NH & MA Border Nashua Freq. Help Needed!!!

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If your in MA and close to the NH border and have had success programming Nashua PD's trunking systyem and are using a Pro-2096 or Pro-96 with Win96 or Scancat I could appreciate a setup file.

I've tried my best on putting in Nashua PD into a bank by itself and still no action in the last 3 days. Not even a weak signal to stop scanning. I'm wondering if there is someone here who has had success and is listenning at least on TAC-1 dispatch. If you could attach a .P96 file for me that would be great!! Then I can look at the file and see the setup to help me understand how trunking works and the mumbo jumbo that goes with it.

Thanks all,
Bill
 

n1das

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868.45 MHz - This is the primary control channel in the Nashua 800MHz trunked system. This is the only freq you actually need to scan the Nashua system. No need to download anything from a database.

The old 460MHz UHF channels are dead except for MDT data on 460.200.

On a 396T:
1. Create a new system as an 800MHz Motorola Type II system.
2. Set "control channel only" mode to ON.
3. Enter 868.45 as one of the channels in the system.
4. No need to touch any P25 settings. Leave them alone.

Scan away and enjoy.


On a Pro-96 handheld or 2096 base/mobile:
1. Enter 868.45MHz into a channel in a free bank.
2. Set the channel type to "MO" (Motorola) on that channel.
3. I forget exactly how as I'm writing this from memory but you need to tell the scanner that the channel bank that has 868.4500 and set to MO type is a Motorola trunked system. Pressing TRUNK might do it. It might be FUNCTION followed by TRUNK. I don't recall right off the top of my head. When you find it, the scanner should display "Not trunked! Press MODE".
4. Press MODE enough times to cycle through "Not trunked! Press MODE", "Motorola", or "EDACS". Select "Motorola" as the system type.

Scan away and enjoy. If you did it right, the machine gun sound heard on 868.4500 will mute and it will trunk track properly on the Nashua system. Note that if you press MANUAL, it will hold the scanner on 868.45MHz and you'll hear the raw control data stream like you would on a non-trunking scanner. To hold on an individual talkgroup on the system, you need to press PAUSE while the TG you want to hold on is active. "ID HOLD" will be displayed while holding on a talkgroup. To resume scanning the Nashua system, press SCAN or PAUSE again to cancel the ID HOLD function and resume scanning the system. The Nashua system is busy enough that you won't have to listen very long to hear some chatter.

Good luck.
 
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ecps92

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First question is are you even getting the Signal in the Conventional mode.
If not, then it's not going to work in trunked mode.



If your in MA and close to the NH border and have had success programming Nashua PD's trunking systyem and are using a Pro-2096 or Pro-96 with Win96 or Scancat I could appreciate a setup file.

I've tried my best on putting in Nashua PD into a bank by itself and still no action in the last 3 days. Not even a weak signal to stop scanning. I'm wondering if there is someone here who has had success and is listenning at least on TAC-1 dispatch. If you could attach a .P96 file for me that would be great!! Then I can look at the file and see the setup to help me understand how trunking works and the mumbo jumbo that goes with it.

Thanks all,
Bill
 
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Pelham, NH
Thanks so much Dave. I did prog. the old 460. channels. I get static on .200 and .365. I remember them being coded anyway so it appears they are still in use and tac one is in the 800's???

Bill
 
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Well did all as explained. Never heard the machine guns at all. Just regular static. Checked the list and all are empty too. Could this be because I'm too far from Nashua to get 800Mhz? I get the old 400mhz channels as described in the earlier reply.

This is really ticking me off. Not happy at all.

On another not I assume that on any trunkin system that as long as i'm in motorola mode on that channel it will pick up a broadcast even if it's not programmed in the list?

Thanks
Bill
 
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Pelham, NH
No ECPS it has never stopped on that freq. I guess I'm just too far. I'll try to get over to Nashua downtown and try it locally. Thanks for all your help guys. Greatly appreciated.

Bill
 

ecps92

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IF you don't get the Control channel in the Conventional mode, yup you are too far away.

No ECPS it has never stopped on that freq. I guess I'm just too far. I'll try to get over to Nashua downtown and try it locally. Thanks for all your help guys. Greatly appreciated.

Bill
 

Junior08

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I have a Win 96 file that covers that system, as well as a fair amount of other NH "stuff"...,

I'm too far away to monitor it regularly but during DX conditions I've received the Nashua TRS from here on Cape Cod. Let me find the file and I can send it to you or just post it here if you'd like.
 

Junior08

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I cannot upload the file here, but you can download it from the Scan Cape Cod website scanner programming files section. Check page 3 I believe, you will see the New Hampshire file in there.

www.scancapecod.us
 

n1das

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Thanks so much Dave. I did prog. the old 460. channels. I get static on .200 and .365. I remember them being coded anyway so it appears they are still in use and tac one is in the 800's???

Bill

Where are you located in MA? Nashua's 800MHz Motorola Type II system gets out like gangbusters like the old 460MHz system did. If you were previously able to hear the 460MHz channels clearly then you should be able to hear the 800MHz system.

Nashua PD doesn't use any of the old 460MHz channels at all for voice comms. The freqs were 460.100, 460.200, and 460.325. They have been silent since about July 2001. NPD voice comms have been on the 800MHz trunked system since that time.

Nashua PD now has MDT data on 460.200 and it's a LOUD and steady buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz of data. The MDT system is transmitting continuously on 460.200, the old TAC-2 channel. The MDT system transmits with as much power and from the same site as the old 460.2 (TAC-2) did, so it gets out like the old TAC-2 did.

The 868.4500 freq is the control channel in the new system. There are actually 9 frequencies in the trunked system including the control channel. The control channel transmits continuously and the data has a machine gun sound to it. If you have your scanner set up properly and can hear the control channel, the scanner will automatically go to the other frequencies when there's traffic on those freqs because it's getting the frequency information from the control channel data. The control channel frequency (868.4500) is the only frequency you need and the scanner will do the rest automatically if you've got it set up correctly.

Like others have said, first try listening to 868.4500 as a conventional (i.e., non-trunked) channel and see if you can hear the control channel data (steady machine gun sound). If you can't hear the data in converntional mode then trunked mode won't work either.

Good luck.
 

n8dhw

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When I was up in Pepperell, Mass last year I was able to pick up the Nashua trunk system just fine from there. So since you didn't say where you are located you might just be too far away to pick it up from your location.
 

ka8scp

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Westford, MA
I am in Westford, MA and I hear them loud and clear. I've heard them as far south as Carlisle/Bedford... so I am guessing you'll hear them in the NW suburbs of 128.

AWC... let us know how we can assist.
 

n1das

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I can hear the Nashua TRS on my Pro-96 handheld w/rubber duck antenna in areas around Marlboro and Framingham MA. I can also hear it in my work QTH's parking lot on the handheld in Framingham MA. It's not real strong there but strong enough to decode P25 digital.

The 800MHz system runs a fair amount of power and transmits from the same hilltop as the old 460MHz system. From what I've noticed the 800MHz system gets out like gangbusters like the old 460MHz system did.
 
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Well I posted in the NH forum and forgot to reply to here also. I went to Nashua the other day. BTW I'm in Pelham NH. As soon as I got to the end of Shurburn Road and Lowell Road in Hudson I picked up Nashua no problem at all!!!! So I believe it's not the signal strenth but between Nashua and Pelham there is a small mountain or hill. Actually it's called Bush Hill. If you GPS Bowman Lane in Pelham this is pretty much the peak highth and I believe this is what is stopping the reception. Not sure but I remember that I was using one of the old antennas from RS that had a small black load in the middle of the telescoping antenna. I know I still have it but I can't remember where I packed it away. This might give me some better reception having the dummy load in the middle to emulate a longer antenna. Or maybe just an outside antenna with a ground plane. Just too many lightning storms over here as the storms build up from the west they intensify as the reach the hill and unload on Pelham. Over the years we've lost a lot of phones and wall warts from strikes in the general area. I know about the arresters and stuff but too much work just to catch up on the Nashua stuff. I'll use my Pro-96 when I travel to Nashua.

Thank you all for your expertise and information. It really helped out and gave me a real good understanding of Trunking, Groups and Lists. I do have some questions on the Trunking and the Group Lists but will put them in the respective forum. Thank you all again. This place is so awesome.

Bill
 

N1BHH

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Jackson Square, East Weymouth, MA.
It would be wise to get an antenna on the roof of your car. A simple mag mount will do the trick, you will be amazed at how it will work, because your scanner is in the car with an OEM duck, everything you are trying to hear, just can't all be heard. Hills, buildings and car bodies are all attenuators. Antenna on the roof equals happy scanning.
 
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