OFFICIAL MSWIN Thread

[CubaChief502]

Wilrobnson, you are correct. I have a MSWIN radio, but I am not always in the office when severe weather strikes. As to the antenna setup at the location, we have an antenna and 45 feet on the tower behind the building. That feedline is run to an 8 port unit and to various receivers in the rack. The reason I ask the question about the simulcast or programming of the scanner is that the Unication Pager (programmed for MSWIN) and the Uniden SDS200 are both plugged into the same antenna through the splitter. The Unication hears everything and the scanner heres little to nothing. I currently have the scanner setup with all Lauderdale and Kemper talkgroups but it is only monitoring the Kewanee site. Does it need to be programmed to hear all the sites or do I need to put a preamp on it?

Thanks,

CRV

 

[INDY72]

The Unication is a public safety grade pager. It will outshine the scanner all day long. At 45 feet high, add in the cable length from tower to the building. Then to to multicoupler, then to the scanner. If you can get a preamp, I would do so. Also check your profile in the scanner, make sure you have all the closest sites. (Range of the sites is 17 to 20 miles give or take, even with 400 foot plus towers on some of them.) Make sure all the proper tags are enabled. ( Law Dispatch, Tac, etc...) Hopefully this helps.

 

[RMason]

Wilrobnson, you are correct. I have a MSWIN radio, but I am not always in the office when severe weather strikes. As to the antenna setup at the location, we have an antenna and 45 feet on the tower behind the building. That feedline is run to an 8 port unit and to various receivers in the rack. The reason I ask the question about the simulcast or programming of the scanner is that the Unication Pager (programmed for MSWIN) and the Uniden SDS200 are both plugged into the same antenna through the splitter. The Unication hears everything and the scanner heres little to nothing. I currently have the scanner setup with all Lauderdale and Kemper talkgroups but it is only monitoring the Kewanee site. Does it need to be programmed to hear all the sites or do I need to put a preamp on it?

Thanks,

CRV

As mentioned previously, simulcast is not going to be an issue. The MSWIN sites in/near Lauderdale County are not simulcast.

What site is the Unication programmed for? The Unication receives only one site per knob position. You will want to make sure that the SDS200 is programmed only to the same site for apples-to-apples comparison of the Unication to the SDS200.

The MSWIN sites closest to Cuba are Kewanee (~6 miles from Cuba) , Meridian (~19 miles from Cuba), and Middleton (~25 miles from Cuba). The Meegan site (west of Meridian) is about 40miles from Cuba. I would suggest that the Kewanee site should carry most of the traffic you are looking for - but again, I would start with whatever site the Unication is programmed for - since you say that the pager is hearing everything. Scanning more sites than you need will likely cause you to miss traffic.

<comment> I'll leave the discussion about the antenna and amplifiers to others.

 

[CubaChief502]

The Unication pager indicates two sites are active. I have the same programming in the unication in the office as the one that I keep in my bag. They are programmed for the sites in Lauderdale and Kemper County. I have messed around with the sites in one pager and confirmed that the two that I am receive are Kewanee and Meridian. I have also changed the programming to just the Kewanee site and it still works great. I currently have the SDS only monitoring the Kewanee site as well. Will work with the unit when I have a little more time to get back out there. Will also try a few different antenna setups other than what I have it wired to at the moment.

 

[Hammerguy69]

Wilrobnson, you are correct. I have a MSWIN radio, but I am not always in the office when severe weather strikes. As to the antenna setup at the location, we have an antenna and 45 feet on the tower behind the building. That feedline is run to an 8 port unit and to various receivers in the rack. The reason I ask the question about the simulcast or programming of the scanner is that the Unication Pager (programmed for MSWIN) and the Uniden SDS200 are both plugged into the same antenna through the splitter. The Unication hears everything and the scanner heres little to nothing. I currently have the scanner setup with all Lauderdale and Kemper talkgroups but it is only monitoring the Kewanee site. Does it need to be programmed to hear all the sites or do I need to put a preamp on it?

Thanks,

CRV

Just curious how you have a MSWIN radio in Alabama? Does it work good?

 

[CubaChief502]

Right on the line... It works well. With the cell phone setup we are often dispatched to incidents that end up being in MS and the same for our neighbors across the line. We cover the call until they arrive on location. Have little option other than to just make things work. My officers are issued unication pagers to monitor the system across the line so that we are aware. Lauderdale County has used a PoC system that matches ours to allow cell phone integration into the system so we are going to connect those two systems in 2026 so a tac channel is available for law enforcement and fire/ems comms between the states.

 

[RMason]

I currently have the SDS only monitoring the Kewanee site as well. Will work with the unit when I have a little more time to get back out there.

It sound like the Kewanee site is the right site to focus on. I suggest that you put the SDS200 in ID Search mode (instead of ID Scan) so that you will receive all TGs on the Kewanee site (whether or not the TG is programmed) while you get this sorted out. Also, as Indy72 suggested, make sure that all of the Service Types are enabled. (By default only EMS Dispatch, Fire Dispatch, Law Dispatch, Custom 1, and Multi-Dispatch are enabled.)

Will also try a few different antenna setups other than what I have it wired to at the moment.

If you are as close to the Kewanee site as I think you are, I would think you should be able to receive the site without too much trouble. You could try the stock antenna - or other antennas you have available. Since you are in close proximity to a tower, I do wonder if overload from other frequencies might be an issue. If you are able, you may want to take the SDS200 to another location to see if it comes to life.

 

[Avery93]

Wilrobnson, you are correct. I have a MSWIN radio, but I am not always in the office when severe weather strikes. As to the antenna setup at the location, we have an antenna and 45 feet on the tower behind the building. That feedline is run to an 8 port unit and to various receivers in the rack. The reason I ask the question about the simulcast or programming of the scanner is that the Unication Pager (programmed for MSWIN) and the Uniden SDS200 are both plugged into the same antenna through the splitter. The Unication hears everything and the scanner heres little to nothing. I currently have the scanner setup with all Lauderdale and Kemper talkgroups but it is only monitoring the Kewanee site. Does it need to be programmed to hear all the sites or do I need to put a preamp on it?

Thanks,

CRV

Any LTE sites relatively close to your base antenna location? I have not used the SDS200, but I have witnessed other Uniden scanners like the BCD436HP and BCD996P2 have their receivers overloaded by cell sites (likely Band 14) and completely unable to receive 700 MHz P25 sites at any distance. In these instances, an actual subscriber radio was completely unaffected. I would expect much greater selectivity out of the Unication pagers than the Uniden scanners, which could explain why they are working.

 

[CubaChief502]

There is quite a bit of cellular RF in the environment that the equipment is located. I will reprogram the scanner and change a few parameters (as well as take it on the road and try it a few other locations). Likely going to just purchase another unication unit and leave it in the rack.

 

[Wilrobnson]

I don't know if anyone else was tracking this, but Gulfport has chosen not to join onto the joint Harrison/Jackson Counties Harris Phase 2 system and instead is joining MSWIN. Contract was signed 10/20/25 and entered into the City Council minutes on 12/2/25.

Link

 

[fasteddy64]

I don't know if anyone else was tracking this, but Gulfport has chosen not to join onto the joint Harrison/Jackson Counties Harris Phase 2 system and instead is joining MSWIN. Contract was signed 10/20/25 and entered into the City Council minutes on 12/2/25.

I hadn't heard about this.
It will be an interesting situation to watch.

 

[RMason]

I don't know if anyone else was tracking this, but Gulfport has chosen not to join onto the joint Harrison/Jackson Counties Harris Phase 2 system and instead is joining MSWIN. Contract was signed 10/20/25 and entered into the City Council minutes on 12/2/25.

Link

Interesting. I saw this in the WCC November minutes:

https://www.wcc.ms.gov/sites/wcc/files/MSWCC%20November%206%202025%20Minutes%20-%20signed.pdf

The second procurement request was from the City of Gulfport Police Department to purchase 6 AXS dispatch​

consoles including installation, implementation, and warranty for $785,000.00 from state contract 3429. The Gulfport​

Police Department is transitioning equipment to P-25 compatible equipment for use on MSWIN.​

 

[MississippiPI]

Interesting. I saw this in the WCC November minutes:

https://www.wcc.ms.gov/sites/wcc/files/MSWCC%20November%206%202025%20Minutes%20-%20signed.pdf

The second procurement request was from the City of Gulfport Police Department to purchase 6 AXS dispatch​

consoles including installation, implementation, and warranty for $785,000.00 from state contract 3429. The Gulfport​

Police Department is transitioning equipment to P-25 compatible equipment for use on MSWIN.​

Well, thus has been talked about for some time and some folks want to argue claiming " they will never join MSWIN " , ok den..

Glad to see that tho.

Be safe

 

[Wilrobnson]

I'm not too glad as I live in Gulfport and have been hearing talk of full encryption for LE and EMA.

After the buildout for coverage, it will be nice not to have to drive half a mile from home for coverage on my work radio, but that's a small consolation.

 

[RMason]

I've logged traffic on TG 23004 related to MDOT crews performing storm cleanup. Today they ae clearing ice off of I22 in the Holly Springs / Red Banks area. This appears to be a MDOT District 1 talkgroup not listed in the db. I've heard traffic on this talkgroup previously, but have not nailed down its exact usage. Does anyone have insights on an ID for 23004?

MDOT D1 23004

 

[MississippiPI]

I'm hearing chatter on 23001

 

[slhbeard]

23001 is MDOT D1 Admin and 23004 is MDOT D1 Flaggers

 

[RMason]

23001 is MDOT D1 Admin and 23004 is MDOT D1 Flaggers

@slhbeard
MDOT D1 Flaggers for 23004 matches the traffic I logged prior to the storm. Thanks for confirming.

 

[slhbeard]

You are welcome. Both TG are in the db for MDOT-M for MSWIN.