OPS channels

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godskidz

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Hi to all.
I monitor Warren Cty N.J.
When the fire depts are dispatched they say use ops channel 2 thru 7.
I have them programmed in but never hear anything on them.
I have a BCD996XT
Thanks for your help.
 

howie38

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I have the same problem locally on my 996P2, but I can pick up 10 miles away. But my 436HP portable hears everything.
 

joedisp

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The issue is that the OPS channels are in simplex, they do not have a repeater on these channels. You would need to be within 2 to 3 miles to pick up a mobile/portable. In some cases is the area they are working in is leveled you may pick them up at a greater distance.

Other then that if you are using the antenna that came with the scanner only, you may what to put up a outside antenna. It may help or it may not, it based on your location.
 

howie38

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The portables were only 1/4 mile down the road at an MVA and if I didn't turn on my 436HP portable, I wouldn't have heard them on location.
 

zerg901

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Portable radios typically transmit at 1 to 10 watts. Mobile radios transmit at approx 20 to 100 watts. There might be situations where you can hear the mobile radios but not the portable radios.

Repeaters and base stations can transmit between 10 watts and approx 200 watts. Typically they will have an antenna up on an antenna tower.
 

howie38

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So why does the 436 with an even shorter antenna pick it up, but the 996 wont?
I'm thinking I need to adjust a setting.
Every time something interesting gets dispatched, I have to turn on the 436 to listen in to the fireground chatter.
 

zerg901

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howie38 - can you swap antennas on your scanners? can you try listening without any antennas at all? is there a weather radio station you can pickup at 162 mhz? (that would give you a constant signal to test reception of)
 

howie38

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howie38 - can you swap antennas on your scanners? can you try listening without any antennas at all? is there a weather radio station you can pickup at 162 mhz? (that would give you a constant signal to test reception of)
I've tried a few different antennas. The one that came with it, a "Mobile Scanner BNC Male Dipole Antenna Compatible with Uniden Bearcat" and an old telescopic 'centerload' scanner antenna that's mounted as high as the ceiling allows.

BTW, is the F1 Dispatch on the simulcast now active? Because i'm still only getting the old analog dispatches.
 

howie38

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Came across a video about how to monitor the P25 threshold. Turns out I receive Burl Co a lot better by manually keeping it on #8.
BTW. I'm using the 436 simultaneously to see if I'm missing anything, because that little sucker picks up everything. Even with it's little black rubber antenna.
 
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