Ontario County bcd436 users?
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Nightjock
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I'm using the BCD536HP now and have used the 396XT before that from Victor. I get the Monroe and Ontario County Public Safety P25 Phase 1 system loud and clear. I'm on the northern side of the Ontario North site according to this map: Ontario North Simulcast Site Details (Monroe and Ontario Counties Public Safety)
You appear to be right in the middle of coverage for the same site so I'm sure you will be all set!
You appear to be right in the middle of coverage for the same site so I'm sure you will be all set!
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Thanks for the feedback Nightjock. I'm not a real savvy user so hoping the 436 would not be too difficult. I was using the BC246T, but obviously "since the system change" I can't pick up the Sheriff's units. Are you using a base station antenna that would result in better reception than I might expect with the standard 436 unit? My 246 would not pull in the Cdga. city units because I'm on the other side of the hill on Rt. 21 and hoping the 436 would do a better job?
Nightjock
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I assume it won't be an issue using the 436 antenna. My 396XT is a portable, and the stock antenna works well enough. On my 536 I'm only using the antenna that came with it. It's a few feet from a window and I'm on top of a hill, so I don't need to do much.
With this system, you're not trying to get the Canandaigua signals from over the hill, you're getting them from the main tower site. (Ontario North most likely for you) I BELIEVE they are different. Some poking around the database here should tell you tower locations of the old system. I couldn't even hear Canandaigua before the switch. Now they are loud and clear. I can get all of the Geneva calls as well. I usually turn them off because it seems the quality of their radios isn't on par with everyone else on the system.
Fire calls are loud and clear these days too. On the old equipment, I had to be near my scanner to avoid or skip fuzzy garbled calls. Now I can let it run in the other room and not be annoyed by static. I really think you'll be thrilled with this new system. It makes the investment in new gear go down that much easier.
Feel free to post here or private message me and I can help you get up and running.
With this system, you're not trying to get the Canandaigua signals from over the hill, you're getting them from the main tower site. (Ontario North most likely for you) I BELIEVE they are different. Some poking around the database here should tell you tower locations of the old system. I couldn't even hear Canandaigua before the switch. Now they are loud and clear. I can get all of the Geneva calls as well. I usually turn them off because it seems the quality of their radios isn't on par with everyone else on the system.
Fire calls are loud and clear these days too. On the old equipment, I had to be near my scanner to avoid or skip fuzzy garbled calls. Now I can let it run in the other room and not be annoyed by static. I really think you'll be thrilled with this new system. It makes the investment in new gear go down that much easier.
Feel free to post here or private message me and I can help you get up and running.
Nightjock
Member
Hey, Nightjock - thanks for the direction. Great to have someone sort of local to work with. Took a drive out yesterday and picked up my 436. Brought it home and entered my ZIP and away it went sort of. Did not seem to be getting the law enforcement, but was picking up lots of the EMS and Fire. I downloaded Sentinel to my computer last night and now I guess the "fun" of trying to figure out what to do really begins. Need to figure how to at least get the Ontario Sheriffs going and then I can take my time with the rest. Going to head to the threads and see what I can find. Seems I remember seeing some YouTube stuff available about setting up. Again, thanks for the tip on going to G&G. Gerry was great to talk with and I got one of his last 3 units. More later - enjoy the heat today! 
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Nightjock
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N2VDE
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Glad to see some folks in the Canandaigua area. I also have a BCD436HP and live near Brachport, up on the hill. I get Ontario County fine. Yes Geneva does have something wrong with their radios, it's not the scanner. I work in Rochester and get everything fine. I heard the Zoo today at my house. The software takes a whle to learn but it is not that hard. I listen to my scanner at work in a room filled with computers and get Monroe County police fine but nothing else, too much interferance! I had to change the P25 threshold. I found this out by looking at the error rate, press vol (down one time) press function, again press vol. The error rate will be on the bottom of the screen. To change the P25 threshold, press menu (on the side of the scanner below the func) turn the vol to srch/clocall opt, p25 threshld level, changed it to 20 (default is 8) and that helped bring in Monroe County police on the P25 system better. I read this forum a few times a week, lots of help here.
Nightjock
Member
Hey, Nightjock - thanks for the direction. Great to have someone sort of local to work with. Took a drive out yesterday and picked up my 436. Brought it home and entered my ZIP and away it went sort of. Did not seem to be getting the law enforcement, but was picking up lots of the EMS and Fire. I downloaded Sentinel to my computer last night and now I guess the "fun" of trying to figure out what to do really begins. Need to figure how to at least get the Ontario Sheriffs going and then I can take my time with the rest. Going to head to the threads and see what I can find. Seems I remember seeing some YouTube stuff available about setting up. Again, thanks for the tip on going to G&G. Gerry was great to talk with and I got one of his last 3 units. More later - enjoy the heat today!
So? How are ya makin' out over there?
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