It is not picking up anything, had a brief lock on Dispatch 1 TG 345. But nothing after that.
I know the scanner is working, not a scanner issue.
I know the scanner is working, not a scanner issue.
City of Houston Project 25 TRS
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Press "Tune" and enter 774.45625 and see what shows on the display.
Also, what antenna are you using?
And nothing on HPD either?
Also, what antenna are you using?
And nothing on HPD either?
34% decode probably won't cut it.
Enter 859.9375 and see what you get.
You may need a band-specific antenna, such as...
800MHz Scanner Antenna : Scanner Antennas | RadioShack.com
0% on that one.
If you're sure your scanner doesn't have some other problem, you probably need a different antenna...or you're just in a bad area and are getting desensed by something.
Just for grins try 162.400 and be sure you can hear the Wx service.
Loud and clear on the 162.400.
Let me get the antenna from RS, and see how that goes.
By any chance can I get the file you use on you scanner, so I can drive around and see it that works.
Thanks for your help.
Let me get the antenna from RS, and see how that goes.
By any chance can I get the file you use on you scanner, so I can drive around and see it that works.
Thanks for your help.
Ok, I sent you a PM.
P25 Capable
Please, understand that I am new at this as well. I own a GRE PSR 500 which is a P25 radio.
Yes, we can hear HPD & HFD provided we program the using FDMA talk groups & the associated site dedicated to those without TDMA-capable radios. But, it is necessary to load this as a separate system.
Please, review the following posts: 281; 296; & 302.
Please, understand that I am new at this as well. I own a GRE PSR 500 which is a P25 radio.
Yes, we can hear HPD & HFD provided we program the using FDMA talk groups & the associated site dedicated to those without TDMA-capable radios. But, it is necessary to load this as a separate system.
Please, review the following posts: 281; 296; & 302.
Clodine & Missouri City Sites
I am glad I decided to reprogram TxWarn P25 for my trip to the Houston metroplex.
When I program, I usually make a listing of the various sites I need to program. When I looked at my list & attempted to find Clodine & Missouri city sites, they were gone. So, I'm guessing these are now included in the Ft. Bend simulcast.
I believe I've finally figured all of this out thanks to the help of two kind souls.
As indicated at the top of the sites, the zones are represented as standard talk groups.
The interop talk groups 1179, 409, 1149, and 1151 & those identified as Incident Command will be programmed like the rest of TxWarn P25.
I am downloading the special layer for HPD/HFD as a separate system & mapping them to one Scan List. I will be programming the recommended 12 HPD FDMA talk groups.
Thanks to everyone that helped!
I am glad I decided to reprogram TxWarn P25 for my trip to the Houston metroplex.
When I program, I usually make a listing of the various sites I need to program. When I looked at my list & attempted to find Clodine & Missouri city sites, they were gone. So, I'm guessing these are now included in the Ft. Bend simulcast.
I believe I've finally figured all of this out thanks to the help of two kind souls.
As indicated at the top of the sites, the zones are represented as standard talk groups.
The interop talk groups 1179, 409, 1149, and 1151 & those identified as Incident Command will be programmed like the rest of TxWarn P25.
I am downloading the special layer for HPD/HFD as a separate system & mapping them to one Scan List. I will be programming the recommended 12 HPD FDMA talk groups.
Thanks to everyone that helped!
Correct, they are part of the Ft. Bend simulcast now.
The PSR-800 is a bit more sophisticated. For each tower site you can set the data decode
threshold with both an upper and a lower value. That way you create a "window" for each
control channel to perform according to its signal strength. I have all the RFSS-3 control
channels set to LO 70 and HI 95 which should pick up just about anything out there.
New Information on PSR 800
I never knew this radio was that individualized regarding the tower site decoding. Nice. Thanks for that information.
I never knew this radio was that individualized regarding the tower site decoding. Nice. Thanks for that information.
PSR-800 and the HPD in Alvin
For the PSR-800 I programmed in RFSS3-5 which is Hou Gen Govt Svcs Simulcast. Because this site is located in downtown Houston, it is too far away to be heard in Alvin with just a rubber duck antenna.
I also found 2 Alvin sites, RFSS3-11 and RFSS3-14 and programmed them into the PSR-800.
The final site is RFSS3-16 Santa Fe which is located down the road from here. That site 3-16 is VERY active but all I can get out of it is "HPD SE Disp." No other HPD traffic at all.
I guess this means that we will be limited on what parts of the HPD traffic we hear for those of us who live outside the main Houston Metroplex core.
From a monitoring standpoint, I find this whole P25 thing extremely disappointing to say the least.
For the PSR-800 I programmed in RFSS3-5 which is Hou Gen Govt Svcs Simulcast. Because this site is located in downtown Houston, it is too far away to be heard in Alvin with just a rubber duck antenna.
I also found 2 Alvin sites, RFSS3-11 and RFSS3-14 and programmed them into the PSR-800.
The final site is RFSS3-16 Santa Fe which is located down the road from here. That site 3-16 is VERY active but all I can get out of it is "HPD SE Disp." No other HPD traffic at all.
I guess this means that we will be limited on what parts of the HPD traffic we hear for those of us who live outside the main Houston Metroplex core.
From a monitoring standpoint, I find this whole P25 thing extremely disappointing to say the least.
Fortunately I can receive Site 3-005. This is very lucky since I don't have a PSR-800. However, what's disappointing to me is I can no longer reliably receive Site 1-052. It used to come in crystal clear before Simulcast. I live in the "core" you mentioned, and I would like to know if after the dust settles will there be additional antennas or anything that will improve my reception? I haven't yet tried a yagi, and am holding off since I can't roof-mount anything, and I don't really want a 3-foot antenna inside. But I may have to resort to that sooner or later! (And, I'm not positive it would help.)
Just to be clear, the closest tower of the 3-05 simulcast AFAIK is near Dixie Farm Rd and I-45 which should put it in range of Alvin.
You must have had a similar problem monitoring Kingwood and N Shepard in the past. P25 has nothing to do with it, trunking does, but you have been living with that for years with all public safety in Brazoria, Galveston and Harris County agencies.
The only caveat to that is that site has panel antennas that point southeast.
grem467
Member
Ill bet it's a conspiracy by Motorola to thwart scanner listening. Darn STs!!
Layers & Sites
When those with PSR 500 radios were told to only program the general services site & those HPD/HFD talk groups labeled FDMA in a separate system, I understand that.
But there are several sites that still puzzle me.
Do some of these sites carry both TDMA & FDMA signals? The "layers" term is confusing since I can't see where it is labeled.
If I'm understanding this correctly, the only RFSS that I should program for a PSR 500 is 3 (3) 005. All of the other 3 (3) sites are to be avoided. These extend into Santa Fe, Texas, Brazoria, Fort Bend.
I would not think HPD/HFD was active in Brazoria county. Or, will there be TDMA talk groups in Brazoria county in the near future?
For example, I should avoid Houston Public Safety NW Simulcast since it carries only TDMA traffic? I see where there is a Houston Simulcast that is not a RFSS 3 (3) category.
In essence, I am questioning whether I should program the Houston Public Safety NW and SW simulcasts or only use the Houston Simulcast since it is not a 3 (3) site.
When those with PSR 500 radios were told to only program the general services site & those HPD/HFD talk groups labeled FDMA in a separate system, I understand that.
But there are several sites that still puzzle me.
Do some of these sites carry both TDMA & FDMA signals? The "layers" term is confusing since I can't see where it is labeled.
If I'm understanding this correctly, the only RFSS that I should program for a PSR 500 is 3 (3) 005. All of the other 3 (3) sites are to be avoided. These extend into Santa Fe, Texas, Brazoria, Fort Bend.
I would not think HPD/HFD was active in Brazoria county. Or, will there be TDMA talk groups in Brazoria county in the near future?
For example, I should avoid Houston Public Safety NW Simulcast since it carries only TDMA traffic? I see where there is a Houston Simulcast that is not a RFSS 3 (3) category.
In essence, I am questioning whether I should program the Houston Public Safety NW and SW simulcasts or only use the Houston Simulcast since it is not a 3 (3) site.
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First, Layer = RFSS
Next, as to what you program, it depends on what you are trying to listen to. You don't say. If you want to hear HPD and/or HFD then you program as we described above for site 3-05 only as a separate system entirely. Your PSR500 or 600 or well any other radio except a PSR800 has no use whatever for the rest of the Layer 3 (RFSS 3) sites.
If you are trying to listen to any other FDMA TGs on this system other than HPD, HFD, and Houston Parking enforcement, then you must program a separate system (or systems) using layer 1 or 2 sites (RFSS 1 or 2) ignoring any layer 3 sites. How to do that depends, of course, on the specific radio you are using; but, I will repeat, do not mix the two concepts.
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