Not hearing city of Atlanta P25

[Bailey1213]

It has been a few weeks since I listened to the city of Atlanta public safety P25 system but I am getting nothing. I monitored the Fulton County interop ( where ATL goes if their system is down) and I still get nothing. I don't see any changes here on RR. Any info from the group?

 

[Bailey1213]

Additional information. I am using a Uniden SDS200, I updated the firmware and database files.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Zip up your Sentinel export and attach it as a reply to this thread so someone can have a look at your programming

Importing and Exporting Sentinel .hpe Files - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

 

[Bailey1213]

I appreciate your reply but I don't think that is the problem, I have been listening to Atlanta fine for over seven years and I am very adept at programming scanners and radio systems. I was just wondering if anyone else is having a problem or if there has been a recent change to Atlanta Public Safety P25 system?

 

[Bailey1213]

And just like that....it starts working perfectly again. Weird?

 

[hill]

More than likely the system rolled over to a control channel you don't have programmed.

Guess with you now receiving them it rotated back to a control channel you have programmed in the scanner.

You got remember with trunking the control channel is everything. If the radio can't receive the control channel you won't hear anything.

When scanning trunking the scanner doesn't really scan. It just monitors the control channel for voice channel grants for talkgroups with you wish to monitor.

Going forward you may be able to update your files to include the missing control channels.

 

[DanRollman]

I appreciate your reply but I don't think that is the problem, I have been listening to Atlanta fine for over seven years and I am very adept at programming scanners and radio systems. I was just wondering if anyone else is having a problem or if there has been a recent change to Atlanta Public Safety P25 system?

Almost certainly your programming. But up to you if you don't want the help. No, no issues with the system or my ability to monitor it during the period you were having trouble.

 

[Bailey1213]

Worked for about a day and gone again? I completely reset my SDS 100 and SDS 200 . deleted the Sentinel software and reinstalled it. Made a new favorites list. The signal status bar shows a 3-4 bar signal but it won't lock on to a P25 signal. I even manually programmed just the control frequencies, still nothing. I don't think it is a distance thing as I can still receive Dekalb county which is further away. I am also able to receive City of Atlanta on my Bluetail P25RX. I am also able to receive Cobb P25 System. Why is my SDS100 and SDS200 not receiving City of Atlanta? I would be more than willing to zip the DB file I am using and send it to have another set of eyes take a look at it. Thanks to all your help in advance.

 

[Bailey1213]

Attached is my config files if someone wants to take a look and see if there is something incorrect.

 

[richard4537312]

A nearby cell site can cause the SDS100 and SDS200 to behave in exactly the manner you have described. Some sites cause it, while others don't. Scanner will show control channel present, but it simply locks on nothing in the P25 system. Move a mile or so away from your location, and see if the problem corrects itself. If this is the problem, don't waste your time fiddling with the auto filter. It will not help. You've simply got a "dead spot" that will be there as long as the cell site remains in operation.

 

[MTS2000des]

Yup, especially if Verizon or AT&T turned up anything with B5 or B12, 14, etc nearby they will saturate the front end making it deaf. Band pass filers can help.

 

[Bailey1213]

So this might make complete sense now. My local county system is transitioning from a dmr system to a P25 system and have started testing. A new tower is less than two miles from the house and both systems are in the 850mhz range. So having it work one day and not the next is probably the new system testing and overloaded the front end of my scanner.

 

[MTS2000des]

If you have an RFSS for Paulding, then you're kind of in a pickle. The average site uses 50-100w stations combined thru a single TX antenna, and a poor consumer scanner isn't going to play nice trying to hear a distant system when a loudmouth is right next door.