Harris radio system/GRE 600 scanner

[oleverette]

Scanner working well for years. Bibb County Sheriff going from Motorola Trunk to Harris system. I have entered all frequencies but only receive bits and pieces of transmissions. Any suggestions? Thanks for your help. I am currently using the latest version of the Butel software.
Help !!!

 

[oracavon]

By "Harris" system, I expect you mean EDACS. There are different EDACS variations. Some of those variations (such as ESK) can't be properly tracked by some older radios. Which Bibb County are you referring to - the one in Alabama or the one in Georgia? That info will help us look up exactly what type of radio system they are going to.

I see from the title of your post that you have a GRE-600. I'm not familiar with GRE models, but once we know more from you, someone here is likely to be able to help.

 

[oleverette]

GRE600

Thanks for the quick reply. I am located near Bibb County Georgia. I have been unable to get any information locally. I put a wildcard in the program and I hear activity but its has lots of digital break-ups. Its not a signal problem because the strength indicator is full scale and I am only 2 miles from one of the simulcast sites. There are 3 locally. Thanks again for your help.
OL

 

[Ensnared]

GRE 600 & Bibb County, Georgia

After looking at the Central Georgia Interoperable Regional Radio System, I see no reason why you are having difficulty hearing them. Although I use Win500 instead of ARC 500, you should be able to see the talk groups and associated TSYS. I suggest loading all of the system frequencies into your radio.

 

[fredva]

Are you using software or did you enter the frequencies manually?

 

[troymail]

fcc.gov for the license is showing a total of 12 frequencies: Load 'em all and see what happens.

854.06250000
854.71250000
854.91250000
854.98750000
855.23750000
855.48750000
856.23750000
856.26250000
856.48750000
856.58750000
857.23750000
857.48750000

Also - this looks like a P25 digital simulvast system which potentially introduces receptions issues.

 

[troymail]

By "Harris" system, I expect you mean EDACS. There are different EDACS variations. Some of those variations (such as ESK) can't be properly tracked by some older radios. Which Bibb County are you referring to - the one in Alabama or the one in Georgia? That info will help us look up exactly what type of radio system they are going to.

I see from the title of your post that you have a GRE-600. I'm not familiar with GRE models, but once we know more from you, someone here is likely to be able to help.

I don't believe Harris deploys new EDACS systems -- it's a new digital P25 system.

 

[troymail]

Scanner working well for years. Bibb County Sheriff going from Motorola Trunk to Harris system. I have entered all frequencies but only receive bits and pieces of transmissions. Any suggestions? Thanks for your help. I am currently using the latest version of the Butel software.
Help !!!

Assuming you've properly programmed this as a P25 system in your radio, looking at your original description of the problem closer this is almost certainly the now well known (and hated) digital simulcast problem -- or, it could be that some talkgroups are P25 Phase 2 - which the 600 doesn't do.

See also: http://forums.radioreference.com/ge...macon-bibb-fd-moves-again-pd-coming-soon.html

 

[oleverette]

Help

I programmed the frequencies manually I have tried all the system settings including p-25 auto, manual,,,Edac and all the rest. I have tried every combination I can think of. Thanks for the suggestions and I'll try anything !!! It just may be that the 600 is not compatable.

 

[charlesdotcc]

See the thread referenced above for the correct frequencies for the SO. The database is not accurate right now. I've tried to get them to update it, but for some reason they just won't.

 

[oleverette]

Troymail, Thanks for your help. The RR database is missing 5 frequencies. I've still got some digital garbage but Thanks for heading me in the right direction.
Regards, OL

 

[IowaGuy1603]

Troymail, Thanks for your help. The RR database is missing 5 frequencies. I've still got some digital garbage but Thanks for heading me in the right direction.
Regards, OL

The rest of your problem is probably "digital simulcast problem " as referenced above.

Try to attenuate your receiver or "downgrade" your antenna.......

What seems to work the best is a directional antenna pointed at one specific tower in a simulcast system

(or if you are in the right place a yagi point 180 degrees AWAY from a tower---if that would be away from the others)

 

[troymail]

With regard to the simulcast issues -- I've found that there is usually a "sweet spot" (or a few) you can place your radio (stationary) and get reasonably good reception.... move it a couple of inches and the signal will be gone.

I have radios all over my house monitoring different systems/sites because, well, that's where it works.

 

[mjbjr]

Is the gre 600 the same as psr 600?

EDIT....Ok i see they are the same after some RR searching. If I send him my download from my 197,It would work on his ??

 

[N8IAA]

Is the gre 600 the same as psr 600?

EDIT....Ok i see they are the same after some RR searching. If I send him my download from my 197,It would work on his ??

If you use Arc500 it would. That's what he is using.
Larry

 

[mjbjr]

I use psrEdit. Try using that one and see if it works for you. Everyone has a reason the one they use works for them,so try others.

 

[oleverette]

Thanks

Thanks for all the help with my GRE scanner. Many of the suggestions were correct. All of the frequencies in use were not in the database. I had to change some receive thresholds to help with the garble I was hearing. I also had to re orient the antenna and aimed it halfway between two transmit sites. It's not perfect but it is much better. Thanks for all the input and help. Oleverette

 

[troymail]

Thanks for all the help with my GRE scanner. Many of the suggestions were correct. All of the frequencies in use were not in the database. I had to change some receive thresholds to help with the garble I was hearing. I also had to re orient the antenna and aimed it halfway between two transmit sites. It's not perfect but it is much better. Thanks for all the input and help. Oleverette

Good to hear. Hopefully, if you've confirmed that some frequencies need to be added to the database, you've submitted those changes/updates/confirmation.

 

[charlesdotcc]

The database is all messed up. I submitted the correct information to the admin's a month or two ago. The first time he entered it, it was incorrect. I tried to submit a correction that got no acknowledgement and didn't seem to get input. Now I see there's been another update within the last week (source unknown), and it makes things even worse.

I would submit my same info again, but I don't know how to change it to make it more clear, and I don't know how many other people are trying to send him possibly conflicting information at the same time and making things worse.

What I believe is the right frequency information is posted earlier in this thread under my name, "charlesdotcc".

 

[charlesdotcc]

Sorry, didn't realize this was a new thread ... the system information I talked about is over in this thread:

http://forums.radioreference.com/ge...macon-bibb-fd-moves-again-pd-coming-soon.html

And now I've posted another updated listing here:

http://forums.radioreference.com/ge...-bibb-county-rr-live-audio-vs-my-scanner.html