Bastrop County HELP !

[N5GBR]

Hi, I'm new but I have searched and can't find any previous post which really helps. I have a RS Pro-651 and I am a 911 Dispatcher at Smithville PD. Bastrop operates off of the GATRRS. I live in La Grange and listen to Fayette Co Sheriff freqs and they are totally clear - but FCSO operates on the LCRA P25 system.

Bastrop is coming in very garbled on most freqs and I cant make out Smithville at all unless I am right in front of the station. Smithville PD is operating on our secondary freq - don't know why we aren't using the primary.....

I am not familiar enough with these new scanners to know what to tinker with - or if anything at all will help. I really would like to monitor our dispatch and fire when I am at home or in my truck. If I need to purchase a better scanner then I will.

I have a 1/4 wave exterior antenna external on the truck but swapping out to the flex antenna doesn't change anything.....I thought I might be overloading the front end somehow.

Thanks in advance for any help or comments !!

 

[ScannerSK]

The GATRRS system operates using simulcast towers which is most likely the issue. Hobbyist scanners do a terrible job with simulcast control channels.
Simulcast - The RadioReference Wiki

Greater Austin/Travis Regional Radio System (GATRRS)
https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=2

Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) P25
https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=6587

Shawn

 

[TLF82]

Smithville is on GATRRS also. I would check the programming of the trunked system in your scanner.

Bastrop is a simulcast system, so that could be causing some of your issues as scanners are known to have issues with this.

I live in Bastrop county but don't monitor via a scanner, so I can't give you too many ideas on things to try. It is doable though as I know people who monitor the system with scanners.

 

[Redneck0410]

Hi, I'm new but I have searched and can't find any previous post which really helps. I have a RS Pro-651 and I am a 911 Dispatcher at Smithville PD. Bastrop operates off of the GATRRS. I live in La Grange and listen to Fayette Co Sheriff freqs and they are totally clear - but FCSO operates on the LCRA P25 system.

Bastrop is coming in very garbled on most freqs and I cant make out Smithville at all unless I am right in front of the station. Smithville PD is operating on our secondary freq - don't know why we aren't using the primary.....

I am not familiar enough with these new scanners to know what to tinker with - or if anything at all will help. I really would like to monitor our dispatch and fire when I am at home or in my truck. If I need to purchase a better scanner then I will and if you have a suggestion I'd appreciate that too !

I have a 1/4 wave exterior antenna external on the truck but swapping out to the flex antenna doesn't change anything.....I thought I might be overloading the front end somehow.

Thanks in advance for any help or comments !!

You could switch to the Unication G4/G5 series of P25 Voice pagers... I have seen where it has solved simulcast issues for a number of members here on RR. Just Google search them. One of their employees is also a member of these forums. I believe his handle is UnicationDan or something like that,

 

[Project25_MASTR]

The GATRRS system operates using simulcast towers which is most likely the issue.

Only some of the sites are simulcast. Wilco, Bastrop, Caldwell, AT C/W and E620 are only simulcast (prime) sites on the system currently. Western Region and Middle Rio Grande do not have simulcast nor does the Permian Regional system.

 

[rbarker]

Bastrop was using 2 separate towers (2 sets of frequencies) and recently combined them into one: Make sure you are listening to: 859.7125c 858.9375 858.7125a 857.7625a 857.7125a 856.7125 854.0375
857.2375 852.2375 851.950 851.550 851.2375
Do you have a list of all the talkgroups for Bastrop Co? I'm pretty sure what's listed is not all of them. If you have a list contact me privately.

 

[garys]

Good update, Rob. I'll be in Austin in early June, but I'll probably be out of range of the Bastrop site since I'll be out towards Lake Travis.

Thanks.

Bastrop was using 2 separate towers (2 sets of frequencies) and recently combined them into one: Make sure you are listening to: 859.7125c 858.9375 858.7125a 857.7625a 857.7125a 856.7125 854.0375
857.2375 852.2375 851.950 851.550 851.2375
Do you have a list of all the talkgroups for Bastrop Co? I'm pretty sure what's listed is not all of them. If you have a list contact me privately.