Futronics UHF Connect Plus

[mtindor]

Voyager,

Can you pick up 182-97 ( 454.525 ) from your location? If so, can you give me an idea of whether the best signal is with a beam heading towards Beaver/Chester/E Liverpool or if its best towards Washington PA area?

I agree about Redbeard. Wish he would take a drive out and find where Site 98 is. It's not that far away. It's either going to be in Chester/ELO (as currently listed) or in Beaver Falls area somewhere

 

[mtindor]

Thinking out loud (WV/PA side):

Weirton: Google Maps
Washington: Google Maps
Beaver: Google Maps
Pittsburgh: Google Maps
Chester: Google Maps

Weirton location is confirmed as far as Weirton. Theoretically it could be up by Three Springs Drive but really is likely to be the site along the river since one can drive from Ohio side Rt 22 in Alikanna, south on Rt 7 to Steubenville, and pick up the site with no antenna.

Pittsburgh is likely correct based upon Joe's research.

Chester (as listed in the DB) was added because I was really unsure where Site 97 was, but knew that Hancock Co Schools / New Cumberland Ambulance were being heard on it. And I knew that Hancock Co Schools was on their own UHF repeaters on the Lauttamus Weirton area tower and the Chester water tower. But Site 97 could certainly be wrong.

The Washington location could be Site 97. It is a site where Lauttamus has other licensed transmitters.

The Beaver site is a site where Independence (bought out by Lauttamus) had licenses and Lauttamus still has those licenses.

So clearly more investigation needs to be done in the Northern Panhandle of WV and Beaver / Allegheny / Washington Cos in PA.

 

[Voyager]

BTW, the (new) map is 100% correct for Site 99. The research info for Site 99 should be deleted if it's still there.

There were no unit affiliated with 98 (or 99) today, so I didn't make any progress.

When I did see activity on Site 98, I found no signal on LCN2 (when it was showing as active). That means either LCN2 is wrong, or LCN 2 is more than 25 dB weaker than LCN1. Either case is possible, I guess. At this point I think the map can be trusted.

 

[Voyager]

Voyager,

Can you pick up 182-97 ( 454.525 ) from your location? If so, can you give me an idea of whether the best signal is with a beam heading towards Beaver/Chester/E Liverpool or if its best towards Washington PA area?

If I can hear it, it's not strong. I am beamed toward Site 98 right now and I don't hear it that direction, so Washington is a possibility. Of course it's also possible I simply can't hear it at all and it is in the direction of Beaver. I will try toward Washington later on.

 

[mule1075]

Voyager,

Can you pick up 182-97 ( 454.525 ) from your location? If so, can you give me an idea of whether the best signal is with a beam heading towards Beaver/Chester/E Liverpool or if its best towards Washington PA area?

I agree about Redbeard. Wish he would take a drive out and find where Site 98 is. It's not that far away. It's either going to be in Chester/ELO (as currently listed) or in Beaver Falls area somewhere

Not picking anything up on it in Washington at this time. I am 3.5 miles from the tower site

 

[mtindor]

Not picking anything up on it in Washington at this time. I am 3.5 miles from the tower site

Are you using a scanner to tune to it? If so, are you using search mode or do you have it directly programmed in? Remember that the 454 mhz paging band is locked out in a search scan by default and you have to disable the broadcast screen to pick it up.

Then again, the site may not be in Washington and you may not be hearing it because it isn't there lol.

 

[mtindor]

BTW, the (new) map is 100% correct for Site 99. The research info for Site 99 should be deleted if it's still there.

There were no unit affiliated with 98 (or 99) today, so I didn't make any progress.

When I did see activity on Site 98, I found no signal on LCN2 (when it was showing as active). That means either LCN2 is wrong, or LCN 2 is more than 25 dB weaker than LCN1. Either case is possible, I guess. At this point I think the map can be trusted.

The network repeater map is not correct for 182-96 through 182-99. It may be partially correct for some, but it can't be trusted.

The repeater map says the CC for 182-99 is 454.125. Incorrect, the CC is 454.025.

The repeater map says the CC for 182-98 is 454.025. Incorrect, the CC is 454.05

I'm not going to go through any more. The repeater map details are simply wrong for 182-96 through 182-99.

 

[mule1075]

Are you using a scanner to tune to it? If so, are you using search mode or do you have it directly programmed in? Remember that the 454 mhz paging band is locked out in a search scan by default and you have to disable the broadcast screen to pick it up.

Then again, the site may not be in Washington and you may not be hearing it because it isn't there lol.

Programmed it in direct.

 

[Voyager]

Retracted. I could SWEAR the new map posted was 100% correct on Site 99, as it said:

Site 182-99
LCN = 1 TX = 454.02500 RX = 459.02500 DCC = 1 CC
LCN = 2 TX = 461.35000 RX = 466.35000 DCC = 1

Now it's back to the old one.

 

[mtindor]

Did you share a latest map with me? The network repeater map I'm referencing is from 1-8-2019. And it is not correct for almost everything on 182-96 to 182-99.

182-96 454.35
182-97 454.525
182-98 454.05 - i can see it on waterfall but not enough to decode
182-99 454.025

Those are the active control channels right now and don't match the map from 1-8-2019

 

[Voyager]

As I said above, I could swear it WAS correct for site 99, but now is wrong again.

What I saw before is posted above.

Anyway, I can hear 454.050 enough on a yagi, but it's not strong. I can see no signs of activity (when it's showing active on the CC) of LCN 2, so it must be on another frequency. There was no activity today so I could watch the waterfall for corresponding activity on another frequency.

 

[mtindor]

As I said above, I could swear it WAS correct for site 99, but now is wrong again.

What I saw before is posted above.

Anyway, I can hear 454.050 enough on a yagi, but it's not strong. I can see no signs of activity (when it's showing active on the CC) of LCN 2, so it must be on another frequency. There was no activity today so I could watch the waterfall for corresponding activity on another frequency.

You're eyes must have been deceiving you man. You can go to the wiki page and click on History and see that it hasn't been edited since it was added on the 9th, except for me labeling some of the sites on the 13th.

Ok on 454.05. It is not strong for me. Very weak. In fact it's always very weak unless there is tropo.

And i listened around at different periods during the day and heard nothing on Weirton or the site I call Chester-East Liverpool, both of which were sites that I'd regularly copy Hancock Co Schools on. Of course, they may have been closed today, as schools up here in Carrollton area were closed today. Maybe there will be better luck tomorrow. I didn't hear New Cumberland Ambulance either.

 

[Voyager]

A school closing would explain it. It was dead for me Friday, too. I just took it as 'no units affiliated with that site'.

Let me qualify weak: It's about 25 dB above the noise floor. (454.050 that is - just to be clear)
That's strong enough to decode the control channel data pretty well.

I got no visual signal on 454.350. I suspect it's elsewhere frequency-wise.

As for what I saw, I must have seen that 461.350 and mis-read 454.050 as .025. But anyway, we will get it down.

I suspect this is going to be another joint venture system like MADRN (which started as Triangle, then Centre joined in, then others). Only this one is Futronics with Lattamus joining in, then maybe Mobile Comm?

 

[mtindor]

A school closing would explain it. It was dead for me Friday, too. I just took it as 'no units affiliated with that site'.

Let me qualify weak: It's about 25 dB above the noise floor. (454.050 that is - just to be clear)
That's strong enough to decode the control channel data pretty well.

I got no visual signal on 454.350. I suspect it's elsewhere frequency-wise.

As for what I saw, I must have seen that 461.350 and mis-read 454.050 as .025. But anyway, we will get it down.

I suspect this is going to be another joint venture system like MADRN (which started as Triangle, then Centre joined in, then others). Only this one is Futronics with Lattamus joining in, then maybe Mobile Comm?

It certainly would be interesting if another "established" Con+ system would join in. Obviously Lauttamus had nothing to do with DMR til this. They were all NXDN / IDAS stuff. That's what pretty much blew my mind when I first saw these sites and figured out they were Lauttamus sites. But certainly another established company would make things even cooler. I can't imagine Bearcom doing it (if in fact they own TriConnex) -- but I'm not positive that they do. There is that possibility that the TriConnex system was not sold to Bearcom by Staleys as part of the deal. At any rate, if TriConnex were to join in, there would be no need for Lauttamus. Mobilcomm, on the other hand, would be very useful for expansion of this system. And I'm referring to Mobilcomm out of the western Ohio area. If there is a Mobile Comm in PA, I didn't know that.

 

[Voyager]

There is a Mobile Comm in NW PA. That would fit nicely.

And TCX was separated from Staley a few years ago. I'm almost certain they were not part of the deal. It's likely too profitable to sell.

Mobile Comm does not have a CON+ system AFAIK, but neither did Lattamus...

 

[redbeard]

I haven't been paying attention to this system at all. But I just checked and can tell you that 454.05 is the strongest of all the sites near me. 454.025 is a close second.

 

[mtindor]

I haven't been paying attention to this system at all. But I just checked and can tell you that 454.05 is the strongest of all the sites near me. 454.025 is a close second.

Vroom Vroom. How about finding the closest one lol

 

[redbeard]

Ok I went for a ride last night. Couldn't get all the way up to the site due to snow but pretty close. On my 436 I had 3 bars with the antenna off, full with it on obviously. It's in Freedom, Tower Ln. off Cycle Dr.

 

[mtindor]

Ok I went for a ride last night. Couldn't get all the way up to the site due to snow but pretty close. On my 436 I had 3 bars with the antenna off, full with it on obviously. It's in Freedom, Tower Ln. off Cycle Dr.

Thanks chief!

 

[mtindor]

Ok I went for a ride last night. Couldn't get all the way up to the site due to snow but pretty close. On my 436 I had 3 bars with the antenna off, full with it on obviously. It's in Freedom, Tower Ln. off Cycle Dr.

Shawn, what do you think about 182-97 ? Chester / ELO area? Washington PA area? Although mule said he can't pick it up 3 mi away from the suspected Washington PA location. I've always suspected it to be on the Chester water tower, simply because Hancock Co Schools had been heard on it quite a bit and historically Hancock Co Schools has/had their own license with locations on the Lauttamus Weirton tower and the Chester water tower. And to me that would more logically cover N/S Hancock Co -- which was needed for Hancock Co Schools and New Cumberland Ambulance. Of course I don't even know if Hancock Co Schools or New Cumberland Ambulance are on it now. They may have just been testing.