HP-2: noob alert***

[TXron81]

Ok, I just boxed up my HP-2 and am prepared to send it back... all ready to go actually. I've had the hp-2 about a week and read a lot on it and watched videos etc. But I was never able to pick up local police, fire, ems...pretty much zero emergency services in my area. I have an external antenna so reception was not an issue. So I ordered an sd card for my area from scanner master thinking maybe they could sort it out. nope. I have the android app scanner radio pro and I does pick up all local emergency channels. So what gives? Am I missing something on the scanner? fyi I am in Galveston county, Texas.

 

[wtp]

did you pick the right one, or did they ?

1 (1)	003 (3)	Friendswood	Galveston	851.150c	851.175	851.300	851.400a	851.650	851.700	852.050
				852.150	852.200	852.400	853.675
1 (1)	010 (A)	League City	Galveston	856.9875a	857.9875	858.9875	859.9875c	860.9875
1 (1)	017 (11)	Texas City	Galveston	851.3375	851.4125	851.625	851.8125	851.9625	852.3375	852.5625a
				853.0625	853.300c	853.5875	853.800
1 (1)	032 (20)	High Island	Galveston	769.28125	769.78125	770.03125	770.28125	771.09375a	771.51875c
1 (1)	036 (24)	Galveston	Galveston	851.1625	851.4375	851.875	852.3125	852.8375	853.4625a	853.600c
1 (1)	037 (25)	Santa Fe	Galveston	851.5625	852.750	856.2125	857.2125	858.2125	859.7125a	860.7125c
1 (1)	054 (36)	Galveston County Simulcast	Galveston	769.44375	770.18125	770.78125	770.94375	771.89375	772.68125	773.18125
				773.34375	773.94375c	774.28125	774.55625	774.80625a
3 (3)	016 (10)	Houston Public Safety Santa Fe	Galveston	769.58125	772.00625a	772.18125a	772.35625a	772.50625c

and that radio might have problems with the simulcast system.

 

[tvengr]

In the profile editor, do you have all of the appropriate service types enabled? Are Download and Monitor both On for the favorites lists. If you export a hpe favorites list file, I will check it for problems. Go to the File tab and Export to hpe file. You will need to right click on the file and Send to Compressed (zipped) folder to be able to attach it. Click on Attach files and Open the zipped folder. What city in Galveston County?

 

[sfb88]

OP has a low post count. Will he be able to attach files yet?

 

[hiegtx]

Ok, I just boxed up my HP-2 and am prepared to send it back... all ready to go actually. I've had the hp-2 about a week and read a lot on it and watched videos etc. But I was never able to pick up local police, fire, ems...pretty much zero emergency services in my area. I have an external antenna so reception was not an issue. So I ordered an sd card for my area from scanner master thinking maybe they could sort it out. nope. I have the android app scanner radio pro and I does pick up all local emergency channels. So what gives? Am I missing something on the scanner? fyi I am in Galveston county, Texas.

Besides making sure that you have the correct service types for what you want to monitor, your other problem, using an HP-2, is simulcast. TxWARN P25, the regional trunked system used by almost all public service agencies (Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS) in the greater Houston metro area, including Galveston County, has a large number of simulcast sites. While the HP-2 is a decent scanner, it is not designed to deal with simulcast. The only scanners that are designed with simulcast systems in mind are Uniden's SDS100 & SDS200.

Whoever is providing the feed you are accessing is using a scanner, or other hardware, that can monitor the system and resist issues related to simulcast systems. He or she might be using one of the SDS series scanners, a Unication pager, one of the BlueTail receivers, or using one or more SDR dongles & a PC. Alternately, they may be lucky to located somewhere that is not impacted as severely with simulcast.

Simulcast is extremely location specific. If you are very close to one of the transmit towers, the strong signal may override conflicting signals from other transmitters. Of, a set of taller buildings potentially could block signals from all but one of the sites, allowing reception.
Simulcast Distortion - The RadioReference Wiki

In your case, when dealing with simulcast, having an external (rooftop) antenna might make matters worth. Instead, try using just the antenna that came with the scanner, or remove the antenna & only use a paper clip.

 

[n1chu]

Great workarounds for bothersome simulcast issues when not using the Uniden SDS scanners or the others you list such as the Unications that handle simulcast better. If the scanner hasn’t been shipped back yet they should try your suggestions first.

 

[Ubbe]

Am I missing something on the scanner? fyi I am in Galveston county, Texas.

First try and see if you have reception. You probably don't have the extreme addon so program a system as analog conventional and enter all frequencies in wtp's list that are marked with a c. Then make a Hold on that system (and department) and set squelch to 0 and start listening to each frequency as you step thru them. The ones that gives a data signal can be received by your scanner if the signal strength bar show 3 bars or more.

Check the trunked programming if those sites are programmed and not avoided and that all service types are enabled and no TG's are avoided. If you still have no reception it might be too much signal if it's a simulcast site. Then enable the Attenuator to the sites and see it that helps.

/Ubbe

 

[hiegtx]

First try and see if you have reception. You probably don't have the extreme addon so program a system as analog conventional and enter all frequencies in wtp's list that are marked with a c. Then make a Hold on that system (and department) and set squelch to 0 and start listening to each frequency as you step thru them. The ones that gives a data signal can be received by your scanner if the signal strength bar show 3 bars or more.

Check the trunked programming if those sites are programmed and not avoided and that all service types are enabled and no TG's are avoided. If you still have no reception it might be too much signal if it's a simulcast site. Then enable the Attenuator to the sites and see it that helps.

/Ubbe

If you entered the frequencies in a conventional system, and set the audio mode to analog, you would not hear anything except, at most, some static or random noise.

You would need to set the audio mode either to digital, or "all". Transmissions on the TxWARN frequencies will be digital. But if you program only the frequencies tagged with a c, and it is the current control channel in use, then you won't hear anything understandable. If you also program the other frequencies (the voice channels), then you would be able to hear a conversation if it's a P25 Phase I talkgroup. Phase II talkgroups would not be readable in a conventional system.

 

[Ubbe]

If you entered the frequencies in a conventional system, and set the audio mode to analog, you would not hear anything except, at most, some static or random noise.

Then you have no reception and there's no point in trying to decode in digital mode. You will have to have a signal to decode, to hear a digital data audio and with enough signal strength to be able to decode it without too much noise. If the data audio can be heard clearly and the signal level are ok, then it's time to try to decode it in digital mode. If that doesn't work it has to be interference from simulcast that needs laborating with antenna positions.

/Ubbe