Insane or Possible? (Simulcast Fix)

[ind224]

Jonweinke is correct I have posted several times on simulcast issues trying to help others based on facts and actual experience. If you can run a indoor antenna food grade tin foil by itself no journeyman construction skills or big support anything for 700 800 900 meg is needed. I also posted an RG6 coax antenna made with 3.5 inches of center exposed, works like the paper clip and mine is pointing upside down with the desired 99% decode. I don't know if the other scanner makes allow it but the 197/600 106/500 series let you see the actual decode % making it much easier to lock a CC and get back to listening. Did anyone try the foil in the microwave yet, lol?

 

[jonwienke]

The x36 scanners will display decode error rate if you press FUNC, VOLUME, FUNC.

The SDS scanners also show the decode error rate, but you have to add that to the display in the customization options--I don't think it displays by default.

 

[radio3353]

There are literally thousands of posts here on the subject of simulcast reception problems already, a click on the search button away. There is nothing new in this discussion, it has been going on for years. There's plenty of "backup material" if you bother to do even a cursory search.

I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but I don't see the value in writing a detailed multipage dissertation to answer a question when there are thousands of posts and multiple wiki articles on this site already devoted to the subject, a simple search away.

Jonweinke is correct I have posted several times on simulcast issues trying to help others based on facts and actual experience. If you can run a indoor antenna food grade tin foil by itself no journeyman construction skills or big support anything for 700 800 900 meg is needed. I also posted an RG6 coax antenna made with 3.5 inches of center exposed, works like the paper clip and mine is pointing upside down with the desired 99% decode. I don't know if the other scanner makes allow it but the 197/600 106/500 series let you see the actual decode % making it much easier to lock a CC and get back to listening. Did anyone try the foil in the microwave yet, lol?

I don't think you guys understood my point. You can see that the OP just joined a couple of weeks ago. He or she has not likely seen all of these other discussions you speak of. That is why I suggested providing more useful information as opposed to just 'don't waste your time' or 'odds are not in your favor.' That is all. Sorry if I hurt your feelings.

 

[gtaman]

Yagi with a forward pad. Had a 15 DB cable pad on the input. Didn’t even stutter.

 

[eorange]

I believe you'd still need to account for reflected signals originating from the direction you're trying to block.

I say experiment away! If not for experimenting...nobody would learn anything new.

 

[KMG54]

Yes, tin foil will work to block RF. Perhaps putting a ball of foil in a microwave on high will convince others that don't believe it. I don't understand the flippant attitude. As for the yagi comment, I have a yagi pointed like this (see pic almost into the ground) to give me 99% decode on a troublesome system.

Put that CBand dish back into use!

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

That is really not a bad idea. I was once at a radio site up in mid Ohio near the lake. There was an abandonded cable TV head end and they had a huge andrew satellite dish with a log periodic UHF feed . The antenna was apparently there to pick up either Chicago or Canadian TV stations. I went home wishing I had tools to salvage that thing.

 

[KMG54]

At this moment things are slow, but you will appreciate the dish traking when stuff gets back to normal.

 

[KMG54]

A 40 dollar Chinese receiver to get you started, then the serious receivers.

 

[jonwienke]

I don't think you guys understood my point. You can see that the OP just joined a couple of weeks ago. He or she has not likely seen all of these other discussions you speak of.

Search is available to all, even newbies.

And a certain level of fatigue sets in after answering the same question a dozen times or so, even if asked in different threads by different posters.

I'm just not going to offer the same level of detail answering a question the 10th time as I did the first or second. If someone wants more details, I'll direct them to the articles available on the subject, rather than reinventing the wheel in yet another duplicate post on the same subject.

 

[Outerdog]

Search is available to all, even newbies.

And a certain level of fatigue sets in after answering the same question a dozen times or so, even if asked in different threads by different posters.

I'm just not going to offer the same level of detail answering a question the 10th time as I did the first or second. If someone wants more details, I'll direct them to the articles available on the subject, rather than reinventing the wheel in yet another duplicate post on the same subject.

Maybe slip all the way down to providing zero level of detail to topics which are of no interest to you?

 

[oldradioguy2010]

Not sure of the freq
But you can make a yagi with old coat hangers and a wood dowel or PVC pipe.
In a pinch,use a paper roll.the later is inside use only.


DW
So.Cal

 

[Ronaldski]

Vastly Improved Simulcast Receive

I've been having the typical simulcast receive problems everyone else has. A commercial radio engineer friend of mine suggested shielding the antenna from all but the closest or the desire tower. I came up with this. Don't laugh too hard, it's working. I simply took a piece of cardboard, covered...

forums.radioreference.com

 

[ScubaJungle]

I'm very happy to see that I've started a productive discussion, but for the few people complaining about me not looking it up and that its been posted a million times, then clearly you didnt bother to read my post. I am NOT having this issue. It was simply meant to START a meaningful discussion with other people, to possibly HELP other people, who possibly didnt think of using a corner reflector in improving their issues, simulcast or not. I was wondering if it would work at all, simply for the fact that others browsing can see this and possibly be helped. This is a forum for discussion, thats what Im looking to do.

 

[trentbob]

This is like deja vu all over again. To the o p you should search the many many threads addressing this issue in 2015. At that time we also had the complication of denial that the problem even existed. We all know better now.

I don't think anyone mentioned the paint can. If you drill a hole in a paint can and stick the standard antenna in the hole some people got results but it was most likely due to something else I haven't heard here. Location location location.

Keep at it and see how it goes, as far as the tinfoil goes keep working at it I know some people used it to make a tinfoil hat, I didn't hear any reports that worked either, just kidding LOL

Keep at it and learn.

 

[bob550]

Keep at it and see how it goes, as far as the tinfoil goes keep working at it I know some people used it to make a tinfoil hat, I didn't hear any reports that worked either, just kidding LOL

When I first got my 996xt, I had a lot of trouble faithfully receiving my local P25 system and I would have entertained anything up to and including the tinfoil hat! Inexpensive experimentation is part of this hobby, and can be fun and rewarding. Everyone has their own specific radio reception challenges based on factors too numerous to mention. Even professionally built radio systems often can't work reliably in every part of the intended geographic coverage area. So I'd tell the OP to just go ahead and try whatever comes to mind, and if it works, good for you!

 

[ScubaJungle]

This is like deja vu all over again. To the o p you should search the many many threads addressing this issue in 2015. At that time we also had the complication of denial that the problem even existed. We all know better now.

I don't think anyone mentioned the paint can. If you drill a hole in a paint can and stick the standard antenna in the hole some people got results but it was most likely due to something else I haven't heard here. Location location location.

Keep at it and see how it goes, as far as the tinfoil goes keep working at it I know some people used it to make a tinfoil hat, I didn't hear any reports that worked either, just kidding LOL

Keep at it and learn.

lol I wasnt here back then, but Im sure it's been brought up. The more the better though, at least I think so when I'm researching something.
The paint can with antenna is probably a good idea for pretty much any signal issues - isn't that making a ground plane? That's actually something that's been on my list to try for reaching signals a bit out of reach normally. Lmao!

I agree, @bob550, many of the important things we have today came about from people just experimenting with different methods and ways to do things.

 

[trentbob]

I got the x36s in 2014 and my County went to P2 simulcast in 2015.

There wasn't a lot of simulcast issues in the country at that time as very few places had converted to simulcast distortion susceptible systems secondary to LSM. Many people denied the problem even existed and they were people that were hundreds of miles or more from a system that even had simulcast distortion LOL. Our County is awful on the x36s.

We tried every possible thing we could to receive our simulcast system and a personal friend of mine who lives in my area who some of you may know Philly DJ Dan made a video called p 2 shootout which I participated in because I had the equipment.

The end result of our efforts to pick up the 700 megahertz P2 simulcast system in my County was to buy Motorola radios disabled for transmit.

There's no consistency here and it is location location location, I agree that the o p should read up and try every possible suggestion and solution as you never know. It depends on the system and how it's calibrated and your location between Towers.

Keep at it o p, you never know. You always have the option of moving up to the scanner that will work on your system.

I always said at that time that the scanner companies would have to come up with simulcast capable radios or eventually they would go out of business and Uniden made them.