I'm late to the conversion to P25; here's my problem. PSR 600, downloaded and installed new database via WIN500. Scanner appears to be picking up fine, with very strong signal (Lexington and Harbison) and getting a lot of Trunking indications. Unfortunately, I'm hearing no audio - squelch is tuned. I'm sure it's something simple but I'm baffled. Also happening with my PSR 500!!! Help would be appreciated.
Help with Palmetto 800 (P25)
- Thread starter ChuckinSC
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Where exactly are you located? Both the Richland and Lexington sites are simulcast, which means they use a modulation that is very difficult for consumer scanners to reliably decode. This is a very well documented problem, referred to as "simulcast distortion." It could be that you're in a location, and using an antenna, that is picking up signals from multiple simulcast tower sites.
If you're in range of the Harbison site, try monitoring only it for a while. It's not simulcast. If you receive signals from it reliably, then you can probably conclude that your problem is with reception/decode of the simulcast sites.
You can try other antennas, enabling the attenuator, moving the scanner, etc. It's a very vexing problem for many people.
Good luck.
If you're in range of the Harbison site, try monitoring only it for a while. It's not simulcast. If you receive signals from it reliably, then you can probably conclude that your problem is with reception/decode of the simulcast sites.
You can try other antennas, enabling the attenuator, moving the scanner, etc. It's a very vexing problem for many people.
Good luck.
Thank you Brian. I did not realize that the Lexington and Richland sites are now simulcast. I am located in Irmo and based on your post have eliminated the Richland site since it's a duplication and I get a strong signal from Lexington. I wonder if adding the Harbison site will produce additional traffic.
As to my problem, I had set the trunking table to P25 800 Mhz. When I set it to 800 Rebanded it worked. I'm not technically savvy enough to understand why not P25 800, but that seemed to do the trick.
Could you perhaps explain briefly why 800 Rebanded and your thought on adding Harbison?
Thanks again and Happy New Year!
As to my problem, I had set the trunking table to P25 800 Mhz. When I set it to 800 Rebanded it worked. I'm not technically savvy enough to understand why not P25 800, but that seemed to do the trick.
Could you perhaps explain briefly why 800 Rebanded and your thought on adding Harbison?
Thanks again and Happy New Year!
With the RadioShack/GRE/Whistler models, you should select a P25 AUTO system type for Palmetto 800 TSYS object and leave the trunking tables set to Default. The bandplan tables are transmitted by the system over the control channel and your radio will automatically set the tables according to that broadcast data. That's the "AUTO" part of the system type. There is no need to worry about rebanding or any trunking table settings like there was with the old MOT 800/900 system type.
Palmetto 800 does use rebanded frequencies, but for scanners monitoring P25 systems that broadcast the table information, it's not necessary for us to worry about those settings anymore.
The site you select to monitor is really dictated by which talkgroups you want to listen to. In general, Richland County & Columbia talkgroups are carried on the Richland County site, while Lexington County talkgroups are carried on the Lexington site. Some county talkgroups are carried on both sites at times, but you'd have to monitor for a bit to verify which fall into that category, and those talkgroups may not be carried on the "other site" consistently. State talkgroups, like SCHP and medical helicopters, will generally be heard on both.
Harbison, which is not a simulcast site, carries a mix of each counties' talkgroups. But again, you'd have to monitor it for a while to determine which talkgroups are carried on it, and how consistently they are carried. If you choose the "wrong" site, you may miss traffic during times that no subscribers tuned to that talkgroup are affiliated to that site. The same is true for the Sandy Run site.
You have no control over which site carries which talkgroups.
This is where a decoding application such as Pro96Com comes in handy. You can feed data to it for a few hours or a few days and see which talkgroups are active on a site.
I hope that helps answer your questions.
Palmetto 800 does use rebanded frequencies, but for scanners monitoring P25 systems that broadcast the table information, it's not necessary for us to worry about those settings anymore.
The site you select to monitor is really dictated by which talkgroups you want to listen to. In general, Richland County & Columbia talkgroups are carried on the Richland County site, while Lexington County talkgroups are carried on the Lexington site. Some county talkgroups are carried on both sites at times, but you'd have to monitor for a bit to verify which fall into that category, and those talkgroups may not be carried on the "other site" consistently. State talkgroups, like SCHP and medical helicopters, will generally be heard on both.
Harbison, which is not a simulcast site, carries a mix of each counties' talkgroups. But again, you'd have to monitor it for a while to determine which talkgroups are carried on it, and how consistently they are carried. If you choose the "wrong" site, you may miss traffic during times that no subscribers tuned to that talkgroup are affiliated to that site. The same is true for the Sandy Run site.
You have no control over which site carries which talkgroups.
This is where a decoding application such as Pro96Com comes in handy. You can feed data to it for a few hours or a few days and see which talkgroups are active on a site.
I hope that helps answer your questions.
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