6B1D reception is horrible

[c5corvette]

I live directly in the middle of two systems 6B1D (Loudoun) and 552B (Fairfax) TRS.

I have a Uniden 996T that I keep updated with the latest firmware and the reception on 6B1D (Loudoun) is in and out and all over the place with choppy and partial tranmissions compared to 552B (Fairfax) which is always wall to wall and tree top tall catching every word and phrase, etc. or compared to most any other system for that matter ;-)

I have tried better 860MHz specific gain antennas and I have tried with / without attenuration and tried auto and manual starting settings for Apco25 Threshold.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[mike_s104]

I live directly in the middle of two systems 6B1D (Loudoun) and 552B (Fairfax) TRS.

I have a Uniden 996T that I keep updated with the latest firmware and the reception on 6B1D (Loudoun) is in and out and all over the place with choppy and partial tranmissions compared to 552B (Fairfax) which is always wall to wall and tree top tall catching every word and phrase, etc. or compared to most any other system for that matter ;-)

I have tried better 860MHz specific gain antennas and I have tried with / without attenuration and tried auto and manual starting settings for Apco25 Threshold.

What am I doing wrong?

I've ran into the same thing. Others on here might be able to give you more info than I can. I've always had issues with it no matter what the signal strength is. There are a few dead spot in the the county like the Lowe's Island area and RT7 near Hill High at the foot of Mt. Weather. Some places it sounds great and then you move a few miles away and it sounds like crap. I tried sitting in a parking lot in Ashburn to tweak the settings on a 396. I got it to sound the best I could and then after I drove a few miles, I got the "motorboating" again. Today I saw TG 1714 being used (not sure what it was). The only reason I notice the TG was because it was almost stuck for a good 30 seconds "motorboating". It usually only does it for a second or two.

The Fairfax system does sound better and the Jefferson WV and Berkeley WV sites sound great without tweaking or anything.

I've actually heard a few county Motorola handhelds sound like crap also. Might not be just the scanners.

 

[ACU1000]

Someone help us all !!!

I've actually heard a few county Motorola handhelds sound like crap also. Might not be just the scanners.

I'd hate to know that our lives, and the lives of our first responders in Loudoun, depend on radio communications that sound like what I hear on my 396 and 996.

I am right in the bad spot Mike is talking about near Lowes Island. I live behind the Bloom. I travel to and from home to Sunrise Valley drive every day and no where along the Algonkian or Fairfax County parkway do I get clear transmissions. I too have tried the attenuator in case it was becasue of the simulcast issues, but that ain't it.

Its so bad, in order to monitor fire rescue I have to create one quick key with a system for low band FD dispatch and another syatem for FD TRS excluding 6A dispatch (since 6A is always choppy or doesnt come in at all.) Unfortunatley, I can't do the same for the other agencies in Loudoun.

Anyone else along the parkway(s) able to hear Loudoun TRS clearly and if so what are you doing that we aren't (or what radio are you using?)

Someone help us all !!!

 

[gcgrotz]

The Charlottesville P25 system is also simulcast and has the same problems. Very broken up at times and places, some spots are never good. I can adjust the settings and it will sound good near my downtown location but it will be stinko somewhere else. I did observe recently that while running the '396 on alkaline batteries (voltage display was over 4 volts) it kinda seemed to do a better job de-coding. I was also running it in the car with the charger switch off using the lighter plug and it seemed better. Maybe ya'll could try that up your war and see if you notice any difference?

 

[ACU1000]

The OP indicated they have a 996, as do I.

So do we think this is just a simulcast issue?

 

[mike_s104]

Actually listening to it today, it sounds pretty good. I did change a few setting last night

Digital AGC

Response time set to -4
Refer Gain +5

 

[gcgrotz]

My bad, I guess using the mobile-powered 996 rules out that theory. I'm guessing that the 2 models use the same decoder chip and firmware.

Mike, let us know how that works, it seems like when I change those settings it works good for a while and then some other value seems to work better.

 

[mike_s104]

My bad, I guess using the mobile-powered 996 rules out that theory. I'm guessing that the 2 models use the same decoder chip and firmware.

Mike, let us know how that works, it seems like when I change those settings it works good for a while and then some other value seems to work better.

Right after I posted last, I went to lunch and when I got back it sounded awful again. The scanner was in the same exact place on my desk.

Anyone with an older 296D or a GRE/RS model have these issues?

I'm be curious to see how the new 396xlt will handle this. I think the scanner plays a big part in the issues but I wonder how much is the system as well. The dead spots are one issue and the motoboating is another. Where I am 90% of the day, I have full signal even without an antenna so it's not the signal strength being enough (maybe too much).

 

[freqhopping]

It's screwy because of the location of the nearest tower and the topography.

http://www.fileupyours.com/view/214894/loudountopo.JPG

I'm not sure how accurate the info is, but per the FCC records the Sterling transmitter is on a 55m (180ft) tower at 91m (298ft) AMSL.

Accurate geodata:
Algonkian Park 207ft AMSL
Potomac Lakes Sportsplex 203ft AMSL
Claude Moore Park 321ft AMSL (Fairly sure the Sterling transmitter is actually than this )

There are high points in between the transmitter and the Algonkian Pkwy areas. North of Claude Moore is the Potomac View Rd area (jagged brown lines) which really high in comparison and then to the NNE of that is Signal Hill. From there the land drops down to the east. To the north of the transmitter there are some decent elevation drops starting at Heather Glen Rd. I know for sure there is no line of sight from Christopher Lane to the transmitter and that's even from a rooftop and discounting all the 50ft+ trees. There is a sort of ridge that parallels the river. I marked this with the brown boxes.
The low point to the east is Sugarland Run creek -blue line.
The terrain changes are really apparent if you look to the west from Seneca Rd.

 

[mike_s104]

It's screwy because of the location of the nearest tower and the topography.

http://www.fileupyours.com/view/214894/loudountopo.JPG

I'm not sure how accurate the info is, but per the FCC records the Sterling transmitter is on a 55m (180ft) tower at 91m (298ft) AMSL.

Accurate geodata:
Algonkian Park 207ft AMSL
Potomac Lakes Sportsplex 203ft AMSL
Claude Moore Park 321ft AMSL (Fairly sure the Sterling transmitter is actually than this )

There are high points in between the transmitter and the Algonkian Pkwy areas. North of Claude Moore is the Potomac View Rd area (jagged brown lines) which really high in comparison and then to the NNE of that is Signal Hill. From there the land drops down to the east. To the north of the transmitter there are some decent elevation drops starting at Heather Glen Rd. I know for sure there is no line of sight from Christopher Lane to the transmitter and that's even from a rooftop and discounting all the 50ft+ trees. There is a sort of ridge that parallels the river. I marked this with the brown boxes.
The low point to the east is Sugarland Run creek -blue line.
The terrain changes are really apparent if you look to the west from Seneca Rd.

Other than geographical issues, what are your thoughts about the Uniden scanners? How dos your 250D sound compared to the 996T or 396T? What firmware versions do you have on both? Does anyone have issues with GRE/RS models?

 

[ACU1000]

The geogrpahic stuff is a good reference for signal strength - but we all agree that is not the issue. The problem seems to be that either the Uniden 396 (996) scanners can't handle the simulcast system worth a crap or the Loudoun system flat out stinks.

I too am beating my head trying to be able to understand what they are saying half the time - makes listening no fun at all.

I too, like Mike, would he interested to hear from someone with an older uniden or a GRE/RS unit in similar location.

Thanks,

 

[freqhopping]

The geogrpahic stuff is a good reference for signal strength - but we all agree that is not the issue.

I don't agree at all. My scanners handle the system flawlessly everywhere except there and the well-known dead spot around Rt7 and Yellow Schoolhouse Rd.

I'm line of sight to four towers the farthest being 8 miles away. I have flawless reception no matter what I use for an antenna - no antenna or LP with the amp cranked up, makes no difference.

I'll see how my Pro-106 does on Monday. When I get the chance I could also ask my sister's friend who is a LCSO deputy that works that area during the day shift and see what she says.

Other than geographical issues, what are your thoughts about the Uniden scanners? How dos your 250D sound compared to the 996T or 396T?

They all decode the same.

What firmware versions do you have on both?

The most recent.

 

[mike_s104]

I don't agree at all. My scanners handle the system flawlessly everywhere except there and the well-known dead spot around Rt7 and Yellow Schoolhouse Rd.

I'm line of sight to four towers the farthest being 8 miles away. I have flawless reception no matter what I use for an antenna - no antenna or LP with the amp cranked up, makes no difference.

I'll see how my Pro-106 does on Monday. When I get the chance I could also ask my sister's friend who is a LCSO deputy that works that area during the day shift and see what she says.



They all decode the same.

The most recent.

Fair enough. Did you do any tweaks for the AGC on any of them? Do you get any motoboating? It's really hard for me to test anything since I'm mostly at work which means I actually do work and listen when I can, just like some do with an MP3 player. The other times I'm driving to and from work so it's a little hard to mess with AGC settings or anything else.

Might be kinda hard to do, but listening to the same traffic on the same TG in the same location with a Loudoun County radio (no matter what agency or office) and a scanner might be a good test.

 

[ACU1000]

My scanners handle the system flawlessly everywhere except there and the well-known dead spot around Rt7 and Yellow Schoolhouse Rd.

When you say "there" -- I assume you mean Lowes Island area reference in this post?

I have the latest firmware and a new 866 MHz antenna. I have not tweaked this AGC, P25 delay time, or any of the other digital settings people refer to - becasue I don't have a clear indication of how to access them or what each setting would do.

East of Sterling Blvd. and NE of the Dulles Town center, and all along Fairfax County Parkway, I don't hear a clear signal - period. I admit, I don't venture into the west all that much.

What exactly have you done that we haven't?

 

[freqhopping]

I haven't tweaked anything. The 396 is set to 8 auto and varies between 11 and 13, ERR is usually 1, but even as high as 25 it doesn't sound any different.
I hadn't even bothered to look up how to adjust it on the 996 until now. It is set the same and indicates very close to the same for all the numbers.

Any time there is motorboating the dispatcher gets it too and the unit has to repeat. Sometimes I hear comms clearly that a dispatcher doesn't.

 

[mike_s104]

I haven't tweaked anything. The 396 is set to 8 auto and varies between 11 and 13, ERR is usually 1, but even as high as 25 it doesn't sound any different.
I hadn't even bothered to look up how to adjust it on the 996 until now. It is set the same and indicates very close to the same for all the numbers.

Any time there is motorboating the dispatcher gets it too and the unit has to repeat. Sometimes I hear comms clearly that a dispatcher doesn't.

I set mine back to auto. We'll see what happens.

 

[mike_s104]

I set mine back to auto. We'll see what happens.

With my 396T set to auto, everything sounds great.

 

[ACU1000]

Let me check my auto settings - you have it set to AUTO 8 ?

Also, where is the closest transmitted to Lowes Island and what direction is the directional antenna pointing.

Lastly, what is the closest tower to lowes island that has an antenna pointing towards lowes island?

Thanks,

 

[freqhopping]

Also, where is the closest transmitted to Lowes Island and what direction is the directional antenna pointing.

Look at the picture I posted. The white line runs from the tower to Great Falls Plaza. It's located on Elmwood Ct.

Lastly, what is the closest tower to lowes island that has an antenna pointing towards lowes island?

What makes you think any of these are directional? That wouldn't be very practical.

Yesterday going along Algonkian Pkwy the 396 and Pro-106 performed equally. I haven't yet compared them in my mom's house where I'm most familiar with the usual signal strength.

 

[ACU1000]

What makes you think any of these are directional? That wouldn't be very practical.

BINGO

I got it from a reliable source that both Loudoun and Prince Willaim use directionals on their TRS systems while Fairfax uses omnis.