not receiving much on Starcom 21 in Pekin

[acerzr2]

Im using my homepatrol 2 scanner with an Omni X antenna mounted indoors using a 20 ft. run of low loss cable, and I'm having trouble hearing very much on the starcom 21 simulcast system
from Peoria. I hear plenty from other systems, but this simulcast system is quiet for the most part. I have the omni X pointed towards Orchard Mines, since that is the nearest antenna site, but still very quiet. Is the homepatrol just that bad with simulcast or am I doing something wrong? Its not that its noisy, I just dont get much of anything. Any help would be great. Thx!

 

[acerzr2]

Im using my homepatrol 2 scanner with an Omni X antenna mounted indoors using a 20 ft. run of low loss cable, and I'm having trouble hearing very much on the starcom 21 simulcast system
from Peoria. I hear plenty from other systems, but this simulcast system is quiet for the most part. I have the omni X pointed towards Orchard Mines, since that is the nearest antenna site, but still very quiet. Is the homepatrol just that bad with simulcast or am I doing something wrong? Its not that its noisy, I just dont get much of anything. Any help would be great. Thx!

Forgot to mention that I live in Pekin

 

[ltginrage]

Assuming the Peoria City simulcast site, Are you reciving a signal off of the site?

 

[acerzr2]

Yes I can hear Peoria police once in a while as well as some other stuff, just not nearly as often as I think I should be

 

[ltginrage]

I looked at a map for Starcom21 sites and nearest Peoria simulcast site is roughly 10-15 miles away from Pekin. Also, not sure how accurate this map is.
Maybe your not getting a good enough signal to catch every piece of traffic.

Are you using ID Search or Scan. If your using scan you may not have all the talk groups in there.

Thats some of the things I think could be the problem. (probably not the problem though)

 

[n9lob]

I'm pretty sure that map is for the old simulcast system before Peoria county converted their Harris system over to Starcom. IIRC they were going to have 10-12 towers across the county when it was done. I can hear Peoria county simulcast from Eureka but I have to use a SDS 100 or 200 to do it. I cannot receive it on my 536hp or pro197.

 

[acerzr2]

Ok, I held my HP2 on the starcom site and just let it sit for a while( wasnt scanning anything else), I did hear some chatter like peoria police, peoria co. police, and Peoria EMT, but there just wasn't very much activity like there should have been. Also, I heard the dispatcher sometimes, without hearing the response from cop or emt?? Here are the TG's I have in my favorite list...

 

[ltginrage]

Try holding the Peoria PD 1 (Dispatch) channel for about a while. Most departments check officer status once or twice a hour

 

[n9lob]

I notice you did not mention hearing Peoria fire. If you aren't, check to make sure you have the service types on in the scanner itself. The Uniden radios out of the box come with only the 'dispatch' types enabled. I see Peoria fire 1 is listed as 'Fire Tac' which leads me to suspect this might be the case if you aren't hearing it.

 

[werinshades]

As mentioned: service types, do the sites carry the traffic you want, and last but not least...simulcast distortion issue...SDS scanner needed.

 

[kraziebill]

I'm in Peoria and listen to the Peoria site all the time. This site is terrible to almost non-existent unless you are using a radio that can handle simulcast well like the Uniden SDS100/200 or a Unication G4/G5 I am less than a mile from the grandview drive tower and my BCD996P2 and TRX-1 miss transmissions where my G5 works flawlessly. I've had my G5 in Pekin and had no issues hearing Peoria PD.

 

[acerzr2]

It's not service types, because that's what I checked first. I agree with kraziebill, that it's because I'm using an HP2. When I do hear something, its crystal clear usually, but most of the time I don't hear the other side of the conversation. I'll hear dispatch, then nothing, even if I hold on it.
Plus I'll go for long periods of time hearing nothing. might be time for new scanner. Thx for the help everyone.

 

[lu81fitter]

I live about 30 miles north of Peoria. I can pick up the Peoria Co simulcast now that they have switched from Harris to Moto. (The difference is insane!! Almost silence to WOW!) I use an 996P2. When I travel that way, I have a BCT 15X in the car along with the P2. I enable the old UHF Peoria City freqs and the VHF Peoria Co freqs on the 15X, along with the simulcast system on the P2. Sometimes I'll hear signals on the 15X that don't come thru on the P2. Could be simulcast. Could be the radio was scanning ISP at the time. I'll have to lock on to just city and county on a future visit to see how it performs.