P25 for Orange county system

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bmendez

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Anyone know what is the best p25 threshold for the countywide coordinated system for the orange county area I have a bcd436hp but p25 sounds choppy for this are please help thanks
 

Lanny7436

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Only listen to OCFA and Tan channels (analog) and Red channel (digital). First two come in well. Red is more times than not choppy. I left the threshold mode as Auto with the level at 8.
All the Green, Oranges, Blue, Purple, Yellow etc are encrypted, so ...


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bmendez

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Thanks you will try that what antenna do you use I use the 800mhz RadioShack antenna not sure if that is the promblem
 

Lanny7436

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I use the RS 800 as well. At home, I also hook my 436 (now at its creator for the RTC thing) and 396XT to a Larson Tri-Band NMO Antenna connected to a 3 1/4" magnet mount. In the 2nd floor condo, its mounted to a metal window frame by my chair. Not really a ground plane (speaking as though I understand all that stuff, yeah right), but the scanners pick up a lot better. In northwest Buena Park:
CHP-Santa Fe Springs: 2B (bars) with both original and RS800; 5B with Larson (39Mhtz +/-)
OCFA: 4B with original, 5B with RS800 and Larsen (800+ Mhtz band, trucked)


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Lanny7436

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LAPD (digital but not trucked):
1B original; 2B-3B RS800; 3B-5B Larsen (although it wavers sometimes from 1B to 5B)


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allend

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Anyone know what is the best p25 threshold for the countywide coordinated system for the orange county area I have a bcd436hp but p25 sounds choppy for this are please help thanks

So this will completely fix your P25 threshold for The Countywide System. Make sure all of your cell site that you created have these values. All of your choppy transmission should clear up

1. Digital Wait Time = 0 ms
2. Digital Threshold mode = manual
3. Digital Threshold Level = 10

These are the best settings for the BCD436HP and the BCD536HP.


Good Luck
 
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PaulNDaOC

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On my 396xt, reception quality seems more related to signal strength, than threshold setting. I am using a Diamond SRH77CA purchased at HRO. It also work great for CHP too.
 

Lanny7436

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Allend: will try those values too when I get my radio back, although default values weren't too bad for OCFA.
May try the Diamond too.
Bmendez: let us (well, me cuz I'm really curious and don't have my 436 to play with) know how the new values work out ...
Thanks guys


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rsgorman

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P25 OCFA

Is the P25 fully functional at this time? Are operating on both the P25 and the 800 system? I have not seen a reduction on the 800 system as far as calls go.
 

allend

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If you are programming the current countywide system into your radio and you want to monitor any P25 talkgroups and you are using the BCD436 and the BCD536 then you will need to use these values.

These values do not apply if you are only monitoring analog talkgroups.

Now if you are trying to monitor any Phase I or II sites then you leave all of these settings on AUTO. No modifications are needed since the radio will automatically adjust.
 

bmendez

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I am trying to monitor the red channel and other p25 channels in the trucked system but it's sounds choppy hopefully 10 will work thanks
 

oracavon

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My solution to the problem is to listen to Red channel on the newer P25 system, rather than the older Smartzone simulcast system. The P25 system only carries a handful of talkgroups, so I only use it for Red channel, but it isn't choppy like it is on the older system.
 

allend

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My solution to the problem is to listen to Red channel on the newer P25 system, rather than the older Smartzone simulcast system. The P25 system only carries a handful of talkgroups, so I only use it for Red channel, but it isn't choppy like it is on the older system.

Honestly if you rely on wanting to hear the RED channel program the current system and the newer P25 system. Since the newer P25 system is still in the testing phase talkgroups like 4N and 5N and also RED and AIRCALL go live on the system and then the test system is not carrying any of the talkgroups. The other day I was hearing 5-B and 2-E running dispatch and then its goes off the air. So it seems like radio comms is testing different talkgroups all the time. Also, the P25 test system is not receivable through out the whole county of orange right now. Its spotty on where you live. I believe the test site is at ORCO Fire Authority in Irvine. Not a 100 percent sure.

Its a hit and miss but interesting to hear how awesome the new P25 system sounds on the air.

Good Luck.
 

oracavon

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The whole point is that Red channel reception on the current system is unreliable (for me and the OP, at least), so monitoring it on that system isn't realistic. My experience has been that regardless of any other talkgroups on the experimental P25 system, it has always carried Red channel, and it has always been reliable if you are within range of it (which I am, in central OC). However, because the other talkgroups come and go on that system, I only use it to monitor Red channel. I listen to everything else on the current system.
 

PaulNDaOC

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The whole point is that Red channel reception on the current system is unreliable (for me and the OP, at least), so monitoring it on that system isn't realistic. My experience has been that regardless of any other talkgroups on the experimental P25 system, it has always carried Red channel, and it has always been reliable if you are within range of it (which I am, in central OC). However, because the other talkgroups come and go on that system, I only use it to monitor Red channel. I listen to everything else on the current system.
Interesting reception problem considering your location.

I can hear Red, and OCTA deputies (also digital) while mobile in L.A. and Riverside on a Uniden sitting on the seat of my car.

Is this occurring at same location or mobile?
 

oracavon

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It's the same old simulcast issue that's been mentioned multiple time in multiple threads. The signal is strong enough, but my 996XT radios (I have 2 of them) can't deal with the simulcast P25 signals, either mobile or base, so digial audio is choppy. Sometimes tweaking the P25 decode settings helps, but it's hit or miss. Since the OC P25 system has only one site, the digital decoding works fine.

I probably wasn't clear enough in my post and gave the wrong impression. Because of this issue, Red is the only digital TG I listen to. I have the same problem with virtually all the other digital talkgroups, so I don't listen to any of them. Although I said I listened to "everything else" on the current system, in my case, "everything else" I listen to consists of only analog TG's.
 

Lanny7436

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So this will completely fix your P25 threshold for The Countywide System. Make sure all of your cell site that you created have these values. All of your choppy transmission should clear up

1. Digital Wait Time = 0 ms
2. Digital Threshold mode = manual
3. Digital Threshold Level = 10

These are the best settings for the BCD436HP and the BCD536HP.


Good Luck


Got my 436 back from Uniden today. Programmed OC P25 into a new system.
As it happened, there was a Sta 18 pursuit from Stanton, to I-605, to I-105, eventually ending in Maywood. Angel called it with interjections from the 18 Sam unit. OCSO and perhaps other LA units were able to box in the suspect vehicle (domestic violence) with successful apprehension.
And so: On the 436, audio was flawless on Red channel with Digital threshold mode manual and threshold at 10. Was using the Radio Shack 800 antenna.
SO unit had requested CHP take over pursuit, so was listening to CHP on my 396xt. SFS units were trying to get into position, and CHP-LA Dispatch was maybe 10-15 seconds behind in locations (very good), but neither SFS or ELA was able to get into position.
Allend: many thanks for the digital settings you gave previously. They were the cat's meow!!


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bmendez

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Promblems

Does anyone know why when I drive I have the north cell on but when I don't scan it moves to countrywide cell I have a bcd436hp
 
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