Louisville Metrosafe

[KD4YGG]

Louisville Metrosafe - Sites 102, 103, 104 Are Now On-Line

Does Metrosafe indeed have five (5) control channel frequencies???

The following are currently listed:
854.21250c
854.48750c
854.73750c
855.36250c
856.76250c

I thought four (4) was the max the system could have.

Can someone run UNITRUNKER/PRO96COM and confirm?

Thanks

Drove over toward New Albany today and took the laptop, USB cable, and PSR-500 with me to run PRO96COM on the Metrosafe system.

There are now four (4) - yes FOUR - tower sites showing as at least active and transmitting CC data.

Rather than detail out, I've attached screenshots below as documentation of what the system is actually transmitting. The first three are main screen - will post the neighboring sites in a follow up post showing how they are currently connected to each other.

The only site I could not adequately receive and run PRO96COM on was Tower 103. 853.8750 Mhz is also used for Hoosier SAFE-T on the Marengo site. If anyone can receive AND RUN PRO96COM on that site, it would be appreciated.

Will be updating the database shortly.

 

[KD4YGG]

And here's the tab showing interconnection...

 

[KD4YGG]

Metrosafe Towers 102-104 Identified

Further research into the FCC database shows:
Tower 102: Shepherdsville in Bullitt County
Tower 103: Shelbyville in Shelby County
Tower 104: La Grange in Oldham County

This was mentioned in a previous post about a month ago...

 

[ColonelMike]

Ok help me out here. So if I live in Shepherdsville, should I reprogram my Pro-106 with the 'Shepherdsville tower 102" control channel first?


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[KD4YGG]

Ok help me out here. So if I live in Shepherdsville, should I reprogram my Pro-106 with the 'Shepherdsville tower 102" control channel first?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Here's where the MULTI-SITE setting comes into play...

1) Definitely program in the control channel(s) of the sites of interest.
2) Set MULTI-SITE to either ROAM or STAT as you deem necessary. Read your manual.

For systems with multiple sites that I monitor (i.e. Indiana Project Hoosier SAFE-T), here's what I do:
1) Program in the PCC (primary control channels) and ACC (alternate control channels)
2) MULTI-SITE = ROAM
3) Hi = 95, Lo = 88
Note: your mileage may vary - no warranty is implied...

ALSO NOTE THAT THESE SITES ONLY HAVE 5 FREQUENCIES TOTAL.
THEY AREN'T MEANT TO CARRY "ALL" TRAFFIC LIKE THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SITE - THEY ARE JUST FILL-IN SITES.

 

[KD4YGG]

Anyone plugged in the other towers? Any traffic on them yet?

 

[ofd8001]

As I understand it, these three new sites will be different than the sites located within Jefferson County.

They will be "roaming" (I don't know if that's a technically accurate phrase) sites. If emergency responders are venturing into the adjacent counties and they are getting beyond reception range of the towers located within Jefferson County, then their radios will affiliate with these new towers. The new towers will then relay their signal back into the simulcast (or "main") system.

I believe there is still some "set-up" work to be done, such as determining which talkgroups will have affiliation privileges with the three new sites. Because of the 4 voice channel limitation (versus the 20 some limit on the "main" system), they have to limit talkgroup affiliations otherwise there would be a lot of "busy" signals.

I don't think you'll be hearing any traffic until that final configuration is worked out. And once it is, you won't be hearing all the traffic from the remote sites that you'd otherwise hear if you were listening to one of the simulcast sites in Jefferson County (as noted in previous posting).

Thus you might have everything programmed and are getting an indication that you are receiving the sites, but not hear any voice transmissions. (Or, "it's work still in progress".)

 

[Surfer240]

Firmware update BDC396XT

Firmware update for BCD396XT & BCD996XT Released

This update improves performance on APCO Project P25 sites operating using Linear Simulcast Modulation (LSM).

http://info.uniden.com/twiki/pub/publish/BCD396XTFirmwareUpdate.html

Has NEW installer so make sure you follow the Installation Steps as listed

Comment:
Downloaded and installed with zero problems..

 

[ofd8001]

I did the update and there is a tremendous improvement with the MetroSafe system. The vast majority of the garble is gone. The audio on the scanner is almost as clear as a real MetroSafe radio.

I tinkered with the P-25 settings and it appears that a P25 Adjust level of 150 does the trick for me.

 

[ColonelMike]

I did the update and there is a tremendous improvement with the MetroSafe system. The vast majority of the garble is gone. The audio on the scanner is almost as clear as a real MetroSafe radio.

I tinkered with the P-25 settings and it appears that a P25 Adjust level of 150 does the trick for me.

I've been putting off buying the handheld version since I already own a 106 but I think I may have to switch. The 106 is still terrible on MetroSafe.

 

[Surfer240]

I did the update and there is a tremendous improvement with the MetroSafe system. The vast majority of the garble is gone. The audio on the scanner is almost as clear as a real MetroSafe radio.

I tinkered with the P-25 settings and it appears that a P25 Adjust level of 150 does the trick for me.

From what I am seeing on the 396net the only real issues with the new firmware is with the use of USB
cables to load to the scanner.
standard serial cable , that comes with the scanner works fine..
loaded two XTs so far and well pleased with the audio , and ease of upgrading..

(theres a little bit of nitpicking with the backlight from some but you can,t please everybody..)

 

[ofd8001]

Yep - I had an issue with the backlight acting funny. But then all of a sudden it seemed to work just fine. I suspect it might have been me not using the correct AC adapter. Once I plugged in the adapter, it seemed to work just fine.

 

[BigDog-911]

Wonder if Radio Shack will ever come out with a newer upgraded firmware. Last one I have seen for them was June of last year. MS system is hit and miss with the 106

 

[jcpd9720]

KyCop,

Let me know if/when you get one and I'll set it up for you

 

[ColonelMike]

KyCop,

Let me know if/when you get one and I'll set it up for you

Thanks Lee .... And BBBUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSS!! ;-)

 

[KD4YGG]

Anyone have Radio IDs for the various Fire Department apparatus for Metrosafe?
Please PM me.

 

[k9jus]

i Live in clarksville. I have had lots of trouble listening to metrosafe. Unsure if it is an elevation problem or what. I have a 996xt, pro-106 and a home patrol. Just cant seem to pull them in for some reason. frustrating....would really like to be able to listen to louisville fire. Have tried outside antennas and different beams, ect. firmware up to date on the scanners....

 

[ofd8001]

I suspect your issues are related to receiving multiple sites. Most likely you are receiving transmissions from the Meidinger site, the Bardstown Road site and possibly the Utica site.

The "garble" associated with simulcast systems is discussed in several places in the RR forums.

So basically instead of receiving too little signal, you are receiving too much with the overlapping sites.

If you haven't already tried the following, here are a couple of things to attempt:

1. Go to PROGRAM SYSTEM>SITE>SET ATTENUATOR and choose ON. (This "dampens" the signal).
2. Set your P25 ADJUST MODE to 13 and set your P25 ADJUST LEVEL to 175. I use these settings and found them to work best for me.
3. Go the opposite direction of having a great antenna - since you might be getting too much signal (believe it or not). There are some places I receive MetroSafe more clearly by disconnecting my antenna (another believe it or not). I've got a 396T with the stock antenna and a 396XT connected to an outside antenna. The stock antenna 396T received MetroSafe better than the 396XT with the outside antenna before the XT firmware update.
4. See if there are other electrical devices close to your scanner which may be causing some interference (remote possibility, but I've heard this happens).

If worst comes to worst Louisville Fire has a live feed on Broadcastify, Broadcastify - Louisville Fire and suburban fire also has a feed: Broadcastify - Louisville MetroSafe Suburban Fire 5 - 8

Oddly enough, the 396XT firmware update pretty much cleared up the garble issue on that radio, but the same level of improvement was not seen on the 996XT firmware update.

 

[k9jus]

I guess what confuses me the most about this whole think is my coverage of southern indiana. For clarksville police and fire, i dont have to mess with the attn level or really have any problem at all picking them up.

Of course we are talking about two different radio systems, but i would think, that if i were getting too much signal on metro safe then i would also be getting too much signal on my local southern indiana frequencies

I know i must be mistaken in my logic somewhere

 

[k9jus]

One of my setups