MECA Digital: reception issues and solutions

[GTO_04]

Simulcast is 90% of the problem, non-simulcast systems use different frequencies at each site which avoids intereference issues, simulcast breeds interference.

The two CC's or 10 wouldn't matter to the scanner, it only locks the first one it finds active.

BTW, I spent a lot of time in Indy today, SW and East Central areas and the latest firmware from Uniden for the 396 and 996 worked fine in the areas I was at, clear audio and very good signal.

V

My 396 has never had a problem with the MECA P25 system. Now SAFE-T is another story..................

Simulcast systems are supposedly less of a problem with analog systems compared to digital systems.

Hamilton Co. EDACS system is simulcast. But I wonder if the static the experience is caused in part by simulcasting issues.

GTO_04

 

[Viper43]

Simulcast is most likely causing the interference. As for SAFET I never had any issues with it, the difference though may be the antennas being used. I use a discone that, before the tornado was around 20-25 feet, once the tower is up I'll have it at 48 feet + whatever the post is and antenna height so around 55-60 feet, should make an already good SAFET even better!

BTW, Hamilton Co is much better now, coming through nice and clear

V

My 396 has never had a problem with the MECA P25 system. Now SAFE-T is another story..................

Simulcast systems are supposedly less of a problem with analog systems compared to digital systems.

Hamilton Co. EDACS system is simulcast. But I wonder if the static the experience is caused in part by simulcasting issues.

GTO_04

 

[rdale]

I hate to tell you but the old Analog system was simulcast and had the same freqs at all sites nothing new

That was analog. This is simulcast digital BIG difference.

 

[mmccardia]

almost there

Got my gre600 figured out the arc500 software --sorta-- became a paid subscriber and got up and running. Sitting next to my house computer at 79th and Ditch radio picked up meca and ISP pretty good some stuff garbled but I expected that. That was with the supplied desktop antenna.
As soon as I installed in my car in my driveway I cant get anything obviouly my car antenna needs to be replaced. Once I got SW it started working better but the signal strength was def not good in some spots and radio was real garbled at times.

Any body go any ideas about a good antenna for my car???

 

[W9NES]

I was having the same problems until I got my Uniden BC 396T handheld updated to the current updated program from Uniden.I am still having problems with the 996T in my master bedroom on my nightstand.I cannot get a control channel and I live just west of you west of 79Th and Michigan Road.Try your scanner south of 71Street and Michigan road in the 5800 block of North Michigan Road and see if yoiur scanner clears up and works like it should.Your talkgroups should clear up and you should have no problems.You do not need to repalce the car antenna as you will find it is becuase of the Towers creating the problem at 79Th and Michigan Road.Once you get out of the area your scanner will be fine.I monitor safe-t for State Police from the Boone County tower at 106Th and Michigan Road with no problems.The only problem I have is with Meca .After I get that problem taken care I should be able to hear MECA just using the indoor antenna on the scanner.

 

[Viper43]

Got my gre600 figured out the arc500 software --sorta-- became a paid subscriber and got up and running. Sitting next to my house computer at 79th and Ditch radio picked up meca and ISP pretty good some stuff garbled but I expected that. That was with the supplied desktop antenna.
As soon as I installed in my car in my driveway I cant get anything obviouly my car antenna needs to be replaced. Once I got SW it started working better but the signal strength was def not good in some spots and radio was real garbled at times.

Any body go any ideas about a good antenna for my car???

What antenna are you using now? I take it this is for an IMPD install? If so you might try Motorola, they have a number of easy install mobile antennas for your unit.

V

 

[cmking]

recection problem

I have programed the freq. from the data base into my BCd2500 and unable to pick up any of the IMPD talk groups. Anybody with any ideas?

 

[kbandy]

I have programed the freq. from the data base into my BCd2500 and unable to pick up any of the IMPD talk groups. Anybody with any ideas?

Assuming you mean a BCd-250, I don't believe it supports a 9600 baud true P25 system, as the new MECA system is. You will need to upgrade your scanner to one that does.

Sorry.

 

[cmking]

scanner

what would be a good inexpensive scanner to get?

 

[kbandy]

what would be a good inexpensive scanner to get?

The Radio Shack/GRE PRO96 is being replaced by a new model, so from what I hear, it has been discounted. On Radio Shack's web site, it is priced at $379, but is shown out of stock. Uniden offers the BCD396T that is a nice, compact unit, but is in the $500 to $600 range, which is pretty much the going rate for any of the digital scanners.

 

[SCPD]

You can get a Uniden 396T or 996T rebuilt with 90 daywarrenty from Uniden for $475.00 but there are no cheap digital scanners out there right now some of the ones being used are Radio shack pro 96 and 2096 GRE 500 and 600 Unden 396T 996T 796D but with the 796D it has limited updates for it. Unless you find one used on Ebay or Yahoo auctions or Eham 250D will not do the new MECA System but will do Safe T

 

[W9NES]

I will back up W8FCC.I Bought my Uniden BC 396T the same time W8FCC bought his for $475.00 and this was from Uniden's on line store under like new.$475.00 and comes with a 90 day warranty.Uniden is the way to go.I would stay away from any of Radio Shacks scanners and stay away from GRE products.The Uniden's are a lot easier to program by the computer if you have the programs for the Uniden 396T and the 996T.I have never had any programming problems with the Unidens that I own.

 

[rdale]

The GRE's are better at receiving CQPSK systems (like MECA) than the Unidens right now, so if your interest is in MECA, go with the GRE 500/600 line.

 

[IndyEmsGuy]

OK I need some help here. I live at Southport and Emerson on the Southside. I live in an apartment so I cannot put up an outside antenna. I have the PSR500 with the RS 800mhz rubber duckie antenna. MECA sounds awful. I use to pick it up so well. I know MECA has all kinds of issues but I cannot help but think some of this has to do with scanner settings. I use to take it with me everywhere but now I am keeping it hooked to my pc to do streaming when I get MECA going well anyway. Should I set it for multi site OFF or STAT? It is now on ROAM since I took it with me while out driving. Also what about all the other settings. What are people using that seems to work best? I don't know a lot about all the extended settings and such and what to change to try and make it better. I was thinking if I sent it to STAT and put the CC freqs for the closest tower to me first in the list it might help. I will try that later today hopefully. I have tried the attenuator on and off and not really much difference there. So any help you guys can provide is greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing if I can get my $500 scanner to work like I want it too.

Thanks,

Kris

 

[Viper43]

Problem is you want that $500 scanner to work like a $3000 radio, aint gonna happen.... You can improve things though, and as mentioned a thousand times before a BEAM antenna will help. I already posted links to an inexpensive one that you could use in an apartment.

V

 

[rdale]

Kris - there is no "closest tower" when you are referring to a simulcast system. They all use the same frequencies, same CC's, same VC's. That's where the problem is. OFF/STAT/ROAM all make no difference. Actually - ROAM and STAT make things worse since it tries to find a new CC if you lose it. There is no other CC, so leave it OFF.

 

[SCPD]

First off there are TWO CC for MECA SYS 1 858.1875 and 856.1625 The county is cut in half west side mostly on 856.1625 amd East side 858.1875 these are operating at the same time so if you loose one the scanner should find the other. As far as one tower look at the MECA map the best thing I hate to say is get a small Yagi or beam that you can mount inside and point it at the tower near you to pick up the digital signal better there are some cheap ones out there that are small that should not be a problem in an aparment. As far as moble get a good 800 meg moble antenna and you should be fine there will always be some break up because of it being digital. Dont get cought up the "its Simocast bit" there are a lot of systems running that and can be heard just fine.

As for scanners they ALL have issues with digital so pick what you want to buy for the guy asking about what to get

 

[IndyEmsGuy]

Problem is you want that $500 scanner to work like a $3000 radio, aint gonna happen.... You can improve things though, and as mentioned a thousand times before a BEAM antenna will help. I already posted links to an inexpensive one that you could use in an apartment.

V

Well I don't expect it to work like a Motorola radio but I can leave the scanner set to only hear MECA fire and EMS all day long and out of all the transmissions I might be able to understand 2 or 3 of them the rest is nothing but garbled audio or static. I would like to think the scanner can do better than that.

I will go back through all the posts and see about your indoor antenna stuff.

 

[IndyEmsGuy]

First off there are TWO CC for MECA SYS 1 858.1875 and 856.1625 The county is cut in half west side mostly on 856.1625 amd East side 858.1875 these are operating at the same time so if you loose one the scanner should find the other.

So are these the only two frequencies I need to enter into the table for the scanner? What would be a good mobile 800mhz antenna?

 

[jerk]

So are these the only two frequencies I need to enter into the table for the scanner? What would be a good mobile 800mhz antenna?

A (beam) antenna will help, but for a portable scanner, it makes it hard to keep portable.
The answer is location, location, location...
You will ahev to try different locations, even turning the scanner on it's side may help. In other words, experiment. I know on the South side in Qdoba it was spotty reception. Out on the Interstate no problems with reception.