Newport News 'out of range' on Unication pager

[LEH]

I'm posting this in the Unication page, the here on the Virginia page, and on the Farcebook Unication page, but is anyone in the Newport News Virginia area suddenly having problems receiving the Newport News system on their pagers?
I know NNPD is now 100% encrypted, but until last week I was still able to receive the rest of the city's P25 trunk system. I can still hear it on my Uniden and Whistler scanners but get a continuous 'out of range'.
This happened once before when the tower nearest me went down and I was apparently too far from the next one. I've driven the entire length of Newport News with no luck.
On a whim, thinking they may have added a control channel I did not originally load, I deleted the control channels and imported them to the PPS from Radio Reference. I am still getting an out of range message.
Many thanks.

 

[bep]

Most of the time "out of range" is all I ever receive on mine. Live in Va Beach and can only receive VBFD if I utilize an external antenna. Never worked on STARZ, not that that matters now.

 

[AK9R]

Since we don't generally permit cross-posting in the RadioReference forums, your thread in the Unication forum has been locked.

 

[tglendye]

A new control channel is a possibility. You can add a wildcard to the site list to search for any control channels that match the system ID.

Under your system, go to the Site List. For the alias, you could name it wildcard. For RFSS ID enter FF. For site ID, also enter FF. If a new control frequency has been added, the pager will find it when it is looking for a control channel and be able to match it with the system ID. I tried attaching a screen shot, but it looks like it hasn’t posted.

 

[LeSueurC]

Make sure all the Site info is correct that you imported from RR. Sometimes it’s not correct as I’ve found. Also make sure site trunking is not checked

 

[LEH]

Most of the time "out of range" is all I ever receive on mine. Live in Va Beach and can only receive VBFD if I utilize an external antenna. Never worked on STARZ, not that that matters now.

I am not sure what the problem with STARS is, I have a G2 and even with an external antenna, the pager goes in and out of range constantly. I cannot even imagine the problems with just an internal antenna.

 

[K9KLC]

Make sure all the Site info is correct that you imported from RR. Sometimes it’s not correct as I’ve found. Also make sure site trunking is not checked

Not checked?

 

[LEH]

Make sure all the Site info is correct that you imported from RR. Sometimes it’s not correct as I’ve found. Also make sure site trunking is not checked

When I originally programmed the pager I had to set the site information to all wildcards. The pager displayed the correct information but did not like what I was typing.

 

[LeSueurC]

Not checked?

Correct. Site trunking is basically if one site becomes disconnected from the system ( network issues, fiber cut, microwave issues) that one particular site can act as its own site. I’ve fiddled with it and noticed my reception was horrible with it checked, once unchecked I didn’t have any issues.

 

[LeSueurC]

When I originally programmed the pager I had to set the site information to all wildcards. The pager displayed the correct information but did not like what I was typing.

Were you typing in the HEX side under Current setting? All info you have to enter on the System Parameters has to be entered into the HEX format side. So you’re HEX info for NN should

WACN ID: BEE00
System ID: 6EB

 

[K9KLC]

Correct. Site trunking is basically if one site becomes disconnected from the system ( network issues, fiber cut, microwave issues) that one particular site can act as its own site. I’ve fiddled with it and noticed my reception was horrible with it checked, once unchecked I didn’t have any issues.

Thanks I'll check my settings.

 

[LeSueurC]

When I originally programmed the pager I had to set the site information to all wildcards. The pager displayed the correct information but did not like what I was typing.

I’m picking them up on my G4 , loud and clear in JCC

 

[LEH]

Here's an update.
A suggesting to check the control frequencies against my Uniden. The frequencies in the G5 are all inclusive, not just the control channels in my Uniden scanners.
I changed the WACN, SYSId, SiteID, and RFSS to wildcards (this has helped in the past when I first got into the Unications). That did not fix the problem, still getting out of range. This is what they were before the problem started, the out of range did not go away with the BE000 and SYSid direct values entered, and now again with all set to wild cards still 'out of range'.
Looked at Radio Reference and if there is a 'band plan' it is not included in the Newport News listing.
I have not looked at the 'site trunking' but it has never been checked so I seriously doubt it changed on its own before the failure and is not checked now.
Guess the best I can hope is it is a system error on the city side and they fix it. 🙁
One last thing to try tomorrow is copy the system to another knob/zone and see what happens. All my other systems are working properly, just this one, so, I seriously doubt it is the pager, but stranger things have happened in life.
Thank you all for your responses.

 

[hill]

Most of the time "out of range" is all I ever receive on mine. Live in Va Beach and can only receive VBFD if I utilize an external antenna. Never worked on STARZ, not that that matters now

Must be some programming issues on your part. I routinely get 700/800 systems on the G4/G5 from two or three counties away. The Unications have great receive with just their small antennas.

Many out of range issues are not due to not having system receive, but something off within programming. Maybe missing sites or something else and you should review you programming information.

Like the time I added new system to monitor with the pager, but forgot to add a system to the knob position to use the those talkgroups.

Not thar really matters any more, but STARS was only designed for mobile coverage. That's way end users like State Police use 700 MHz extenders to receive the system when out of the vehicle on the portable. It worked alright with the G5 with it's internal antenna before it all went encrypted

 

[LeSueurC]

Here's an update.
A suggesting to check the control frequencies against my Uniden. The frequencies in the G5 are all inclusive, not just the control channels in my Uniden scanners.
I changed the WACN, SYSId, SiteID, and RFSS to wildcards (this has helped in the past when I first got into the Unications). That did not fix the problem, still getting out of range. This is what they were before the problem started, the out of range did not go away with the BE000 and SYSid direct values entered, and now again with all set to wild cards still 'out of range'.
Looked at Radio Reference and if there is a 'band plan' it is not included in the Newport News listing.
I have not looked at the 'site trunking' but it has never been checked so I seriously doubt it changed on its own before the failure and is not checked now.
Guess the best I can hope is it is a system error on the city side and they fix it. 🙁
One last thing to try tomorrow is copy the system to another knob/zone and see what happens. All my other systems are working properly, just this one, so, I seriously doubt it is the pager, but stranger things have happened in life.
Thank you all for your responses.

I doubt it’s an issue on the city end. Check within your knobs and zones to ensure you have the right system. Sometimes when you create a new knob, it defaults to the first system you have. Like I said, I was getting them on my G4 in JCC, no issues

 

[LEH]

I doubt it’s an issue on the city end. Check within your knobs and zones to ensure you have the right system. Sometimes when you create a new knob, it defaults to the first system you have. Like I said, I was getting them on my G4 in JCC, no issues

I programmed Newport News into my G5 right after I got it in 2018 or so. It has worked (with one exception and again 'out of range') since then. I modified the system to remove the now encrypted Police talk groups and again it worked until last week. The probability of the pager messing with a single system is pretty remote.
That Newport News has produced 'out of range' in the past and then suddenly fixed itself is more indicative of a system erro. One response suggested the control channel is not transmitting the band plan, that might keep the pager from displaying talk groups but I am not so sure it would stop the pager from receiving the control channel signal. It is not even showing it being captured. In the 'diagnostic' screen, the RSSI is fluctuating around -115 ±5 dBm. All other nearby systems are showing -90±5 dBm with a near instantaneous lock on.
My idea to try another knob/zone stems from having seen memory cards have bad sections. Write to a new one, leaving the old alone might put it on a good sector. Right now, better than not doing anything.

 

[blackbelter]

My experiences with the " out of Range" error has always been system and or distance related issues. I would suggest:

- Check pager's antenna connection for possible pushed down pin.
- Relocating the pager location.
- Perhaps listen to the radio shop talk group on your scanner for any testing/work on that system.
- Wait till the system corrects itself.

Reprograming a system that you were able to copy last week may not give you the desired results.

 

[manda1993]

I am hearing NN right now on my G5

 

[hill]

Never much issues with my G4 or G5 showing out of range at all.

I can monitor my local county a few countries away with just the short from work. Just playing with G5 inside my work truck. Even receives well il

 

[LeSueurC]

Ever get it working?