MPSCS Ingham, Clinton Site Range

[pjc2k5]

Does anyone know the approximate range of the MPSCS sites in Ingham and Clinton counties? I used to be able to receive Ingham and Clinton county EDACS transmissions clearly a few miles out on a handheld scanner in Eaton county, but with MPSCS it breaks up all the time. I can listen to the Eaton county simulcast site with minimal reception issues. The Dimondale site seems to be the best. It'd be nice to be able to pick up Ingham and Clinton as well given that not all the talkgroups for these counties are active on the neighboring sites. With MPSCS is one always receiving a signal from the site tower rather than an individual radio? How does that compare to the way the EDACS systems worked? I've always been a bit unclear about when the signal originates from a base station/repeater and when it's direct from the source. Do the P25 radios use a different frequency to communicate with the tower and is ever it possible to tune to to them directly? Also is there a way to distinguish between simulcast distortion and a weak signal? I have tried various antennas, and it does seem like the 800MHz antenna is the best though none of them are great for monitoring the more distant sites.

 

[IStebleton]

Which scanner are you using to try to pick up MPSCS?

 

[Ronaldski]

You may even be getting a strong signal shown on the scanner display too and breaking up? That's simulcast.
What you describe nearly to a tee are simulcast issues, Diamondale isnt simulcast. The whistlers don't fair well on those, the older 106-197's did better. Unidens do better on simulcast, with the SDS models designed to work flawlessly with them.

How trunking works,

Simulcast listening

And more from prior shows. https://www.youtube.com/c/TheScannerGuys/videos

 

[pjc2k5]

It's a Pro-106. Often it shows all five signal bars, though sometimes it loses a few. If it was multipath I thought maybe a worse antenna would help, but it didn't seem to. Also if I'm outside the county I'd hope it'd be more likely there would only be one tower in range. Multiple strong signals could be an issue on Eaton county simulcast, but reception is actually pretty good. It only becomes choppy every now and then, whereas Ingham and Clinton are indecipherable more often than not. It's not encryption because often part of the conversation does get decoded properly.

 

[LilTeddyP]

Sounds like you have distortion.

Upgrade to a Uniden SDS100. That is what I use every day in the area, with a stubby antenna. Southern Ingham to Northern Clinton, Western Eaton to Shiawasee no issues. I have Ingham, Clinton, and Eaton systems programmed so I can choose which one I'm nearest to. If I'm elsewhere in the state, I have all the site programmed in so I can look up where I'm at or scan until I find an active site. In the greater lansing area, I never switch sites until I get far out of the city.

I will soon be getting a Unication G4 so I can report back on how well that works but I have no complaints so far with my SDS100 other than battery life. The reason to try the G4.

 

[freqs]

If you go to the Database MPSCS Click on the Name of the Tower you need it will show Tower range in Air miles.
So Ingham 18 mile circle from Mason being Center .
Clinton is 17 miles Dewitt being Center