Kenosha County Fire-Pulling my hair out

[Dhubjr]

Hello all,

I have an SDS 100 with a $50 discone on my roof. The main county fire dispatch is NFM on 151.235 and is located on the eastern side of the county. I live in the western side of the county, but my local PD also dispatches our local fire depts on the same frequency. I can see the local PD's tower across the lake from my front window and it is only about a half mile from my house.

Our local PD is also VHF NFM and sounds crystal clear on my SDS, but the fire dispatches from either east or west are weak and scratchy. I have tried the attenuator which made things worse and am currently cycling thru the filters with no luck so far. But here's the kicker. If I plug my $30 garbage Baofeng into the same antenna the fire traffic from both east and west transmitters sounds CRYSTAL clear.

What am I missing here??!?!?!?! Aaaaahhh!!!!!!

 

[K9KLC]

Isn't Kenosha PD P-25 simulcast or am I reading the database wrong? Looks like multiple transmitters on the same frequency. I think someone from the area is gonna have to chime in. I'd be interested to know the answer however. I travel to Kenosha frequently (family) and wouldn't mind knowing what's going on when I'm up that way.

 

[Dhubjr]

Isn't Kenosha PD P-25 simulcast or am I reading the database wrong?

My issue is with K County Fire, not K City Fire. Two different entities. I can listen to K City PD and County Sheriff just fine. (On the SDS of course)

 

[AB5ID]

Does the FD always sound scratchy or is the issue intermittent?

 

[K9KLC]

My issue is with K County Fire, not K City Fire. Two different entities. I can listen to K City PD and County Sheriff just fine. (On the SDS of course)

But you were comparing the two. I'm trying to help solve the problem. Both the sheriff and KPD are P-25. And apparently you're having problems on VHF analog correct? Some people have had problems with the SDS scanners on VHF analog. I was just trying to sort things out here. Odd you can get it on your Baofeng but not the SDS on the same antenna.

 

[Firebell2110]

I bought this FM trap after a video on youtube pointed me to this for my SDS100 much better results im able to pick up VHF and other bands with close call and monitoring other local systems give it a try heres a link. https://a.co/d/aqFf8ie

 

[Dhubjr]

Does the FD always sound scratchy or is the issue intermittent?

It can be scratchy but generally it is just a weak signal no matter if it's being broadcasted from 20 miles away or a half a mile.

 

[Dhubjr]

But you were comparing the two. I'm trying to help solve the problem. Both the sheriff and KPD are P-25. And apparently you're having problems on VHF analog correct? Some people have had problems with the SDS scanners on VHF analog. I was just trying to sort things out here. Odd you can get it on your Baofeng but not the SDS on the same antenna.

I don't have KPD on the favorite list I use when I'm at home but when I am working out there I can hear them just fine off of a cheap mag mount antenna. VHF analog works great for my local PD. The county public works guys use VHF analog as well and when they are out in their trucks I can hear them when they are 10 miles from me better than the counties main dispatch even though it's more powerful. It's crazy. I'm just going to keep cycling thru a different filter each week and hope I somehow find my solution.

 

[K9KLC]

Good luck, let us know how it goes please. I remember as a kid going out to twin lakes, there was a place out there (might have been called pinkys??? or maybe the "Pink house"?? that had a sign in the bathroom, "please don't pee in our pool, we don't swim in your toilet". this was likely in the late 60's or early 70/s. Again, good luck.