Downtown interference help

Status
Not open for further replies.

phxnewskid

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 8, 2010
Messages
4
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Hi everyone,

Looking for some advice to help clean up some of our signals in downtown. Our radios seem to get a ton of interference on nearby systems and analog systems. The farther ones seem to work ok (White tanks, simulcast F, MCSO). Turning the attenuator on seems to cause more of a problem. Here's what I have. 3 antennas pointing different directions. those signals feed into 3 amplifiers and splitters to 8 scanners. Any suggestions?
 

cellphone

Silent key.
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 28, 2002
Messages
1,811
Location
Ahwatukee, AZ (Phoenix)
What frequencies / systems are you having problems with? If it is the RWC Simulcast A & B, you are likely experiencing distortion due to multi-pathing.
Simulcast digital distortion - The RadioReference Wiki

You would not experience this on RWC White tanks or the MCSO system as these are not simulcast sites. You are far enough away from Simulcast F that you are likely only receiving one transmitter, thus you don't experience the issue.
 

phxnewskid

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 8, 2010
Messages
4
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Unfortunately yes. The antennas are a floor and a half above the scanners. We've tried with no amp and the signals aren't strong enough to get to the scanners.
 

AZScanner

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
3,342
Location
Somewhere in this room. Right now, you're very col
Unfortunately yes. The antennas are a floor and a half above the scanners. We've tried with no amp and the signals aren't strong enough to get to the scanners.

Have you tried running the digitial scanners with just the stock antennas? If not, give that a try, especially on any scanners you have monitoring the RWC. I think the amps are hurting digital reception more than they are helping.

Of course, if your company has the $$$, now's the time to upgrade those scanners to the new x36 models. They work far better on the RWC than the older units do. If your boss needs extra convincing, tell him/her all those digital scanners are going to go dead by 2016 when the RWC goes Phase 2.

-AZ
 

rpgaun

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 26, 2010
Messages
514
Location
Sun City, Az
Just something to consider, I have locked out all the RWC Simulcast "sites" from my scanner. I have White Tanks; Sky Harbor IR; South Mountain High; North Mountain High; Far North Mountain High;
 

rpgaun

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 26, 2010
Messages
514
Location
Sun City, Az
Sorry I hit the wrong button and the message posted before I was done!! Anyway, to continue - Sacaton Mountain High; Thompson Peak High; Towers Mountain High; Outlet Mall/New River IR and the Quintero IR. I'm received transmissions much clearer than before and don't believe I'm missing anything. (I know that's a funny thing to say cuz how do you know if you missed a transmission if you missed it....LOL)
 

KB7MIB

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Messages
4,194
Location
Peoria, AZ.
Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (BREW; Opera Mini/6.0.3/27.2354; U; en) Presto/2.8.119 320X240 LG VN530)

I would say that you're missing a lot. Phoenix PD has very few TG's on the IR's. 300 & 400 are on South Mtn, 600 is on Anthem-New River (200 and/or 900 may also be on here and/or Mt. Gillen), but otherwise the rest are only on the simulcasts from my monitoring.
Peoria and Surprise PD both have their ch 1 on the White Tanks, and Peoria is also on Towers and (supposedly) Quintero, but the rest of the West Valley PD's are only on the simulcasts. (I have caught Buckeye 1 & 2 on White Tanks, but that was an exception some time ago, it's not a regular occurence.)
If you're only interested in RWC Fire, Phoenix city services/DPW, the G & O interop decks, and Sky Harbor, then the IR's are fine.
 

cellphone

Silent key.
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 28, 2002
Messages
1,811
Location
Ahwatukee, AZ (Phoenix)
I have not heard Tempe on any of the IRs. Chandler is starting to occasionally appear on South Mountain, but this will likely only last until they are done with Simulcast C as they have never been there in the past. I have also not heard Scottsdale PD 1 (South) on any of the IRs. Scottsdale PD 2 (North) is on Thompson Peak.

I agree, monitor as much as you can from the IRs or "High Sites" as the RWC calls them. These sites sound great because you don't have to deal with the multipath distortion, but you will miss a lot if you are not monitoring the Simulcast sites.
 

rpgaun

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 26, 2010
Messages
514
Location
Sun City, Az
Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (BREW; Opera Mini/6.0.3/27.2354; U; en) Presto/2.8.119 320X240 LG VN530)

I would say that you're missing a lot. Phoenix PD has very few TG's on the IR's. 300 & 400 are on South Mtn, 600 is on Anthem-New River (200 and/or 900 may also be on here and/or Mt. Gillen), but otherwise the rest are only on the simulcasts from my monitoring.
Peoria and Surprise PD both have their ch 1 on the White Tanks, and Peoria is also on Towers and (supposedly) Quintero, but the rest of the West Valley PD's are only on the simulcasts. (I have caught Buckeye 1 & 2 on White Tanks, but that was an exception some time ago, it's not a regular occurence.)
If you're only interested in RWC Fire, Phoenix city services/DPW, the G & O interop decks, and Sky Harbor, then the IR's are fine.

You have me there.....LOL. I don't listen to the any of the PDs just fire, the interop TGs and Sky Harbor emergency TGs. After many years in public safety I find the routine PD stuff to be arduous at best. Seems that policing has become more social work that true law enforcement and that drone me crazy when I was working 911. I figure any incident I would be interested in would has a fire response either for fire or medical support.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top