Frequency Question

[csanders]

I am new still to scanning and figuring out whether I am listening to a trunked conversation or not. I am in San Antonio and want to pick up conversations in our community. I have identified 157.56000 SQL 127.3 I can sometimes hear both parts of the call sometimes only one side conversation. I have tried to look up that frequency but can't find anything. I have tried to scan other frequencies but can pick up the other part. I am close to the base and antenna, less than a mile. Any suggestions on what I might be doing wrong?

thanks
chris

 

[garys]

It's not trunked. If you can always hear the base station side of the conversation but only sometimes hear the mobile side, then the system is simplex. You will only hear the mobiles if they are relatively close to where you are.

Gary

 

[hiegtx]

I am new still to scanning and figuring out whether I am listening to a trunked conversation or not. I am in San Antonio and want to pick up conversations in our community. I have identified 157.56000 SQL 127.3 I can sometimes hear both parts of the call sometimes only one side conversation. I have tried to look up that frequency but can't find anything. I have tried to scan other frequencies but can pick up the other part. I am close to the base and antenna, less than a mile. Any suggestions on what I might be doing wrong?

thanks
chris

Chris, Which scanner are you using?
The only licensee I pull up in the state for that exact frequency, 157.56, is a business in Hardin County, in East Texas.

However, there are several business licensees near the frequency you list. If you are that close to their transmitter, it may well be one of them.
Here's one that's very close, frequency wise:
Northwest Neighborhoods Against Crime WPVJ696 157.62000000 35 0 MO IG San Antonio
The San Antonio TRS system itself is on 800Mhz, & uses Provoice with ESK most of the time (from what I understand). making it unmonitorable when those are in use.

 

[csanders]

I am using a Radio Shack PRO-97. I have do have the information for NW Neighborhoods Crime Watch. In response to Garys, about only hearing the mobiles when they are close-by that kind of makes sense but since I am so close to the base shouldn't I be able to hear them if the base can? Also I don't know that it matters but the security guards are never more 2 miles away from me.

thanks to both of you for your reply

 

[hiegtx]

I am using a Radio Shack PRO-97. I have do have the information for NW Neighborhoods Crime Watch. In response to Garys, about only hearing the mobiles when they are close-by that kind of makes sense but since I am so close to the base shouldn't I be able to hear them if the base can? Also I don't know that it matters but the security guards are never more 2 miles away from me.

thanks to both of you for your reply

Chris,
You still may not be able to hear the mobiles reliably, even at two miles. They are using relatively low power, from handhelds or mobiles at ground level. The base, on the other hand, is using, probably, a higher powered transmitter, feeding to an antenna on their roof or a tower. That antenna may also be a 'gain' type antenna, that in effect multiplies the effective radiated power.
They show another license, just with one base license. Have you checked this to see if it has a repeater on it?
Northwest Neighborhoods Against Crime WPVJ696 152.36000000 1 0 FB2 IG

 

[csanders]

yes, I checked the 152.360000 as well. But I actually am not after the Northwest Neighborhoods against crime. I am looking strickly for our small neighborhood. We, meaning the Home Owners Association own the radio and we bought it a few years ago, about 5, for the guards. Just the guy that represented the HOA when we got it moved so no one seems to know that much about it.

 

[rattlerbb01]

Plenty of businesses use frequencies not licensed. They can get someone to program them in a private channel to use. They might even throw in a base on that frequency. In that case, you would have to identify them by signal strength and landmarks that they talk about while transmitting. If you think it maybe an operation close to you, go riding until you hear the mobile side of the conversation.

 

[mass-man]

You have stumbled into the FUN part of scanning!!!!

Take the above advice and get in your vehicle and go cruising until you hear the mobiles...carry the scanner with you and when you see a guard transmitting, try to find his frequency.

Databases, RR, etc. are a fantastic tool, but there is nothing better than sitting with the scanner at your side and finding the frequenices, locations yourself...

then post them to RR and off you go.

I feel at times, www has made us a tad lazy!!! Or better informed, depending on how you look at it.

 

[VintageJon]

csanders,
You did not mention the type of traffic you monitored. What did you seem to be listening to?

I often hear S.A. here usually off American Tower. EMS and SAPD are the usual traffic.
(These are 800 MHz MOT !!!) This flys in the face of known data/thinking, but I swear I have heard it on several occasions with weather between us. Tropo is a weird thing... I can't Trunk SA with the Tropo but I can hear some of it.

Down there in the low-VHF I usually get fast-food...

THANKS hiegtx for the freq, will put it in for when I'm in SA.

73's
Jon