Genesee Co APCO Reception w/pro 2096

[phantom1131]

i have tried about everything possible to get better reception,DPD 700-1000mhz antenna,LMR 400 coax,switching firmware versions,ATT,AGC,several other antennas,messing with squelch etc....i pick up holly,columbiaville etc..but would rather stick to local towers so not to miss local stuff...is this just something i have to live with having the pro 2096 and a simulcast system??..i have read past threads about the simulcast and understand that it sucks with the pro96/2096 but i thought by doing all i have it would be better than it is..any thoughts/suggestions..thanks

 

[bigbluemsp]

Genco sucks for reception.

It's a very weak system.

 

[a29zuk]

i have tried about everything possible to get better reception,DPD 700-1000mhz antenna,LMR 400 coax,switching firmware versions,ATT,AGC,several other antennas,messing with squelch etc....i pick up holly,columbiaville etc..but would rather stick to local towers so not to miss local stuff...is this just something i have to live with having the pro 2096 and a simulcast system??..i have read past threads about the simulcast and understand that it sucks with the pro96/2096 but i thought by doing all i have it would be better than it is..any thoughts/suggestions..thanks

The Holly and Columbiaville towers DO broadcast all of the the Genesee Co. IDs. I use the Holly tower with only the Genesee Co. talkgroups and get better reception than the crappy simulcast! I believe the Holly tower does this because of its close proximity to Fenton which is in Genesee Co. I'll be curious to see if the Columbiaville tower drops the Genesee Co. talkgroups when Lapeer Co. switches over to P25. Good Luck!

 

[K8PBX]

i have tried about everything possible to get better reception,DPD 700-1000mhz antenna,LMR 400 coax,switching firmware versions,ATT,AGC,several other antennas,messing with squelch etc....i pick up holly,columbiaville etc..but would rather stick to local towers so not to miss local stuff...is this just something i have to live with having the pro 2096 and a simulcast system??..i have read past threads about the simulcast and understand that it sucks with the pro96/2096 but i thought by doing all i have it would be better than it is..any thoughts/suggestions..thanks

I'm using a Pro-2096 and initially had some challenges monitoring a simulcast system here in Macomb County (Site 219), which I believe was caused by multi-path distortion. After trying many different omni-directional antenna configurations to no avail, what finally worked for me is a Maxrad Yagi antenna (Model BMOY8245) pointed at just one of the simulcast towers. It's up at about 30' and fed with quality RG-6 coax. This configuration allows me to get it 100%.

I still get the occasional shotguning on the 2096, but no break up whatsoever.

 

[phantom1131]

The Holly and Columbiaville towers DO broadcast all of the the Genesee Co. IDs. I use the Holly tower with only the Genesee Co. talkgroups and get better reception than the crappy simulcast! I believe the Holly tower does this because of its close proximity to Fenton which is in Genesee Co. I'll be curious to see if the Columbiaville tower drops the Genesee Co. talkgroups when Lapeer Co. switches over to P25. Good Luck!

i have noticed a lot of missed transmissions off the holly and col. towers for genesee co.and i have done what you have with the TG's

 

[phantom1131]

is it just me or is anyone else having this problem in genesee co.,lots of looks but no replies...this is driving me crazy with all the garbled transmissions and unable decoding at start of transmissions..PLEASE HELP

 

[rdale]

Everything was explained multiple times... Point a directional antenna at the closest tower. That's all. If it doesn't work - move to a new location.

The laws of physics can't be changed no matter how hard you may want.

 

[phantom1131]

Everything was explained multiple times... Point a directional antenna at the closest tower. That's all. If it doesn't work - move to a new location.

The laws of physics can't be changed no matter how hard you may want.

thats it ..ok thanks...rdale,i realize it is frustrating having the same questions all the time on here but you need to relax a little..not all of us are experts at this hobby and how this website works... that is why this forum is available..i did a search on this topic and did not get the info i needed..obviously i did not search in the right area..as stated earlier we are not all experts

 

[rdale]

K8BPX had a wonderful post just above yours...Did you try it? I'm not asking you to be an expert, but I would expect that you'd read the responses to your question...

 

[pjbracing]

K8BPX had a wonderful post just above yours...Did you try it? I'm not asking you to be an expert, but I would expect that you'd read the responses to your question...

I visit this site almost everyday and my biggest frustration is RDALE's arrogent editorials about people trying to learn something. With respect to his response above, K8BPX gave a couple of sentences about his issue in Macomb. There was no reference to how it relates to the original question (although I understand the theory) so someone could easily fail to make the link.

My message here might be inappropriate for the forum but so it RDALE's and many of his others. If you don't have anything to add to solving the person's questions, then go back to listening to your scanner. If you can provide help to someone, even if it takes more than a single technical response, then by all means help them out.

By the way, I for one live in North Oakland County, listen to Genesee County on a 396 with just a Radio Shack rubber duckie type antenna in my house, tuned to the Holly Tower. I get most of the transmissions, and can follow most of the calls to conclusion. I have the latest firmware installed and use the scanner automatic settings. I also have the older 296 with very good reception. So maybe in response, it isn't just an Yagi but maybe the scanner!

Now RDALE, my response gives the original question an optional thought. That is what this forum is all about!

 

[seamusg]

I visit this site almost everyday and my biggest frustration is RDALE's arrogent editorials about people trying to learn something. With respect to his response above, K8BPX gave a couple of sentences about his issue in Macomb. There was no reference to how it relates to the original question (although I understand the theory) so someone could easily fail to make the link.

My message here might be inappropriate for the forum but so it RDALE's and many of his others. If you don't have anything to add to solving the person's questions, then go back to listening to your scanner. If you can provide help to someone, even if it takes more than a single technical response, then by all means help them out.

By the way, I for one live in North Oakland County, listen to Genesee County on a 396 with just a Radio Shack rubber duckie type antenna in my house, tuned to the Holly Tower. I get most of the transmissions, and can follow most of the calls to conclusion. I have the latest firmware installed and use the scanner automatic settings. I also have the older 296 with very good reception. So maybe in response, it isn't just an Yagi but maybe the scanner!

Now RDALE, my response gives the original question an optional thought. That is what this forum is all about!

The trouble is that no one wants to read the previous posts about receiving simulcasts. Steve's(K8pbx), solution works, if he can receive Detroit (site 701) from 32MI and Van Dyke, other posts are just not a solution. Listening to site 201 is not listening to site 220.

 

[KB8UYC]

PJ,

Thanks for your patients in all of this, some answers can be frustrating from some folks. Let me see if I can help just a bit.

Genesee County is a Sub System to the MPSCS. It is designed just like Detroit, Monroe, St.Clair and any other Simulcasted Sub System. The systems are designed to keep their respective signals within their city or county. With that being said it has made it very difficult to monitor these systems. Here is what I recommend, and its only my recommendation:

K8PBX has had very good luck with RG6(75 ohm coax) However many of us have not. This is the greatest part of this hobby, you can try it and if it works for you then great, let it be! The first thing you need to do if you are going to want to monitor Genesee County is get an outdoor antenna. In this case, a yagi(beam) type antenna is definatly needed. Get it up as high as you can and are allowed. Next, know where all the towers are located in the county. Find the closest tower(including the holly tower, if that site is closer to you use that one) Point your yagi to that tower and leave it there.

This is the best way to monitor these sub systems. I know it can get frustrating when you cannot recieve the signals. Remember that Digital technology is way different than analog. Just look for the proper equipment and put it up and see if that works. BTW, you want to get a yagi that has as much gain as you can afford. The more gain the better it pulls the signals in.

I hope this helps you out even a little.....

 

[rdale]

My message here might be inappropriate for the forum but so it RDALE's and many of his others. If you don't have anything to add to solving the person's questions, then go back to listening to your scanner. If you can provide help to someone, even if it takes more than a single technical response, then by all means help them out.

What you can do is a SIMPLE search of the Michigan threads. Even without using the search engine, it's VERY easy to find the threads SPECIFICALLY about Genesee Co monitoring. It's safe to assume he did that before posting, so instead of just saying "it doesn't work" you should tell us what things you tried, how they helped or didn't, etc. But whining that a lot of people are viewing the thread but not answering:

is it just me or is anyone else having this problem in genesee co.,lots of looks but no replies...

isn't the way to do it...

 

[seamusg]

i did a search on this topic and did not get the info i needed..obviously i did not search in the right area..as stated earlier we are not all experts

One thing is that site 220 is not the only simulcast on MPSCS and people have found the solution on other sites. This same discussion has gone on on all the simulcast sites and the same solution has been found (antenna). See K8PBX's solution on the antenna, it's worked on both the Macomb and Detroit simulcasts. I can get site 220 about 80% of the time on my PRO2096 with a rubber duck. I found a good spot for the radio, if I don't move anything around it. When I lived in Macomb Co. I had a lot of trouble with the simulcast (I lived half way between two sites). Try the antenna solution.

 

[loumaag]

I visit this site almost everyday and my biggest frustration is RDALE's arrogent editorials about people trying to learn something. With respect to his response above, K8BPX gave a couple of sentences about his issue in Macomb. There was no reference to how it relates to the original question (although I understand the theory) so someone could easily fail to make the link.

My message here might be inappropriate for the forum but so it RDALE's and many of his others. If you don't have anything to add to solving the person's questions, then go back to listening to your scanner. If you can provide help to someone, even if it takes more than a single technical response, then by all means help them out.

By the way, I for one live in North Oakland County, listen to Genesee County on a 396 with just a Radio Shack rubber duckie type antenna in my house, tuned to the Holly Tower. I get most of the transmissions, and can follow most of the calls to conclusion. I have the latest firmware installed and use the scanner automatic settings. I also have the older 296 with very good reception. So maybe in response, it isn't just an Yagi but maybe the scanner!

Now RDALE, my response gives the original question an optional thought. That is what this forum is all about!

This message is inappropriate. You have a problem with a post, report it, just like several people did for yours. In the future if you find a problem with a post (and there is absolutely nothing wrong with rdale's replies in this thread) then report it, if appropriate some moderator will take action.

As to the content of your post and the general problem of anyone trying to monitor simulcast digital, the solution is location, location, location. Either isolate yourself or isolate the signal.

 

[MOTST]

I'm not very "up to speed" on scanners, so forgive me if I miss something here.
Can you program to receive Genesee's control channel, as analog? You would be able to listen as you moved your antenna for the best signal. Just a thought. At least determine weather it's an antenna or radio issue.
I think your LMR-400 is an excellent choice in feed line as well.

 

[phantom1131]

first of all if you read my first post i have explained everything i have tried and what setup i have..second..i have been in contact with steve via pm/ e-mail and he has been of great help without attitude,kudos to him...i just wanted to know some other peoples experience with this problem..and i want to thank the rest of you for your help..as for rdale,i am not going to waste anymore key strokes on him...no more replies needed..thanks

 

[rdale]

Can you program to receive Genesee's control channel, as analog? You would be able to listen as you moved your antenna for the best signal.

No, there's nothing you can hear that tells you. There's no way around it - directional antenna pointed at closest tower. Anything else won't work.

 

[seamusg]

I'm not very "up to speed" on scanners, so forgive me if I miss something here.
Can you program to receive Genesee's control channel, as analog? You would be able to listen as you moved your antenna for the best signal. Just a thought. At least determine weather it's an antenna or radio issue.
I think your LMR-400 is an excellent choice in feed line as well.

The best way to receive SITE 220 is to be able to eliminate the signal from seven of the sites and receive only one.

 

[MOTST]

So, the scanner can not be programmed in an analog mode to Rx the control channel? I thought that listening for the best signal as you moved the antenna would help.