MHP---Troop J

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Mvar

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Sep 10, 2002
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15
Location
Covington County
Does anybody else have problems with their scanner hanging up on troop J's (42.160Mhz) dispatch channel? Mine every now and then will stop on the frequency but there will be no conversation. Its like the channel is open but no voice communications are taking place. This happens to more than one of my scanners. Any suggestions??
 

INDY72

Monitoring since 1982, using radios since 1991.
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14,729
Location
Indianapolis, IN
ALL the LO BAND towers have occaisional issues.. just like the Natchez Trace HI BND repeaters... sometimes they hang up....

During severe weather they will go down a lot.. and MHP switches to the repeaters....

Wish they used them full time.....

Will be happy when they finally get approved for a new Hi band statewide net.
 

darrendotcom

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Mar 20, 2004
Messages
336
Location
Hattiesburg, MS (Oak Grove) Lamar County
You might be hearing one of Troop J's remote transmitter sites that could be having a problem. Troop J has a remote site in Wayne County, that might be the one your hearing.
Troop J also has remote sites in Lamar, Marion, and Greene counties.
 

darrendotcom

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Location
Hattiesburg, MS (Oak Grove) Lamar County
Morse Code Alphabet
The International morse code characters are:


A .-

B -...

C -.-.

D -..

E .

F ..-.

G --.

H ....

I ..

J .---

K -.-

L .-..

M --
N -.

O ---

P .--.

Q --.-

R .-.

S ...

T -

U ..-

V ...-

W .--

X -..-

Y -.--

Z --..
0 -----

1 .----

2 ..---

3 ...--

4 ....-

5 .....

6 -....

7 --...

8 ---..

9 ----.

Fullstop .-.-.-

Comma --..--

Query ..--..




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Java Morse Code Translator
http://www.scphillips.com/morse/



History Of Morse Code:
Samuel F. B. Morse (1791-1872) was a painter and founder of the National Academy of Design. In 1832, while on a ship returning from Europe, he conceived the basic idea of an electromagnetic telegraph. Experiments with various kinds of electrical instruments and codes resulted in a demonstration of a working telegraph set in 1836, and introduction of the circuit relay. This made transmission possible for any distance. With his creation of the American Morse code, the historic message, "What hath God wrought?" was sucessfully sent from Washington to Baltimore.

The Morse code used in those days differed greatly from that which is used today. Morse code originated on telegraph lines and the original users did not listen to tones but instead to the clicking sounds created by sounders. They used the American Morse code as opposed to today's International Morse. When sending dahs (Morse code is composed of dits or short key closures, and dahs or longer key closures) the user simply sent two close-together dits. This was created by using a conventional code key.

With the advent of radio communications the international Morse became more widespread. Users of the international Morse created dahs with a longer key closure, instead of two close-spaced dits. In order to increase transmission speed on early landline circuits and later on radio circuits, semi-automatic "bug" keys were invented in 1902 and were widely adopted. Bug keys used a vibrating pendulum to create dits and the user still manually creates the dahs.

In more recent times, the user can employ keyers that electronically create dits and dahs. Iambic keyers have a memory so that the user can operate a mechanical "paddle" quicker than the keying rate of the keyer. This makes for very comfortable and nearly effortless keying.

Today experienced operators copy received text without the need to write as they receive, and when transmitting, can easily converse at 20 to 30 words per minute. Morse code will always remain a viable means of providing highly reliable communications during difficult communications conditions.
 

Mvar

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2002
Messages
15
Location
Covington County
I live about 12 miles north of their Lamar tower and assume thats the one I pick up. Right now my BC 780XLT is stopping on 42.160 like there is something there. The signal meter is showing full strength. Like the carrier is there but no voice. Whatever is happening it does not seem to be bothering the users. Adjusting the squelch does not help either. Its acting almost like a birdie. I don’t believe I have any transmitters close by that could be causing this. Guess I will live with it. Thanks for the help.
 

INDY72

Monitoring since 1982, using radios since 1991.
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Morse code is used by the transmitters to broadcast thier FCC ID. This is done automatically on most PS systems and is computer controlled on an automatic timer. PS Morse FCC ID's are done a lot faster than most humans could key it. A few stations do not use the Morse ID's, and use a unique identifier as is allowed per the FCC. But no matter what system is used, by law all stations must ID themselves when used.
 

nexus

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Aug 13, 2002
Messages
1,654
Location
Mississippi
Try removing your antenna from the 780 and see if the signal remains or drops out completely.

If it doesn't, you have a birdie or some type of RFI getting in to the scanner. If does drop off when you remove the antenna then I don't know what to tell ya.
 

McReb

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Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
148
Location
McComb, Ms
You may try this

If 42.16 is the frequency your having problems with, move up ( or down) .005 off the frequncy. With all of my bearcat scanners, Tangipahoa Parish SO has its mean frequency of 154.83. In only one of my scanners it was like it was receiving a "birdie." I solved the problem by doing the move of .005 off the frequncy to 154.835. It worked.
 

INDY72

Monitoring since 1982, using radios since 1991.
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Very good suggestion..... My 92 B has issues with 155.745, and 155.755.... Thats Claiborne SO, nd Madison SO's secondary... so I am fiddling with squelch settings, and offshoot freqs to see just what I can do to get close eneough to the main freqs, and get accurate tone info...
 

Mvar

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Joined
Sep 10, 2002
Messages
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Location
Covington County
Well I tried unplugging the antenna and the signal goes away. I even went through the house unplugging appliances to see if they were the culprit with no luck. (My wife thinks I’m crazy). I have been playing with the VFO knob on the scanner, running up and down low band and have found that 42.160 is not the only problem I have. 40.840—42.010—42.960—43.510—45.000—and 46.030 all act the same. The only difference is that no agency that I listen to operates on these and I have not paid any attention before. I tried other bands but have found that the highest concentration of them is on low band.
 

Mvar

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2002
Messages
15
Location
Covington County
Well I tried unplugging the antenna and the signal goes away. I even went through the house unplugging appliances to see if they were the culprit with no luck. (My wife thinks I’m crazy). I have been playing with the VFO knob on the scanner, running up and down low band and have found that 42.160 is not the only problem I have. 40.840—42.010—42.960—43.510—45.000—and 46.030 all act the same. The only difference is that no agency that I listen to operates on these and I have not paid any attention before. I tried other bands but have found that the highest concentration of them is on low band.
 

INDY72

Monitoring since 1982, using radios since 1991.
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Joined
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Messages
14,729
Location
Indianapolis, IN
You've been interferiated....

Try 42.1625, 42.1650, 42.1550, 42.1575


See if any of those work.
 

danw5211

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Nov 3, 2004
Messages
65
Location
Mississippi
Troop J

I have noticed the same interference with my 245xlt.
Especially when hooked up to the cig. lighter in my vehicle.
Mcreb beat me to the offset freq. advice.
I use the 42.155 mHz for the base. Just add or subtract the .005 like he said and you should find a reasonable freq.
May have to adjust the squelch just a hair.
 

danw5211

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Premium Subscriber
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Nov 3, 2004
Messages
65
Location
Mississippi
Troop J

I have noticed the same interference with my 245xlt.
Especially when hooked up to the cig. lighter in my vehicle.
Mcreb beat me to the offset freq. advice.
I use the 42.155 mHz for the base. Just add or subtract the .005 like he said and you should find a reasonable freq.
May have to adjust the squelch just a hair.
 

Rick54

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
68
Location
Mississippi
Another thing you can try is put the mhp PL tone in your scanner, if the scanner hangs when no one is talking it means it is comming from the transmitter, if not it means it is a birdie......
 
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