Friend Visiting Detroit, needs programming

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tvnews

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Hello,

I have a friend who is visiting the Suburbs of Detroit. I THOUGHT i programmed the area freq into his Pro-668 but I messed something up. He is getting nothing. I formatted his card and he doesn't even have the national database to use zip code to program a play list.

I see two possible quick fix for him. I copied the files on my sd card as a zip file and sent them to him. But he doesn't have a computer with him (only has an iphone). Anyone know of anyplace in Detroit area he can go to download and unzip my files and burn to his micro sd card?

Or might anyone in the area be able to meet with him and burn a playlist into his radio to listen to Detroit Fire / EMS / PD?

Thanks
 

tvnews

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Update,

My friend got the sd card in his 668 programmed with correct files and the radio reference data base
He has used the zip code to make up a system to monitor. But he really is not hearing Detroit pd and fd.

He does hear state police activity. Any hints on listening to Detroit?

Thanks
Dean
 

kd8ati

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Update,

My friend got the sd card in his 668 programmed with correct files and the radio reference data base
He has used the zip code to make up a system to monitor. But he really is not hearing Detroit pd and fd.

He does hear state police activity. Any hints on listening to Detroit?

Thanks
Dean

What city is he trying to monitor from? Detroit has always been a royal pain to try and receive on a scanner, though I have had the best luck on the 668. Unlike a lot of agencies on the MPSCS, DPD and DFD will not roam to towers outside the Detroit Simulcast so make sure the talkgroups are exclusive to that system. Other then that, put on a tin foil hat, do a head stand, cross your arms and fingers while praying to the RF gods and hope that it can be received.
 

rivardj

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One has to be fairly close to the City of Detroit to monitor the DPD and DFD traffic. And to make things even more fun, the Detroit part of the MPSCS system is a simulcast system.
 

smithken

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I'm about 3 miles from the Detroit city limit and I can't get Detroit well enough to listen to them with my 800 MHz handheld antenna.
 

kd8ati

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I'm about 3 miles from the Detroit city limit and I can't get Detroit well enough to listen to them with my 800 MHz handheld antenna.

Okay, so you are close enough to be able to pick them up. It is possible you may be in a dead zone. Are you getting anything at all from DPD/DFD... a word here or there? I would try going mobile with it and see if you can pickup anything while on the move. If you don't get anything then, then it could be a programing issue.
 

kd8ati

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One word "simulcast".

Thats what I would think to if it was not for the fact he has the 668. I also have that scanner and it does a pretty good job (not as good as scanners this expensive should be) of picking up Detroit. It picks it up better then any of the other scanners I have had. Thats why if he is not hearing anything, even the occasional bleep or boop, then I would try to get him to rule out being in a dead spot and/or programming.
 

smithken

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I have no interest in listening to Detroit, I was just trying to point out that the Detroit Simulcast site can be difficult to receive if you are not right in the city. The closest Detroit site to me is at Grand River and McNichols and that's about 5 air miles from me. Northville is about 8.5 air miles from me and I have no trouble receiving them so there are either buildings between me and Detroit, or it is a simulcast issue, or Northville is set up to cover a bigger area than Detroit. I usually monitor the Wayne County simulcast site and I have no simulcast issues with it. The trouble I have with Detroit is staying locked on the control channel, it's just not strong enough for me.
 
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