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G5 and P25 sites

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sparklehorse

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Hello,
My G5 did an odd thing yesterday. First I had the audio volume drop problem. I pulled the battery and that did fix the volume. After the G5 re-booted, I noticed my Uniden 536 was receiving transmissions that the G5 wasn't. Usually it's other way around! I looked at the G5 screen and it was on a different site than normal. The odd thing is the site isn't one I had programmed into the radio, and neither was the frequency. In fact, the control frequency it was using isn't even in the RR database (yet). I was hearing some traffic though, so it must be a valid site. I'm guessing maybe an intellirepeater type of site since I only heard some traffic? I just don't know where the radio would have gotten the frequency for it.

Here was the G5 display info if you're interested:

WACN: BEE00
Sys ID: 3CC hex
RFFS: 1 hex
Site ID: 1A hex
Frequency: 852.2875

This is the system:
Portland Public Safety 700 MHz P25 Trunking System, Portland, Oregon - Scanner Frequencies

I'm new to the G5 and to P25 trunk systems, so appreciate any help learning.

Thanks!

.
 

kma371

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Well your site ID is different than what's in the database and that frequency isn't even listed as being in the system.
 

sparklehorse

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Well your site ID is different than what's in the database and that frequency isn't even listed as being in the system.

Right.

I'm trying to figure out how the radio switched itself over to this unlisted site. I suspect it is a valid site that is not yet listed in the RR database. This is a new P25 system, still being built out. I think the radio may be getting neighboring site info from the controller, but that is just a theory. When I get some time I will park Pro96com on that frequency and see what I can figure out. It may be a few days before I have time to mess with that.

Meanwhile, if anyone has any theories, chime in!

.
 

sparklehorse

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I should mention that today the radio has gone back to the normal site for my area (West Simulcast), and is functioning normally. I am in a different location though. I'll be curious to see if the G5 switches back to the mystery site when I return home, which is where it appeared.

.
 

KevinC

Big Dog...celebrating 10 years of abuse!
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Hello,
My G5 did an odd thing yesterday. First I had the audio volume drop problem. I pulled the battery and that did fix the volume. After the G5 re-booted, I noticed my Uniden 536 was receiving transmissions that the G5 wasn't. Usually it's other way around! I looked at the G5 screen and it was on a different site than normal. The odd thing is the site isn't one I had programmed into the radio, and neither was the frequency. In fact, the control frequency it was using isn't even in the RR database (yet). I was hearing some traffic though, so it must be a valid site. I'm guessing maybe an intellirepeater type of site since I only heard some traffic? I just don't know where the radio would have gotten the frequency for it.

Here was the G5 display info if you're interested:

WACN: BEE00
Sys ID: 3CC hex
RFFS: 1 hex
Site ID: 1A hex
Frequency: 852.2875

This is the system:
Portland Public Safety 700 MHz P25 Trunking System, Portland, Oregon - Scanner Frequencies

I'm new to the G5 and to P25 trunk systems, so appreciate any help learning.

Thanks!

.

Do you have specific site numbers entered or are you using "FF" as your site number?
 

BenScan

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D/FW
One Theory: It maybe a frequency that is used by a normally distant system that is coming in stronger due to certain atmospheric conditions. Unfortunately, the Uniden and Whistler scanners cannot filter based on the system and site IDs, like the Unications can, so they are may pick it up and start scanning. I've seen that happen in my area fairly often. It makes it that much harder for the Unidens and Whistlers to lock in on the local stuff that you programmed in, and really want to hear.

Second Theory(after re-reading your posts), If the Unication is showing different frequencies than what you have programmed in, maybe you inadvertently got into a search mode, and that's what it found. I haven't really messed with that aspect of the G5 enough to tell you how to use it.
 
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sparklehorse

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Do you have specific site numbers entered or are you using "FF" as your site number?

Good question. I will have to check the PPS when I get home. I've only programmed two sites in the radio, East Simulcast, and West Simulcast; and only the Primary and Alternate control frequencies for each (4 total, as listed in the database, all 700MHz). I did not enter anything for Goat Mountain. If I recall I have the site ID for one simulcast entered, and FFF for the other. It was the only combo that worked. I suspect the Site ID info in the RR database is not correct -- another thing I will investigate when I get some time. The G5 has never switched to East Simulcast, but I've not had the radio in that part of town yet.

.
 

KevinC

Big Dog...celebrating 10 years of abuse!
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Good question. I will have to check the PPS when I get home. I've only programmed two sites in the radio, East Simulcast, and West Simulcast; and only the Primary and Alternate control frequencies for each (4 total, as listed in the database, all 700MHz). I did not enter anything for Goat Mountain. If I recall I have the site ID for one simulcast entered, and FFF for the other. It was the only combo that worked. I suspect the Site ID info in the RR database is not correct -- another thing I will investigate when I get some time. The G5 has never switched to East Simulcast, but I've not had the radio in that part of town yet.

.

If the site ID is set to FF it will/can use the adjacent site information broadcast by the control channel to switch sites.

It will only use specific sites if you have those site numbers entered.
 

willdanl

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Messages
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Location
Dripping Springs, TX
My G5 did that while I was experimenting and used FF for RFSS and Site ID on a nearby multi-site system. I only entered 1 control channel frequency for 1 site, and did NOT enable Full Spectrum scan. At first it locked onto the site corresponding to the CC channel I had entered - but before long, it switched to another site on the system and was locked on a CC which I had not entered. The difference is that mine was on a site & CC that is in the DB.
 

sparklehorse

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Messages
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Location
Portland, Oregon
If the site ID is set to FF it will/can use the adjacent site information broadcast by the control channel to switch sites.

It will only use specific sites if you have those site numbers entered.

Yes, that's it. I had the correct RFSS and Site ID programmed for West Simulcast, and FF entered for both vales for East Simulcast. So the radio apparently had carte blanche to look for other sites, and locked on to the new fill-in site near my house that has just come online. A forum member in the Oregon Forums ran DSDPlus on the system and confirmed there are three new fill-in sites which are not yet in the RR database. The site near my house is using the 'mystery' 852.2875 frequency for control. His DSD data also showed different RFSS values from what is listed in the RR database. That's why I was having to use FF for East Simulcast.
When I got home yesterday the G5 went right back to the fill-in site, which I don't want. So based on KevinC's post, I went back into the PPS and entered the correct RFSS and Site ID for East Simulcast, to see if that would keep the G5 from searching for neighbor sites. It worked! It's back on West Simulcast now, at my house, so all is well again.
Thanks!

.
 
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