EBRCS from Martinez on PSR-500

[Cambion]

I just started to program my PSR-500 for EBRCS. Being how I'm in the Pine Street/Highway 4 area, I first tried programming the Coco Central site. But get very little in way of traffic. AMR mostly and it's not constant. I have a handheld programmed to 160.110Mhz which is ConFire Central Dispatch. Once in a blue moon I get them on my PSR-500. I have the latest available firmware installed on this scanner.

I ran Analyze on the control channel. 18% N1F5 W:BEE00 and the second set SYS 1F1 R001 S005.

So I know I'm on site 5. I even tried multi-site for all Coco, setting scanner to STAT and to scan all control channels. This scanner is basically deaf for this system. What's even more sad, I can pick up the Vacaville/Fairfield/Suisun system from the same spot and get the control channel at 98%.

I went to Mark's Scanners and did some suggested setting changes, which doesn't help.

Any ideas what might be going on? I have a high gain 800mhz antenna on the way, hoping this will resolve the issue. Thanks in advance.

Scott
N6UUH

 

[gmclam]

CoCo on EBRCS

Location and antenna are key. What I would do is check signals on all active control channels for the system manually. You might get a better signal from a more distant transmitter site (because of an obstruction or terrain). Program that one site (not in multi-site mode) and see what happens.

I monitor both EBRCS and VACA/FF from here in Sacramento county, but mostly at night. I am at about 300' above sea level and that helps too. I too see a lot of AMR. I had solid coverage back when CoCo was on VHF but UHF doesn't have the same coverage area. And I still receive some stuff over VHF, but it does not appear to be duplication of EBRCS 100% of the time.

 

[Cambion]

Thanks for the reply. I'll see what happens when the new antenna arrives. I am up on a second floor apartment unit and moved my scanner around but didn't improve. I did program all control channels for each Coco site but only heard one control channel, the Central site, which was really weak. I was beginning to think it was time to upgrade the scanner, but no phase 2 systems that I want to listen to.

Kind Regards,
Scott
N6UUH

 

[kma371]

Hey Scott haven't seen you on here in a while.

These P25 simulcast systems seem to be nightmares for scanner users. They aren't designed well compared to actual commercial radios. You may have the same issue with another brand or model of scanner. Antena could help but won't be the ultimate fix.

As you noticed, the Fairfield vacaville system on analog comes in just fine.

 

[Cambion]

Yep it's been a long while for sure. But I've always stayed current on membership here . It's a shame they had to set up the system like this. Hopefully the scanner manufacturers come out with a model that will work completely! Until then I will make do.

 

[Cambion]

One quick question, since I've been trying to find the answer. Does EBRCS require one to enter custom trunking tables? I see the information from Unitrunker but don't quite know how to translate that to Win500.

 

[kma371]

I believe it's the same as Unidens that thy get that info from the control channel directly.

 

[rooivalk]

I've given up on monitoring EBRCS, as I have the exact same issue with a RS Pro-106, Uniden 396 and a Uniden 436 (this radio is a design failure, with numerous issues, essentially a very expensive brick). Numerous different antennas, locations, etc. None can decode EBRCS, and I have good signal strength from the Central site. It's not worth the time, any longer.