Orange

[motorman105]

Traveling through Orange yesterday, I was coming south from Wilbur Cross Pkwy, RT-15, I had CLMRN four bars, Troop I simulcast. I got to the community center on Orange Center Rd and it was gone! Further south, closer to Rt-1 I got it back. Pretty crazy! I thought the community center was on a ridge and would get great coverage.
Just wondering if any of you out there are Orange residents and have observed this too.
This was using my BCD325P2. I wonder if my SDS100 would have still gotten a signal?
Beautiful town! I’ll have to go back with the SDS100 and see what happens.

 

[900mhz]

I believe there is a cell tower with multiple carriers behind the community center which probably desensed your 325P2.

 

[motorman105]

So the presence of all that activity may have kept the CLMRN signal from being read on my BCD325P2.
I was using a Tram 1199 25-1300 mhz glass mount antenna, maybe an 800 mhz would’ve helped.
Thank you for the reply!

 

[motorman105]

Thank you 900mhz, you were correct!
I went back to the Orange Community Center with my SDS100 and Rem-820S. I had the CLMRN Troop I simulcast at a steady 5 bars while my BCD325P2 on the Tram 1199 got no bars at all.
I wonder if that is a CLMRN tower?
Thanks again!

 

[W1KNE]

You actually answered your own question.
1) The community center is high in elevation
2) Your SDS picked it up but your 325P did not.

That is not a CLMRN site, you just experienced the issues of simulcast. The very thing the SDS is designed to scan but the others aren't.
If that OCC site was a CLMRN, you would've received it with no issues.

 

[garys]

I'd ditch the glass mount antenna myself.

 

[motorman105]

Is there a way to look up a tower by its location and see what is on it?

 

[Dave520]

You can try this website

AntennaSearch - Search for Cell Towers & Antennas

Search for the locations of cell towers and antennas to determine cell reception.

antennasearch.com

It says the data is current as of March 2021

 

[Reconrider]

You can try this website

AntennaSearch - Search for Cell Towers & Antennas

Search for the locations of cell towers and antennas to determine cell reception.

antennasearch.com

It says the data is current as of March 2021

Good website but the issue is that they don’t remove data that’s to old or cancelled licenses. If they did that it would be much nicer

 

[Dave520]

You are correct! There is some old data on there.

 

[Reconrider]

Still worth looking at though. Just have to make sure you check callsigns when viewing any towers/antennas lol

 

[W1KNE]

It requires a few steps but there are accurate ways to check yes.
Easiest is to go to mapper.acme.com, and get the lat/long of the tower, then on the RR FCC page here, enter those and search the tower.

 

[Firebuff66]

It requires a few steps but there are accurate ways to check yes.
Easiest is to go to mapper.acme.com, and get the lat/long of the tower, then on the RR FCC page here, enter those and search the tower.

I also use this site to find great tower info in CT..Both spread sheets have a lot of info

Connecticut Siting Council - Disclaimer

portal.ct.gov

 

[motorman105]

I'd ditch the glass mount antenna myself.

What antenna would you recommend?

 

[Firebuff66]

What antenna would you recommend?

I have a few of the below antennas and find they work well, Permanent mount in the center of the roof works best but I have one on a fender mount that also works well.

https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=8932&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwtzIkPjp8AIVGq_ICh2bpw-YEAQYAyABEgLvF_D_BwE

 

[garys]

I don't have any specific recommendations since I don't know what type of vehicle you have, what the mounting options are, or what you want to listen to. My experience and that of a friend with about 50 years of RF and electronics experience is that other than on cell phone frequencies glass antennas don't work very well.

What antenna would you recommend?

 

[Reconrider]

other than on cell phone frequencies glass antennas don't work very well.

I get this all the time from friends who are getting into scanners/radios and they always ask me why the roof antenna.

I said drive around on one channel and tell me what you get while I sit in your driveway - on a phone call.
He got barely any traffic while I got everything perfectly and he was closer to the antenna site than I was. He was amazed that newer cars block out so much frequency. He bought an external mount antenna a few hours after it.

Other friends of mine still to this day fight me over it lol

 

[W1KNE]

Scanner / Receiver Antennas You'll see quite a few threads. As to the specific make and model, refer to there. Through the roof (drilled hole) NMO mount is the only way to go, however.

 

[motorman105]

What antenna would you recommend?

I’m pretty happy with my thru the glass antenna, I’m sitting in the parking lot of Goodwill in Monroe, CT and I’m listening to the NYPD Highway dispatcher in New York City advising about an open mike.