Help with Chambersburg

dchawk81

Newbie
Joined
May 22, 2024
Messages
3
Just bought an SDS100 and live near OP (Chambersburg PA) and can't pull in EMS either. I can get fire dispatch.

I had the 436 and returned it due to no simulcast.

Tried the stock as well as SRH77CA antenna.

I do have favorites programmed in and I can hear dispatch assign a responding team to, say, EMS 5. Even when I tune directly to EMS 5 nothing at all comes through. I'm not even scanning at that point. I'm on the channel directly.

I also got things like the airports (ZDB, ZNY, ZDC) on the 436 and they barely come in anymore on the SDS100, although I had AGC turned on for those on the 436 and stupidly that option is missing from the SDS.

I'm not sure what further information I need to provide to get this going but any help would be appreciated.
 
Last edited:

W3DMV

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
667
Location
Gettysburg, Pa
Just bought an SDS100 and live near OP (Chambersburg PA) and can't pull in EMS either. I can get fire dispatch.

I had the 436 and returned it due to no simulcast.

Tried the stock as well as SRH77CA antenna.

I do have favorites programmed in and I can hear dispatch assign a responding team to, say, EMS 5. Even when I tune directly to EMS 5 nothing at all comes through. I'm not even scanning at that point. I'm on the channel directly.

I also got things like the airports (ZDB, ZNY, ZDC) on the 436 and they barely come in anymore on the SDS100, although I had AGC turned on for those on the 436 and stupidly that option is missing from the SDS.

I'm not sure what further information I need to provide to get this going but any help would be appreciated.
 

dchawk81

Newbie
Joined
May 22, 2024
Messages
3
Good grief.... I must have been tired! Wrong County by FAR! Sorry.
All good and you're correct except the county. I didn't have the correct (or any maybe) P25 programmed because I had copied my programming over from the BCD436 and didn't bother with simulcast. Once I got that in it started working great.

Still not sure why my reception is poorer for aircraft though.
 

SurgePGH

Active Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 30, 2008
Messages
615
Location
Belle Vernon, PA
All good and you're correct except the county. I didn't have the correct (or any maybe) P25 programmed because I had copied my programming over from the BCD436 and didn't bother with simulcast. Once I got that in it started working great.

Still not sure why my reception is poorer for aircraft though.
I have heard (but not experienced) that the SDS series suffers a little on VHF receive. This may be part of your issue with the aircraft.
 

dchawk81

Newbie
Joined
May 22, 2024
Messages
3
I have heard (but not experienced) that the SDS series suffers a little on VHF receive. This may be part of your issue with the aircraft.
You're probably right. I can pull some of them in if I stop on them, they just aren't as clear as they were on the BCD436.

I can still get Harrisburg International via Big Flat but I used to be able to get Dulles as well and that seems to be outside the SDS100 range.
 

kb3ouk

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
34
Location
Harrisonville, Fulton County, PA
Nice thing with Franklin county is even if you have issues with receiving the trunked system there are several analog relays to listen to as a backup for fire/EMS:
453.550/46.16-Dispatch
453.4875 pl 103.5-Ops talkgroups 3-16 (from what I can tell its all from 3 to 16)
453.7375-dispatch plus ops 2 and others (not sure if all ops talkgroups are relayed or if full or part time, dispatch is relayed full time)
 
Top