Is there anyone using the TRX 2 in Richmond? I've got a pair of them and they're pretty much deaf. I've tried them with the oem whip and an outside discone antenna. I've also tried various settings of the ATT button with not much success. Are you using the database as it comes from Whistler, or program your own?
Richmond Metro 800 MHz system
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Delete: I thought they had already switched to a newer P25 simulcast system, but they are apparently still using the SMARTNET II system.
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zlandmedia
not that florida man
The Richmond / Henrico / Chesterfield is a simulcast system. The TRX scanners do not decode those well due to issues with simulcast distortion.
You would want to invest into an SDS100 or SDS200 in order to get around the simulcast distortion issues. Otherwise, you could try pointing a yagi unidirectional antenna at one of the closest tower sites to you.
Thanks, I'm pretty sure they're still on the legacy non simulcast system.
zlandmedia
not that florida man
They are on the Moto Type II SmartZone system, using P25 Phase I for voice transmissions.
All simulcast means is that a talkgroup is being transmitted on a single frequency from multiple towers. Most scanners (sans the SDS100/SDS200) cannot get around simulcast distortion because they could potentially be receiving more than one tower transmitting on the same frequency at the same time, thus interference.
They may not have converted to a P25 system yet, but their current SmartZone system is simulcast.
To my knowledge, GRE/Radio Shack/Whistler scanners do not have a problem with SmartNet/SmartZone simulcast systems. It's the P25 simulcast systems that are a problem. I have seen reports that older Unidens have/had problems with SmartNet/SmartZone simulcast.
Analog simulcast is less of a problem than P25, but the Richmond area system is a P16 system that uses digital voice. These systems use precise timing schemes to reduce the effects of the signalling from multiple tower sites arriving at the receiver at slightly different times, and are optimized for receiving from within the the system's intended service area. Higher quality public safety grade receivers obviously do better than consumer grade scanners. My GRE PSR 800 (upgraded with Whistler 1080 firmware) does an OK job on our local P16 SmartZone system on the fire side (which is analog,) but is very sensitive to location when monitoring the police side, which is digital. But even the analog signalling gets wonky (fading / staticy audio vs. digital breakup) when monitoring from an area where several tower sites are providing coverage. My 436 also had issues with the P16 systems, but the 536 and the SDS radios did better. People seem to like their TRXs, but I'm not sure if they are much of an improvement over the PSR800 / WS1080s wrt P16 digital reception.
zlandmedia
not that florida man
It's been awhile since I've had my TRX-1 up when I'm in Virginia but you might be right on this. I can definitely recall getting more transmissions off the R/H/C system from my vantage point with a TRX-1 in Hanover County (Mechanicsville) than the Hanover/King William system.
I've since gotten an SDS100 so simulcast isn't much an issue to me now.
Interesting. The legacy Albermarle/Charlottesville system is also P16, and my PRO-18/WS-1080 has received it well. But it has not done well on P25 simulcast systems. And I know there were discussions a few years ago in which at least one RR member switched to either a PRO-197 or PSR-600 and got better reception of the Albermarle/Charlottesville system.
Since I changed vehicles, I am now using the PSR 800 again to monitor our P16 system (no place to mount the SDS200.) The PSR 800 is absolute trash when trying to monitor P25 simulcast systems which are prevalent in the DC area (I don't even have any programmed.). Luckily, I have a G5 which does great on those, and our county is building out a new P25P2 system to replace the P16 system - although they keep deferring funding year-to-year. (This strategy gets them in trouble with the FCC, causing unnecessary paperwork because of forgotten / expiring filings, lol.)
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