New Scanner Help

[jyoung1993]

Hello, I just upgraded to a Uniden BCD325P2. I used FreeScann to upload all the frequencies in the Des Moines Metro. I live in Ankeny and and I am having trouble picking up anything county wise for Polk County. I installed the SARA network frequencies, which the county uses. I guess I don't know why I am not picking up the Polk County feeds on my new scanner, since I am listening to it on scanner radio app on my phone. I am picking up Westcom and Dallas County just fine. Also as I type this I just realized that I am not picking up any of the DSM PD of FD feeds, even though both of those were upload to my scanner. Any thoughts?

 

[hiegtx]

Hello, I just upgraded to a Uniden BCD325P2. I used FreeScann to upload all the frequencies in the Des Moines Metro. I live in Ankeny and and I am having trouble picking up anything county wise for Polk County. I installed the SARA network frequencies, which the county uses. I guess I don't know why I am not picking up the Polk County feeds on my new scanner, since I am listening to it on scanner radio app on my phone. I am picking up Westcom and Dallas County just fine. Also as I type this I just realized that I am not picking up any of the DSM PD of FD feeds, even though both of those were upload to my scanner. Any thoughts?

You indicate that you are in Ankeny, which is north of Des Moines, but your profile says "West Des Moines", in the southwest quadrant of Des Moines. Which is correct?

For Polk County, and the SARA TRS, there are three sites in your county. Did you import all three?

The Polk County Simulcast site is, as the name implies, simulcast. While the 325P2 is a good scanner (I have one as well), simulcast issues can be its kryptonite. Here's the map:


With sub-sites (the transmit towers) at various distances from you, their signals do not all arrive at your location at the same time. While the time differential is small, the out of sync signals still can be enough to keep the scanner from decoding the system correctly. So, you may get nothing, get garbled audio, or some combination of the two. A lengthier description of simulcast issues is in the Wiki.
Simulcast digital distortion - The RadioReference Wiki

The Polk City (Big Creek) site might give you better reception, as it's not simulcast. However, it might not carry all your talkgroups of interest.

For Dallas County, are you listening to them on the statewide system, ISICS? Or their conventional frequencies? (Or both?) If on ISICS, which site are you using? The Dallas site is also simulcast, but you are far enough away that you might not have a simulcast issue.

For Westcom, are you listening to them via ISICS? If so, which site? The Des Moines/WESTCOM site is also simulcast, but the way the towers atre located, you might be in a good location & avoid issues.

 

[jyoung1993]

I just moved to Ankeny a year ago and I guess I didn’t update my profile, so there is your answer on that. I do get some garble that is not understandable like you mentioned. Here is what I programed into my scanner.

 

[tvengr]

Des Moines is not on SARA, that is just a full time patch from ISICS into the SARA system. There really is no reason to mess with that if you're listening to Des Moines talkgroups on ISICS.

I used FreeScann to upload all the frequencies in the Des Moines Metro. I live in Ankeny and and I am having trouble picking up anything county wise for Polk County. I installed the SARA network frequencies, which the county uses.

 

[hiegtx]

I just moved to Ankeny a year ago and I guess I didn’t update my profile, so there is your answer on that. I do get some garble that is not understandable like you mentioned. Here is what I programed into my scanner.


View attachment 106428

View attachment 106429

Looking at what I can see of your programming file, here are a few suggestions. Obviously, I'm not in your state, so all I have to go on is what I see in the database. Maybe someone closer to your location, who also monitors these systems, can make suggestions as well.

For SARA, as well as ISICS, change the sites system types to P25 Standard (Digital XT). FreeSCAN imports them as Mot2/P25, but the revised type seems to work better on digital systems on your 325P2.

tvengr posted a quote from another thread that Des Moines is not using SARA, other than a patch from the statewide system. So that could be part of the problem.

I would drop the Mobile site from ISICS. That's a site that can be deployed to an area where the existing site was incapacitated or destroyed, such as by a tornado or other storm. The mobile site would enable system access until the area site is back in service. The mobile sites are also used, at times, for added communications coverage if needed.

The Ames site, on SARA, appears to be somewhat distant from you. If you can hold on the site, & see that the scanner is picking it up, then leave it in place. Otherwise, if you can't actually hear it, delete it, unless you often are in the Ames area.

Read the Simulcast article in the Wiki when you have a moment. In some cases, moving your scanner only a few feet, one direction or another, can make a noticeable difference. Also, when dealing with simulcast, sometimes "less" antenna does better than a gain antenna (such as the Remtronix 800MHz antenna, or the original 'Radio Shack 800MHz' antenna.

 

[thatoneiowan]

The Ames site doesn't carry anything for Polk County as far as I know and additionally my understanding is that it is technically a temporary site. I occasionally have problems with its signal in Huxley.

You can also pbly drop the beaver dale site from your isics group. I think that is located far SE IA and not related to the neighborhood in Des Moines.

 

[jyoung1993]

Thanks for the info. I will see what I can get done with it today.

 

[MidwestRadioListener]

The Polk City (Big Creek) site might give you better reception, as it's not simulcast. However, it might not carry all your talkgroups of interest.

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For Westcom, are you listening to them via ISICS? If so, which site? The Des Moines/WESTCOM site is also simulcast, but the way the towers atre located, you might be in a good location & avoid issues.

You can also pbly drop the beaver dale site from your isics group. I think that is located far SE IA and not related to the neighborhood in Des Moines.

jyoung1993 - These guys give some great advice !

Narrowing Polk Co to just the Big Creek site would be a good test without pulling in the simulcast issues that could be going on. From my experience the main Sheriff talkgroups are normally on that site as they have Deputies all over that are hitting that site and keeping those talkgroups active. That site is also pretty easy to hear in Ankeny.

Just becareful when you say "Westcom" you are talking the ISICS P25 Simulcast Site. There is a Westom trunked system that is one site and Type II. There are some patches from the P25 onto this old system but the amount of traffic on it keeps getting less. They are likely just keeping it going for old radios that haven't been upgraded yet. Again like the other guys said you will probably be ok in most of Ankeny with this simulcast cell.

Welcome to the new world of scanning, keep reading and working through things.