Help with understanding Trunking Reception

[LordJ]

Ok, here's a question...with a trunked radio system, if I can receive the CC full strength what can I do to receive the radios in that system better. Sometimes I get great reception from some radios and others it's scratchy, is that because the radio itself is not connecting full strength to the system, or is it too far for me to hear? I want to dedicate my 780 to only Fleetnet MOH & MTO, should I go directional to the tower site, or should I omni?

 

[Chrome69]

I would for starters look to pick up a VHF antenna i am guessing for your Home since you never said where you are listening to it... MTO i think is Digital sorry i never listen to them? So if they are your 780 will NOT get them, think MOH is looking that way soon too.
But get a good home antenna for it, Diamond D130J is an excellent choice... Or for a VHF model only a Comet SBB-5 is an excellent antenna for VHF but would require a NMO mount setup... IMHO

 

[jellotor]

MTO i think is Digital sorry i never listen to them? So if they are your 780 will NOT get them, think MOH is looking that way soon too.

MTO road crews are analog. Have any concrete evidence that MOH is going digital or is it just a guess?

 

[als_medic]

MTO road crews are analog. Have any concrete evidence that MOH is going digital or is it just a guess?

MoH going Digital has been discussed extensively here:
http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26765
In most opinions, especially the more informed ones (and according to MoH literature), it MAY be looked at at the 10 year EVERGREEN replacement/renewal date. So we are looking at about 2012 (at the earliest) for Zone 1 and more that a decade for Zone 4/5 (North-Western Ontario) as we're not even on Fleetnet yet.

 

[Chrome69]

MTO road crews are analog. Have any concrete evidence that MOH is going digital or is it just a guess?

Their analog? Funny i looked in the database and it says Digital? Maybe i am missing something but again i never listen to them anyways....

 

[frankh]

Actually you're both right. Maintenance is in analogue, while enforcement is digital. Probably because maintanance cost money while enforcement generates revenue.

 

[mikewazowski]

Probably because most agencies doing enforcement on Fleetnet are digital.

Digital radios would not be required by maintenance.

 

[mciupa]

should I go directional to the tower site, or should I omni?

If you have the structure and the money to go directional , that is the way to improve your reception. How many sites are you pulling in now ?
It would be nice to compare later when you get that rotor.

 

[jellotor]

Actually you're both right. Maintenance is in analogue, while enforcement is digital. Probably because maintanance cost money while enforcement generates revenue.

Which is why I said the road crews are in analog. And as for the MOH, as als_medic summed up, MOH may switch to digital after the renewal date ten or so years down the road.

So yeah, Brian...they may go to digital in the next decade.

 

[mrweather]

Doesn't this varying scratchiness have something to do with the way simulcast trunked systems work?

From my location I routinely get pretty good signal strength on the Peel TRS CC. But the signal strength of any individual radio that keys up varies quite a bit, presumably depending on which trunk site goes active.

Or am I way out in left field with this one?

 

[Chrome69]

Doesn't this varying scratchiness have something to do with the way simulcast trunked systems work?

From my location I routinely get pretty good signal strength on the Peel TRS CC. But the signal strength of any individual radio that keys up varies quite a bit, presumably depending on which trunk site goes active.

Or am I way out in left field with this one?

Well you lost me but if you read my signnature you will understand why :roll:

Are you in Peel area? If so i can program your 780 if your interested

 

[jellotor]

From my location I routinely get pretty good signal strength on the Peel TRS CC. But the signal strength of any individual radio that keys up varies quite a bit, presumably depending on which trunk site goes active.

Or am I way out in left field with this one?

Well, obviously the issue isn't just your scanner's reception of a Peel site, it's the user radio(s) reception of their site. Or at least that's how I understand what you're describing.

 

[slicerwizard]

Ok, here's a question...with a trunked radio system, if I can receive the CC full strength what can I do to receive the radios in that system better. Sometimes I get great reception from some radios and others it's scratchy, is that because the radio itself is not connecting full strength to the system,

If you're receiving the CC at full strength, then yes, the subscriber radio is in a bad spot. Nothing you can do about it. The problem is not at your end.

 

[mikewazowski]

Hard to tell what he's saying.

The Peel system does not key up individual sites. They all key up at once.

You will not see a difference in the signal strength of individual radios by watching your signal strength meter.

I would also suspect that most radios would be full quieting into the system with the exception of the Mono Mills FS radios when in Hockley Valley.

I suspect interference is wiping out his front end.

 

[tonsoffun]

If you have the structure and the money to go directional , that is the way to improve your reception. How many sites are you pulling in now ?
It would be nice to compare later when you get that rotor.

I would suggest what Mike said. I went to a directional 800MHZ beam to monitor the Peel system(Couldn't monitor before on my omni) and now getting that system at 1 to 2 bars, sometimes more and I am up in Innisfil!
There is some great deals on fleabay for the 800mhz Wilson Antenna.
Take care

 

[mrweather]

The Peel system does not key up individual sites. They all key up at once.

You will not see a difference in the signal strength of individual radios by watching your signal strength meter.

Okay good to know. Guess I was out in left field afterall.

To be honest, my 800 setup is far from optimum (RS discone, attic-mounted with about 60' of RG6 coax). I prefer to dump my money into my ham radio gear.

 

[nec208]

'''MTO road crews are analog. Have any concrete evidence that MOH is going digital or is it just a guess?'''

The only one that is digital is the OPP now.I don't see why the EMS would go digital when they don't have the money to build ambulance stations.

They just got a new radio system and new radios , it is too much to get all new radios that support digital.It would have cost less if the fire and EMS are all on one radio system like Toronto fire and Toronto EMS.

I don't know why the EMS in the GTA are not on the region trunk systems like the police and fire.

 

[phyberoptics]

The only one that is digital is the OPP now.

As was stated before, O.P.P. and M.T.O. Enforcement are Digital...

 

[slicerwizard]

Doesn't this varying scratchiness have something to do with the way simulcast trunked systems work?

From my location I routinely get pretty good signal strength on the Peel TRS CC. But the signal strength of any individual radio that keys up varies quite a bit, presumably depending on which trunk site goes active.

Or am I way out in left field with this one?

With your omnidirectional antenna, you may be getting destructive interference from several simulcast sites. If you were to keep track of what frequencies you were monitoring, you might find that some of them sound OK while others are ****e. Try monitoring them one at a time in conventional mode - you might get your answer.

 

[mikewazowski]

The only one that is digital is the OPP now.

MTO Enforcement and MNR Enforcement area also digital

I don't know why the EMS in the GTA are not on the region trunk systems like the police and fire.

They would have to purchase two radios in most cases. One for the region trunk system and one for VHF. Too costly.