Home Patrol Questions/Franklin County

[SquirrelRehab]

I have debated on which forum to post this in and since I am in Franklin County and having reception issues, thought I would post here. If it needs to go some place else, I am sure the mods can move it.

I took a chance and purchased the Uniden Home Patrol today... so far I am not impressed. Mind you, the last scanner I owned was a very old Realistic Pro-2011 which does still work, just not with the new systems.

I went through the setup and entered my zip code, updated the firmware and when I checked it said the datebase was up to date. I am using the stock antennae that came with it.

First of all, the only counties I am interested in listening to are Wake (including Raleigh) and Franklin Counties. All I am managing to pick up are some Vance County broadcasts and one EMS broadcast out of Raleigh and that is it.

I have also tried entering my city, letting it auto select my location and even changing the range from everything from 10 miles up to 30 miles and still nothing changes. I tried locking onto Franklin County Project 25 and letting it run for about an hour and nothing... the online feed was broadcasting transmissions, so I know there were some.

I know, or think I know, that Raleigh is under the Viper system and even locking onto that, it still did not pick up anything out of Raleigh or Wake County except an occasional transmission from one EMS channel.

I know from listening to the live feeds online through an app on my cell phone, that there is more traffic than this for the areas I want to pick up but I am getting nothing. My first instinct is to pack it up and return it to the store, but thought I would post here and see if there is something I am missing.

I really wanted this scanner to work, but I just don't think it is going to for my area. I am in the Youngsville area off of hwy 96, north of Ronnie White's. Keep in mind, my technical expertise regarding these new scanners is newbie at best despite all of the reading I have been doing, which is one reason why I picked this particular scanner. Oh and I have read the manual.

If there is anyone in my area (I know a couple of people here are) and you have some other suggestions for a scanner that can still be purchased, I am all ears. An outside antennae is not really an option for me anymore... so need to stick with what I can attach to whatever unit I have.

Pam

 

[SquirrelRehab]

Update To This Post

Could not find a way to edit the original post, so posting a reply.

After fiddling with this Uniden Home Patrol for several days and getting an external 800Mhz antenna and traveling to several different locations trying to get something to come in on this scanner, I am throwing in the towel and returning it tomorrow.

I would have at least expected to pick up Raleigh when I was in Raleigh today, but that would be a big not happening. The app on my cell phone let me know that there was in fact broadcasting going on in Raleigh, but not on the Home Patrol. I would see 4 signal bars for strength, but no audio coming out of anywhere in Raleigh. Same thing happened in the Youngsville/Franklinton area, even up close to the tower in Franklinton. I could get some broadcasts out of Vance and Granville county, but nothing out of Franklin county at all!

I am still open for suggestions for scanners for this area (Youngsville/Franklin County US1/96) that might work... I have read good things about the Uniden BCD996xt and know that one of the guys that broadcasts out of Wake Forest uses a Radio Shack Pro 2096. But like anything else, it is all about location, location, location. I know the Franklinton tower is less than 8 miles, closer to 7, from my house so I should be able to get something off of that tower I would think.

I hope someone can help me. I have been away from scanners for a long time and would love to get one working again in my house.

Pam

 

[REVREID]

hello.i own a home patrol.in thomasville,n c where i live,i get great reception-even highway patrol in wake county.may i make a suggestion-uniden home patrol has their own forum online. they have been very helpful to me. you sign up for an account-its free-then you can post your questions. one of their big officials answers questions,too. he is an expert. dont give up-its a great machine,when you get it going. i bought a diamond antenna,and moved mine to a differnt location. now it is fine. if i can help-let me know.

 

[REVREID]

sorry

well-the home patrol is better than m,y spelling-l o l i meant DIFFERENT

 

[SquirrelRehab]

Thanks revreid for your response. I still think I am going to take the scanner back and return it. My trip through Raleigh and up close to the Franklinton tower showed me that this scanner, for whatever reason, just cannot pick up a lot in the 2 area's I want to receive broadcasts from and I am just not sure why.

I did learn tonight that the system in Franklin county does have some dead spots in it and as close as I am to the county line might be one reason I am having issues. But as close as I am to the tower and getting 4 bars, I would have thought I could pick up something.

I am going to do some more homework over the next few weeks and see what else I can learn and I may wind up buying this same scanner again, but for now I am taking it back until I can try to figure out why it would not work. I have had it all over this house and outside and ridden it around in the car, all to no avail. It may well turn out to be operator error but entering the zip code and letting it pull in the frequencies that it could and not making any other changes, I sort of expected it to work as advertised... maybe my expectations were too high. Before I get real frustrated, I need to step back and rethink the situation and see what my options for my area are.

I really do thank for you taking the time to respond and I will mosey over to the uniden forums and do some reading there and see if I can pick up any ideas from there.

Pam

 

[fxdscon]

Just to confirm that you have the latest database in your Home Patrol:

From the main screen on the Home Patrol, select MENU --> ADVANCED MENU --> scroll down arrow --> VERSION INFORMATION

What does it say there for the date of the database?

 

[SquirrelRehab]

I already have the machine boxed up and ready to go back to the store but took it out and the Database version is 3/23/2014 and the Firmware version is 2.04.

Pam