New Here Again!!!!

[chesterwarez]

I used to y some years back but so much have changed and alot has remained the same. I live in Orangeburg SC and there are a mix of frequencies that are used but i would like to listen to mainly police, fire, ems. Part of the problem i am seeing is this LTR Passport that public safety uses, which is the city police and fire departments. I read where they have to be entered conventional on analog. I have been so far off of the reservation to the point where im lost as to programming. If any of you know any easy way for me to listen to this LTR Passport thingamajigga please let me know. I am willing to pay. Im a disabled young man on a fixed income. Years of bad health kept me away for the last 5 years. I have a whistler 1088 and i have enough funds to buy a new one if this one isnt capable of what i need. I live in Orangeburg, SC and would like to listen to Oraneburg County Sheriffs Department, Orangeburg Department of Public Safety, Orangeburg EMS Hospital, and surrounding towns within Orangeburg County.

Thanks in Advance

 

[tvengr]

It looks like Orangeburg County is using the Palmetto 800 statewide digital trunked system: Palmetto 800 Trunking System, Various, South Carolina Depending upon your location, the Orangeburg County Simulcast site may cause problems with missed transmissions and garbled audio. The only way to find out for sure is to give it a try. If you would like, I can create an EZ Scan file for you (No Charge) to upload to your scanner. Do you have the Whistler WS1080/WS1088 handheld EZ Scan programming software?

 

[chesterwarez]

It looks like Orangeburg County is using the Palmetto 800 statewide digital trunked system: Palmetto 800 Trunking System, Various, South Carolina Depending upon your location, the Orangeburg County Simulcast site may cause problems with missed transmissions and garbled audio. The only way to find out for sure is to give it a try. If you would like, I can create an EZ Scan file for you (No Charge) to upload to your scanner. Do you have the Whistler WS1080/WS1088 handheld EZ Scan programming software?

Yes I do have the ez scan software. I would appreciate it. Thank you so much

 

[tvengr]

Give me a couple of days and I will attach the file. We'll be able to see if simulcast distortion is a problem.

 

[brian]

I don't live in that area so I can't confirm with 100% certainty, but I think Orangeburg City public safety (fire and police) now operate on Palmetto 800. I believe the LTR system, if it's still in use at all, is used for other City services like Water and Sewer, Parks, streets, etc. Palmetto 800 is also used by Orangeburg County Fire, EMS, Sheriff, hospital, local colleges and universities, state agencies, etc.

As mentioned, you may find performance of the WS-1088 to be pretty poor trying to listen to the Orangeburg simulcast site. You'd want to have one of the Uniden SDS scanners to overcome this problem. Alternatively, you could attempt to listen to some of the neighboring non-simulcast sites like Salley, Eloree, and Holly Hill, which the WS-1088 should receive better assuming that you're within receiving range of one or more. The disadvantage of doing this is you may not hear all of the radio traffic you're interested in if these sites don't routinely carry that traffic. But it's worth trying if you find that you can't receive the Orangeburg County simulcast site.

 

[chesterwarez]

I don't live in that area so I can't confirm with 100% certainty, but I think Orangeburg City public safety (fire and police) now operate on Palmetto 800. I believe the LTR system, if it's still in use at all, is used for other City services like Water and Sewer, Parks, streets, etc. Palmetto 800 is also used by Orangeburg County Fire, EMS, Sheriff, hospital, local colleges and universities, state agencies, etc.

As mentioned, you may find performance of the WS-1088 to be pretty poor trying to listen to the Orangeburg simulcast site. You'd want to have one of the Uniden SDS scanners to overcome this problem. Alternatively, you could attempt to listen to some of the neighboring non-simulcast sites like Salley, Eloree, and Holly Hill, which the WS-1088 should receive better assuming that you're within receiving range of one or more. The disadvantage of doing this is you may not hear all of the radio traffic you're interested in if these sites don't routinely carry that traffic. But it's worth trying if you find that you can't receive the Orangeburg County simulcast site.

Great! I really appreciate your help with this. Also let me know which of the unidentified scanners you would recommend for my simulcast issue? The palmetto 800 and those agencies is exactly what i would like to monitor. And in thinking of the unidentified scanner, was hoping to future proof the radio tech. I know you can't determine if agencies will go encrypted, but other than encryption I want to able to hang on to my new radio for at least 5 or more years.

Thanks Again for all your help

 

[tvengr]

I'm making good progress on the file for the WS1088. I have all of the talkgroups and scan lists in an Excel CSV file ready to import into EZ Scan. I am currently working on the system and sites. Hopefully, it will be completed tomorrow. If you have problems with the Orangeburg County Simulcast site, it will be time to spring for the SDS. Meanwhile, keep your fingers crossed. It looks like there are 2 subsites near to Orangeburg. If you are close to one of the towers, the signal can override the out of phase interference from the other towers.

 

[tvengr]

Here is the file. Save it to your computer. I have the non-simulcast sites locked out so that only the Orangeburg County Simulcast site will be scanning. Besides Orangeburg County, I have most of the state interop and emergency ops talkgroups programmed plus highway patrol. Turn the scanner off. Connect the programming cable. Go to the File tab in EZ Scan and click on Restore Configuration from Archive. Open the file you just saved. Answer yes at the warning box. File will load into EZ Scan. Go to the Scanner/SD Card tab and click on Copy Configuration To Scanner Memory/SD Card. Answer yes at the warning box. It will take a while for the file to load. When completed, eject the scanner before unplugging cable.

 

[brian]

Great! I really appreciate your help with this. Also let me know which of the unidentified scanners you would recommend for my simulcast issue? The palmetto 800 and those agencies is exactly what i would like to monitor. And in thinking of the unidentified scanner, was hoping to future proof the radio tech. I know you can't determine if agencies will go encrypted, but other than encryption I want to able to hang on to my new radio for at least 5 or more years.

Thanks Again for all your help

The scanners that are designed to support P25 simulcast system monitoring are the Uniden SDS100, SDS150 and SDS200.

There are other non-scanner P25 simulcast scanning options also.

 

[tvengr]

Please let me know if the file I attached in post #8 works with your WS1088. That will be the true test if you need a SDS scanner.

 

[chesterwarez]

Here is the file. Save it to your computer. I have the non-simulcast sites locked out so that only the Orangeburg County Simulcast site will be scanning. Besides Orangeburg County, I have most of the state interop and emergency ops talkgroups programmed plus highway patrol. Turn the scanner off. Connect the programming cable. Go to the File tab in EZ Scan and click on Restore Configuration from Archive. Open the file you just saved. Answer yes at the warning box. File will load into EZ Scan. Go to the Scanner/SD Card tab and click on Copy Configuration To Scanner Memory/SD Card. Answer yes at the warning box. It will take a while for the file to load. When completed, eject the scanner before unplugging cable.

Thanks so much....what do I owe you?

BTW I took the plunge and got the sds150...Just got delivered last night. There is a lot to learn....

 

[tvengr]

Thanks so much....what do I owe you?

BTW I took the plunge and got the sds150...Just got delivered last night. There is a lot to learn....

Congratulations on your new SDS150! It was my pleasure to be able to help. Did you have any luck with the WS1088? I have a SDS150 also and would be happy to help with a favorites list. I already have everything in an Excel file and it would be easy to copy and paste into the Uniden Sentinel software. Please let me know if you have any questions about programming your SDS150. Do you have the free Sentinel software? http://info.uniden.com/UnidenMan4/BCDx36HPSentinel

 

[chesterwarez]

No i don't have the Sentinel software. I had them program it a Uniden prior to shipping. I do plan to hook it up to my laptop to explore it. I have used the U Aware app and bluetooth to my phone. Im ready to mess around d with it to add more counties when I travel. I do appreciate all of your help. You have no idea how valuable that help has been. The Whistler file came in clutch. It is the simulcast. I tested by running it side by side. I get everything in luding both ends of convo unless it's encrypted on the sds150. Only one side of transmission on Whistler