Fauquier frequencies

[canopy]

Is Fauquier County testing out or using new frequencies? I've had a weird issue with my scanner (Uniden BCD536HP) in the past week or so. It seems to lose radio traffic once every day or so. I don't listen all the time, but when I notice no traffic for a long time, I'll go look at the scanner and there will be absolutely no bars / reception. It happened today and not sure what time it started but I checked this: Fauquier/Culpeper/Rappahannock Trunking System, Various, Virginia and noticed that there hasn't been an update since July. I unscrewed my antenna and put it back on. I moved my scanner to another location in the house - nothing. I went ahead and updated my favorites list in my Sentinel software and uploaded it to my scanner. Nothing...until around 7:15 - 7:30. All of a sudden I started hearing stuff again and looked and there were bars / signal again.
It seems very random, but doesn't seem like it's my hardware or programming. Any thoughs?

 

[wtp]

Fauquier Simulcast
and again there is that simulcast word.
i had a 396T, 396XT and 325P2, the best spots i could find gave me 1/4 second of voice then 1/4 second of silence.
from 0(zero) to 5 bars going up and down slowly with no bearing on voice reception.
700 Mhz simulcast system
bought an SDS100 and now, no problem.
you could try to get close to a tower to see if you get 100% reception.
i checked the FCC for 700 and 800 band for new listings and do not see any.

 

[turnpike61]

Fauquier appears to switch their control channel frequently, and I have to follow along. In the past few hours, It's been 854.5375 and 852.8500. I have 853.45, 853.2375 also programmed in, which appears to cover everything in the Warrenton area.

 

[canopy]

Fauquier appears to switch their control channel frequently, and I have to follow along. In the past few hours, It's been 854.5375 and 852.8500. I have 853.45, 853.2375 also programmed in, which appears to cover everything in the Warrenton area.

I may have to manually add in 854.5375 and 853.2375 as I don't have those. I have the ones that were referenced above by wtp in the Fauquier Simulcast:

852.850c	853.450c	853.7125c	853.975c	854.2125c	857.5125c
857.9125c	859.8125c

 

[fredva]

Fauquier appears to switch their control channel frequently, and I have to follow along. In the past few hours, It's been 854.5375 and 852.8500. I have 853.45, 853.2375 also programmed in, which appears to cover everything in the Warrenton area.

Two of those frequencies aren't listed in the RadioReference database. If they are valid frequencies for the system, please submit a database update. Most people are pulling frequencies from the database to program their scanners.

 

[maus92]

854.5375 and 853.2375 are part of the Culpeper simulcast cell and should not be added to the Faquier simulcast cell frequency list.

 

[fredva]

854.5375 and 853.2375 are part of the Culpeper simulcast cell and should not be added to the Faquier simulcast cell frequency list.

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[N4VKF]

I just observed tonight a new TG on this system. #1610? Could be a patch to another neighboring County Law Enforcement agency. Any ideas?

 

[canopy]

It’s happening again now where I’m not picking up any signal.

 

[maus92]

Can you post a screenshot of your Sentinel frequency section for the Fauquier site? You need to make sure that every frequency for the site is actually in there.

 

[canopy]

Can you post a screenshot of your Sentinel frequency section for the Fauquier site? You need to make sure that every frequency for the site is actually in there.

I assumed that it was changed frequencies, but maybe my scanner is dying - it is 10 years old. I never move it but did recently to rearrange my setup. It's in the same place it always has been but I moved it. I also tried some troubleshooting - turning on the entire database on and off, as well as setting Auto Location (which it said "unable to determine your location. Please use another method", so I entered my zip code).

 

[maus92]

If someone in the area can run a SDR program like Unitrunker to check the active frequencies / control channel that might help, although there has been no new FCC licensing activity for the system. Your Sentinel list looks accurate, just make sure that your Favorites list in Sentinel matches what is actually downloaded into the radio.

 

[canopy]

If someone in the area can run a SDR program like Unitrunker to check the active frequencies / control channel that might help, although there has been no new FCC licensing activity for the system. Your Sentinel list looks accurate, just make sure that your Favorites list in Sentinel matches what is actually downloaded into the radio.

Thanks for the help. I have gone through my favorites list and even updated it last week just to make sure (when the same thing happened). I'll double check

 

[canopy]

I think it's time to get a new scanner

 

[LeSueurC]

Could very well be simulcast distortion. Being that the system is a Harris and that you’re using a 536HP, they’re not the best in terms for receiving simulcast systems

 

[fredva]

I would circle back to the simulcast issue as a possible reason as well, since you seem to have all of the frequencies programmed.

 

[canopy]

I would circle back to the simulcast issue as a possible reason as well, since you seem to have all of the frequencies programmed.

You are my hero 😂, along with everyone in my county complaining that the scanner feed is down. I started reading the simulcast distortion post here and realized that we had maxed out the squelched to reduce the dead air static when I recently replaced my computer. I just turned the squelch to 0 and immediately had signal again.
Thanks again!

Simulcast Distortion - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com