MECA Digital: reception issues and solutions

[scannerfreak]

The latest MECA Memo:


Good morning MECA Customers,

Over the next week, MECA will be performing system maintenance on each tower site. According the schedule below, we will be going to each tower site and shutting down 1 transmit antenna at a time for approximately ½ hour. During that time, users may experience system busies or reduced coverage. Additionally, on 9/3, the mobile data channels will also be shut down for approximately 1 hour for this maintenance.



8/26 Southwest Quad & Southeast Quad tower sites

8/27 IPL & City County Building tower sites

8/28 Waterway Blvd & Butler tower sites

8/29 Northwest Quad & Northeast Quad tower sites

9/2 Lawrence & Indiana State Police Post 52 tower sites

9/3 Willard Park tower site (including mobile data)

 

[mmccardia]

Im really needing to get a scanner for the squad car Ive figured out I need one of these: GRE 600, rs 2096 or uniden 996t. Does anybody have any ideas on which will work best in my squad car as I move around the county?? Honestly alot of what Ive been reading is wayyyy above my radio knowledge so please make replies simple

 

[rdale]

In order of best reception in your type of system:

PSR600
Uniden 996T
don't get the 2096

 

[wdatkinson]

Mark, shoot me an email. Over the last couple of weeks, I've purchased both the Uniden BCD-996t and the PSR-600. So I've run both in my squad. I can give you the ups and downs of both.

 

[W9NES]

mmccardia,I sent you a pm.Please contact me!!!

 

[W9NES]

Now maybe we will be able to Hear MECA after they get fixed and will be able to get a "Control Channel" along with the talkgoups being able to be heard without sounding like "R2D2".Northwest Side in the area of 79Th and Michigan Road west of that location still sounds bad!!!

 

[sly1]

Adventures in MECA

I had previously posted asking if I could receive MECA on a BCD396T indoors at my apartment on the north side of Camby using the stock antenna, etc. The answer is unfortunately, no. I can walk outside and get some garbled transmissions, walk around the front of the complex and get about 50%, or I can drive appx 3/4 mile up the road and get 100%. I'm hopeful that with a better antenna (still handheld, ie duckie style) I will be able to get it inside the apartment.

Just a quick note to let others know about another issue I was having. I used bcTool to program my scanner directly from the radio reference database using the subscription service. I chose United States > Indiana > Marion County > "Marion County MECA" and imported it directly from there. For some reason when I was selecting talk group ID's I was told that I had to de-select 3 tg's before I could continue.... not sure what was up there, perhaps there are some limits that I am unaware of, any input would be appreciated. The system imported and I uploaded it to my scanner. I noticed that the radio was essentially deaf to the system, when I was scanning Safe-T I would get the little bars on the display showing signal strength but on the MECA I didn't get anything. I noticed a post in this same thread about how you would need to program the system type as P25. I went into bcTool and changed system type from "Motorola 800Mhz Type 2 Standard" to "Motorola P25" and then re-uploaded and I am now able to at least hear garbled transmissions.

Just wanted to get that in there for anyone else like myself that was expecting the System Type to come down from radio reference - I'm not sure if this is an issue with the RR DB, bcTool or what..

 

[W9NES]

Again, another case of garbled talkgroups in another part of Marion County.There is a problem and it is not just limited to my area!!! Thanks sly1 for your input in Marion County.

 

[loumaag]

One post deleted.
Please folks, lets stay on topic without nonsense.

 

[Viper43]

I had previously posted asking if I could receive MECA on a BCD396T indoors at my apartment on the north side of Camby using the stock antenna, etc. The answer is unfortunately, no. I can walk outside and get some garbled transmissions, walk around the front of the complex and get about 50%, or I can drive appx 3/4 mile up the road and get 100%. I'm hopeful that with a better antenna (still handheld, ie duckie style) I will be able to get it inside the apartment.

Just wanted to get that in there for anyone else like myself that was expecting the System Type to come down from radio reference - I'm not sure if this is an issue with the RR DB, bcTool or what..

The only antenna that "might" work is the RS 800MHz $20 at Radio Shack, outside of that at home you may need a hi gain Yagi directional antenna to get the system as I mentioned in response to your first post.

V

 

[davidchomes]

Mark, shoot me an email. Over the last couple of weeks, I've purchased both the Uniden BCD-996t and the PSR-600. So I've run both in my squad. I can give you the ups and downs of both.

wdatkinson,

Would you mind sharing your findings?
Or at least suggest which unit you would choose if you could only choose 1.
I would be using it in my home on the east side.
Thanks for any input.

 

[wdatkinson]

I've settled on the GRE for my squad car. I've sold my BCD996T to another officer. I initially purchased the Uniden based upon information found on these forums. I purchased the GRE after checking out a friends GRE portable. It appeared to function better than the Uniden, given the same operating location.

After installing the GRE in the car, its performance is just about the same as the Uniden. The primary reason that I chose the GRE over the Uniden is there is less of a learning curve between the BC-780XLT (my prior non-digital scanner) and the GRE in terms of operation.

My experiences do backup those claims on this forum that a good antenna system is a must.

The East side seems to be the strong zone right now. I live N/W and its on/off. But when driving around the East side (10th/Post area) its rock solid.

In the areas where I have issues with the scanner, my issued department radio works, so I'm not claiming that MECA has something screwed up, as others on this forum will claim. I do think they have some work to do and I believe that things will get better over time.

Again, as stated before, you can't expect a $500 receiver to function as well as a $5000 portable.

 

[kb9tfh]

What I suggest doing is taking your Department issued radio and laying it next to your GRE (plugged into the computer) and tweaking the Advance settings. I found that after doing this my GRE worked much better. The default settings for p25 operations are not the greatest in my opinion. If you need some help with this, contact me privately and I can help...

Joe KB9TFH

 

[AK9R]

Joe, I think the transmitter will desense the scanner. Key up the transmitter, the scanner goes deaf. Unkey the transmitter and the scanner just might catch the transmitter's talkgroup being released.

 

[kb9tfh]

I am not suggesting keying up the transmitter. I am suggesting that you can use the XTS to compare audio to ensure that the settings are optimized. I recently did this and found it extremely helpful...

 

[sly1]

The only antenna that "might" work is the RS 800MHz $20 at Radio Shack, outside of that at home you may need a hi gain Yagi directional antenna to get the system as I mentioned in response to your first post.

V

Thanks for the recommendation - I checked the RS website and found that the Martinsville store showed some of these in stock so I stopped by on the way home from work last week. They in fact did not have any in stock despite the website saying so. Looks like that particular store is a franchise and not a corporate store and is quite a waste of time. They sell paint ball guns and other assorted junk as well; will need to stop by one of the Bloomington stores this week.

 

[Viper43]

Hmmm, maybe I bought the last one they had, I bought one there the day the tornado hit my house (May 30th) on my way to Bloomington.

V

 

[pliquett]

I'm not having a reception issue as much as a frequency issue. On the eastside control channel 858.1875 is used. Of the 18 frequencies 9 are good and 9 are bad so to speak. I have monitored this daily for over a month now and these are my findings. If transmitted on 854.9875, 855.4875, 856.7625, 856.9875,857.2125, 857.7625, 858.7625, 858.9875, or 859.2625 it comes in crystal clear every time reguardless of talkgroup or antenna direction. If it transmits on the other nine frequencies (you can refer to the rr list) it tries to go between analog and digital and the only bits and pieces you hear is when it hits momentarily on the digital. I took the scanner to work in my truck on the northwest side and was surprised to find that west of Meridian Street 856.1625 is the control channel. As soon as I went back east it switched back to 858.1875. Has anyone else noticed these things?

 

[W9NES]

This is my point that I have been trying to tell people for a long time.This is the reason why I cannot get a control channel in the area of 79Th and Michigan west of that location.There is a problem and it is not with my scanner.

 

[Viper43]

This is my point that I have been trying to tell people for a long time.This is the reason why I cannot get a control channel in the area of 79Th and Michigan west of that location.There is a problem and it is not with my scanner.

I have been in the area of 79th and Michigan numerous times with the 396, 996 and 600 but never had an issue with any of them getting the control channel, in fact I was there yesterday and will be in that area tomorrow as well, all I can say is try diofferent antennas and locations.

V