New GRE800 not working in Seminole/Decatur

[miles2ride]

Posted in newb section and was directed here for possible quicker answer. Have enjoyed scanner for years but was getting less and less traffic. Found out Seminole county Sheriff went digital. So I picked up a new GRE800 and went through and setup but still no traffic. Updated the Software, Firmware and Freq Data base. STILL NO TRAFFIC.. The old uniden246T still picks up Decatur and some other traffic but GRE is still silent.

Update
Used the search feature and picked up one freq last night, didnt write it down but think it was 435.XXX It was law enforcement, but none I had ever picked up with the Uniden 246T I can not get Seminole sheriff dept/EMS or Decatur sheriff dept

 

[WK4U]

I'm having a hard time believing a small town VHF system has gone digital with VHF gear. Info here doesn't show anything about digital either. If they have, you do have a good radio to hear them! I also use an 800 as one of my scanners.

The stock antenna is horrible for VHF reception. It's designed for 800 MHz. I suggest getting a ham grade VHF antenna (with BNC connector) to greatly increase your abilities on VHF. Or use an external antenna wherever you are.

It does take time to figure out how this scanner works. It won't happen in a weekend. I messed up my programming many times by accident. Had to format the SD card and start over again. That was good practice. Programming it from the computer or the radio gives the same results, but is totally different. You should know both (especially the radio) to get full use.

Also one caveat I learned the hard way. I use the PSR800 computer program on a Windows XP computer. I run that computer as a limited user. Not as admin. The PSR800 program requires admin rights to run correctly. I suspect most people don't run their computers this way. At least with XP. Sure made things happier once I figured that out

Tim

 

[MTS2000des]

I'm not sure about Seminole county, but Grady/Decatur supposedly are now on their new digital system as of today, according to this article:

E911 upgrade to help officers | The Post-Searchlight

If it's P25 and not encrypted, than your PSR800 SHOULD pick up Decatur county. If it's MOTOTRBO or encrypted P25, than you are out of luck. FWIW, I checked the ULS database and could not find any new licenses or modifications, or new applications, so I ASSume the same VHF frequencies will be used for the new digital system. The newspaper article above states the frequencies won't change.

 

[brenuga]

The new digital system is not fully online yet, so all emergency services in Decatur and Grady are still using the old analog system. Supposedly there were some issues with installing some of the new tower equipment that delayed completion of the project until next spring. The old system isnt going to be cut off by the feds right at the new year, there is a grace period.

AFAIK, Seminole is not hooked into the new digital system that Decatur and Grady counties are going to run. Decatur and Grady share the same 911 service so that's why they're together.

 

[miles2ride]

Thanks for the info guys. As a update the GRE started picking up Decatur SO over the weekend. Still nothing but a fart sound for Seminole SO. I get the same sound from the GRE and the Uniden when it picks up the Seminole SO. Is the frequency and type (digital,encrypted,etc) public information, private information or what? I would like to maybe make a few calls and see if I can find out whats up. This is my wifes favorite hobby keeping up with whats going on in the neighborhood, But I don't think she needs a $500 scanner if the counties in our area are going to be encrypted and unavailable. This is the only info on the Decatur/Grady system I have found from the from the article in the link.

Local leaders decided to convert the Decatur-Grady 911 system from a broadband analog system to a narrowband digital system to comply with the FCC’s order. After the switchover is completed in December, the frequencies used by the system will remain the same, however, all of its users will have to use new digital radios.

 

[troymail]

Reading through what info is available in the post and references to articles, etc, here's my interpretation....

1. the article about going digital today was "projected" back in July. Dates sometimes slip (sounds like it may have).

2. brenuga indicated that a delay has occurred -- I assume the Counties have requested and received a waiver for the delay past 1 January on the narrowbanding requirement (just a guess).

3. The available info (mostly the article) says the existing frequencies will be reused.... that should be an interesting transition on the day it happens.

4. The information on RR (frequency database) is supported by users (you, me, etc.). It won't be updated unless someone in your area "figures out" the changes (when they happen) and then takes the time to share them with the rest of the users in your area via RR.

5. Unless and until #4 is done by someone (and is downloaded to your computer for programming your scanner), your PSR800 won't magically know anything about the new system.

6. There didn't seem to be anything indicating what type of system will be installed -- so there is a chance the scanner won't be able to handle the system (hopefully this is not the case). Another thought: Is there any chance the "system" is remaining conventional but going digital?

The best thing to do is closely listen to the activity on the existing system for indications of when the changeover is (or has) occurred --

 

[Mike_G_D]

Thanks for the info guys. As a update the GRE started picking up Decatur SO over the weekend. Still nothing but a fart sound for Seminole SO. I get the same sound from the GRE and the Uniden when it picks up the Seminole SO. Is the frequency and type (digital,encrypted,etc) public information, private information or what?

To me that sounds like you are receiving a raw digital signal in analog FM mode from Seminole SO. Not knowing the type of digital format it is I can't say for certain if your radio can demodulate it. IF it is P25, then, yes, it should. But you need to have it set correctly. The RR database still shows Seminole County as analog so if you are using that as a automatic download it will not correctly setup your scanner (that is, assuming that the system did change to digital modulation).

If Seminole County did change to a digital P25 conventional VHF format using the same frequencies that are currently listed in the database (in other words, they didn't change frequencies but did change modulation from analog to digital, P25 format) then, IF set correctly, a PSR800 should work fine. I do not have that model so I cannot give you exact instructions on what to do but, assuming the frequencies are still valid (and, since you do hear the "fart sound" that is a good indication that they are), you need to override the automatic RR database download settings and change the scanner's demodulation settings. On my 500 it would be "au" mode which is short for "auto" (obviously also short for "automatic").

You need to learn how to get to the scanner channel numbers that have the Seminole County frequencies and manually change the setting from FM or NFM to "au" (or whatever the equivalent is for an 800).

Another thing you could try which might be easier and would at least be a quick and dirty way to see if this assumption is correct is to use the "TUNE" mode (if the 800 has that, which I would think it does). This is just a simple basic way to quickly manually set the radio on one frequency to listen without scanning (like tuning a basic radio but using a keypad to directly enter the frequency). Learn how to do that and enter the busiest "fart sound" frequency you get on your analog scanner and set the 800's mode to auto or "au" (which I would think is the default on the 800) and see if it demodulates voice. You could have your analog scanner set on that frequency while having the 800 setting on the same one with auto demodulation set and see if the 800 is demodulating voice while the analog scanner is throwing out the raw digital sound which would certainly confirm the change.

Of course they might be encrypted in which case you are out of luck insofar as getting clear voice but you will still hear a robotic "garble" sound if the modulation is correct.

Worth a try, at any rate.

-Mike