P25 Phase 1 (APCO-25) Help

[junktrunk317]

HI Guys,

I'm new to scanners and need a little help. I purchased a Uniden bcd996p2 to monitor my area (Canadian Co.). I'm running the stock antenna and I can pick up the P25 Phase 2 talkgroups with no issues, however when I try to monitor the P25 Phase 1 (APCO-25) I don't seem to pick up much at all. I have my trunk frequencies set to the Oklahoma City frequencies and the map here on RR shows that I'm within range of the broadcasting tower. I do understand that some of these talkgroups will be encrypted and not decodable and I image there are a lot of talkgroup traffic on these frequencies causing Simulcast Distortion. I'm using freeSCAN to program my scanner and even when I program just a single agency talkgroups utilizing the OKC frequencies I'm not picking up much of anything and I end up just listening to dead air.

I do have a new 5db gain indoor antenna coming in and also purchased a 15db gain signal booster for the 5Mhz-1Ghz range, thinking maybe the signal just isn't strong enough, but I don't know.

I don't have a permeant location for the scanner, I like moving it between the living room, the bedroom, the garage and to my desk for programming so I'm trying not to put an antenna in my attic and fish and terminate the cables runs through my walls.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[tvengr]

If you attach your Oklahoma City FreeSCAN programming file, I will check it for problems. You will have to right click on the file and Send to Compressed (zipped) folder to be able to attach it. Click on Attach files and Open the zipped file. Oklahoma City is entirely Phase 2.

 

[junktrunk317]

Thanks, that'll be awesome. I'll attach it later tonight when I get home. The phase 2 Oklahoma City Metro Public Safety (P25) is working great, it's the Phase 1 Oklahoma Wireless Interoperability Network (OKWIN) (P25) that I'm having the issue. I'm really thinking it's signal related, as I can see my signal strength go up to 4-5 bars then drop to 1-2 constantly.

 

[Freqed]

While the scanner is scanning the system your having trouble with, press Hold and it should stop on the Control Channel and display the System info if your getting enough of a signal. If that doesn't work press Hold and then manually change the channel with the Silver knob to find the Freq that is the control channel and see if it comes up.

 

[junktrunk317]

tvengr, here is a copy of my programming file.

Freqed, when I'm on the primary control channel, I get the SID but my signal is at about 2 and fluctuates

 

[Turner101]

what part of CA county are you in? might try the Geary site for OKWIN

 

[tvengr]

If you see the control channel frequency of 860.9375 when scanning the OKWIN P25 system, your scanner should be working OK. If you see NFM where the frequency should be, you either have a weak signal or simulcast issues. There is not much Fire and EMS for you to hear on the OKWIN system. Chickasha is in Grady County which you probably will not get any activity unless units affiliate with the OK City site. The hospitals you have programmed are in Tulsa. You will not hear anything 100 miles away. Same goes for the EMSA talkgroups. All of the EMSA talkgroups in Oklahoma County are encrypted except for 1891 EMSA E mutual aid. The statewide ME secure talkgroup is encrypted. You will get the med helos only when in your area. There are Fire and EMS talkgroups for Del City, Edmond, Midwest City, Nichols Hills/The Village, and Deer Creek/Oak Cliff on the OKWIN system. Just about everything else for Oklahoma County is on the Oklahoma City Metro Public Safety system.

 

[air-scan]

If you see the control channel frequency of 860.9375 when scanning the OKWIN P25 system, your scanner should be working OK. If you see NFM where the frequency should be, you either have a weak signal or simulcast issues. There is not much Fire and EMS for you to hear on the OKWIN system. Chickasha is in Grady County which you probably will not get any activity unless units affiliate with the OK City site. The hospitals you have programmed are in Tulsa. You will not hear anything 100 miles away. Same goes for the EMSA talkgroups. All of the EMSA talkgroups in Oklahoma County are encrypted except for 1891 EMSA E mutual aid. The statewide ME secure talkgroup is encrypted. You will get the med helos only when in your area. There are Fire and EMS talkgroups for Del City, Edmond, Midwest City, Nichols Hills/The Village, and Deer Creek/Oak Cliff on the OKWIN system. Just about everything else for Oklahoma County is on the Oklahoma City Metro Public Safety system.

OKC PD dispatch for southwest, santa fe, hefner, and springlake are patched to OKWIN as well.

 

[mam1081]

junktrunk, try the attached file. It looked like you still have a mix of "MOT II" and "P25" systems in your programming. I've fixed those in this edit file. As others have suggested, you might also try adding the Geary site into your OKWIN scan/search - its not simulcast like the OKC site.

Hope this works - let us know!

 

[junktrunk317]

Thanks for the help everyone! It's greatly appreciated. I found that it was a signal issue. I loaded the scanner up in my truck and drove out to Moore and Chickasha to test and the talk groups I want to monitor came through without an issue. I ended up buying an discone antenna and mounted it in my attic, due to HOA restrictions, and I'm now able to monitor these talk groups while at home also.

I may do some more experimenting with antennas. I pick up the CC's in OKC and Chickasha at about 5bars. Geary is way out of my range. I'd like to get the Norman CC's stronger, currently at 3bars, so I may try a yagi in the southeast corner of my attic.

If I bring the signal paths of both antennas into a linear diplexer rated for broadband (5Mhz - 1000Mhz), do you think the antennas will wash each other out?