Bell Gardens fully digital

[rananthony04]

I've been paying CLOSE attention to Bell Gardens PD frequency (453.92500). Within the past couple of weeks, I would hear test counts in digital/analog modulation. As of now (7-20-06) it sounds as if they are operating fully digital. I posted a notice in the RR forum some time back, when i first heard the digital test counts, but got no response to my inquiry. Can anyone confirm this change?

-Robert

SGV

 

[brandon]

That is probably Simi Valley PD you are hearing.

 

[Radio_Lady]

I've been paying CLOSE attention to Bell Gardens PD frequency (453.92500). Within the past couple of weeks, I would hear test counts in digital/analog modulation. As of now (7-20-06) it sounds as if they are operating fully digital.

AFAIK Bell Gardens is still analog, with PL of 127.3, though I can barely hear them from my location.

However, as of yesterday - 7/19 - Simi Valley PD switched to the 453.925 freq in P25 digital, with some units using encryption at times. See the thread at http://radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43409

We're still waiting to find additional freqs in use.

If you can confirm some Bell Gardens locations on the digital calls, let us know, that would be "extra points" for you.

 

[rananthony04]

I completely forgot about Simi Valley switching over. From where I live in Baldwin Park, I can hear analog Bell Gardens pretty good, but when I hear the digital modulation, it sounds much better. I didn't even realize i would be able to pick up Simi Valley considering I live about 1 hour and 15 mins away. Thank you for correcting me, I am going set the PL tone so that there is no more confusion on my part.
Boy, is my face red

-Robert

 

[Radio_Lady]

I completely forgot about Simi Valley switching over.

Boy, is my face red

Shoot, THAT's not a problem. Nobody can keep up with all the radio changes that are happening, rumored, being planned, lied about, made up, etc.

One of Simi's 453.925 transmitters is up on Oat Mtn at over 3000' elevation. Don't know if that's the one being used, or if they're voted, or what. There's a guy out near Murietta in Riverside County who's receiving the signals, and someone else says they're loud and clear in Carson.

Have to wonder if they're not interfering with Bell Gardens when their mobiles are trying to transmit at the same time SVPD is. I'm sure Simi Valley will hear about it if they are.

 

[rananthony04]

I wouldn't doubt it if they are interfering. The reason why I say this is because I have been within a mile of Bell Gardens, and being that close to the city I am able to hear their transmissions alot clearer, at the same time, I would hear (what I know now) Simi Valley, clearer than some of the LAPD freqs! Thats why I thought that Bell Gardens went digital. I'm sure there is still some tweaking going on with signal strength, for the reason of interference with other freqs in that range. Sound right?

-Robert
SGV

 

[Radio_Lady]

In all the letters of concurrence from co- and adjacent channel users (although I see none from Bell Gardens OR about 453.925), there is specific mention that "the sites are low level compared to the Santa Susana Hills and that all radio signals will be confined to the Simi basin and will not spill over into the Los Angeles basin."

it's about 4MB if you're on dialup, but see https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/...tachmentKey=18005270&attachmentInd=applAttach

or https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/...tachmentKey=18047442&attachmentInd=applAttach

Which include the standard line that Simi Valley will be required to work to resolve any interference that arises.

I've always been curious about SVPD's wide coverage on 160.785, but being in what's the former LR "Railroad" band at least that frequency wasn't shared with anybody within a couple hundred miles. LA County MTA got a license last August (WQDE951) for that frequency, with a repeater at the Sierra Madre Villa station on the Gold Line, and some mobiles/temp sites, so I expect they're going to be ready to use it ASAP once SVPD pulls the plug for good.

 

[rananthony04]

I see/hear much clearly now, thank you radio_lady

 

[code6]

Bell Gardens

I live in Bell Gardens and with the pl tone programmed in, there is no interfearance
to Bell Gardens police transmissions at all, but with no pl Simi Valley does interfear
with transmissions.Also noticed that BGPD seam to have gotten some new radios,
I notice a differance in the squelch tail at the end of a tranmission so who knows
whats up with that.

 

[rananthony04]

I also programmed the PL tone in my pro-96, yet I still recieve interference from Simi Valley. It's not as bad as it was before, but its noticable. Is that still supposed to happen?

 

[KMA367]

I also programmed the PL tone in my pro-96, yet I still recieve interference from Simi Valley. It's not as bad as it was before, but its noticable. Is that still supposed to happen?

Two things to remember. The PL decoder (think of it as a filter) on the Pro-96 only works when the scanner is in SCAN mode, not if you're parked on the channel in MANUAL.

The other is, if both stations are transmitting simultaneously and your receiver is thus "opened," whichever one is stronger TO YOU will usually override the other; if they're roughly equal strength where you are, you'll hear gobbledygook or else nothing.

 

[rananthony04]

Iv'e heard "gobbledygook" on several occasions, it's very annoying. I didnt know the scanner had to be in SCAN mode to recieve Bell Gardens exclusively, furthermore, what if I wanted to listen to Bell Gardens exclusively? I would have it in MANUAL mode, but then I'd have to worry about Simi Valley cuttin in. In the past I have never recieved any Ventura County communications, why now? I have read radio_lady's posts'/responses regarding the freq interference, I just dont understand why the city hasn't done someting about it yet.

-Robert

 

[ShadowKnight]

Hey Harry. Nice to see you on here. How've you been?

 

[KMA367]

Iv'e heard "gobbledygook" on several occasions, it's very annoying. I didnt know the scanner had to be in SCAN mode to recieve Bell Gardens exclusively, furthermore, what if I wanted to listen to Bell Gardens exclusively? I would have it in MANUAL mode, but then I'd have to worry about Simi Valley cuttin in. In the past I have never recieved any Ventura County communications, why now? I have read radio_lady's posts'/responses regarding the freq interference, I just dont understand why the city hasn't done someting about it yet.

-Robert

OK, I think I'm wrong about the PL decode only working in SCAN mode in the Pro-96. I'll correct that, as I believe it does work in MANUAL also.

If you have the freq set to 453.925, mode set to CT, the tone set for Bell Gardens, and "CLOSED", the only time you should be able to hear Simi Valley's P25 signal is if Bell Gradens is transmitting at the same time that Simi comes on the air. And then, only if Simi's signal is strong enough where you are to overpower Bell Gardens.

Since people as far away as Riverside County say they can hear Simi's 453.925, they must be transmitting from Oat Mountain, which seems like overkill, but who knows what's going on with them yet. Oat Mtn is almost 4000-feet up above Chatsworth and overlooks a huge area.

As far as Bell Gardens "doing something about it," remember it's a very small city, only 2.5 sq mi, so everyone is usually within a mile or so of THEIR repeater. So even if Simi is transmitting, the BG guys are practically underneath their own repeater which should smother anythiing coming all the way from Simi.

The problem arises as you get farther away from the Bell Gardens repeater (at 7100 S Garfield). The farther away you are, the more likely that BG and Simi will be competing for your scanner's attention.

 

[KMA367]

Oat Mountain...

In the past I have never recieved any Ventura County communications, why now?-Robert

Simi Valley's 160.785 has always had pretty good penetration into L.A. County. When I'd come to L.A. down I-5, I could usually start hearing them up on the Grapevine. But with nobody else using that frequency it never was an issue.

I guess we're all ASSUMING the new 453.925 is coming off Oat Mountain. If that's the case, here's a kind of slow-loading map of Oat's coverage area. There are dozens of private companies and public agencies with repeaters up there because it talks so far.

 

[rananthony04]

Thank you Harry