You're about 11 miles from the nearest Troop L tower, but you are about 22 miles from the nearest Troop I tower. Tune directly to the Troop I control freq on 866.2375 and turn the squelch all the way down. Now move the radio to different locations while listening to this freq. Hopefully you will hear the control channel break through the static, as you move to different locations. I have an antenna with about 15 ft cable on it, so that I can move the antenna around the room to find the best reception spot when trying to listen to distant systems. I've learned that just by moving the antenna a few feet, or moving it closer to the ceiling, I can improve the signal very much. Of course the best thing would be an outside antenna. The primary control freq is 866.2375, but also try the alternate freq 866.4875, just in case the system is currently using that one. You will find that 800 Mhz systems don't travel as much distance as UHF or VHF systems.
