Calvert County

[Joshheartbrake]

One would think so, although the nearest AACo tower site is in Sudley I think - I'll have to look.

You could get an SDR dongle and a spectrum analyzer software and look for any adjacent frequencies that might be interfering.

I can get perfect reception for NOAA and other frequencies like 388.025 which is a p25 phase 11 channel. But I cant get Anne Arundel 800mhz frequencies or calverts 800mhz frequencies . This only happens when I’d rive one town over . I can get them on the rest Calvert county like dunkirk and stuff just not in north beach,, I can get them fine In Chesapeake beach though but once I drive over to north beach the control channel looses all singal

 

[Joshheartbrake]

Does anyone else have a hard time tracking the county 800 Mhz System? Seems like my BCD996P2 has a hard time tracking it today. Some times I can hear one unit but not another when they are in the middle of a conversation. I have a nice strong signal but there is some kind of tracking issue. I have Firmware Version 1.06.00 installed.

Where in Calvert do you live? You should check if you get anything in north beach ( so I know it’s not just my scanner )

 

[maus92]

If it was interference wouldnt I hear something else on my control channel ?? Or can interference simply be silent and just affect signal blockage of control channels as well?

I'm not sure what you would be listening for on the control channel - it's essentially data, and will sound *weird* even when it's perfectly fine. Also not sure how to correct your problem- you seem to have done everything short of send the radio in for repair.

 

[Joshheartbrake]

I'm not sure what you would be listening for on the control channel - it's essentially data, and will sound *weird* even when it's perfectly fine. Also not sure how to correct your problem- you seem to have done everything short of send the radio in for repair.

The only thing I haven’t tried was a yagi . I tried the attenuator setting , I tried a discone on my roof , I tried a paper clip , I tried reprogramming , and even updated the firmware . Did you try your scanner down here? Or just the dongle ? I wonder if you would get the same result with a good quality scanner ? .

It can only be three things , it’s either my scanner , the Sunderland tower doesn’t reach all the way good enough, or something is blocking my signal ( cell tower or something idk )

 

[Joshheartbrake]

I’m hoping it’s not a blockage , I’m hoping it’s just something that will be fixed with the new system or with a new scanner ( I’m gonna buy a uniden sdrs1000 when it comes out )

 

[maus92]

The only thing I haven’t tried was a yagi . I tried the attenuator setting , I tried a discone on my roof , I tried a paper clip , I tried reprogramming , and even updated the firmware . Did you try your scanner down here? Or just the dongle ? I wonder if you would get the same result with a good quality scanner ? .

It can only be three things , it’s either my scanner , the Sunderland tower doesn’t reach all the way good enough, or something is blocking my signal ( cell tower or something idk )

OK, I thought you said you had already tried a yagi. They only cost $20 - $30. Worth a shot IMO.

Likewise an SDR dongle only costs 20 - 30 bucks. You can use it to investigate interference, but you have to know what to look for, and it's easier if you have a PC (greater selection of software.) I sort of doubt it's interference since Calvert has been rebanded. AACo has not, but Nextel / Sprint has been moved out of their range in AACo a while back. It's possible Sprint / Nextel still has some freqs in AACo's range active in Calvert though, but I sort of doubt that too. That's where the dongle path with appropriate software can help identify interference.

Overall, I just think North Beach is unfortunately positioned, and scanners generally do not have the precision to reliably receive signals in your situation.

 

[Joshheartbrake]

OK, I thought you said you had already tried a yagi. They only cost $20 - $30. Worth a shot IMO.

Likewise an SDR dongle only costs 20 - 30 bucks. You can use it to investigate interference, but you have to know what to look for, and it's easier if you have a PC (greater selection of software.) I sort of doubt it's interference since Calvert has been rebanded. AACo has not, but Nextel / Sprint has been moved out of their range in AACo a while back. It's possible Sprint / Nextel still has some freqs in AACo's range active in Calvert though, but I sort of doubt that too. That's where the dongle path with appropriate software can help identify interference.

Overall, I just think North Beach is unfortunately positioned, and scanners generally do not have the precision to reliably receive signals in your situation.

I thought that Rebanding only helps real radios though and not scanners ?
I just ordered a yagi though , either way when I go up to the sprint tower it doesn’t seem to change anything the closer I get

 

[maus92]

I thought that Rebanding only helps real radios though and not scanners ?
I just ordered a yagi though , either way when I go up to the sprint tower it doesn’t seem to change anything the closer I get

Oh, re-banding certainly helps scanners too. It just depends how close you are to a Sprint tower that uses the Nextel frequencies, or SMR. You can do a search of the FCC database to find nearby tower sites that operate in the 854+ Mhz range. Just for kicks. There are some business SMR licensees in the 854+ Mhz range. If you are *really* close, a site could just be overpowering the front end of your scanner (I think some of the ESMR sites pump out 1,000W. - vs. 100W for a public safety site, but then again they are now in the 861+ range.)

 

[Joshheartbrake]

Oh, re-banding certainly helps scanners too. It just depends how close you are to a Sprint tower that uses the Nextel frequencies, or SMR. You can do a search of the FCC database to find nearby tower sites that operate in the 854+ Mhz range. Just for kicks. There are some business SMR licensees in the 854+ Mhz range. If you are *really* close, a site could just be overpowering the front end of your scanner (I think some of the ESMR sites pump out 1,000W. - vs. 100W for a public safety site, but then again they are now in the 861+ range.)

There is a sprint spectrum tower .21 miles from my house , it’s in 11st ,I live off 9th

 

[Joshheartbrake]

Oh, re-banding certainly helps scanners too. It just depends how close you are to a Sprint tower that uses the Nextel frequencies, or SMR. You can do a search of the FCC database to find nearby tower sites that operate in the 854+ Mhz range. Just for kicks. There are some business SMR licensees in the 854+ Mhz range. If you are *really* close, a site could just be overpowering the front end of your scanner (I think some of the ESMR sites pump out 1,000W. - vs. 100W for a public safety site, but then again they are now in the 861+ range.)

It can’t be Nextel right? Becuase Nextel is done with and this tower was filed in 2014 it seems .
Does it still carry bands that interfere though? I dont think sprint used 800 band anymore and there getting rid of all there old towers. That did I thought

 

[maus92]

It can’t be Nextel right? Becuase Nextel is done with and this tower was filed in 2014 it seems .
Does it still carry bands that interfere though? I dont think sprint used 800 band anymore and there getting rid of all there old towers. That did I thought

Sprint has a SMR license in the Wash/Balto area including Calvert Co. for 863-869Mhz: WPLM583

That does not mean that the tower nearby is carrying those freqs, The individual tower sites are not broken down by frequency on the licensing data.

I sort of doubt that will be an issue for you.

 

[Joshheartbrake]

Sprint has a SMR license in the Wash/Balto area including Calvert Co. for 863-869Mhz: WPLM583

That does not mean that the tower nearby is carrying those freqs, The individual tower sites are not broken down by frequency on the licensing data.

I sort of doubt that will be an issue for you.

Will a yagi elimainte this problem if it is one?

 

[maus92]

The concept behind the Yagi is that it is highly directional, which simply means it will favor signals from towers it is directly pointed at, while rejecting signals it is not pointed at. That should help with weak signals with its gain / amplification properties, and not being as sensitive to signals that you do want to receive - like potential / suspected interference. Of course you are screwed if the interfering source is on the same bearing as the tower you want to receive.

 

[Joshheartbrake]

The concept behind the Yagi is that it is highly directional, which simply means it will favor signals from towers it is directly pointed at, while rejecting signals it is not pointed at. That should help with weak signals with its gain / amplification properties, and not being as sensitive to signals that you do want to receive - like potential / suspected interference. Of course you are screwed if the interfering source is on the same bearing as the tower you want to receive.

Well the tower is on the right of my house and the tower I need to pick up ( control channel ) is on the left of my house so that’s a good thing, I don’t know if there is more towers in the way though before I get to the tower I need to get . So the yagi will not point towards the cell tower it will be on the side of the yagi not in front of it

 

[Joshheartbrake]

The concept behind the Yagi is that it is highly directional, which simply means it will favor signals from towers it is directly pointed at, while rejecting signals it is not pointed at. That should help with weak signals with its gain / amplification properties, and not being as sensitive to signals that you do want to receive - like potential / suspected interference. Of course you are screwed if the interfering source is on the same bearing as the tower you want to receive.

I also hope I don’t have interference from anything when the new system is switched to on

 

[Joshheartbrake]

The concept behind the Yagi is that it is highly directional, which simply means it will favor signals from towers it is directly pointed at, while rejecting signals it is not pointed at. That should help with weak signals with its gain / amplification properties, and not being as sensitive to signals that you do want to receive - like potential / suspected interference. Of course you are screwed if the interfering source is on the same bearing as the tower you want to receive.

This makes no sense though. Should I be getting Anne Arundel , so BOTH towers are out of range Anne Arundel and Calvert????!!! That would be bull crap . I can get Anne Arundel off 260 in Owings . And in Dunkirk , and in Chesapeake beach, if I can get it in chesapke beach. Then I should be able to get it in north beach which is closer !!! This makes me thing something is blocking it

 

[Joshheartbrake]

So check this out , I just drove from rose haven to chesapke beach and I was able to get Anne Arundel in both rose haven and Chesapeake beach but not in between at north beach ! I then turned on Calvert and drove from Chesapeake beach to rose haven and Ivan still get Calvert in Anne Arundel but not north beach! So that goes to tell me something is blocking it as soon as you get in north beach from rose haven and from chesapke beach , can’t get Anne Arundel or Calvert ! But I can get ham bands and NOAA ! And other hammers just not 800mhz channels , what do you think about this ?

 

[Joshheartbrake]

The Calvert tower is al the way in Sunderland and the Anne Arundel tower is all the way in west river.

And if I can get Calvert in rose haven( Anne Arundel ) but not north beach , Then it's not reception it's something blocking . And I can get Anne Arundel is Chesapeake beach but not north beach ( church is closer to Anne Arundel ) ! Makes no sense

 

[boatbod]

So check this out , I just drove from rose haven to chesapke beach and I was able to get Anne Arundel in both rose haven and Chesapeake beach but not in between at north beach ! I then turned on Calvert and drove from Chesapeake beach to rose haven and Ivan still get Calvert in Anne Arundel but not north beach! So that goes to tell me something is blocking it as soon as you get in north beach from rose haven and from chesapke beach , can’t get Anne Arundel or Calvert ! But I can get ham bands and NOAA ! And other hammers just not 800mhz channels , what do you think about this ?

Sounds like a simulcast null.

 

[Joshheartbrake]

Sounds like a simulcast null.

How do you correct this ?