Loudoun County Sheriff's Office

[KI4BEG]

For about the past two weeks I no longer hear any Loudoun County Sheriff's Office transmissions on my PRO-96 scanner which I have been receiving for over a year now and I continue to hear Loudoun County Fire and Rescue and the Leesburg PD, but have not made any changes to my scanner. Who has an idea as to what may have happened?

 

[QDP2012]

Looking at the RRDB: Loundoun County Trunked Radio System page, it seems to indicate that the system is Project 25 Phase II capable, which the Pro-96 cannot monitor. Maybe LCSO switched from P25 Phase I to P25 Phase II recently? Someone else will need to confirm.

Hope this helps,

 

[freqhopping]

It's a phase 2 system, it's just that sometimes a talkgroup will operate in phase 1 (FDMA) mode when a radio not capable of TDMA is affiliated with the system on that talkgroup.

As far as I can tell, recently FD dispatch is FDMA on TG2872, but patched to output on TG2956 when it's operating in TDMA.

You're hearing a lot less than what is happening.

 

[KI4BEG]

Thank you both for the tips. I am receiving TG2956 so how can that be if I can't receive TDMA?

 

[freqhopping]

2872 TDMA
2956 FDMA

The patch to 2956 is enabled now. Looks like it was enabled at 10:13 when MWAA radio 3370075 affiliated with the system.

 

[KI4BEG]

Thanks very much for this. How could I tell when what radio affiliates with the system?

 

[freqhopping]

Thanks very much for this. How could I tell when what radio affiliates with the system?

You need to be able to run the Pro96Com program.

 

[brownlab]

I have recently (like yesterday) picked up LCSO Sterling and Dulles dispatch on my Uniden 996XT so yes, phase 1 FDMA mode still occurs from time to time.

 

[Manypims]

I recently picked up a used Whistler WS1080 and while it advertises Phase II capabilities, I haven't gotten it to pick up more than three conversations in 24 hours. Has anyone else tried/used it in Loudoun?

 

[freqhopping]

I recently picked up a used Whistler WS1080 and while it advertises Phase II capabilities, I haven't gotten it to pick up more than three conversations in 24 hours. Has anyone else tried/used it in Loudoun?

Where in the county? There are some dead zones.

 

[brownlab]

I am currently monitoring the Loudoun and Leesburg law enforcement channels and they are working normally. However the Simulcast has been known to result in reception issues and some areas of the county are better than others (and some are dead). I would first try moving your scanner to another room. Sometimes just another place in the same room will make all the difference in the world. There have been many posts on this subject and if you type “Loudoun County Phase II Reception” in the search box, I bet many of these discussion will be displayed. Good luck.

 

[mike_s104]

Round Hill has dead zones.

 

[Manypims]

Where in the county? There are some dead zones.

I am in Ashburn on the other side Greenway of the Greenway diagonally from Station 23. I've tried three different antennas including an 800 MHZ that worked wonders on my Pro 96, numerous locations througout the house, etc. The funny thing is that out of the box, I was getting some garbled transmissions. After updating firmware and frequencies via the laptop, I've heard a handful of LCSO transmissions, zero from LCFR except for dispatch. From reading the forum for the first time in sever years, sounds like things are still in disarray with the system.

 

[Manypims]

I am currently monitoring the Loudoun and Leesburg law enforcement channels and they are working normally. However the Simulcast has been known to result in reception issues and some areas of the county are better than others (and some are dead). I would first try moving your scanner to another room. Sometimes just another place in the same room will make all the difference in the world. There have been many posts on this subject and if you type “Loudoun County Phase II Reception” in the search box, I bet many of these discussion will be displayed. Good luck.

I will keep digging through the forums, thanks. I guess it was wishful thinking that someone may have had some quick fixes. I have three antennas from past handheld and a fourth on order. Will keep trying antennas and room combinations!

 

[atlong]

I have a Uniden 536 installed in my car and listen to the Loudoun County TRS from the WV line down to the east side of Ashburn near 28. All the way from the state line on Route 9 to somewhere just passed Rt287, the reception is spotty and garbled at best. After 287 on Rt 9, then down Rt7 and on down thru the Greenway it comes in pretty good, but still has its dead zones along Rt.7 towards Leesburg. Funny thing about the reception is that upon driving home, once I pass into WV and on into Charles Town it comes in loud and clear. Shrug.

 

[mike_s104]

I have a Uniden 536 installed in my car and listen to the Loudoun County TRS from the WV line down to the east side of Ashburn near 28. All the way from the state line on Route 9 to somewhere just passed Rt287, the reception is spotty and garbled at best. After 287 on Rt 9, then down Rt7 and on down thru the Greenway it comes in pretty good, but still has its dead zones along Rt.7 towards Leesburg. Funny thing about the reception is that upon driving home, once I pass into WV and on into Charles Town it comes in loud and clear. Shrug.

What antenna are you using? The Larson scanner antenna works great. The Comtelco All-Band Low-Profile Mobile Antenna does great too. I had this one that I used at work and it did pretty well until I took it off the work van and got it caught in the seatbelt.

http://www.scannermaster.com/Wideband_Antenna_with_Mag_Mount_and_BNC_p/01-541326.htm

 

[atlong]

I use a Comtelco All-Band mobile trunk lip mount. It seems to work fairly well in most areas. Loudoun county's system is very difficult to receive in a lot of places, though, except Jefferson County, WV. LOL!

 

[brownlab]

I will keep digging through the forums, thanks. I guess it was wishful thinking that someone may have had some quick fixes. I have three antennas from past handheld and a fourth on order. Will keep trying antennas and room combinations!

I used to have a PSR 800 and now have a Uniden 436 HP. Both work about the same. Right now the Uniden is on the floor by the couch leaning against the coffee table with a regular 800 mz rubber duck antenna. The reception is great and I am receiving all of LC. If I were to move it on the coffee table, I will not hear a thing. That is the difference a foot makes (lol). Let me know when you start receiving.

 

[Manypims]

I am currently monitoring the Loudoun and Leesburg law enforcement channels and they are working normally. However the Simulcast has been known to result in reception issues and some areas of the county are better than others (and some are dead). I would first try moving your scanner to another room. Sometimes just another place in the same room will make all the difference in the world. There have been many posts on this subject and if you type “Loudoun County Phase II Reception” in the search box, I bet many of these discussion will be displayed. Good luck.

After reading about "Loudoun County Phase II Reception" and then driving around Eastern Loudoun County this morning, I've come to several conclusions:

1). I never realized that a degree in Engineering, preferably a PhD, is required to properly understand how to "fine-tune" the new generation of scanners using settings such as DSP, ACG, Attenuation, and Data Decode Thresholds, which are different for just about everybody on the forum.

2). Despite being about a mile from one of the towers, my neighborhood is either in a dead zone or the nearby cell tower is causing interference or neither or both.

3). Driving toward and through Brambleton (starting on the large hill on Truro Parrish Drive), I was able to pickup LCSO Sterling crystal clear, but not LCSO Brambleton and never any LCFR transmissions the entire day.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that my next 24 hours prove much more fruitful than the first 24.

 

[freqhopping]

I have a Uniden 536 installed in my car and listen to the Loudoun County TRS from the WV line down to the east side of Ashburn near 28. All the way from the state line on Route 9 to somewhere just passed Rt287, the reception is spotty and garbled at best. After 287 on Rt 9, then down Rt7 and on down thru the Greenway it comes in pretty good, but still has its dead zones along Rt.7 towards Leesburg. Funny thing about the reception is that upon driving home, once I pass into WV and on into Charles Town it comes in loud and clear. Shrug.

My scanners have always worked fine in those areas. No special settings. Rt7 west of Round Hill has always been sketchy. Along Rt7 from Potomac View to the east is a dead zone. From there along Algonkian Pkwy until about where it meet Potomac View Rd is also dead.

3). Driving toward and through Brambleton (starting on the large hill on Truro Parrish Drive), I was able to pickup LCSO Sterling crystal clear, but not LCSO Brambleton and never any LCFR transmissions the entire day.

Brambleton is used as a tac channel, not daily use, typically for the various foot races done in Ashburn.