Between propagation and high sites, VIPER covers extremely well for 800 MHz (in the open), a little too well occasionally. The mix of high elevation sites (most mountain sites & Concord come to mind) and high gain antennas give a fairly wide foot print. It's great for when one is only trying to receive long distance sites, but when a radio tries to talk back and affiliate, that's when the troubles arise.
My radio will get tricked by that occasionally, especially when I'm in the mountains. If I'm affiliated to a high site, it will start to roam to tower that I can hear really well...it's just located further away. I use site lock fairly regularly unless I'm travelling. I can usually hold Heathway until around Shelby when I'm travelling west from Charlotte and I can hold Bearwallow until around Gastonia when I'm travelling east from Asheville (of course I can't talk in from that far away though).
Affiliations also help keep random traffic popping up as well. When I'm monitoring the Bearwallow Mtn. site in Hendersonville, you'll hear SHP talkgroups from all across the state from troopers that are at the Justice Academy in Edneyville and listening to their home district. Same for the NASCAR races in Concord, you'll hear traffic from all over the state from all of the troopers who have their mobile radio parked on their home TG and keeping the portable/low band on the local channel.
My radio will get tricked by that occasionally, especially when I'm in the mountains. If I'm affiliated to a high site, it will start to roam to tower that I can hear really well...it's just located further away. I use site lock fairly regularly unless I'm travelling. I can usually hold Heathway until around Shelby when I'm travelling west from Charlotte and I can hold Bearwallow until around Gastonia when I'm travelling east from Asheville (of course I can't talk in from that far away though).
Affiliations also help keep random traffic popping up as well. When I'm monitoring the Bearwallow Mtn. site in Hendersonville, you'll hear SHP talkgroups from all across the state from troopers that are at the Justice Academy in Edneyville and listening to their home district. Same for the NASCAR races in Concord, you'll hear traffic from all over the state from all of the troopers who have their mobile radio parked on their home TG and keeping the portable/low band on the local channel.
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