Middlesex County / BCD996P2

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TheLeaper

WB2HKK
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Aug 26, 2012
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66
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Old Bridge, NJ
Still learning here. The Middlesex County system is the ONLY one I'm having difficulty with. I've tried all previous suggestions and nothing helps. I'm in Old Bridge, at the border with Sayerville, so I'm practically under the Sayerville Fire Academy tower. Occasional talkgroups are received, but are garbled. I tried the smallest antenna I could on the back of the scanner with the same results. I thought maybe the scanner had trouble with CQPSK, but I took it for a drive yesterday, with the collapsed antenna on the scanner, and was able to decode both Somerset systems and the Union NJICS with no problem ( our Ham repeaters are at the Johnston road site ). During the drive, Middlesex still did not decode properly, no matter where I was. I've been playing with threshold settings, audio settings, nothing helps. Some of you say you decode Middlesex just fine. I'm curious what setup and programming you use. Maybe it's my BCD996P2 that has a problem?
 

ansky

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Dec 27, 2005
Messages
1,255
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NJ
I'm not especially familiar with that particular system, but I'm assuming it's a simulcast system. It could be that you are suffering from simulcast distortion at your location. The SDS100 and SDS200 scanners are better at handling simulcast systems than the P2. If you happen to know anybody with one of these models it would be interesting to have them try it out at your location and see if they get better results.
 

W2SJW

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3,264
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Northwest NJ
As a point of reference, Harris systems don't use LSM for simulcast systems (they use H-DQPSK).

Scanners normally do better on those systems than on Motorola P25 ones. I second the recommendation on the SDS units. My 100 picks up Middlesex from my in-laws in Bridgewater flawlessly.

Minor update - A friend of mine told me that Motorola released the patent on LSM to all the other manufacturers in the P25 conglomerate. Harris is currently advertising the fact that "LSM can give you greater coverage with less sites". This very well might be the case with what's going on with the Middlesex County TRS.

He's going to send me audio clips of the control channels, as LSM & H-DQPSK sound quite different.
 
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CM1

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Jul 23, 2010
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Central, NJ
While I don't have a BCD996P2, I do have a Whistler WS1080 that gets "acceptable" performance using the following configuration/settings if it's of value to you...Data Decode Threshold 75/95. Only one site is entered (with all 16 frequencies). Antenna is a 700-800 yagi mounted in attic and pointed toward South Brunswick. Note unit seems to work terrible with any portable antenna I have tried to receive this system too. I do find that almost daily I must tweak the squelch (even just 1/8" can make a difference). Overall this system seems very "delicate" to tune with this scanner, but I have i working well now.

My other radio is a Unication G4, it works great on this system. I can go anywhere with, carry it in any position and it stays "in range" and monitors this system flawlessly. There are no real settings to mention on this radio - it just works.

Hope this helps.
 
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TheLeaper

WB2HKK
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Aug 26, 2012
Messages
66
Location
Old Bridge, NJ
Thanks for the replies. I have two sites very close to me. A paper clip as an antenna still gives full signal strength, so I'm sure that's my difficulty. Even a beam won't help. I'm not willing to invest more money just to hear this one other system, so I'll be content with what I have.
 

mdsxfire

EDBM
Joined
Dec 24, 2005
Messages
1,096
Location
Uxbridge, north of the river Thames
Thanks for the replies. I have two sites very close to me. A paper clip as an antenna still gives full signal strength, so I'm sure that's my difficulty. Even a beam won't help. I'm not willing to invest more money just to hear this one other system, so I'll be content with what I have.

I first bought a uniden scanner to monitor my counties system(Harris) and our neighboring counties system(motorola) and tried multiple antennas, paper clips, tin foil and nothing worked to get a great hold on the control channels when I didn’t get a lock god forbid I bumped the table I would lose it. Returned it and bought a G5, can’t scan between the two but can switch when I need to monitor something


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

KC2ZHY

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Feb 29, 2008
Messages
366
Location
Somerville, NJ
Still learning here. The Middlesex County system is the ONLY one I'm having difficulty with. I've tried all previous suggestions and nothing helps. I'm in Old Bridge, at the border with Sayerville, so I'm practically under the Sayerville Fire Academy tower. Occasional talkgroups are received, but are garbled. I tried the smallest antenna I could on the back of the scanner with the same results. I thought maybe the scanner had trouble with CQPSK, but I took it for a drive yesterday, with the collapsed antenna on the scanner, and was able to decode both Somerset systems and the Union NJICS with no problem ( our Ham repeaters are at the Johnston road site ). During the drive, Middlesex still did not decode properly, no matter where I was. I've been playing with threshold settings, audio settings, nothing helps. Some of you say you decode Middlesex just fine. I'm curious what setup and programming you use. Maybe it's my BCD996P2 that has a problem?
I had horrendous luck with a 996P2 and a 536HP unless I happened to be in JUST the right spot. My SDS200, however, picks it up phenomenally well with next to no distortion.
 
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