Can anyone help understand a sudden signal issue

[chad_96]

I have been googling and looking for a clear cut understanding and have only found numerous, unclear understanding, to a issue I've started to experience today. I found the applicable filters that work on my two sites I monitor on the State of Colorado DTRS statewide system, or work the best so far. Today all of a sudden those filter settings are both not doing well at all, all of a sudden. So, I tried other filter settings as well, and it seems none of the filter settings are doing a very good job in helping signal and clarity and all leading to a fair amount of D-Error rates and horrible digital Garbled transmissions or whatever it's called.

The Issue that I believe is causing this issue today is the smoke in the atmosphere from the wildfires that is blowing in from other states, as it's really the only change in anything, at all, that I can logically assume would all of a sudden cause this. The smoke is really not thick per say, but lightly hazy in looking out. Just curious if anyone has a knowledge, and can affirm this thought or not, as if maybe this would be a reason for the worse audio quality I'm experiencing, as well as any other thoughts or expertise in what could lead to this type of situation. I have not changed anything or moved the antennas position as well.

 

[ScannerSK]

It's possible a new signal (FM, cellphone, television, etc.) was turned on in your area causing problems with your scanner. What type of receiver are you using? GRE/Whistler scanners tend to suffer more than Bearcat/Uniden scanners.

Smoke might be capable of reflecting radio signals however I have never heard of this causing any issues.

 

[chad_96]

It's possible a new signal (FM, cellphone, television, etc.) was turned on in your area causing problems with your scanner. What type of receiver are you using? GRE/Whistler scanners tend to suffer more than Bearcat/Uniden scanners.

Smoke might be capable of reflecting radio signals however I have never heard of this causing any issues.

I'm using a Uniden sds200, with a PCTEL MAXRAD BMAX8155S antenna tuned for 800mhz in rural areas. I also have a sds100, however I don't have access to it for now to test the two together at the moment.

Interesting, of all the things I've read, mostly people's unpopular opinions, nothing I read factored a new signal. Mostly solar flares, and weather related factors. That's interesting, and I did not consider anything more than the smokey conditions.

Just noticed the RSSI values are reading between -85 to -95, which is normal for my area, and the signal shows good data and full bars. Only issue being the D-errors are really getting up there on transmissions, no matter the filter, all of a sudden today.

 

[scanlist]

Being a distance from the Denver area 700/800 sites weather is a factor in signal propagation at my location.

Some days sites with strong signals drop down other distant sites that normally are weak or otherwise not received from the Eastern plains are receivable up to and including full strength for a period of time and eventually drop back down.

With the hot weather we have been experiencing it has had and effect on signal propagation.

.

 

[chad_96]

Being a distance from the Denver area 700/800 sites weather is a factor in signal propagation at my location.

Some days sites with strong signals drop down other distant sites that normally are weak or otherwise not received from the Eastern plains are receivable up to and including full strength for a period of time and eventually drop back down.

With the hot weather we have been experiencing it has had and effect on signal propagation.

.

Thanks for the reply.

That sounds pretty familiar. We have definitely been experiencing some very high Temps out here on the eastern plains, aside from the smoke.

I've researched many threads and Google search items, and many things contradict what other things say versus one another. This being the reason for the question. I figured what you have replied may also play a factor, but the apparent smoke in the area made me very curious.

The many threads I read on here as well as advice I received suggested using the filters on the sds100/200, and once I found what worked, that should be a set it and stick to it permanently kind of thing. Just seemed illogical that when I found the best filter, which worked very good, all of a sudden seemed awful and so did the others. So, I figured the smoke in the atmosphere, possibly. But you have a great point as well I didn't really consider.

Anyways, thanks for the reply and information.

 

[BinaryMode]

If it were me, and just me, I'd check the signal with something else for a bit of a sanity check. What I'd do is use an SDR and DSD+ or OP25 or even SDRTrunk and verify my decode rates and whatnot. If you still have issues then look elsewhere. For me that would be the feed line and the antenna, then moving onto to any suspected interference.