I am having the same problem as stated yesterday
Delaware County Pa New System
- Thread starter captaincab
- Start date
Just checked working now thanks
Same here on the eastern side. Notable weaking from SW NJ into NE Philly compared to yesterday evening and compared to when just the Lima tower was up. Things are definitely being switched around temporarily as expected. I would expect to continue to see these fluctuations as work is done on the system.
One matter of curiosity, as new towers come online, does that mean the power of each tower site gets reduced?
Also somewhat still on topic, how much does foliage really affect reception? I live on the fringe of many different systems and sometimes it seems that in winter they come in about as good as in summer, just in different spots within my house.
One matter of curiosity, as new towers come online, does that mean the power of each tower site gets reduced?
Also somewhat still on topic, how much does foliage really affect reception? I live on the fringe of many different systems and sometimes it seems that in winter they come in about as good as in summer, just in different spots within my house.
I cannot find an article but I believe many years ago New Jersey had an issue on reception on their "new" 800 MHz trunk system due to the physical length of pine needles on the pine trees being close the the wavelength of the radio signals....so more pine needles or new growth and more absorption of the radio signals.
I remember hearing that. Now all we have out there is 700/800mhz systems for Atlantic and Burlington Counties and of course the state NJICS system that took over the old system. Are there many heavily wooded areas in Delaware County?
Secane Train Station - Facing West ~7 miles East of Lima
SDS200 with outdoor Laird NMO 150/450/758
5 Bars
D-Error ~5
RSSI -110 dBm
Audio clear, but lower than everything else, so I will probably have to adjust the Volume Offset. I have to do that with Philly, also.
Whistler TRX-2 with outdoor Compactenna Scan III
Intermittent reception
Whistler TRX-2 with outdoor Laird NMO 150/450/758
Better reception, but still intermittent
With squelch reduced to 4 - Full 5 bars, clear audio (Any channels programmed with CSQ will cause scanner to halt)
Whistler TRX-1 with outdoor Tram NMO 8079 or Laird NMO 150/450/758
Intermittent reception
Obviously, when the 5200 Baltimore Ave. site becomes active, all of my radios will pick up the system well.
However, if you're in a fringe reception area, you should purchase the best radio/antenna combination that you can afford, more than likely the Uniden SDS series scanners.
I have no experience with the Unication pagers, so I can't comment on them.
Once I get my SDS100 back from repair, I will test that, as well.
As always, YMMV, but so far, so good...
SDS200 with outdoor Laird NMO 150/450/758
5 Bars
D-Error ~5
RSSI -110 dBm
Audio clear, but lower than everything else, so I will probably have to adjust the Volume Offset. I have to do that with Philly, also.
Whistler TRX-2 with outdoor Compactenna Scan III
Intermittent reception
Whistler TRX-2 with outdoor Laird NMO 150/450/758
Better reception, but still intermittent
With squelch reduced to 4 - Full 5 bars, clear audio (Any channels programmed with CSQ will cause scanner to halt)
Whistler TRX-1 with outdoor Tram NMO 8079 or Laird NMO 150/450/758
Intermittent reception
Obviously, when the 5200 Baltimore Ave. site becomes active, all of my radios will pick up the system well.
However, if you're in a fringe reception area, you should purchase the best radio/antenna combination that you can afford, more than likely the Uniden SDS series scanners.
I have no experience with the Unication pagers, so I can't comment on them.
Once I get my SDS100 back from repair, I will test that, as well.
As always, YMMV, but so far, so good...
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2010
- Messages
- 98
It certainly has an impact. For contractual coverage testing we require the official grid coverage testing occur with full foliage. This is scheduled for this upcoming June/July.
You are correct. The outputs will be adjusted as new sites are brought online. Eventually the system will be balanced for tx and rx as all of the sites make their way online.
Very interesting. That last part may be why some of you who had it bombing in from Chester Co and Montco are now not hearing it.
When they were completing the NJICS system here in Cape May County - I actually used a paperclip inserted into the back of a BC536 for best reception. No simulcast issues since it could only hear the local site - but it was full bars on the paperclip.
no sense wasting RF energy and the wear and tear on the transmitter (power wise) when you do not need to...
That's what I was telling Steve. I may actually get some use out of my Comet Miracle Baby antenna.
I remember vacationing in Delaware and not needing an antenna...
On another note, I'm hearing the male voice for automated dispatches. I can't tell yet which I feel is clearer. Both sound good.
I remember vacationing in Delaware and not needing an antenna...
On another note, I'm hearing the male voice for automated dispatches. I can't tell yet which I feel is clearer. Both sound good.
Interesting that the Whistler struggles with reception when the system is not truly simulcast yet (unless you only did the test with both Lima and Rose Tree towers up). We had a single tower site 800mhz Harris Trunked system in our area that my Whistler TRX 2 would stutter on badly. I wondered that the problem was more Phase 2 audio in general as opposed to simulcast. Though Phase 1 simulcast systems can sound poor at times too, they seem to have more range. The truth is you may only get your TRX to work when you are in the shadow of a tower site.
I have a question to ask about the New Delco system. I am use to the Chester county system where there are technically 4 sites, 5, 10, 30 and 50. Each site has their own group of control channels with simulcast to each site. But I know you all know that.
My question is if this will be the way Delco will be set. Will there be more frequencies added as each new site is added?
Thanks from a scanner newbie
Steve
My question is if this will be the way Delco will be set. Will there be more frequencies added as each new site is added?
Thanks from a scanner newbie
Steve
u2brent
OAMPT
This will not be like Chesco, it's one site, all towers will use the same frequencies and CC and they have been documented and posted.
Ok thanks
Will all towers be able to transmit the same message. We ill I b e able to listen Chester city living in West Chester?
Will all towers be able to transmit the same message. We ill I b e able to listen Chester city living in West Chester?
u2brent
OAMPT
Yes. 👌
This is correct. Longer pine needles tend to absorb RF especially when wet. There was a study conducted when Cal Fire / Forestry was considering a switch to the 800 MHz band that mentioned this phenomenon, and we have issues with woodland forests here on the MD Eastern Shore. We also have tropo ducting co / adjacent-channel interference from NJ and Virginia Beach on hot summer nights due to our geography. Anyway, this is why its good practice to do coverage testing in the summer when trees are leafed out because deciduous trees also matter.
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