DuPage DUCOMM/STARCOM21 help!

[stwicks]

I have been listening to ducomm on starcom for a while now. I recently noticed I havent heard anything from ducomm in a while. I am receiving from Kane county's 800mhz site (state police) just fine, but nothing in dupages 700mhz system. I have rechecked the control freqs for dupage, all are correct. I have 773.84375c 774.18125a and 774.43125a all programmed into the control freqs. I decided to listen to each of these frequencys direct, to see if I can hear the digital sounds, (those who have done this know what im talking about, the p25 trunked control channel sounds are unique, not just static.) but all I hear is just common, "clear channel" static. These freqs seem to me inactive. Its like the dupage system/site uses different control freqs now?? I am in Wheaton, so my location should be prime. Anyone else have a thought? Anyone else receiving Ducomm ok right now? Is it just my scanner?

 

[rk911]

I have been listening to ducomm on starcom for a while now. I recently noticed I havent heard anything from ducomm in a while. I am receiving from Kane county's 800mhz site (state police) just fine, but nothing in dupages 700mhz system. I have rechecked the control freqs for dupage, all are correct. I have 773.84375c 774.18125a and 774.43125a all programmed into the control freqs. I decided to listen to each of these frequencys direct, to see if I can hear the digital sounds, (those who have done this know what im talking about, the p25 trunked control channel sounds are unique, not just static.) but all I hear is just common, "clear channel" static. These freqs seem to me inactive. Its like the dupage system/site uses different control freqs now?? I am in Wheaton, so my location should be prime. Anyone else have a thought? Anyone else receiving Ducomm ok right now? Is it just my scanner?

i'm also in wheaton and hearing 3-West and the sheriff just fine on a Pro-197 and Pro-106 using the control channels you listed. which DU-COMM zones are you trying to monitor and what TGs have you programmed? 3-West is TG 2610, the wheaton local TG is 2680, fire north is TG 2701 and the sheriff is using TG 2619 and 2620 (f1 and f2 respectively).

 

[RoninJoliet]

I can hear T101-Lisle on the same CC freqy here in Joliet in certain spots in the house.....

 

[backdrft76]

Agree with the OP. Is it us, or are these 700 mhz digital freq's a lot weaker than what we were used to? We have found sitting in the heart of Lisle and Woodridge is a pain just to receive the cops using the new freqs (not to mention Chicago FD digital 400 mhz is basically non-existent now) using the stock antenna on a BCD996XT and the same control freqs listed above.

 

[ilgrant]

Not sure why there would be an issue in Wheaton on your end as it does work well around town. Matter of fact, I believe they were one of the first ones to switch to Starcom.

If you are close to the County complex maybe you are having a desense issue. Initially I thought you may have been in West Chicago. 'Listeners' there are not listening as they are having a difficult time receiving around town.

 

[stwicks]

Last month I was getting full signal bar strength (BCD996XT) and now nothing. Same location of my scanner, nothing changed. I can recieve 3W simucast on 471Mhz with full strength. Its just kinda strange.

 

[ilgrant]

Let's go back to the basics, stwicks.

1. Make sure your antenna is working correctly.
** Disregard this statement...you state you are receiving the Kane site **

2. Is it possible that you have the attenuator enabled on the 996XT?

 

[weatherstation5]

Not sure why there would be an issue in Wheaton on your end as it does work well around town. Matter of fact, I believe they were one of the first ones to switch to Starcom.

If you are close to the County complex maybe you are having a desense issue. Initially I thought you may have been in West Chicago. 'Listeners' there are not listening as they are having a difficult time receiving around town.

I've noticed when ever I enter West Chicago the Wheaton tower site reception on my Pro 197 drops to 50% or lower, anybody have any ideas why this happens? I'm using a Tri band mobile antenna tuned for VHF/UHF/800.

 

[ilgrant]

The theory is that because West Chicago is west of the Dupage site (the back end) that the coverage isn't as good.

 

[N9HQ]

I've noticed when ever I enter West Chicago the Wheaton tower site reception on my Pro 197 drops to 50% or lower, anybody have any ideas why this happens? I'm using a Tri band mobile antenna tuned for VHF/UHF/800.

I live in West Chicago (Rt 59/North Ave). I can attest that the Starcom signals in this area are bad. I have a yagi antenna up about 20 feet. I have it aimed at the Streamwood tower, because the county complex tower signals are so poor.

 

[stwicks]

I think I have a theory...I just found out that West Chicago/Winfield/Warrenville units affiliate/rome with BOTH Kane County 800mhz systems and DuPage 700mhz. I can hear them when I dial in on Kane 800mhz system. I think wheaton/glen ellyn units were also affiliating at one time with Kane and DuPage and thats why I was hearing them. I found out that I never had the A32/2610 talkgroup in my DuPage 700mhz lineup (I have both Kane and DuPage setup seperate) After adding the talkgroupe to my DuPage, I can hear just fine, but again, ONLY on DuPage. I can hear westchicago on both Kane and Dupage. I think its a romeing thing setup with Starcom. Only certain talkgroups can affiliate to certain sites. Like ISP units can affiliate with all sites in Illinois, but most city police units can only affiliate with there local site. Probably comes down to how much a city pays in subscription cost for the need/want to be able to rome site to site. Thats why they will have a statewide talkgroupe, incase a unit travels outside the area, but dispatch wants to communicate with them and so other agencies can interconnect. Ugh...Im done..

 

[RoninJoliet]

U have the right idea because my city "Joliet" to keep costs down only signed on to T113-Will Co...Im sure glad they did because there "ENC" and on GRE/RS scanners thats a pain hearing "ENC" using the "Wildcard"...I keep T113-Wildcard in the "NS" scanlist and the TG's i listen to not-enc in a scanlist...The Uniden scanners pass "ENC" by....I can hear the Dupage tower 101 here only in certain spots using just the RS800 rubber duck.....

 

[N9HQ]

I think I have a theory...I just found out that West Chicago/Winfield/Warrenville units affiliate/rome with BOTH Kane County 800mhz systems and DuPage 700mhz. I can hear them when I dial in on Kane 800mhz system. I think wheaton/glen ellyn units were also affiliating at one time with Kane and DuPage and thats why I was hearing them. I found out that I never had the A32/2610 talkgroup in my DuPage 700mhz lineup (I have both Kane and DuPage setup seperate) After adding the talkgroupe to my DuPage, I can hear just fine, but again, ONLY on DuPage. I can hear westchicago on both Kane and Dupage. I think its a romeing thing setup with Starcom. Only certain talkgroups can affiliate to certain sites. Like ISP units can affiliate with all sites in Illinois, but most city police units can only affiliate with there local site. Probably comes down to how much a city pays in subscription cost for the need/want to be able to rome site to site. Thats why they will have a statewide talkgroupe, incase a unit travels outside the area, but dispatch wants to communicate with them and so other agencies can interconnect. Ugh...Im done..

What is the "A32/2610" talkgroup you referred to? More specifically the "A32" you mention. Talkgroup 2610 is Glen Ellyn/Wheaton, not WeGo, Winfield or Warrenville. They are 2611. I tried programming the Kane tower with the 2611 talkgroup and I have received nothing.

 

[ilgrant]

A32 is the Hex of Decimal 2610.

 

[officerdave]

The Kane Site in Aurora off of 25 is part of the DuPage system, just like the Toll Weschester site has Dupage traffic on it. Our demo state radios do not however carry traffic on the Toll/127th St site, as that site only carries DuPage affliated radios. It has to do with GOS for the DuPage System. In SW DuPage, we have had good luck with street level portable coverage using the 25, Plainfield watertower and Lisle Toll sites.

 

[RoninJoliet]

The PLFD Water tower is part of T113-Will Co, i monitor PLFD on T113 24hrs and have not heard any traffic from "Dupage Co-Digital TG's " from it....I have monitored West CGO-TG2611 on T126-Aurora many times....

 

[officerdave]

You are right Ron, you will not hear DuPage traffic from the Plainfield site, as it is not part of the DuPage system. We are testing portables on the State side of StarCom and not on the DuPage system. ( we are not part of DuPage ETSB) We talk on the Plainfield site, as it is carries radio traffic on Statewide talkgroups. Our radios will not affiliate with the Wheaton or 127th St. towers as they only carry DuPage County traffic for now.

 

[retired25]

stwicks,
I agree with you. I have noticed a issue with the DuPage Co control channels too. I listen in the Brookfield area and I am not very far from the Westchester site. I would hear both Dupage, and DuComm extremely well for a hour and then nothing, a hour or so later I hear traffic again. To be specific I monitor all of the DuComm Police talkgroups, Dupage Co Sheriff and the Non-DuComm police talkgroups. What is different for me is that when I lose Site 1 reception I lose all talkgroups not just a few talkgroups. I think the dropouts are caused by the control channel switching to a frequency that I dont have programmed as a control channel. If anyone could verify that the control channels listed as primary and secondary are still correct that would be great. I don't have good enough county wide reception to tell.

 

[RoninJoliet]

773.843750 is the present CC for T101-Dupage Co......

 

[retired25]

If you look up the frequencies that DuPage Co ETSB is licensed for, there are only 13 frequencies that are listed as FB2's at their 8 site locations. Radio Reference has channels 20 listed for Site 1. Is there some other information that I am missing? Is it really a 20 channel site?