Bloomfield PD

[scanner404]

I live right over the line in Windsor and cannot pickup Bloomfield PD. Anyone else not able to pick them up on the new radio system? I tried leaving the scanner on hold on their "channel" and every few seconds it displays "Finding CtrlChan" and I heard nothing for 4 hours straight. Why did they go to the state radio network anyways? Too cheap to buy their own radio equipment?

 

[cg]

What are you using for a scanner? Antenna? How close to outside interference like a cellphone tower?

chris

 

[scanner404]

BCD996P2; mobile antenna in a window, no towers close by that I can see.

 

[doctordialtone]

BCD996P2; mobile antenna in a window, no towers close by that I can see.

I am in Middletown and receive them fine on a 996P2.

 

[cg]

There are sites at Heublein Tower, Bradley Airport, Bloomfield PD and soon to be on the ridge above Tariffville. Simulcast is certainly at play. You can try LESS antenna, use the built in attenuator, relocate the radio, a yagi antenna or any of the fixes previously mentioned in the RR threads up to and including a SDS200 or Unication pager. You could also go the $20 SDR & DSDPlus route but are slaved to a computer.

chris

 

[bondo_06092]

works fine. Listening to them currently. Try checking your CC

 

[cg]

If you hold on a single talkgroup and the radio loses signal, it will display the "finding ctrlchan" indicating it is scanning the frequencies for that system looking for the CC signal.
If there are 4 or 5 bars when is it on the CC with no voice activity, when that happens, it will most likely be simulcast issues. If normally there are only 2-3 bars, I would guess poor reception.

chris

 

[awasser1]

i find sdrrunker with two dongles works best. Gets just about evey call. my sds100 and sds200 get most of the calls. the hp2 gets 2 out of 10.

 

[MarkB513]

I work in Bloomfield off of Cottage Grove Road and I'm able to pick them up fine with my BCD996P2. I realize there is a simulcast at the PD, but even before that I had no issues. However I believe there is a dead spot for them on the H system when they are between the area of Blue Hills Ave and the Windsor boarder because I've heard units on both the A and the L systems stating they where in that area several times.

 

[Reconrider]

I work in Bloomfield off of Cottage Grove Road and I'm able to pick them up fine with my BCD996P2. I realize there is a simulcast at the PD, but even before that I had no issues. However I believe there is a dead spot for them on the H system when they are between the area of Blue Hills Ave and the Windsor boarder because I've heard units on both the A and the L systems stating they where in that area several times.

Windsor has 3 sites of its own that simulcast. Might be making a lot of noise for the 996 in that area.

 

[MarkB513]

I suppose, but I was monitoring the A & L systems in the Southington-Cheshire area and a few times heard mobiles units calling in from Blue Hills Ave so I figured they weren't able to hit the H system. That is of course if I understand correctly how the system works for them.

 

[unwinr]

I am able to receive Bloomfield (CLMRN) on a Uniden 996P2 from Berlin, although I don't regularly monitor it. I am lucky not to have the simulcast issue.

 

[cg]

When you hear them on the L or A Sites, it is simply because there is a radio affiliated on that site. Those are in addition to the Troop H sites rather than in place of.
For scanners, my experience is that a large cell site such as the one at the Blue Hills and Wilson firehouses, put out so much power that they kill the ability of scanners to receive the control channels clearly. Some systems get through or at least some frequencies may get through so you will get some of the traffic. That is the trade off of the consumer scanners.

 

[MarkB513]

Makes sense, I would agree. When I'm at my parents residence in New Milford, located fairly high up, directly across from them (as the crow flies) is two towers, one being cellular. I can't successfully monitor any of the control channels no matter where I park . Very frustrating, especially since I had hoped this would have ceased with the change to the 700MHz.