Do all or many frequencies just "skip around?"

[RedPenguin]

Basically, I want to know, do radio frequencies just "skip" or "hop" around when they feel like it?

What I mean is, I have some agencies around me, that use low-powered radios, sometimes like only 2.5W.

Now most of the time since I'm two far away, I can't normally ever hear them, but once in a while, I will get like a signal of 1, on my BCT15 and I can hear them for the most part.

It's like, I may hear, "Hey, Geroge", then never hear it again for a day or so.

Like when special events go on in my city, I can seem to pick up skips of their radios but can't ever seem to hear everything.

 

[KC0QNB]

Short answer yes they do, it is more prevalent on lower frequencies lo band skips a lot, 800mHz doesn't so much.
Describe your radio system for us, maybe we can find a clue.

 

[n2mdk]

re these fixed radios or mobile/portable ones. If it's the former then it's a case of the signal propagating better for whatever reason. If it's the latter they it's proximity/location causing it.
Either way it's the nature of radio that conditions cause you to hear things you don't normally.

 

[RedPenguin]

Well

Well, I have a BCT15 with a Diamond RH77CA antenna, which never moves.

Like for example, on 467.8125, a special event in my city is going on, and they are using portable radios on this frequency, and are about probably about a mile or two away. No more than 2.5 miles though.

I got about 3 hits today, but I only heard one end/person, didn't hear the person on the other end.

 

[N8IAA]

Basically, I want to know, do radio frequencies just "skip" or "hop" around when they feel like it?What I mean is, I have some agencies around me, that use low-powered radios, sometimes like only 2.5W.Now most of the time since I'm two far away, I can't normally ever hear them, but once in a while, I will get like a signal of 1, on my BCT15 and I can hear them for the most part.It's like, I may hear, "Hey, Geroge", then never hear it again for a day or so.Like when special events go on in my city, I can seem to pick up skips of their radios but can't ever seem to hear everything.

What agencies are you talking about? Most everything in Cambria is 450mhz. Not a lot of skip(atmospheric ducting) with those frequencies. The rest of the boroughs are 150mhz. If you are meaning that the radios change frequencies, that is something completely different. 2.5w radios on 450mhz are pretty much line of sight. What with all the mountains, putting a better antenna on the radio will allow you to hear more of what's going on. When I used to visit my wife's family in the South Fork area, my dual band ham radio provided me with 99% of what I wanted to hear.
HTH,
Larry

 

[af5rn]

Any chance it is a trunked system that you have programmed conventionally, and that you only have some of the frequencies programmed in?

 

[RedPenguin]

I mean...

What agencies are you talking about? Most everything in Cambria is 450mhz. Not a lot of skip(atmospheric ducting) with those frequencies. The rest of the boroughs are 150mhz. If you are meaning that the radios change frequencies, that is something completely different. 2.5w radios on 450mhz are pretty much line of sight. What with all the mountains, putting a better antenna on the radio will allow you to hear more of what's going on. When I used to visit my wife's family in the South Fork area, my dual band ham radio provided me with 99% of what I wanted to hear.
HTH,
Larry

No, I don't mean anything Government, Police, Fire, or EMS.

I mean like the local schools, special events, etc.

 

[N8IAA]

Like for example, on 467.8125, a special event in my city is going on, and they are using portable radios on this frequency, and are about probably about a mile or two away. No more than 2.5 miles though.

Have you tried to listen to 462.8125? It may be a repeater that they are talking on. 467.8125 more than likely is input to the repeater.
Larry

 

[N8IAA]

Any chance it is a trunked system that you have programmed conventionally, and that you only have some of the frequencies programmed in?

The county is conventional. The only trunking system near is PA OpenSky.

 

[RedPenguin]

I see...

Have you tried to listen to 462.8125? It may be a repeater that they are talking on. 467.8125 more than likely is input to the repeater.
Larry

Perhaps, I will try that, but they are just rented mobile radios that are only for this special event, but maybe there is a way to setup a "portable repeater", you never know.

 

[n2mdk]

If I had to guess it's probably this license http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=1690474 using their radios to help coordinate
special events as you say.

 

[RedPenguin]

Hmmm

That's actually a license with that frequency, but I don't know why if they do, Value City, would do a motorcycle event in my city, LoL. It's a department store.

EDIT: Then again, maybe they do, because it says they have 120 units in the license, yet, I doubt a department store smaller then Walmart, needs 120 radios, LoL. Also, Value City apparently provided parking for the event, so maybe they provided radios as well. Odd, that I never see anybody with a radio inside the actual store.

 

[W4KRR]

That's actually a license with that frequency, but I don't know why if they do, Value City, would do a motorcycle event in my city, LoL. It's a department store.

EDIT: Then again, maybe they do, because it says they have 120 units in the license, yet, I doubt a department store smaller then Walmart, needs 120 radios, LoL. Also, Value City apparently provided parking for the event, so maybe they provided radios as well. Odd, that I never see anybody with a radio inside the actual store.

You're probably just a bit too far away to hear them, that's all. Hand held radios operating simplex will not have much range; if you were a block or two away from them you could probably hear them consistently strong.

 

[reconrider8]

Well, I have a BCT15 with a Diamond RH77CA antenna, which never moves.

Like for example, on 467.8125, a special event in my city is going on, and they are using portable radios on this frequency, and are about probably about a mile or two away. No more than 2.5 miles though.

I got about 3 hits today, but I only heard one end/person, didn't hear the person on the other end.

my bct-15 does that some to but idk y