Pittsylvania

jeepsandradios · Mar 29, 2018

I realize Pittsylvania County is P25P2 but I still show a VHF dispatch channel for fire in the county. I assume they still use this for paging but have yet to hear anything on it in my week of being in the county. Do they still page on any VHF ? The towers appear to have a VHF antenna.Yesterday while on 29 there was accident with Fire and EMS on site but never heard anything on my radio. New to area so trying to verify whats really still alive down here.

Ten42 · Mar 31, 2018

Pittsylvania VHF

Welcome to the area, 155.775 is used for VHF paging

jeepsandradios · Mar 31, 2018

Thanks. I have that in my scanner but with PL. I'll drop the PL and see what happens.

Ten42 · Apr 5, 2018

They PL changed when the Harris system went operational, it is now 136.5

jeepsandradios · Apr 6, 2018

Thanks.

jeepsandradios · Jun 3, 2018

So does anyone listen to this ? I put this in my scanner and my mobile radio. I noticed driving around it sounds really distorted and almost sounds like simulcast distortion. Of course on my handheld scanner it is ok at home.

kb4cvn · Jun 4, 2018

kb2ztx said:
So does anyone listen to this ? I put this in my scanner and my mobile radio. I noticed driving around it sounds really distorted and almost sounds like simulcast distortion. Of course on my handheld scanner it is ok at home.

Which one are you hearing distorted?

The VHF conventional paging frequency (155.77500 w/136.5 Hz)?

Or the Phase-2 system on 700 MHz?

The Phase-2 system is actually two separate simulcast systems: North Area and South Area.

I can only assume that when you are at home, you are only 'hearing' one site, and therefore not effected by the TDI from the simulcast. Whereas when you are mobile, you are effected by the TDI.

BigLebowski · Jun 8, 2018

kb2ztx said:
So does anyone listen to this ? I put this in my scanner and my mobile radio. I noticed driving around it sounds really distorted and almost sounds like simulcast distortion. Of course on my handheld scanner it is ok at home.

The P2 system sounds awful on the scanner (and the subscriber portables sadly) when in the county.

I scan the VHF fire dispatch on my XTL5000 when I am in Pitt co and I have not noticed any distortion on it.

kb4cvn · Jun 8, 2018

BigLebowski said:
The P2 system sounds awful on the scanner (and the subscriber portables sadly) when in the county.

I routinely listen to both Pittsylvania and Franklin Counties (P-25/Phase-2) when traveling in those counties on my Harris P7200 portable and M7200 mobile. Audio is crisp and reproduced correctly. (Using XGP R02a26 firmware in both, and RPM revision R10b07 to program)

Plus, I can hear both systems from my home in northern Amherst County. Much lower signal strength (~ -115 dBm), but still decodes without issue.

My humble 2¢ worth....

BigLebowski · Jun 8, 2018

kb4cvn said:
I routinely listen to both Pittsylvania and Franklin Counties (P-25/Phase-2) when traveling in those counties on my Harris P7200 portable and M7200 mobile. Audio is crisp and reproduced correctly. (Using XGP R02a26 firmware in both, and RPM revision R10b07 to program)

Plus, I can hear both systems from my home in northern Amherst County. Much lower signal strength (~ -115 dBm), but still decodes without issue.

My humble 2¢ worth....

I'm glad yours does... the Harris portables (XG75 I think?) at one of the FD's sound horrible. The XG100M mobiles are apparently good and the APX7000's sound good as well.

jeepsandradios · Jun 8, 2018

Sorry all. Busy week. I was listening to the VHF paging on my XTL5000 and APX8500. Both radio had tons of distortion on them. My house is near the Hallifax County line and about 2 miles from a tower. When there it sounds fine on all my portables and mobile. When we drove down to Danville and up to Lynchburg on 29 is where it sounded the worse.

Guess I'll just deal with it.

The P25 trunking sounded fine on my APX8000, APX8500 and my 436HP.

W4UVV · Jun 9, 2018

Just curious kb2ztx.....

kb2ztx said:
Sorry all. Busy week. I was listening to the VHF paging on my XTL5000 and APX8500. Both radio had tons of distortion on them. My house is near the Hallifax County line and about 2 miles from a tower. When there it sounds fine on all my portables and mobile. When we drove down to Danville and up to Lynchburg on 29 is where it sounded the worse.

Guess I'll just deal with it.

The P25 trunking sounded fine on my APX8000, APX8500 and my 436HP.

------------------
kb2ztx:

Just curious, you posted...."My house is near the Hallifax County line and about 2 miles from a tower." However, your profile location lists "Central New York" as your location. Are you visiting VA or now relocated as a permanent VA resident....just curious....Tnx.

John
W4UVV

kb4cvn · Jun 9, 2018

BigLebowski said:
I'm glad yours does... the Harris portables (XG75 I think?) at one of the FD's sound horrible. The XG100M mobiles are apparently good and the APX7000's sound good as well.

All of the newer radios starting with the J725m/J700p and later are DSP driven radios, and hence have both firmware and DSP files in them. This is especially of any radios with either DES and/or AES encryption. If you have an incorrect "mix" of firmware vs. DSP code in the radio, the audio quality will be less than desired...

The usual resolution is the Radio Techs programming the radios actually taking the time to read the Software Release Notes (SRN's) on the firmware! Especially the part about compatibility between firmware, DSP code and revision of programming software.

On the average, >95% of the reported audio quality issues are SELF INFLICTED do to this.

kb4cvn · Jun 9, 2018

kb2ztx said:
I was listening to the VHF paging on my XTL5000 and APX8500. Both radio had tons of distortion on them. My house is near the Hallifax County line and about 2 miles from a tower. When there it sounds fine on all my portables and mobile. When we drove down to Danville and up to Lynchburg on 29 is where it sounded the worse.

Before I moved back to Amherst County in 2015, we lived on Highway 40 (6023 Stagecoach Road) in Halifax County, a few miles East of Cody, and roughly about 7-10 miles east of the Radio System tower at the county's dumpster site (between Cody and Gretna). I never had an issue with reception of the VHF paging channel. It could have been that I was only hearing the Highway 40 site?

I am headed into Lynchburg in a few minutes. I will monitor the Pitt County system on 700 and their VHF paging freq, and see how it sounds...

jeepsandradios · Jun 9, 2018

kb4cvn said:
Before I moved back to Amherst County in 2015, we lived on Highway 40 (6023 Stagecoach Road) in Halifax County, a few miles East of Cody, and roughly about 7-10 miles east of the Radio System tower at the county's dumpster site (between Cody and Gretna). I never had an issue with reception of the VHF paging channel. It could have been that I was only hearing the Highway 40 site?

I am headed into Lynchburg in a few minutes. I will monitor the Pitt County system on 700 and their VHF paging freq, and see how it sounds...

OK. Our new house is right on 40. Map shows me 2.6 miles to the tower site. I'm in a transition for work. We purchased the house in January but just been down weekends and some PTO when i could fit it in. Will be moving full time July 5th from NY.

As I said the P25 is fine. Once i get moved I'll try it in my work vehicle and my wifes jeep and see what it sounds like. I was just surprised as it was fine at my house. Heading into Gretna there was a call and I was at the intersection by McDonalds and could barely hear the name they were saying.

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