Help! Can not hear Ocean county fire

[RFD0034]

i am not sure if it is my scanners (RS pro 96 and pro 433) or it’s a change in the system but I can not hear anything but dispatch for Ocean county Nj fire. Everything was fine until a month or so. Before I go buying new equipment I’d like to find out the issue. This site is wonderful and you all do a great job keeping everything up to date. Well worth the premium subscription. I am not well versed with all the changes. I’m hoping someone can direct me. Thank,you all.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Hi there, Ocean County P25 is a Phase-II system which utilizes TDMA talkgroups which neither scanner you mentioned is able to track. Additionally neither scanner handles 700mhz, with the 433 not handling P25 at all so it's unclear to me how you were listening to Ocean County with these scanners to begin with. Perhaps you were listening to rebroadcasts on conventional repeaters and maybe they took them offline or they changed tones? Nonetheless You will need a P25 Phase-II with TDMA capable scanner (list here) to track the linked trunked radio system properly. My recommendation goes to the Uniden SDS100 or SDS200 to combat simulcast distortion which will likely be encountered if you listen to this system with a non-SDS series scanner. Lastly no scanner will be able to track any talkgroup ID'ed as mode "TE" as these are fully encrypted. Hope this info helps

 

[RFD0034]

is this phase II something new? They worked fine for 20years. As for your question about conventional repeaters…I don’t really know.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

is this phase II something new? They worked fine for 20years.

Have a look at this thread. Forgot they were operating on 500 until recently

 

[RFD0034]

That answered my question…thank you. I appreciate all you help with this. Now to find the right scanners to buy lol.

 

[tvengr]

I’m hoping someone can direct me. Thank,you all.

I agree that you need a SDS100 handheld or SDS200 base/mobile. They are the only scanners specifically designed to receive simulcast systems. Any other scanner may or may not work depending upon your location. I have a favorites list for Ocean and Monmouth Counties and would be happy to share it with you to get you scanning. Please let us know if you purchase a scanner.

 

[RFD0034]

Thank you…I appreciate your answer and your offer. I will keep you posted.

 

[RadioChief55]

You can listen here until you get a scanner. Its provided with a Uniden SDS200.

Ocean County Fire and EMS - Northern Live Audio Feed

Ocean County Fire and EMS - Northern Live Audio Feed on Broadcastify.com

www.broadcastify.com

 

[allie1226]

I use a Uniden BCD325P2 for this system and it works great !

 

[RadioChief55]

I use a Uniden BCD325P2 for this system and it works great !

You're one of the lucky ones. I tried a Whistler TRX1 and TRX2 no luck. I tried a Uniden BCD325P2 and a 996P2, with a paper clip in the BNC connector I got the system some times. I'm in snug harbor and simulcast distortion is bad. If I drove over to Chestnut St by the county building (right under a tower) I would get the system on the 325P2. Once I was a few blocks away, it went bad again.

 

[elias1988]

There are some dead spots with the system,I finally recently got my hands on the new radios (APX 6000XE from Station 45 and APX 6000Li from county) at Station 44,no reception in our game room or truck bays but as soon as you go outside reception is great.

 

[allie1226]

There are some dead spots with the system,I finally recently got my hands on the new radios (APX 6000XE from Station 45 and APX 6000Li from county) at Station 44,no reception in our game room or truck bays but as soon as you go outside reception is great.

off subject: station 44 SSH is NOT on the 700 system?

 

[elias1988]

Yes we were loaned radios to use until we get our own.

 

[Frequency1]

you need a SDS100 handheld or SDS200 base/mobile. They are the only scanners specifically designed to receive simulcast systems. Any other scanner may or may not work

To the OP (RFD0034)
The above quote is still the best advice.

 

[policefreak]

There are some dead spots with the system,I finally recently got my hands on the new radios (APX 6000XE from Station 45 and APX 6000Li from county) at Station 44,no reception in our game room or truck bays but as soon as you go outside reception is great.

Thats honestly not shocking. The nearest transmitter site is supposed to be the communications center in Toms River. That's a good 6.5 miles away.

 

[allie1226]

Thats honestly not shocking. The nearest transmitter site is supposed to be the communications center in Toms River. That's a good 6.5 miles away.

That would explain why SSH & SSP Police stayed on their UHF systems !!!

 

[maus92]

Hmmm, fire stations in our county are considered critical buildings and must have adequate portable coverage per our contract with Motorola. A BDA would likely solve the issue.

 

[kc2kth]

Stirring up this thread that admittedly is a bit old. I'm just getting around to addressing my scanners now that OC Fire is using the new P25 system. I'm using a BCD436 here in the North Dover section of Toms River. I haven't heard anything on the P25 system at all. I am still hearing dispatch calls on 463.1875 - all EMS so far since reprogramming this morning.

I'm monitoring the "Ocean County Fire and EMS - Northern" feed on Broadcastify alongside. I'm unclear if the dispatch calls there (about 5 seconds after I hear them on the 436) are using the analog FM frequency or if that feed is from the P25 system.

I've never run into simulcast issues, but from my reading here, that would be distortion. In my case, I'm simply hearing nothing. I believe I'm close enough to the tower that I should have no issue receiving even on the 436 indoors with a modest antenna (Watson SMA-801).

Can anyone clarify the current operations for OC Fire? Obviously, the analog FM dispatch frequency is in use. Is the P25 dispatch TG a simulcast of this? If so, I expect I should be able to hear calls on both.

 

[lynchy135]

Can anyone clarify the current operations for OC Fire? Obviously, the analog FM dispatch frequency is in use. Is the P25 dispatch TG a simulcast of this? If so, I expect I should be able to hear calls on both.

TG 5100 is a simulcast (or multicast, not sure what the correct verbiage is) of the FM dispatch channel. There is a system for OC on Broadcastify Calls (if you have premium) and on OpenMhz that you can use to validate, just be advised that Broadcastify Calls and OpenMHZ are delayed until after the broadcast is completed.

 

[elias1988]

Stirring up this thread that admittedly is a bit old. I'm just getting around to addressing my scanners now that OC Fire is using the new P25 system. I'm using a BCD436 here in the North Dover section of Toms River. I haven't heard anything on the P25 system at all. I am still hearing dispatch calls on 463.1875 - all EMS so far since reprogramming this morning.

I'm monitoring the "Ocean County Fire and EMS - Northern" feed on Broadcastify alongside. I'm unclear if the dispatch calls there (about 5 seconds after I hear them on the 436) are using the analog FM frequency or if that feed is from the P25 system.

I've never run into simulcast issues, but from my reading here, that would be distortion. In my case, I'm simply hearing nothing. I believe I'm close enough to the tower that I should have no issue receiving even on the 436 indoors with a modest antenna (Watson SMA-801).

Can anyone clarify the current operations for OC Fire? Obviously, the analog FM dispatch frequency is in use. Is the P25 dispatch TG a simulcast of this? If so, I expect I should be able to hear calls on both.

Even being close to a tower site you will still experience simulcast distortion,getting a SDS 100/200 or a Unication will solve that.