P25 hidden channel?

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gotbordercollies

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From time to time my scanner will go quiet - I mean completely quiet. In a while, it will come back to life as usual. Could there be a missing control channel? If so, how can I find it?

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Richard
 

cg

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Scanner going quiet is not enough info...
System(s) you are monitoring?
Scanner model?
How do you program? From RR download or by you creating the file?

chris
 

gotbordercollies

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It is a P-25 system (Rockdale County Georgia)

I use RR to program the scanner.

Thank you
Richard
 

jonwienke

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If you're only listening to one system, sometimes there just isn't any traffic. You should program all site frequencies so that if the control channel is changed, you can still hear traffic. But sometimes, people just aren't having heart attacks or driving motorcycles into trees or smoking in bed or shooting up the local Stop-'N-Rob.
 

gotbordercollies

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I understand that there isn't anything happening all the time, but I'm sure that for many hours at a time during a heavy thunder storm there should be traffic.
 

jonwienke

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I have added all of the channels listed on RR but it is still quiet.

That's listed as simulcast. If you don't have the SDS100, there's a good chance your scanner simply can't receive the system very well.
 

RRR

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That's listed as simulcast. If you don't have the SDS100, there's a good chance your scanner simply can't receive the system very well.

Or a G4. or a G5....
 

troymail

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It appears that the Rockdale system information in the RRDB has not been updated in almost 2 years and has limited information posted.

The frequencies listed appear to match the FCC license data - which says it is a 4 site simulcast system.

The RRDB says the system is P25 Phase 1 but the licensed emission types include Phase 2.

I will note that license data isn't always 100% accurate and may reflect old, future (plans), and/or just plain incorrect information but all available information is worth noting.

Assuming you have all 9 frequencies programmed and the information documented between the RRDB and the FCC licenses is correct, here are some possibilities:

  • simulcast is causing your reception of the system to "come and go" - you scanner (what model?) should provide some type of constant indicator that it is receiving the control channel - if not, your issue might be simulcast

  • depending on the model of your radio, perhaps there is some Phase 2 activity and your radio isn't able to do Phase 2

  • depending upon scanner model, if encryption has been employed on the system, you may not know it at all (Uniden hides the fact that encryption is present)

  • perhaps talkgroups (TGIDs) have changed - as I mentioned, it appears the last update to the RRDB information was in 2016 - try a talkgroup wildcard (Whistler) or switching to "ID Search" (Uniden)

There are other possibilities as well but the above are the most likely issues you are having.

That's listed as simulcast. If you don't have the SDS100, there's a good chance your scanner simply can't receive the system very well.
...and an SDS-100 may not help either based on various early adopter reports... but we don't know for sure if it's a simulcast issue yet (but it is very likely based on the information you've provided).
 

gotbordercollies

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2 different scanners - BCD436HP and a SDS100. I have a TRX-1 but I have not turned it on.
 

jonwienke

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What RSSI reading do you get on that system with the SDS100?
 

jonwienke

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It's one of the options in the detailed display mode.
 

jonwienke

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gotbordercollies

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installed the firmware update, and that seems to have mitigated the issue - Thanks for the information and assistance
 

jonwienke

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Excellent. If you have any further issues, post back here.
 
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