MSP Troop B

[thmsemrtn37]

I listen on a BC80XLT from Chicopee and hear the 854.0375 loud and clear, as well as the Chicopee PD at 851.5625. However when I'm on Upper State Street in Springfield I can't hear either. Is the 800MHZ just a lot weaker than say the 460.100? Or do I need an 800MHZ antenna?

 

[cg]

Sounds like interference. Look for any cell towers or sites. Nextel wasn't the only cause of interference to the 800 as Verizon can also.

chris

 

[zerg901]

37 if you look at the FCC licenses, you can see the exact repeater locations for those Chicopee freqs. Maybe there is a hill between those locations and the Upper State St location. A hill can really block out a 800 Mhz signal. (This might be a additional problem to the interference problem mentioned by CG).

PS - you should be able to find the FCC license by clicking on the FCC callsign for the Chicopee channels in the RR Database.

 

[russellmaher]

Upper State St. should be a good location for receiving Troop B, but remember that Chicopee PD's antenna at HQ is located in a "hole" on Grove St. so the range for them is limited. I have trouble getting CPD on I-91 Southbound near the Basketball Hall Of Fame and beyond, and the antennas for both Springfield PD and MSP B-3 (Springfield barracks) are visible in that area and reception is good.

I don't have any problem at work getting Troop B from the Mt. Tom repeater and Springfield PD also comes in very well and that's at Bradley Int'l. in Windsor Locks, but no Chicopee reception, ever.

Russell

 

[thmsemrtn37]

Thanks for the help! I do have a cell antenna on King Street in my view AND a 300' antenna right above me that does a 151.000 frequency and a shot-spotter. I did get the Radio Shack 800Mhz antenna but still don't get any 800 transmissions at work, not even West Springfield right across the river. I can't say if the new antenna helped at home cause I could already get 800mhz clearly there. Springfield PD comes in great at either location with either antenna on the 460.100 freq. PS I also get some ground traffic from Bradley too.
The MSP freq. you are using is the 854.0375 ?

 

[russellmaher]

No, I don't have that freq in my scanner. I only have the 3 control channels for Mt. Tom - 858.7875, 859.7875, and 860.7875, and I don't think you'll get anything on 854.0375.

Russell

 

[cg]

Since the BC80XLT is not a trunked scanner, he would have to enter in all the frequencies to monitor the Mt Tom site (then lockout the control channel).
The following is what is currently in service:
854.0375 - second busiest voice channel
855.5625
857.7875
858.7875 - busiest voice channel
859.7875
860.7875

chris

 

[thmsemrtn37]

The 854.0375 is the only channel I get voice on and its pretty busy. I only get pulsating sound on the 857.7575, 858.7875, 859.7875 and 860.7875 You mentioned locking out the control channel? RR shows 3 of them in red as control channels. I'm totally new to this, sorry

Funny, last nite when I left work I went up Wilbraham Road to Roosevelt. As soon as I hit Roosevelt I started getting Chicopee and MSP and they got stronger as I headed toward Page Blvd. Crazy how such a slight change in location changes everything

 

[thmsemrtn37]

I see too that Chicopee PD has antennae in Aldenville and on Asinoff St. I've been thinking of setting up my BC80 to stream Chicopee from my home to listen to it on RR at work!!

 

[cg]

You only want to lock out the active control channel (usually 860.7875). There is very little encrypted or digital traffic on that site so your pulsating sound on all but the one above is likely to be interference.

chris

 

[russellmaher]

OOPS, I stand corrected! Sorry 'bout that, but I totally missed the BC80XLT as your scanner, so my information is not correct.

I can see how your location made a difference when you were coming home. Roosevelt Ave. heading toward Page Blvd. gives you almost line-of-sight with CPD's antenna and you're heading for B-3's antenna that's on Armory St.

Russell

 

[cg]

B3 is not a repeater site for the trunked system. All the traffic on Site 18 comes from Mt Tom.

chris

 

[russellmaher]

I don't think anyone said that B3 is a repeater site.

B3 is the barracks in Springfield at the rotary near Carew and Armory Streets.

Russell

 

[zappbravo]

You're only getting Site 18 - Mt. Tom... I used to live in Hampden and got a weak signal on my portable from Site 18.. There is a digital receiver in Wilbraham however... I believe it's Site 26? That might fill the gap of bad coverage in the Orchard and Sixteen Acres area...

 

[cg]

My point was that when you are "heading for B-3's antenna that's on Armory St", you are not listening to the transmitters from there but to the ones on Mt Tom. So being close to the barracks gives you no better reception.

chris

 

[zappbravo]

My point was that when you are "heading for B-3's antenna that's on Armory St", you are not listening to the transmitters from there but to the ones on Mt Tom. So being close to the barracks gives you no better reception.

chris

Okay.

 

[cg]

ZB, I posted the same time as you last night and did not see your post.
The original post was about reception on a BC80 scanner so the best option for Springfield was Site 18 via Mt Tom.
However for those with digital scanners, the new P25 system would probably work better in many areas for the MSP using multiple sites in the South zone (25) or Wilbraham zone (27).

chris