Can a cell tower block 800/900 signals?

[paulsfd]

I had a BCT780 that always picked up the local 800 Trunked system with no problems. About a year ago I noticed it wasn't picking it up anymore (Figured the scanner was dying from being on 24/7 over 8 years). Well, I just got a BCT15 when the 780 finally did die, but it too will not p/u anythng in the 800/900 range (not even interference). After scratching my head, I think the nearby cell tower (about 1/4 mile) maybe to blame. Any thoughts?

 

[Stick0413]

I had a BCT780 that always picked up the local 800 Trunked system with no problems. About a year ago I noticed it wasn't picking it up anymore (Figured the scanner was dying from being on 24/7 over 8 years). Well, I just got a BCT15 when the 780 finally did die, but it too will not p/u anythng in the 800/900 range (not even interference). After scratching my head, I think the nearby cell tower (about 1/4 mile) maybe to blame. Any thoughts?

It isn't going to help that is for sure and it could very well be the problem. You might want to try filters. I am not all that vested in them but others here are and can point you in the right direction.

 

[delta_p]

It isn't causing me any problems with 800 Mhz. I have a yagi aimed across two of them to get to my tower. The reception is always clear.

PP

 

[comsec1]

sure it can

the noise floor around the cell phone tower is much higher then the signals that you want to receive effectivly jamming your receiver. this is part of the reason for rebanding.

 

[Garymaxon1234]

Yes they can, I have to be careful with my BC396 at my daughter's house. The tower is right across the river. It causes noise and blanks out transmissions. The signal from the SAFE-T tower is strong enough I either lay the scanner on it's side and point the antenna away from the PCS tower or sometimes take the antenna off the scanner.

GT

 

[reconrider8]

well how would you stop it from doing that cause i live like 2 miles from one and i pick up a lot of blank channels to sounds like it has some static or something in it

 

[zz0468]

An unequivical YES! They can... cell towers and the interference they cause, particularly Nextel cell towers, are the root cause of the whole 800 MHz rebanding fiasco.

 

[austin51648]

800 mhz

I had a BCT780 that always picked up the local 800 Trunked system with no problems. About a year ago I noticed it wasn't picking it up anymore (Figured the scanner was dying from being on 24/7 over 8 years). Well, I just got a BCT15 when the 780 finally did die, but it too will not p/u anythng in the 800/900 range (not even interference). After scratching my head, I think the nearby cell tower (about 1/4 mile) maybe to blame. Any thoughts?

Most scanners will not pick up 800 mhz frequencies.

 

[n2mdk]

Most scanners will not pick up 800 mhz frequencies.

Most scanners today certainly will pick up 800MHz many of the public safety trunked systems are on 800MHz.

 

[reconrider8]

not to get to far off topic but how do you setup trunk on a bct-15?

 

[n2mdk]

not to get to far off topic but how do you setup trunk on a bct-15?

http://myweb.cableone.net/marksscanners/BCT15/bct15.html#program moto system

 

[SLWilson]

You're right...

I had a BCT780 that always picked up the local 800 Trunked system with no problems. About a year ago I noticed it wasn't picking it up anymore (Figured the scanner was dying from being on 24/7 over 8 years). Well, I just got a BCT15 when the 780 finally did die, but it too will not p/u anythng in the 800/900 range (not even interference). After scratching my head, I think the nearby cell tower (about 1/4 mile) maybe to blame. Any thoughts?

If 800MZ is what you are mostly interested in, you probably will need to get a good Yagi antenna and zero it in on your areas law enforcement tower. Hopefully it WON'T be across the area where the cell site is. But, you are correct in your thinking that the cell cite is killing your RX.
Steve/KB8FAR

 

[Stick0413]

Most scanners will not pick up 800 mhz frequencies.

???? All of the scanners listed in my sig (and many many others) will recieve 800 mhz freqs.

 

[n1das]

Originally Posted by austin51648
Most scanners will not pick up 800 mhz frequencies.


???? All of the scanners listed in my sig (and many many others) will recieve 800 mhz freqs.

Technically, he IS correct. Most scanners will not pick up 800 mHz frequencies. In fact, none will that I'm aware of.
However most scanners will pick up 800 MHz frequencies.

800 mHz = 800 milli-Hertz = 0.800 Hz
800 MHz = 800 Mega-Hertz = 800,000,000 Hz

Root cause is the close proximity to the cell site is overloading the front end of the scanner, effectively "de-sensing" it and making it deaf enough to have trouble hearing the desired public safety stuff. If the scanner has an attenuator, try switching that on.

Good luck.

 

[wannabescannist]

Technically, he IS correct. Most scanners will not pick up 800 mHz frequencies. In fact, none will that I'm aware of.
However most scanners will pick up 800 MHz frequencies.

800 mHz = 800 milli-Hertz = 0.800 Hz
800 MHz = 800 Mega-Hertz = 800,000,000 Hz

Root cause is the close proximity to the cell site is overloading the front end of the scanner, effectively "de-sensing" it and making it deaf enough to have trouble hearing the desired public safety stuff. If the scanner has an attenuator, try switching that on.

Good luck.

Then what the heck is a "hz"? I know the "Hz" unit but am unfamiliar with these "hz" units.

 

[bezking]

Hz = Hertz

 

[CapStar362]

baHAHAHAHAHAHAH @ "hz stuff"

 

[wannabescannist]

Hz = Hertz

Understood, but what is this "hz" unit. if m != M then hz != Hz............

 

[bezking]

Understood, but what is this "hz" unit. if m != M then hz != Hz............

No, a hertz is a hertz, no matter the capitalization.

 

[kc4jgc]

Understood, but what is this "hz" unit. if m != M then hz != Hz............

Hertz= cycles per second. On older radios, you might see "Mcs" or Megacycles. The terminology "cycles" was changed to "hertz" to honor Heinrich Hertz, one of the fathers of radio.