BCD436HP/BCD536HP: BCD436HP not picking up local trunked signals

KSlank76

Newbie
Joined
Feb 18, 2023
Messages
3
Hello all. I finally purchased the 436hp and I am very happy. Lots of signals to listen to in my area. I do have one issue that I've searched for an answer but haven't found anything. I live in SE Texas and I'm in an area where my local county police (Liberty County) is on the TxWARN system. It's a Project 25 Phase II system. My issue is I can pick up signals from miles and miles away. Further away than Liberty Co. Many of these signals are on the TxWARN system and are around 50 to 60 miles away. But I never get a hit on my local county which is only 10 to 20 miles away max. I have a discone antanna. Nothing special. But again, this antanna picks up signals 3 to 4 times away from several counties over, and on the same TxWARN network as my local.

I have put on my rubber ducky antenna and went into town and have picked up these signals I'm complaining about. I guess that is where my lack of knowledge comes in. I just assume that since my current discone antanna can pick up signals well past my local county on the TxWARN network then my thought process is that I should be able to pick up my local signal which is miles closer.

Just looking for some thoughts. I appreciate all the information from other posts that has helped me setup my scanner. This one issue is really got me confused.


Thank you

Kevin
 

KSlank76

Newbie
Joined
Feb 18, 2023
Messages
3
I've never set my GPS coordinates, I've just always put in my zip code. I have changed my radius from 0 up to 60 miles to see what that does. It changed nothing. As the scanner scans the TxWARN system I see my county flash on the screen along with the 40 or so other departments on the TxWARN system. I can pick up a few Harris County transmissions which are also on the TxWARN system but like I said they are two counties over.

I don't 100% understand when you say do you have location control set to on? Other than selecting my zip and using that to narrow down my search area.
 

nessnet

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Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
1,732
Location
Eastside of Lake WA
I've never set my GPS coordinates, I've just always put in my zip code. I have changed my radius from 0 up to 60 miles to see what that does. It changed nothing. As the scanner scans the TxWARN system I see my county flash on the screen along with the 40 or so other departments on the TxWARN system. I can pick up a few Harris County transmissions which are also on the TxWARN system but like I said they are two counties over.

I don't 100% understand when you say do you have location control set to on? Other than selecting my zip and using that to narrow down my search area.

So, you are not using favorite lists... (I would)
Location control is set on/off on FLs (favorite lists).
I'd still go in and set your location manually. Searching the database will then use this (much more accurate) info instead of the virtual center of whatever zip you put in, that is, assuming the zip's info is accurate.

As to what range you set, reference the thread on this from a week or so ago.
Basically, every object (site/system/dept) in the RR database has a GPS lat/long and range set on it.

Then... there is the global range you set in the radio's profiles (the "radius" you refer to I assume).
If you have a dept in the database with a range of 20 miles and you have the global range at 60, you now have 80 miles, and may be 'over' scanning, so to speak. Remember, the more you scan, the less you'll hear.
 
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hiegtx

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Joined
May 8, 2004
Messages
11,172
Location
Dallas, TX
I've never set my GPS coordinates, I've just always put in my zip code. I have changed my radius from 0 up to 60 miles to see what that does. It changed nothing. As the scanner scans the TxWARN system I see my county flash on the screen along with the 40 or so other departments on the TxWARN system. I can pick up a few Harris County transmissions which are also on the TxWARN system but like I said they are two counties over.

I don't 100% understand when you say do you have location control set to on? Other than selecting my zip and using that to narrow down my search area.
Have you installed Sentinel on your PC, and updated the database? If so, did you then download the updated database to the scanner via Sentinel?

Are you just entering your zip code directly in the scanner? Or are you entering it in Sentinel, then downloading to the scanner?

As nessnet has suggested, you likely would be better off if you created and used a Favorites list. By simply entering your zip code and using that as a basis for scanning, you are using location control. But that is not going to work well unless you also make sure that you have the latest database version loaded in the scanner. That has to be done via Sentinel- download the latest database, using Sentinel, then downloading that to the scanner. Since, apparently, you can hear some Harris County agencies, but not hearing your own county, it;s possible that the database currently in the scanner may not reflect which of your area agencies have moved to TxWARN. The version you are using, perhaps, is one created before Liberty moved to the system.

Of course, you also need to make sure that you have the correct service types enabled. When shipped, or when Sentinel is first installed, the only types active are for dispatch: Law Dispatch, Fore Dispatch, EMS Dispatch, and Multi-Dispatch. Also enable the Tac & Talk types, such as Fore Tac, Law Talk, etc.
 

KSlank76

Newbie
Joined
Feb 18, 2023
Messages
3
Database has been updated from the day I bought the scanner. I do have favorite lists. One list for each of the two counties we live by. I checked on both have location control set to off. I did turn them on, but after reading about location control I turned it back off.

Test I did today. I placed my stock antenna on my scanner and went for a drive. I drove into the county I'm having trouble receiving. The stock antenna picked up plenty of TxWARN signals including the ones I can't get at my house with my discone. Driving home I did pick up a lot of signals from 20 plus miles away with just my stock antenna.

So, I think I've narrowed this down to my my discone. I know I did say I've picked up TxWARN signals on it, but maybe it was a similar named channel not on that system. I am confused at how good this antenna picks up many systems all around me but is having trouble with the TxWARN system. When I returned home I did pick up a few transmissions from the TxWARN system with my stock antenna. So I know the signals are making it this far.

So now my questions are around my discone antenna. I dont' know how to trouble shoot this antenna. It's about 20ft in the air, but it is temporarily in place while I get my setup going. If the antenna is not perfectly straight will that affect the signals it picks up? It does have a slight lean to it. Of course I realize perfectly straight up and down would be the best but maybe the lean could affect it. It is located behind my shop. I wouldn't think the shop would create an issue. The shop is not between my location and the signals i'm struggling with. Like I said I pick up many signals from Liberty county it is just the TxWARN system.

At the same time I pick up the Southeast Texas Regional radio system just fine. I'm picking up signals from that system 40 miles away with this discone antenna.

PS. I did get coordinates and set my location manually. But again, I think I'm past the location issue and now looking at my antenna.

Ideas?

Thanks

Kevin
 

hiegtx

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Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 8, 2004
Messages
11,172
Location
Dallas, TX
Database has been updated from the day I bought the scanner. I do have favorite lists. One list for each of the two counties we live by. I checked on both have location control set to off. I did turn them on, but after reading about location control I turned it back off.

Test I did today. I placed my stock antenna on my scanner and went for a drive. I drove into the county I'm having trouble receiving. The stock antenna picked up plenty of TxWARN signals including the ones I can't get at my house with my discone. Driving home I did pick up a lot of signals from 20 plus miles away with just my stock antenna.

So, I think I've narrowed this down to my my discone. I know I did say I've picked up TxWARN signals on it, but maybe it was a similar named channel not on that system. I am confused at how good this antenna picks up many systems all around me but is having trouble with the TxWARN system. When I returned home I did pick up a few transmissions from the TxWARN system with my stock antenna. So I know the signals are making it this far.

So now my questions are around my discone antenna. I dont' know how to trouble shoot this antenna. It's about 20ft in the air, but it is temporarily in place while I get my setup going. If the antenna is not perfectly straight will that affect the signals it picks up? It does have a slight lean to it. Of course I realize perfectly straight up and down would be the best but maybe the lean could affect it. It is located behind my shop. I wouldn't think the shop would create an issue. The shop is not between my location and the signals i'm struggling with. Like I said I pick up many signals from Liberty county it is just the TxWARN system.

At the same time I pick up the Southeast Texas Regional radio system just fine. I'm picking up signals from that system 40 miles away with this discone antenna.

PS. I did get coordinates and set my location manually. But again, I think I'm past the location issue and now looking at my antenna.

Ideas?

Thanks

Kevin
A discone antenna has zero gain, so it's not as effective as a gain type antenna, like a yagi.

But this issue might not be with your antenna. Instead, it could be that the coax you are using to connect the scanner to your antenna may have too much loss, or perhaps a defective connection. What coax are you using from the antenna to the scanner inside your house? Cable such as RG-58 has a lot of signal loss compared to other choices. You say that your antenna is 'behind' your shop. If the shop has metal walls, and the antenna is behind it rather than above the roof, then that may also be affecting the strength of the signals that reach your scanner. If the scanner is 'behind' the shack (relative to the Liberty County sites), but 'in front' of the shack as far as the direction of the Southeast Texas System, then that would be a contributing factor in why you can receive SETRRS fairly well, but not TxWARN.

Since you are receiving TxWARN (at least some of the sites) with the stock antenna, but mostly not with the discone points to an antenna (or coax) problem, not one with the scanner itself. Neither of the two TxWARN sites in Liberty County are Simulcast, so that is not a factor.
 

tvengr

Well Known Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2019
Messages
9,182
Location
Baltimore County, MD
The two site licenses for Liberty County in the database for the TxWARN system show expired and cancelled. It is possible that the sites have been updated to simulcast. Try turning on the attenuator on the scanner. Using the stock antenna, walk around the house while pointing the antenna in various directions and see if you are able to receive anything. What is your city?
 
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hiegtx

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Joined
May 8, 2004
Messages
11,172
Location
Dallas, TX
The two site licenses for Liberty County in the database for the TxWARN system show expired and cancelled. It is possible that the sites have been updated to simulcast. Try turning on the attenuator on the scanner. Using the stock antenna, walk around the house while pointing the antenna in various directions and see if you are able to receive anything. What is your city?
Looks like the expired license on the Moss Hill site, WQJH488, has been replaced with WQQS914. The expired license was for frequencies > 860, which were replaced with the lower frequencies on the replacement license. The site frequencies were updated, but not the license listed on the site.

The Ames site (1-018) shows license WQKM862, which, as noted, was cancelled in 2020.

That was replaced by WQPS785 and WQPU518. Those two licenses have the same frequencies for Liberty County. The frequencies listed on the main TxWARN page appear to be correct, matching those two licenses. The frequencies listed on the site details page match what is licensed, but still shows the cancelled license. Interestingly, licenses WQPS785 and WQPU518 list the same set of frequencies, for the same physical location. I don't see any other sets of frequencies or sites that point toward a simulcast issue.
 
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