BCD396XT/BCD996XT: getting new scanner i have 2 questions

[ofd8001]

I don't think pagers will be an answer. There are no pagers on the market that deal with trunked radio systems.

Equipping firefighters with digital trunked radios can be a costly undertaking. If memory serves me correctly, the going price on these is at least $2,000.

You've done about as good as you could. A while back around my local area a fire department or two was looking into to issuing firefighters their own scanners, but the radio feed ended up being the most cost effective option.

 

[ofd8001]

that would be great if they could fix it with a update.
if I don't get anywhere with it in the next couple days would you be willing to take a look at my setting with the software and see if you see anything in there that may help?

I'd be happy to look at your programming files. But if you are occasionally receiving something, I'm sure the programming is correct. What I'd need to see is the scanner itself and be in your area.

I'm pretty sure the above mentioned "fixes" will result in at least some improvement.

 

[jturner0829]

I don't think pagers will be an answer. There are no pagers on the market that deal with trunked radio systems.

Equipping firefighters with digital trunked radios can be a costly undertaking. If memory serves me correctly, the going price on these is at least $2,000.

You've done about as good as you could. A while back around my local area a fire department or two was looking into to issuing firefighters their own scanners, but the radio feed ended up being the most cost effective option.

they would have the pagers programmed with our old system I think. the old system is still in all our stations and trucks. but the only problem with the old system is you only hear our dispatch and the range is real bad.
and your right about the cost of radios, they are outrageously priced. ill keep you updated on how things work out with changes these settings. thanks for your help again.

 

[jturner0829]

I have turned the ATT on. this made the most difference. although reception is better while sitting in my yard it does still miss somethings but not as bad as it did while att was off. once i leave the county which is only about 5 miles from the house i loose it all and don't get anything. i did adjust the setting for p25 mode and p25 adjust and could not tell any difference in those difference.
i done some reading and came across a thread that is in the stickys about a filter modification. have you read any on this. i belive i may could benefit from this mod.

 

[ofd8001]

I don't know anything about the filter modification you mentioned so I can't offer any advice there.

I'm glad that you've obtained at least some improvement with the attenuator setting. Unfortunately the trade off is diminished reception as you get farther away from the heart of the system area.

There is something you could do. Hopefully I can explain a suggestion in an understandable way as it could sound complicated.

I'm guessing you probably have the Carroll County and the Coweta County sites programmed into the system.

I would copy and paste both of these sites so that you have a duplicate of each site. For one of each, keep the ATT on and for the second (copied site), turn the ATT off. Then assign a Quick Key to the sites with the ATT on, then a separate Quick Key to the sites with the ATT off.

When you are in your home area, turn the attenuated site on and the not attenuated site off. Then as you get farther away, simply reverse this - not attenuated on and attenuated off.

If you can use Quick Keys less than 9, it is easily pressing two buttons to toggle between the two. That might give you the best of both worlds and is a whole lot easier than going through the programming motions to change the attenuator settings depending upon where you are.

 

[kd0ega]

I have turned the ATT on. this made the most difference. although reception is better while sitting in my yard it does still miss somethings but not as bad as it did while att was off. once i leave the county which is only about 5 miles from the house i loose it all and don't get anything. i did adjust the setting for p25 mode and p25 adjust and could not tell any difference in those difference.
i done some reading and came across a thread that is in the stickys about a filter modification. have you read any on this. i belive i may could benefit from this mod.

.....I agree with ofd8001 on the attenuation aspect and your location....I will be trying that set up with the handheld when mobile.

I am starting to think that the P-25 systems ,at least in your county and the one I live in, according to your post in "Bringing your scanner in to the 21st century" are overloading the front end of the scanner due to the overlapping coverage area of the tower sites(simulcast).....with in a mile or 2 of a tower site, no major issue(s)... between tower sites where 2 or more tower sites over lap... issues, such as not hearing traffic even though there are no weak signals....overloading the front end of the scanner....I may be way off base, but in theory it makes sense.

Fellow forum member nec911 had the same issue as far as being between tower sites with in the city (here in Topeka) and not hearing traffic with his handheld and vehicle mounted antenna....I don't know what he is running as far as a scanner and antenna go.