Official "Charlotte-Meck" Radio Thread

[hamstang]

I agree with the yagi to help with P25 reception. From my South Charlotte location near Pineville I had to work with the yagi to zero it in for a steady signal. I have used both GRE and Uniden scanners for P25 at my location with equally poor audio quality until I obtained the yagi and got it properly aimed. BTW, one can obtain a 800-900mHz yagi on good old eBay for just over $17. Well worth it I think. I use LMR400 coax.

 

[mikev]

This is the joy of simulcast systems, where multiple transmitters in the same county all transmit the same radio signals. Some scanners don't deal too well with multi-path and digital signals, so unless you're in a spot where you receive one site better than all the rest, a yagi is definitely a good investment to improve the decoding of the digital signal. Or, try using your scanner's attenuator function first, to reduce the signal of the more distant sites.

 

[kd8x]

A lot of encrypted tgrps on old TRS system now....CSI, Steele Creek TAC etc....

 

[trumpetman]

All special ops units will be encrypted, along with all division tac talkgroups among other new and special use channels.

 

[harf]

What scanners will monitor the new Char-Meck P25?

 

[kd8x]

What scanners will monitor the new Char-Meck P25?

Unidens 396xt, 996xt
Gre 500, 600, 800
Radio Shack 106 or 107 I think....
It must be a digital scanner whatever you end up with....Unidens are my favorite....

 

[Soundman]

I found out last night from a office that the p25 system has not been doing so well thy can hear the dispatcher great but when thy talk to them thy have to repeat thyself .That not good .If there is a fire our fireman are not safe and same for our police officers .

 

[trumpetman]

I've gotten a lot of mixed reviews. Some love the digital voice, others hate it, some complain for coverage, others notice an improvement. As time goes on, they'll adjust to the differences and work out the quirks and it'll be working as good if not better than the 3600 system.

One thing I must admit though is that the new APX radios are pretty shweet.

 

[KE4ZNR]

I've gotten a lot of mixed reviews. Some love the digital voice, others hate it, some complain for coverage, others notice an improvement.

What a coincidence....that is what some users say about our radio system...in fact, that is what some users say about every radio system...my point is that most radio system users don't understand the science, electronic theories and physics behind how the systems work...a lot of times than not the issues are due to "user error" (ie: trying to talk on your handheld while sitting in a shielded squad car with the radio still on your hip)....

As time goes on, they'll adjust to the differences and work out the quirks and it'll be working as good if not better than the 3600 system.

Let's hope that pesky government red tape does not get in the way...Char Meck is gonna be a big guinea pig for some of us folks on the other side of the state

One thing I must admit though is that the new APX radios are pretty shweet.

I will keep my XTS5K for the time being...kind of like a classic car you have tricked out to where you know everything "under the hood"...it is sad but I know where each and every one of the 600+ talkgroups/channels are in my 41+ zones in my rig

Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[Barrygilnc]

Three Questions After a Long Time Away from Monitoring

I’m just getting back to monitoring after nearly a year of putting in a lot of extra time at work. As I re-start my CMPD monitoring I’ve got 3 questions:

For the re-banded analog system, what base and spacing frequencies and channel offset should be entered?

Has the P25 system re-banded?

Are the P25 dispatch talk groups paired the same they are on the analog system?

Thank you,
Barry

 

[ts548]

it is sad but I know where each and every one of the 600+ talkgroups/channels are in my 41+ zones in my rig

Marshall KE4ZNR

Is that all? Come on Marshall, you've got to catch up.

 

[Soundman]

It seam like analog is still work for what I am lisoning to . So I am happy now .But if thy switch thy switch .But it is still working for now . I have my digital when thy switch . Now thy just need to get it working right for us to hear them good .

 

[firemun]

Feeling kind of dumb

I have always been the one that people come to for scanner and radio questions but the tables have turned and I need some input please. I am unable to receive any of the CFD broadcasts now as the result of the switch to P25 I assume. As others mention I still hear alarm on the old system. I am using a Uniden 996t which seems to work well on the other P25 systems I have programmed.

I have programmed a P25 system for the CFD both manually and using the ARC software import from the database here on RR. However, I am getting a big goose egg. I have always had good reception here at my home and don’t think it is a signal strength issue. Anyone have a suggestion or advice?

 

[firemun]

In a follow up...I have programmed all of the talkgroups in the scanner and I am receiving some broadcasts on a couple PD talkgroups, Monroe and Union Co Sheriff....but still no FD. :-(

 

[trumpetman]

If you're hearing Union County talkgroups, then you are listening to the wrong zone. A select few channels in use in Mecklenburg County will have permissions to cross over into Union County, and vice versa; so you will never hear a UCSO or Monroe PD channel on the Meck Simulcast and you will never hear a CFD or CMPD talkgroup on the Union Simulcast.

Long story short, make sure you program in zone 1 (853.8125) to follow CFD & County Fire.

 

[firemun]

If you're hearing Union County talkgroups, then you are listening to the wrong zone. A select few channels in use in Mecklenburg County will have permissions to cross over into Union County, and vice versa; so you will never hear a UCSO or Monroe PD channel on the Meck Simulcast and you will never hear a CFD or CMPD talkgroup on the Union Simulcast.

Long story short, make sure you program in zone 1 (853.8125) to follow CFD & County Fire.

Thanks Chris,
I had added the other control channels in just to see if I had anything programmed and working correctly. Since I could hear the Union county braodacasts...that was some assurance my scanner was working. I have those locked out otherwise when i have been trying to get CFD. I have since concluded that is a signal stregnth issue. I have set the system up on control channel only and have the scanner searching rather than scanning programmed IDs. And I have heard nothing at all and I get a flashing "searching for cntrl channel message". So for some reason I dont have enough signal for it to lock on to the control channel.

 

[jeffmulter]

The moderator of the Firerad2 forum on Yahoogroups recently reported finding the following license the FCC has approved for Charlotte to use during the Democratic National Convention:

ULS License - Public Safety Pool, Conventional License - WQPR855 - Mecklenburg EMS Agency

Essentially, the license covers 10 conventional VHF frequencies for MEDIC and first responders to use in the uptown area during the convention.

Several of the frequencies were already licensed to neighboring York County ... including the old YCSO Tac 2 and the old Rock Hill PD 2. York County submitted a letter to the FCC agreeing to MEDICS' use of the frequencies under an STA.

A quick review of the MEDIC license appears to show 5 repeater channels, divided between 3 locations in the uptown area. Three of the repeater-out frequencies are also licensed for simplex / talk-around use.

The three sites are the Charlotte Observer building (S. Tryon), Presbyterian Hospital (Hawthorne Lane), and Edwin Towers (W. 10th St.).

 

[hamstang]

I'm hearing digital bursts(MOTOTRBO?) on 155.805 this afternoon. That's one of the MEDIC and first responder freq's for the DNC apparently

 

[kg4pbd]

Old system hangs on 855.9875

Anyone else having a problem with the old TRS getting stuck on 855.9875. It's been going on for about a week now.

 

[kd8x]

Anyone else having a problem with the old TRS getting stuck on 855.9875. It's been going on for about a week now.

Not having that problem with it up hr in Concord...