New Bern TRS?

[peten1vak]

Okay I see now. Those talk groups were coming in loud and clear on the New Bern system. I myself have never heard anything on the New Bern system until the day I went and sat about 100 feet from the tower. The next time I go to new Bern I should be able to hear the city's public services. Now all I have to do is figure out why the same thing is happening with Goldsboro.

 

[jpgrubb]

I was in New Bern all day yesterday. I drove all over the city from the downtown area to the outskirts. I brought my pro-96 with the stock antenna. No matter where I was in the city the results were the same. Fairly strong control channel signals but talk groups would sometimes go in and out. More out than in. Is anybody receiving the New Bern system? I've used the pro-96 with the stock antenna in many cities and I've never had trouble picking up a trunked system the users city. My question is how do users of that system use thier portables? Looking for it to anyone who has insight on this problem.


Thanks

Pete

i believe the only p25 system in new bern is the city and the county is still on a old analog system that might be why they are going in and out

 

[peten1vak]

New Bern TRS

I was finally in New Bern Yesterday myself (5/5/16). Like the previous post said the must have done something finally PD FD loud and clear!

 

[cjross2008]

I can't get anything from the City of New Bern on my RS-2096 at all. I get VIPER fine so I'm not sure whats going on. Oh, and Craven Co. uses VHF and VIPER.

 

[peten1vak]

New Bern TRS

I could tell you what I have learned about the New Bern public safety system. I am using a Pro 668. I go to New Bern at least three times a week. I have a route that I do which takes about seven hours so I'm in the car a lot. I recently tried to get New Bern few months ago on my Pro 668 with just the rubber duck antenna that was provided. I could hear nothing. I bought an 800 antenna with a magnetic mount on and put it on the roof of the car. Every once in a while a New Bern talk group would pop up on the screen but no audio.

One day I drove right to the tower. I was less than a quarter-mile away from the tower and I could hear all the new Bern public safety police, fire, EMS etc. loud and clear. I put the rubber duck on at that point and I could still hear them loud and clear. I drove away from the tower and when I got about half a mile away I could hear nothing on the rubber duck. I switched back over to the outside antenna and the same thing talk groups would pop very rarely up but no audio.

There were theories on why this was happening. I just gave up and just locked New Bern out. Then I read a post KC4YIN saying that he was now hearing New Bern loud and clear. The next two times I went down to New Bern I opened up the system in my scanner and to my amazement the system sounded great. I never tried the rubber duck antenna but with the 800 antenna on the roof everything was common and perfect in all areas. Something must've been done to the system in any case I'm happy.

On a quick other note I was having the same problem with Goldsboro. I was using the rubber duck and the 880 antenna and could hear nothing. I read in one of the post was somebody bought antenna cut for the 155 megs and was hearing the system clear. I bought a cheap 800 Meg antenna and modified it to receive 155 megs and to my amazement again Goldsboro is coming in loud and clear!

 

[KC4YIN]

Yeah Peten this has been a very elusive system. A real PITA. I;ve been chasing this one ever since they went P 25.. Exact same thing you are describing. I,m going over there Monday. I,ve been doing some tweeking on the programming to see if it would improve or to just better understand what is going on. It being a Harris system like the one up in Franklin county with the same complaint from users up there. Incidently I,m runing a 1095 scanner, the mobile version of yours, in my car so i will program the system several different ways to see which one if any works best.

 

[jdifabio]

New Bern

Hello All: I work in New Bern. I have found once I enter all the frequencies, not just the control and alternate for both the New Bern system and the Viper for Craven County it has solved all my receiving issues. Hope this helps some, I am using a PRO-106. Joe

 

[kc4jgc]

I was in New Bern Tuesday (5/31). Approaching the city on US 17 and Washington Post Rd to Neuse Blvd, I was at first able to see system information (WACN,. etc) but no voice traffic was heard. Once in town nothing displayed despite full scale signal. I never heard a transmission the entire time in town (about 2 hrs). Even tried entering all system freqs as jdifabio had done as I'm using a Pro-106. I also activated the attenuator thinking maybe my unit was being overloaded by the strength of the data channel. My unit did not display system info again until I was leaving on Washington Post Rd. No transmissions ever heard. UGH!!

 

[KC4YIN]

One of the things I have on my bucket list is to beat this system. I used to live over there when their system was analog and it worked fine. I have; since they went P25, had the same issues with poor or no receive at all. I have discovered that a gain antenna used on the outside of a vehicle does provide some reception of the system while viper and the new P25 system here in Kinston all you need is a partially straightened paper clip stuck into the antenna port to make it work.

I have discovered one thing that might help. While in New Bern last Tuesday myself, I was able to run Pro 96 com just long enough to capture the system momentarily. What I found was that the base frequency used by our scanners for this system was 854.000 while the base frequency for viper and Lenoir co's system is 851.00625. I have updated these base freqs. and am going back over there tomorrow and see what works.

I'm running a 1095 Whistler scanner with external antenna and a PSR 500, the Pro 106 equivalent and using Win 500 for programming. Feel free to take this information and try it and see what you guys get. And be sure to report back.

 

[cjross2008]

I got a hold of a PRO-651 yesterday and its been working fine for me the past 2 days.

 

[kc4jgc]

While in New Bern last Tuesday myself, I was able to run Pro 96 com just long enough to capture the system momentarily. What I found was that the base frequency used by our scanners for this system was 854.000 while the base frequency for viper and Lenoir co's system is 851.00625. I have updated these base freqs. and am going back over there tomorrow and see what works.

I'm running a 1095 Whistler scanner with external antenna and a PSR 500, the Pro 106 equivalent and using Win 500 for programming. Feel free to take this information and try it and see what you guys get. And be sure to report back.

So.... what you're saying may be (as far as Lenoir County is concerned) we'll need to go to "TRUNKING TABLES" and select "P25 800 MHz" on WIN500. You think New Bern may be the same? I haven't been able to receive the Lenoir County system either. That just may explain things. Please let us know. I'm not in New Bern often, though I learned I'll be driving through this Sunday & Monday.

FWIW I don't have any reband tables activated for VIPER anywhere in NC; I don't recall any trouble.

 

[GamecockSJ]

I don't have any problems with Lenoir's system on my Uniden. It works without modifying anything. Haven't tried New Bern.

 

[KC4YIN]

Yes. For Lenoir co. they are on a P25 system now. It's listed here in the database. Same of course for Viper both of which work fine by loading the control channels and selecting P25 800 in the trunking tables. Both these systems being Motorola are using the BASE frequency of 851.00125. If my thinking is right, New Bern, being a Harris system is using a slightly different BASE frequency of 854.000. least that's what PRO96com shows anyway. I'll know more tomorrow.

 

[kc4jgc]

This is interesting as I've never used custom tables for a "pure" P25 system. Maybe an exception for Harris systems? That could explain a lot....

I didn't realize Lenoir upgraded. I see it's a phase 2 system; is it running as phase 2 or are there phase 1 TG's?

 

[KC4YIN]

Just phase 1 here in Lenoir Co. thank goodness. They do of course have the capability of phase 2 but have not heard any talkgroups on it. have though heard a few encrypted ones from time to time but most all general traffic is in the clear.

 

[KC4YIN]

As far as the custom tables is concerned it's just a theory I have. I'm heading over there tomorrow to test it out and I'll report back. I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

[peten1vak]

I am having the same problem with this system and the Goldsboro system. I believe they are both Harris systems and I wonder if that has something to do with it such as base frequencies that KC4YIN stated. On both of these systems some days I can hear traffic some days I can't. I thought the problem was solved a while ago but it was not.

 

[KC4YIN]

OK. Sorry to take so long to report back. To begin with I did go to New Bern last Thursday and did some checking. Was not as satisfied with my findings as I had hoped. First the 1095 scanner did do better with the 854.000 base freq. adjustment and I was able to copy NB PD cars talking back and forth to the dispatcher and audio sounded fairly decent. On the other hand the PSR 500 portable tried hard but just would not do well at all even with a 3 db gain antenna mounted outside the vehicle. i'm beginng to think I may have a receive issue with that one scanner but it performs perfectly on the Kinston P25 and Viper systems. I have to believe it is some small adjustment I am missing but I have been through everything I can think of and I even have good luck on the Goldsboro system. Probably going back next Tuesday and will try again. It would be helpful if those that post on here that are having good luck with their hand held scanners to share with us the settings used for New Bern. There's got to be more to it than just entering all frequencies.

On the 1095, I program all frequencies, set the base frequency to 854.000 and trunking tables to CUSTOM and then AUTOFILL

 

[peten1vak]

KC4YIN thank you for your report system. I will be down this week sometime with my Pro 668. I went in to the Iscan scan software and change the tables to custom with a base frequency of 854.00. I will be using an exterior tram antenna cut for 800 MHz. I will report back to see if the custom tables makes any change. It was very interesting to read that this system is the same as the one in Franklin County and they are having the same. I think the Goldsboro system is the same that I have the exact same problem there also.

 

[KC4YIN]

Pics of New Bern System Information

Ok guys. I was over in New Bern again today but did not have a lot of time to investigate this system much. I did get lucky enough to capture it just briefly on Pro96com so I'm posting what the system is doing. Maybe someone with some knowledge of these systems can help us figure it out.