Out of Range

[WeBeCinYa]

I have been messing around with a new to me G5 and I have programmed what I thought was the right information into the pager but I keep getting the Out of Range message. I have entered all the info in the P25 trunking system list, including all ID's ad control channels off of Radio Reference. I programmed in all the group ID's too and still get the out of range message. I am sure this is something simple, as I am a few miles from the tower so I know I am in range.

One question, do I need to enter anything in the "Site List" part of the system scanning? I read somewhere where it said to put FF and it will automatically pick up this? Something seems off as I don't feel like it knows what site (tower) to lock into? I have all the listed site freq input in, including the control and alternate as well as the others listed on RR for this "site".

 

[RBMTS]

when you created the site, did you put in the correct system ID and WACN ?

 

[N6ML]

Yes, you need to enter the RFSS and Site IDs for all of the sites (within the system) that you wish to receive, or 'FF' if you don't know what the correct IDs are. To get started, it might be best to pick one site that you know is well within range and program that one only (control channels as well as RFSS/Site IDs).

 

[WeBeCinYa]

Figured it out, I was following an online program video and the guy was only adding in the control and alternate channels. Once I entered all of the site freq I’m up and running strong. Not too bad of a learning curve and man does this thing sound better than my SDS100!

 

[mitbr]

It truly is a great radio and is going to get better in the near future. I wish more scanner heads would give them a chance.
Tim

 

[N6ML]

Hmm, normally you only enter the control channels (unless, I've read, it's a Harris system). You may still not have the config right - it may be receiving a site that you didn't intend. Is this NC Viper, BTW? PPS creates a default site with RFSS and Site IDs of 1. Maybe you're accidentally getting the Altamahaw site.

 

[WeBeCinYa]

Hmm, normally you only enter the control channels (unless, I've read, it's a Harris system). You may still not have the config right - it may be receiving a site that you didn't intend. Is this NC Viper, BTW? PPS creates a default site with RFSS and Site IDs of 1. Maybe you're accidentally getting the Altamahaw site.

This is NC VIPER. I only have one site tower programmed (one closest to me) to start. I’m picking up exactly what in put in and wanted. Going to tweak more tomorrow.

 

[baj76]

Figured it out, I was following an online program video and the guy was only adding in the control and alternate channels. Once I entered all of the site freq I’m up and running strong. Not too bad of a learning curve and man does this thing sound better than my SDS100!

Im kinda slow, are you saying just adding the control and alternate channels wont work? i have to add all of the site freq ?

 

[W8RMH]

The control channel had probably changed to another frequency which is an alternate frequency and was not listed as such in the RR DB.

This is why I usually program all the site's frequencies.

 

[WeBeCinYa]

The control channel had probably changed to another frequency which is an alternate frequency and was not listed as such in the RR DB.

This is why I usually program all the site's frequencies.

Pretty sure this was the issue, picking up great now. I was hopeful though that one other system that was 34 miles away would be able to be picked up, no luck there. I can't get it on the scanners either.

 

[trumpetman]

What site is it and I'll see if the frequencies have changed.

 

[WeBeCinYa]

Cleveland County per link below. Strange thing is they seem to only be on one site or tower for this system. I think it is a distance/terrain issue for me as I am 34 miles away as crow flies from tower.

Cleveland County Trunking System, Shelby, North Carolina

Cleveland County Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

 

[W8RMH]

Pretty sure this was the issue, picking up great now. I was hopeful though that one other system that was 34 miles away would be able to be picked up, no luck there. I can't get it on the scanners either.

It depends on the site's range I guess. I can't receive the county next to me but I get one 2 counties away.

 

[trumpetman]

The frequencies for Cleveland County haven't changed in a very long time. If you have the 4 red and blue frequencies loaded you should always be able to receive the system. Cleveland is on a 5 site simulcast in Shelby, Kings Mtn, Benns Knob, Boiling Springs, & Polkville. Some of their sites are directional in coverage so that will affect coverage outside of the county some as well depending on where you are and how far away you are.

 

[WeBeCinYa]

The frequencies for Cleveland County haven't changed in a very long time. If you have the 4 red and blue frequencies loaded you should always be able to receive the system. Cleveland is on a 5 site simulcast in Shelby, Kings Mtn, Benns Knob, Boiling Springs, & Polkville. Some of their sites are directional in coverage so that will affect coverage outside of the county some as well depending on where you are and how far away you are.

I have all the freq listed loaded, red blue and the black ones. What's interesting when I load Benn's Knob in on my SDS200 I get signal at my home but zero transmissions.

 

[trumpetman]

When you load Benns Knob on VIPER...? You can not program on a per site basis with simulcasts. If you're talking about the Benns Knob site on VIPER then let me know what frequencies you specifically have loaded. Frequencies have changed around in the last year due to interference, you could possibly be hearing Butte Mtn if you have 853.825 loaded.

 

[WeBeCinYa]

When you load Benns Knob on VIPER...? You can not program on a per site basis with simulcasts. If you're talking about the Benns Knob site on VIPER then let me know what frequencies you specifically have loaded. Frequencies have changed around in the last year due to interference, you could possibly be hearing Butte Mtn if you have 853.825 loaded.

No I was meaning I tried Benn's Knob for cleveland county system, not VIPER.
Not sure what you mean by not being able to program on a per site basis with simulcast, for my VIPER set up, I only have Anderson Mountain as my site (closest to my house) and pick up all transmissions for Lincoln county. Now if I move south, the signal is weaker and I should program in the Lincoln or Stanley sites...which I plan to do.

 

[trumpetman]

Cleveland is a simulcast. So if the control channel for the county system is 853.725, then that is being transmitted on all 5 towers at the same time. Not just Benns, not just on Shelby, it's on all 5 towers at the same time. That's how you get countywide coverage off of a single set of frequencies. Benns is highly directional to the south so you may not be hearing that specific site but it may be a mix of 2 or 3 other sites overlapping. The idea of a simulcast is to be transparent to the end user.

The short of it is as long as you have RFSS set as 1, site set as 1, the 4 red & blue freqs entered in, 2A2 as the system ID & BEE00 as the WACN then the pager should work as long as it can recieve the system. If it is in fact working, scroll down and see what the RX frequency is in the "receiving table information". Also I would be curious to see what the RSSI is under the menu in the diagnostics menu and if it's bouncing around much.

 

[WeBeCinYa]

Cleveland is a simulcast. So if the control channel for the county system is 853.725, then that is being transmitted on all 5 towers at the same time. Not just Benns, not just on Shelby, it's on all 5 towers at the same time. That's how you get countywide coverage off of a single set of frequencies. Benns is highly directional to the south so you may not be hearing that specific site but it may be a mix of 2 or 3 other sites overlapping. The idea of a simulcast is to be transparent to the end user.

The short of it is as long as you have RFSS set as 1, site set as 1, the 4 red & blue freqs entered in, 2A2 as the system ID & BEE00 as the WACN then the pager should work as long as it can recieve the system. If it is in fact working, scroll down and see what the RX frequency is in the "receiving table information". Also I would be curious to see what the RSSI is under the menu in the diagnostics menu and if it's bouncing around much.

Everything is set as you mention. The only thing not added is all the freq under the various sites, for instance I don't have ALL of the freq for Benn's Knob programmed, I just have all the freq for the Main site, which I assume covers all the other towers in the simulcast system?

 

[WeBeCinYa]

Another question, does the G5 automatically pick the strongest site? On VIPER here in NC, I monitor one county system via 3 sites and their respective control and alternate channels. I live near one, and as I travel south towards another, will that tower be the one that the G5 uses?