AWIN Discussion

[KF5EYR]

I have a RS PRO-18 that I got new for a steal when Radio Shack was closing out their GRE inventory. It received Craighead Co. and the Jonesboro Police just yesterday down here in N. Little Rock. I am assuming that was due to signal skipping down this far south. I have quite a bit of available funds, at present; and, I was wondering; would it be any advantage to me to go ahead and purchase one of the new Uniden's. It would seem that there are still a few issues to be worked out. But, Uniden's new offerings seem to have become the Cadillacs of the line, already. Not that I am dissatisfied with the PRO-18, I just like the latest and best. Anyone that has experience with both, please feel free to give me your opinion. Moderators, included. My PRO-18 is going to be hard to beat, considering I only gave $150.00 for it. All opinions are welcome. 73's. KF5EYR

 

[INDY72]

I have a RS PRO-18 that I got new for a steal when Radio Shack was closing out their GRE inventory. It received Craighead Co. and the Jonesboro Police just yesterday down here in N. Little Rock. I am assuming that was due to signal skipping down this far south. I have quite a bit of available funds, at present; and, I was wondering; would it be any advantage to me to go ahead and purchase one of the new Uniden's. It would seem that there are still a few issues to be worked out. But, Uniden's new offerings seem to have become the Cadillacs of the line, already. Not that I am dissatisfied with the PRO-18, I just like the latest and best. Anyone that has experience with both, please feel free to give me your opinion. Moderators, included. My PRO-18 is going to be hard to beat, considering I only gave $150.00 for it. All opinions are welcome. 73's. KF5EYR

OK, here is your short quick class on statewide TRS's...

On many systems, you can potentially hear anyone at anytime anywhere. Any radio that has XYZ Talk Groups programmed into it that affiliates with an Site (Tower) that you are monitoring will allow you to hear those TG's. SO if I am an JPD Sgt say with an assignment in Little Rock for Court Date, Prisoner Transport, Training, etc... I drive up there and my HT, as well as Mobile affiliate with various Sites as I drive up, roam around the area, and then drive back. As long as my radios are turned on, and affiliated with a Site, that Site will transmit the TG's programmed into my radios anytime there is traffic on them. Some TG's are set up in radios to only work on certian Sites, or Zones, and those you won't hear except in the geopgraphic region they are assigned to. That is part of the problem with the systems, and also the good thing about the systems. You can interop with your agency statewide, but.... When your radio is on in Little Rock, its TG's are now competeing with literally the entire State's TG's for Voice Channels on the Sites in and around Little Rock. At least until the AWIN is upgraded to Phase II TDMA.

As for the answer to the buy an BCD436HP.. YES! If your going to be anywhere near ANY P25 simulcast system, or sites on an system, the new BCDXXXHP's are currently the only scanners that have no issues on LSM simulcast P25. that and other trunking friendly features make it a great one to have.

 

[dbs1023]

I have a RS PRO-18 that I got new for a steal when Radio Shack was closing out their GRE inventory. It received Craighead Co. and the Jonesboro Police just yesterday down here in N. Little Rock. I am assuming that was due to signal skipping down this far south. I have quite a bit of available funds, at present; and, I was wondering; would it be any advantage to me to go ahead and purchase one of the new Uniden's. It would seem that there are still a few issues to be worked out. But, Uniden's new offerings seem to have become the Cadillacs of the line, already. Not that I am dissatisfied with the PRO-18, I just like the latest and best. Anyone that has experience with both, please feel free to give me your opinion. Moderators, included. My PRO-18 is going to be hard to beat, considering I only gave $150.00 for it. All opinions are welcome. 73's. KF5EYR

Coming from a rs 106.. I love everything about the uniden 436. I do have two small issues...in sentinial I wish they would show control channels and I miss the quick keys to turn banks on and off. I had to set up favorites lists which is easy to get to just not as easy as the 106. I have only had it a week so I am still learning.

 

[dbs1023]

Milf, any idea when phase two may hit?

 

[davenlr]

I use a 536 at home, and a 436 in my work truck. There is quite a learning curve involved in either, but you cant beat the sensitivity, and ability to monitor the AWIN system. Ive had to attenuate the signal from LR Simulcast and Shinall Mt on my 536 at home. When I raised the antenna so I could get Hot Springs good, AWIN started chopping really bad. So its a matter of picking sites to monitor, and getting the settings right for that site. Then its happy monitoring.

 

[davenlr]

I was listening to some traffic on LR Simulcast from Lonoke Co Sheriff. I switched over to the Lonoke site, and its a solid 5 bars, but no traffic. Checked the logs, and never get any traffic on this site. Are the frequencies listed for it correct? I am getting Lonoke Co Sheriff on the "HOPEWELL" site, but that site, as well as all sites using the same frequency for a primary control channel are WAY out of range for me, so I am wondering if "HOPEWELL" is actually "LONOKE"??

Also, Shinall Mt is giving me the same choppy audio as LR Metro Simulcast does. Is it part of the Simulcast now? Trying to figure out why I am getting choppy audio on it. I put on the Attenuator, and it seems to be a little better, but not as clear as it was when I first started listening. Only thing Ive done is moved the antenna, and raised it about 10 feet higher.

 

[dbs1023]

I use a 536 at home, and a 436 in my work truck. There is quite a learning curve involved in either, but you cant beat the sensitivity, and ability to monitor the AWIN system. Ive had to attenuate the signal from LR Simulcast and Shinall Mt on my 536 at home. When I raised the antenna so I could get Hot Springs good, AWIN started chopping really bad. So its a matter of picking sites to monitor, and getting the settings right for that site. Then its happy monitoring.

I feel like I should know this by now exactly what is the benefit/difference in attenuator and global?

 

[dbs1023]

I was listening to some traffic on LR Simulcast from Lonoke Co Sheriff. I switched over to the Lonoke site, and its a solid 5 bars, but no traffic. Checked the logs, and never get any traffic on this site. Are the frequencies listed for it correct? I am getting Lonoke Co Sheriff on the "HOPEWELL" site, but that site, as well as all sites using the same frequency for a primary control channel are WAY out of range for me, so I am wondering if "HOPEWELL" is actually "LONOKE"??

Also, Shinall Mt is giving me the same choppy audio as LR Metro Simulcast does. Is it part of the Simulcast now? Trying to figure out why I am getting choppy audio on it. I put on the Attenuator, and it seems to be a little better, but not as clear as it was when I first started listening. Only thing Ive done is moved the antenna, and raised it about 10 feet

Shinall always sounds a little choppy to me from my house. I still don't get anything from elr and I turned on discovery for lonoke "which I don't have set in my favorites list" and have picked up someone from troop l, mems, lcso, j-ville, and a few others within minutes. So I can say this site is active unlike elr

 

[davenlr]

Attenuator cuts down the signal strength on simulcast sites, so hopefully, only the closest or strongest one will come in, limiting digital confusion.

Wonder why I am getting nothing on Lonoke, but I am on Hopewell?

 

[INDY72]

Expect the AWIN to have the ability to do TDMA by 2018, as they will be very slow to get this done. (Hence the waivers applied for)

Attenuation cuts the amount of signal being processed, or as another would put it, deadens the sensitivity. It is good in heavy singal areas, and on simulcast systems. As for the Shinall site, no its not simulcast, its stand alone. (The original Shinall Site anyway)

That is unless they are going to go ahead and make all the Pulaski region a big simulcast, but to do that, they would have to reprogram them all with the exact same freqs etc....

Reception could be affected by many things. Weather conditions, slight distance of antenna, system tweaking, etc...

I will go back through the AWIN listings over the next month or so on my days off and check for license updates/changes.

I do know they are going to be tweaking all the Pulaski County, and surrounding sites to add the PC Loadout.... Usually when a region/zone is being upgraded/updated, they take the entire region/zone down for a couple of hours to an day depending on how extensive the changes are. With ELR, this sounds more serious as its been multiple days now.

Lonoke Freqs per current Licenses...
854.2125
856.8125
857.8125
858.9125
859.9125
860.9125
851.1125
852.9375
853.8000
856.1375
859.9875
860.9875
854.5375
852.5500

 

[dbs1023]

Expect the AWIN to have the ability to do TDMA by 2018, as they will be very slow to get this done. (Hence the waivers applied for)

Attenuation cuts the amount of signal being processed, or as another would put it, deadens the sensitivity. It is good in heavy singal areas, and on simulcast systems. As for the Shinall site, no its not simulcast, its stand alone. (The original Shinall Site anyway)

That is unless they are going to go ahead and make all the Pulaski region a big simulcast, but to do that, they would have to reprogram them all with the exact same freqs etc....

Reception could be affected by many things. Weather conditions, slight distance of antenna, system tweaking, etc...

I will go back through the AWIN listings over the next month or so on my days off and check for license updates/changes.

I do know they are going to be tweaking all the Pulaski County, and surrounding sites to add the PC Loadout.... Usually when a region/zone is being upgraded/updated, they take the entire region/zone down for a couple of hours to an day depending on how extensive the changes are. With ELR, this sounds more serious as its been multiple days now.

Lonoke Freqs per current Licenses...
854.2125
856.8125
857.8125
858.9125
859.9125
860.9125
851.1125
852.9375
853.8000
856.1375
859.9875
860.9875
854.5375
852.5500

Who else is on the simulcast besides little rock? The way I interpret your post it sounds as if pcso and possibly Sherwood will be normal awin users.

 

[dbs1023]

Attenuator cuts down the signal strength on simulcast sites, so hopefully, only the closest or strongest one will come in, limiting digital confusion.

Wonder why I am getting nothing on Lonoke, but I am on Hopewell?

That is very strange

 

[davenlr]

Lonoke Freqs per current Licenses...
854.2125
856.8125
857.8125
858.9125
859.9125
860.9125
851.1125
852.9375
853.8000
856.1375
859.9875
860.9875
854.5375
852.5500

Thanks. According to the database, 857.5625 is no longer used, and 856.1375, 859.9875, and 860.9875 were added and arent listed in the current online database. Ill modify the scanner accordingly.

Still not getting anything on it tho.

 

[INDY72]

Who else is on the simulcast besides little rock? The way I interpret your post it sounds as if pcso and possibly Sherwood will be normal awin users.

ALL Pulaski County will have the Simulcast Site as the "Primary, or Home Site" if you will. Sheriff, Emergency Management, County Fire, MEMS, County Public Works etc, will also have full access to the surrounding AWIN Stand Alone Sites, including Shinall due to the wide geographic coverage these agencies need. Also, any users with system wide access will also be able to use the Little Rock Simulcast.

Now, to clarify so there is no misunderstanding about the AWIN. The majority of the sites on the AWIN are Stand Alone Repeaters. There are a few multi tower Simulcast Sites. the "Little Rock" 3 tower one being the newest.

 

[KF5EYR]

Who else is on the simulcast besides little rock? The way I interpret your post it sounds as if pcso and possibly Sherwood will be normal awin users.

Sherwood and PCSO are still using the old Little Rock Public Service analog system. Or, at least they were at lunch time. Maumelle and some of the individual hospitals are, as well. It will be nice when everyone gets on the same page and I can get my playlists organized in a more logical manner. As a side note, on my Pulaski Co. playlists (I have several); I used Little Rock Simulcast, Shinall Mt., and East Little Rock. Used control frequencies only.

 

[dbs1023]

That is very strange

I haven't looked but are any of the frequencies on the hope well site the same as a local tower?

 

[INDY72]

Maumelle is using both systems currently. AWIN and the Legacy Little Rock system. That will be changing in the near future. SO, EMA, Sherwood should be on AWIN at least partially in next week or so, and by May should be fully AWIN. Hospitals are using both during transition, as well as VHF HEAR, and UHF MED's.

 

[dbs1023]

Sherwood and PCSO are still using the old Little Rock Public Service analog system. Or, at least they were at lunch time. Maumelle and some of the individual hospitals are, as well. It will be nice when everyone gets on the same page and I can get my playlists organized in a more logical manner. As a side note, on my Pulaski Co. playlists (I have several); I used Little Rock Simulcast, Shinall Mt., and East Little Rock. Used control frequencies only.

Yes it will be nice. I use only the control channels as well.

 

[davenlr]

I am still trying to get Shinall Mt and Simulcast to work without the transmissions chopping like crazy. Its really making it hard to listen to. Jacksonville sounds good. Still havent figured out Hopewell, and still cant get any traffic on Lonoke or East Little Rock.

 

[dbs1023]

I am still trying to get Shinall Mt and Simulcast to work without the transmissions chopping like crazy. Its really making it hard to listen to. Jacksonville sounds good. Still havent figured out Hopewell, and still cant get any traffic on Lonoke or East Little Rock.

If I remember correctly you live in levy...I wonder if the hill heading toward JFK is messing you up. If you are ever up toward say McCain and north hills give lonoke a shot. I should have tried with mine while I was in levy today but I didn't think to..I normally do not listen to little rock unless I am bored or in the area so I don't know what the audio is like. I don't think they have the system running 100% yet so I bet things will get better once they do. I can listen to little rock from home with the 436 but I still can't hear maumelle unless I go outside...