed to be back soon.

Portable coverage? Not so much. . .

Something to keep in mind for MARCS (old and new). . .

While portable in-street coverage is pretty good, and portable in-building coverage outside Columbus is fair to reasonable, both systems are designed primarily for mobile coverage. As such, there will definitely be places where portables just won't make it. To improve in-street portable coverage to better than 95% across the state would cost a great deal of additional money.

As such, OSP, ODNR and some other agencies use in-band Vehicle Repeater Systems to enhance their portable coverage. This way they get improved portable coverage for considerably less money than additional sites. Other agencies joining the system would certainly be looking at similar cost-effective solutions.

ccso dispatch

heard him back on third shift last night. I do know in the springs he would rotate off to thirds for awhile.
I can picture some things he had done in the past that could get one in trouble.
as for my reception of CCSO I cannot understand how 95 % of comm is loud and clear and yet for no reason it becomes garbled or goes digital?? Same signal strength same antenna location, which I found the 800 stubby from Radio Shack to be the best until I can climb the tower. any ideas?
Thanks for update!!

sspnelson said:

heard him back on third shift last night. I do know in the springs he would rotate off to thirds for awhile.
I can picture some things he had done in the past that could get one in trouble.
as for my reception of CCSO I cannot understand how 95 % of comm is loud and clear and yet for no reason it becomes garbled or goes digital?? Same signal strength same antenna location, which I found the 800 stubby from Radio Shack to be the best until I can climb the tower. any ideas?
Thanks for update!!

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I heard him back on third last night also. As for the quirks with digital communications, it is just a nature of the beast. I notice that when I experience the difficulties that you describe, that dispatch has the same problem. I would suggest that you invest in a 800Mhz Yagi and point it towards the middle of Springfield. Be sure to invest in the proper coax also. RG58 will work fine for VHF but it has way too much loss for 800Mxz. DPD Productions has an excellent combo antenna that includes an 800 Mhz Yagi with an extra element for VHF Hi band. I use Bury-Flex coax from Davis RF that works very nicely. It costs almost a dollar per foot but is worth every penny of it.

clark county bresking up

I heard an awful lot of breakup this weekend. But the thing I enjoyed the best was Friday a BOGO for an attemp murder suspect being broadcast, by the way, car found in Sharonville, as it was being dispatched her transmission quit midstream. As Twelve one was listening and asked her to repeat. Sure there are some issues and when they happen as the owners are listening then there has to be hope that this will be fixed.Im just surprised why OSP comes in so clear but Calrk on the newer system is erratic.
I can sit here with portable and base and listen to both and hear something on one the other doesnt get. But you are right is is the nature of the beast. Im just glad they went with something that is monitorable, cause if all we had to listen to was Clark fire it would be BORING!! Sure glad Moorefield got repeater working I had major reception issues East County. Any body else heard more about STFD going to Marcs, I'd question why as most of the responders have their own portables. Ive also had a lot of static on Rescue 95 Hustead new channel, anyone else, so bad I cant broadcast cause it locks up? Loacl reception??
Thanks for update on an antenna, Financial concerns at this time, Negative cash flow prohibit any purchases so I may have to stay with what Ive got.

springfield twp fire???

54660 talkgroup right now, checking a handsfree mic with Training one
april 25
16:18

sspnelson said:

54660 talkgroup right now, checking a handsfree mic with Training one
april 25
16:18

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I heard that traffic also. Earlier today I heard Springfield Township briefly on talkgroup 54554. Sounds like things are beginning to move along.

I think i heard springfield township fire or another township in clark county using talkgroup 1581 on the citys analog system it was 2 guys just talking like they were on a ham radio

ELEVEN HUNDRED radio traffic

on CCSO control TG 54552 or 54522
Friday at 1130

the radio traffic yesterday was like they were talking on a cell phone claim to go live May 22
really dont understand why fire is going to Marcs, any idea

sspnelson said:

on CCSO control TG 54552 or 54522
Friday at 1130

the radio traffic yesterday was like they were talking on a cell phone claim to go live May 22
really dont understand why fire is going to Marcs, any idea

Click to expand...

Interoperability, for the most part. Carrying two radios to talk to multiple agencies is annoying at best.

11-9 to 11 hundred

So Champaign County must be making the move over, dont track anybody other than CCSO on marcs but hearing this unit on TG54522 twice today
I heard them announce yesterday only higher officers would be getting portables for MARCS. That sure leaves a lot of FF's with the portables on Hi Band. Will they abandon VHF for MARCS

Has anyone heard anything lately about Springfield Township?

Spfd twp fire

I am scanning for any other TG's and nothing coming up. I did hear them on fire the other day mention something about Marcs, but nothing else. anybody with much better reception getting anything.