Burlington Iowa FD

[WillB]

Anyone have any info on their system? Is it a very powerful system? Reason I ask is I am 25 miles away from and can never pick them up. I have Uniden BCT15X with a small external antenna set up about 25 ft in the air. I'm picking up counties over 40 to 50 miles away but can't seem to pick them up. Any tips or things to look for? I've checked the freq in the database on here to check and make sure that it is correct and it is.

 

[IowaGuy1603]

Anyone have any info on their system? Is it a very powerful system? Reason I ask is I am 25 miles away from and can never pick them up. I have Uniden BCT15X with a small external antenna set up about 25 ft in the air. I'm picking up counties over 40 to 50 miles away but can't seem to pick them up. Any tips or things to look for? I've checked the freq in the database on here to check and make sure that it is correct and it is.

There is probably a hill in the way between you and Burlington.

Remember FM is line of sight.-----Its been way too long since I have driven Hwy 34 between Mt Pleasant and Burlington---------but my guess would be something in the way.

 

[WillB]

I guess that makes sense. The main station is about 3 blocks from the river and you do have to drop down in elevation to get into down town Burlington. It just seems odd to me though that I can't pick them up but can pick up Johnson County, Keokuk County and even a couple counties on the Illinois side of the river.

 

[timkilbride]

Looking at their FCC license, their repeater is licensed for 60 watts and their bases for 30 watts. I don't always trust the power that listed in the license either. What are you using for coax?

Tim K.

 

[IowaGuy1603]

I guess that makes sense. The main station is about 3 blocks from the river and you do have to drop down in elevation to get into down town Burlington. It just seems odd to me though that I can't pick them up but can pick up Johnson County, Keokuk County and even a couple counties on the Illinois side of the river.

Those stations are easily within the line of site rule................

 

[zerg901]

If you check the Colorado Forums, they are working with software that can plot out coverage area maps for repeaters and base stations. I dont know if it is accurate enough enough to plot out 25 miles to Burlington or not.

One other hint - I know that moving my handheld scanner by 1 inch will sometimes change a 1 bar signal to a 5 bar (full strength) signal. I dont know how your antenna is mounted. (I am picturing a big 25 foot high Trojan horse with wooden wheels, and antennas sticking out of the ears - but I might be off on that)

Peter Sz

 

[WillB]

Looking at their FCC license, their repeater is licensed for 60 watts and their bases for 30 watts. I don't always trust the power that listed in the license either. What are you using for coax?

Tim K.

Just Radio shack stuff. I was on a short time frame when I pu tthe antenna up because the next day I was having blown in insulation put in my attic and needed to get the cable ran.

If you check the Colorado Forums, they are working with software that can plot out coverage area maps for repeaters and base stations. I dont know if it is accurate enough enough to plot out 25 miles to Burlington or not.

One other hint - I know that moving my handheld scanner by 1 inch will sometimes change a 1 bar signal to a 5 bar (full strength) signal. I dont know how your antenna is mounted. (I am picturing a big 25 foot high Trojan horse with wooden wheels, and antennas sticking out of the ears - but I might be off on that)

Peter Sz

First off I was wrong on my typing. Antenna is only mounted 15 ft up on a piece of 2ft pipe that is mounted to the eve of the house. Then antenna is just one of these little things from Radio Shack.

Outdoor VHF-Hi/UHF Scanner Antenna - RadioShack.com.

I've thought of maybe trying something else but I don't know what would work well. I don't want anything big or obnoxious looking. This little one you can hardly see and if you don't know it's there then you probably wouldn't notice it.

I do have a Kenwood 2170 that I use for my FD. When I had it programmed I had a few other channels programmed in as well, one being BFD. The only time I picked them up on it was when I was outside working in the driveway. The second I walked in the house with it I lost it.

Thanks for your guys help and suggestions.

 

[IowaGuy1603]

If you could pick BFD up on a hand-held outside your house and you can not with scanner hooked up to a outside antenna 15ft high you have a problem with either your scanner or programing your scanner.

Check to make sure you don't have a PL tone wrong.

 

[WillB]

If you could pick BFD up on a hand-held outside your house and you can not with scanner hooked up to a outside antenna 15ft high you have a problem with either your scanner or programing your scanner.

Check to make sure you don't have a PL tone wrong.

Maybe that is my issue. All I did was type in the freq and hit enter. I haven't programmed any of the FD channels with a PL tone.

 

[timkilbride]

Just Radio shack stuff. I was on a short time frame when I pu tthe antenna up because the next day I was having blown in insulation put in my attic and needed to get the cable ran.

The first thing I would do is scrap that cheap RG-58 coax. How long is the coax run?

The antenna should be fine, I have used them in the past and they work very well on VHF. Which side of the house is your antenna located on? ie...North, South, East, or West?

Tim K.

 

[timkilbride]

Maybe that is my issue. All I did was type in the freq and hit enter. I haven't programmed any of the FD channels with a PL tone.

For now, don't use PL tones until you know you can hear the station.

Tim K.

 

[WillB]

The first thing I would do is scrap that cheap RG-58 coax. How long is the coax run?

The antenna should be fine, I have used them in the past and they work very well on VHF. Which side of the house is your antenna located on? ie...North, South, East, or West?

Tim K.

I'm guessing I'd say its a 25ft run where it meets a splitter and then run another 15 or so. Antenna is on the north side of the house. What is wrong with the coax?

For now, don't use PL tones until you know you can hear the station.

Tim K.

I turn the PL code off.

 

[IowaGuy1603]

For now, don't use PL tones until you know you can hear the station.

Tim K.

I was thinking the PL was on and blocking BFD.


Will
RS coax is marginal at best..................

I have one of those antennas fed by 50 feet of RG-8U and have no problems.



He still should be able to copy BFD from Mt Pleasant..................

 

[timkilbride]

I'm guessing I'd say its a 25ft run where it meets a splitter and then run another 15 or so. Antenna is on the north side of the house. What is wrong with the coax?



I turn the PL code off.

Have you ever heard the fire department in the past? Just your coax alone your loosing 2.1db at 155MHz. Not knowing what kind of splitter your using, that may be another 7db loss plus every extra connector/connection is another 3db loss. What kind of splitter are you using and what is the purpose of the splitter? Does the splitter have port isolation?

Tim K.

 

[IowaGuy1603]

Tim

He said he could hear it on his FD hand held when he was outside..................I would assume with the HH on his belt.


This is strange

 

[timkilbride]

Tim

He said he could hear it on his FD hand held when he was outside..................I would assume with the HH on his belt.


This is strange

His handheld is a commercial radio where as his scanner is a consumer grade radio. Depending what type of splitter he is using, and whats all tied into it, he could be canceling out his signal.

Here is a good sticky to read up on about splitters, ect....:

http://forums.radioreference.com/antennas-coax-forum/105054-using-one-antenna-multiple-scanners.html

With receivers, you should be using multicouplers:

Multicouplers

Personally, I use the MCA208M. It cost me my left 4 fingers, but I'm running 5 radios off it with no db loss.

Tim K.

 

[WillB]

When I heard them my hand held was sitting on the tailgate of my truck. I think I was BBQing or something like that.I have never heard them on my scanner.

The splitter probably isn't the best for what I'm using it for. I acutally think it is used for cable TV splitting vs radio/scanner usage. I put the splitter up when I ran the cable in case I decided to put a scanner in another room. I hooked a piece of coax up to it and up to another scanner in a separate room just to make sure it was going to work but I haven't used it other then to test it.

 

[timkilbride]

When I heard them my hand held was sitting on the tailgate of my truck. I think I was BBQing or something like that.I have never heard them on my scanner.

The splitter probably isn't the best for what I'm using it for. I acutally think it is used for cable TV splitting vs radio/scanner usage. I put the splitter up when I ran the cable in case I decided to put a scanner in another room. I hooked a piece of coax up to it and up to another scanner in a separate room just to make sure it was going to work but I haven't used it other then to test it.

Does your antenna sit high enough to "see over" your house or is the roof actually blocking the antenna to the S, SW, and SE? Also, does your roof have any metal in it?

Tim K.

 

[WillB]

Antenna is higher then the roof in all directions. Its a wood roof with asphalt shingles.

 

[timkilbride]

If you have access to that splitter, maybe you could take it out or just run a new string of coax with no splices in it.

Tim K.