Louisville Metrosafe

[ofd8001]

The big difference is in the types of systems - simulcast versus a single site system.

I'm assuming you are listening to the Indiana SAFE-T system. In that system you may be receiving several sites, but each site uses a separate set of frequencies. So you may hear the Floyds Knobs site transmitting on 851.400 and the Henryville site transmitting on 851.425.

The MetroSafe system is a simulcast system. That simulcast system has 13 or so sites around Louisville Metro all of which use the same set of frequencies.

With the MetroSafe system you may be receiving 856.2125 coming from the Meidinger building, 856.2125 coming from the Bardstown Road site and 856.2125 coming from the Utica site all at once. Your scanner is having trouble differentiating which of these signals its wants to decode, so you'll get distorted sound as a result of this overlapping of multiple site reception.

Thus, for lack of better wording, in a simulcast system pulling in just one site is the key. This can be achieved by attenuating the site, or using a different antenna setup (I've seen pictures where someone used a section of a paperclip for an antenna to improve simulcast system audio). It does defy logic, but simulcast systems are whole new things. . .

Nice setup - was that a home-made bracket?

 

[k9jus]

Thank you for that clarification.. I guess even a beam would pull in more than one site.

I bought the stack from scannermaster but i drilled the holes to mount the speakers with a few bolts.

Ive thought of a question to run by you that has to do with the home patrol. At my qth i get distorted, little or no traffic, but when i take it down to the river, it sings with louisville digital freqencies. THAT is a big one i havent been able to figure out. Unless the proximity to the city, i realize the home patrol is different than the 996xt. I just wonder if you can clarify why this is the case.

Thank you for your input, i am learning alot about out hobby. Do you have a picture of the paperclip antenna setup?

 

[ofd8001]

The paperclip antenna picture was posted somewhere in the RR forums. With a little searching you should find it somewhere.

This is talked about a little http://forums.radioreference.com/fl...um/246707-scanner-reception-pinellas-p25.html

It's amazing how reception can clear up by moving just a short distance. I can travel a quarter mile and the reception becomes clear, go another quarter mile and get gobble.

When you go down by the river, you are right at the base of the Meidinger tower site. The signal is so strong there, it will over-ride any other sites you may also receive. That's not specific to the type of scanner you have. If you had your 996XT with you, you would probably notice the improved clarity on it too.

 

[k9jus]

I gotcha.....sounds like i've got some experimenting to do. I can dig up some old stock antennas and start from there. I bet the beams i was using were pulling too much in

 

[dustinoboy]

Louisville EMS

I'm sure this has been addressed before in this thread, however, I do not live in Louisville so I have not been monitoring this. I heard before that Louisville EMS talkgroups were encrypted, however, I didn't see that mentioned in the database. For those of you that listen in Louisville, are the EMS talkgroups encrypted? I am traveling there soon and would like to monitor. Also, if they are not encrypted, is there a way I can find out the boundaries of their divisions (I will probably only want to monitor the division I am in)? Does Louisville Metro EMS make all of the emergency medical runs in Jefferson County, or does Rural Metro & Yellow also make emergency runs? Thanks a bunch for the info!

 

[k9jus]

I would get input from others but yes that is my understanding on the ems traffic.

 

[Surfer240]

I'm sure this has been addressed before in this thread, however, I do not live in Louisville so I have not been monitoring this. I heard before that Louisville EMS talkgroups were encrypted, however, I didn't see that mentioned in the database. For those of you that listen in Louisville, are the EMS talkgroups encrypted? I am traveling there soon and would like to monitor. Also, if they are not encrypted, is there a way I can find out the boundaries of their divisions (I will probably only want to monitor the division I am in)? Does Louisville Metro EMS make all of the emergency medical runs in Jefferson County, or does Rural Metro & Yellow also make emergency runs? Thanks a bunch for the info!

Yes, all of the EMS talkgroups on the metrosafe system are encrypted.
&
yes, they make all the runs unless they are completely overloaded and out of units.
Metro fire does make some runs with or for EMS due to distance, or other instances.

Thats my take on the situation..
YMMV.

 

[k9jus]

Still plenty to listen to as most of police and i dont think fire has any encrypted channels. Then there's also, the airport, Kentucky state police, ect.

 

[ofd8001]

All of the EMS talkgroups are encrypted for patient privacy reasons.

The primary police dispatch talkgroups are NOT encrypted but most of the specialty talkgroups (tactical, SWATT, investigators, Car to car) are encrypted.

All but two fire talkgroups are NOT encrypted (investigations and command are)

The RR database does indicate which talkgroups are encrypted. Look under the "MODE" column heading. If you see an "E" that means the given talkgroup is encrypted.

The airport public safety folks are on MetroSafe but Kentucky State Police is not. KSP has their own digital system and the E-town, Frankfort and Campbellsburg posts can be heard in Louisville.

Louisville Metro EMS does almost all of the emergency medical calls. There's also the Anchorage EMS system which will make emergency medical calls outside their jurisdiction if they are closer to an emergency medical call than LMEMS. Yellow Ambulance is the primary emergency medical provider in the city of Jeffersontown.

Non-emergency medical calls (like someone fell two days ago and is now wanting transport to the hospital for their sprained ankle) often get passed to Yellow or Rural Metro so LMEMS units are available to respond to the more critical calls.

Generally LMEMS division 1 is east of I-65 and division 2 is west. (Wikipedia has an excellent page on Louisville Metro EMS).

Suburban fire will respond to the most critical medical calls as well as when requested because LMEMS is a very long way away (as noted above) and when LMEMS needs additional help for patient care. The exceptions are Anchorage and Harrods Creek who respond to all types of medical calls. These two are advanced life support organizations (as in paramedics) where all other suburban departments function as basic life support (emergency medical technicians).

 

[k9jus]

Are there any fire uhf or vhf channels that are still active in louisville? Across the bridge, jeff, new albany and clarksville tone out on vhf and switch to digital once they go on the run. I have great coverage on them from the floyds knobs tower

 

[ofd8001]

Jefferson County suburban fire departments use 152.0075 (PL 151.4) for dispatch tone out (similar to what you describe for southern Indiana). Other than for the initial dispatching, all communications are on the MetroSafe system.

There's also a VHF mutual aid channel (154.295) that is fully functional, but it is mostly used by adjacent county fire departments coming in to assist Jefferson County. There is patching capabilities to tie this channel into the MetroSafe system.

While the RR database lists a number of other VHF frequencies for fire departments, they are no longer in active use. I believe it's safe to say that the local fire service is quite pleased with the new system.

I don't know if the Louisville fire UHF channel (460.625) remains active. This was their "tone out" channel prior to the MetroSafe system.

 

[k9jus]

Im pretty sure they went through a time when they were toning on 460.625 and metrosafe at the same time but after a fee more months 460.625 was abandoned. Or at least i dont hear any traffic on it.

Thank you for the suburban fire frequency. That will go on my list.

I diddnt get a chance to start fine tuning my 996xt this weekend but i will certainly keep you posted and keep my fingers crossed.

 

[k9jus]

I forgot to ask....could you send me a link to the forum where guys trade scanners and radios. I saw one on here once but cant find it now

 

[k9jus]

Full of questions. According to the manual, i can adjust the p25 level and settings by turning the scanner on while hitting the hold button... The only thing that happens is that the display goes through several colors.... Anyone know what im doing wrong?

 

[k9jus]

This would be on the 996xt

 

[Surfer240]

Full of questions. According to the manual, i can adjust the p25 level and settings by turning the scanner on while hitting the hold button... The only thing that happens is that the display goes through several colors.... Anyone know what im doing wrong?

You are not doing anything wrong, that is what is supposed to happen,
just not going far enough.
then when you scroll through the menu and select settings, you will see the "hidden" P-25 adjust options,

 

[k9jus]

Ok...major progress made. Using small antenna. Attn is on. P25 adjust mode is 13. Adjust level is 195. And updated firmware to version 1.07.03.

Traffic coming in much clearer where i had nothing before.

Guess i have to find some other adjustments to play with. Open to any suggestions. .

 

[ofd8001]

Glad to hear that progress is being made!

You may wish to attempt further refinements on the two P25 settings and see if there is a "sweeter spot". At least you are in the ballpark now.

 

[k9jus]

Going to buy a 396xt pretty soon. Ive read that it does a better job at simulcast.

 

[ofd8001]

I agree - the 396XT with its latest firmware updates sounds much better than my 996XT with its latest firmware updates.

I tried all kinds of things trying to figure out why the 396 was better. I swapped antennas so the 996 was using the 396's and the 396 was using the 996s but the 996 still sounded poorly.

Probably just "one of them things" at this point.

I'm guessing here, but if Uniden could fix the 396, they could also be dealing with the 996 firmware update. Uniden is silent on what they are doing, so they aren't making promises they can't keep, so they haven't said "it's being worked on",