Custom Search?

[specop]

Set up a custom search on the 396t for MPSCS, Set lower limit to 851.0000 upper limit to 854.0000 received lots of traffic for Marquette. Reset the limits at 805.0000 and 809.0000, no traffic? Shouldn't I be receiving the transmissions from the mobiles to the towers? Other odd thing is when scanning 851 - 854 all the traffic was coming across frequencies not listed for any of the Marquette area towers.

 

[UPMan]

For the first Q: Do you live on top of a hill? All radio signals in 800 (well most bands, actually) are strictly line-of-sight. If you are at ground level, that means the signal will likely be blocked within a couple of miles.

For the 2nd Q: Without knowing the specific frequencies, it is tough to guess...

 

[specop]

I'm on a hill, probably thirty precent of the city is below me. I figured if I could receive 851 - 854 that I should be able to get something 805 - 809 with the same settings. All the freqs I was receiving today were 851.xxxx or 852.xxxx but ended xxx.1687, xxx.7312, xxx.4437, xxx.4875, xxx.2062 nothing like that in the database for Marquette MI. Havent been able to make sense of it? Maybe I'm not catching the freq right on center?

 

[smithken]

The power output on the repeater(s) (851 to 854 MHz) is usually a lot higher than the power output of the mobiles or portables (805 to 809 MHz). You could also be in a dead spot. For example I cannot receive the Flat Rock tower from where I am but if I move a half a mile east I can receive it without a problem, flat ground between me and Flat Rock and no buildings blocking the signal that I am aware of. I also have the same problem with broadcast stations (AM/FM/TV) and they are in a completely different direction than Flat Rock, my cell phone reception is also bad so I'm convinced that I am in some kind of RF dead spot.

 

[wtp]

minus 45

to be accurate its 806 to 809 for the input.
yes a hill helps
but here in flatland it ends up being 1-2 miles with everything in the way.

 

[specop]

I'm going to scan 806 - 809 all day today, just one hit would be nice(proof of concept).

 

[wtp]

you could

if you want set up a system of the local inputs
i did that for my county
that way if something happens real close
i only hear the on scene stuff
also some of the bases use the input from the base
as in they are not connected by phone or microwave to the tower

 

[specop]

How do you determine the inputs for a tower? Subtract 45mhz from the output?

 

[UPMan]

For 800 MHz, yes.

 

[specop]

Thanks wtp and UPMan, I'll give it a try. UPMan, nice job on the new radios, I will finally be replacing the 396t, it's served me well.

 

[wtp]

check your pm for info

sent a pm to you for an easier way
pm back if you have questions.