Peoria PD with PSR-500

[guy_7]

Hi all, I am getting familiarized with a new PSR-500 and digital trunked communications in general. HRO programmed the radio for me with most of the valley freqs except for the trunked Peoria PD. So I have registered here at RR and downloaded the DB for the Peoria system and talk groups. The problem is the with the reception. The transmissions are garbled most of the time. Sometimes the dispatch/field unit are both perfectly clear, sometimes just the dispatch can be heard, and sometimes the xmissions start off clear then become garbled. I thought it was perhaps a reception issue with the rubber duck antenna but even if I move outside or adjust position it is the same. At this point I am not sure if its a radio setting, or something unique about the Peoria system or what. Phoenix, MSCO and all of the other systems are working fine, but Peoria is the one I did add afterwards,

Has anyone else in the valley had problems monitoring Peoria PD? Any ideas on what I might adjust to address this?

Thanks

 

[InlandAZ]

Could be your location, I have similar issues with Mesa (and I'm not all that far from Mesa). If they don't affiliate with a site near you, you'll have problems receiving them.

 

[guy_7]

I would think that if the patrol cars driving around nearby can receive the signals then I should be able to. I will bring the scanner into work with me tomorrow and see how the reception is from Dunlap and I-17 area. I was just going through the manual and configuration and found a feature called "multi site roam". So I am checking into that possibility.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Astrak]

I would think that if the patrol cars driving around nearby can receive the signals then I should be able to. I will bring the scanner into work with me tomorrow and see how the reception is from Dunlap and I-17 area. I was just going through the manual and configuration and found a feature called "multi site roam". So I am checking into that possibility.

Thanks for the reply.

Except the patrol cars have $1000.00+ Motorola's in them that are more suited to 700/800mhz P25 trunking than a $500.00 scanner. The multi site roam feature is great if you plan on monitoring a system like MCSO and traveling around the valley, for something that is area specific like Peoria it won't do much good since they are only coming off of one simulcast.

 

[AZScanner]

Guy7, are you using the 800MHz antenna from RadioShack? 800MHz Scanner Antenna - RadioShack.com

If not, you really need to get one of these. They make a BIG difference on the RWC. It won't cure all your reception problems, but it will help greatly.

-AZ

 

[guy_7]

Hi Astrak, yes that's true the cars would have much higher end radios. I monitored the channels while driving over to the I-17 area with no difference in reception quality so that was a bummer. After a couple days of tweaking I am getting more confident its not a setting or adjustment on the scanner that's going to fix it. And your right the mult-site thing didn't help at all, neither did attenuating. I thought the same broadcast coming from multiple different sites is what made the simulcast, and moving closer or further away from a site affected performance. Its just confusing to me at this point and it really sucks that the one agency that I want to monitor is the only one that I cant. =(

Thanks for the reply.

 

[guy_7]

Hi AZscanner,

No I am not using the 800mhz antenna. I saw it and was tempted but I wanted to see what kind of performance I got out of the rubber duck first. I bought this scanner primarily for the trunked stuff since I have other radios for conventional monitoring so it wouldn't be a bad idea for me.

I will go pick one up and see how it performs.

Thanks for the input.

 

[AZScanner]

Hi AZscanner,

No I am not using the 800mhz antenna. I saw it and was tempted but I wanted to see what kind of performance I got out of the rubber duck first. I bought this scanner primarily for the trunked stuff since I have other radios for conventional monitoring so it wouldn't be a bad idea for me.

I will go pick one up and see how it performs.

Thanks for the input.

No prob. Trust me, it's worth the $20. It made a huge difference with my lowly Pro-96 back when it still worked. As far as the RWC is concerned, the stock duck that comes with either the 396XT or the PSR-500 sucks and would make a better coffee stirrer than an antenna. You'll like your scanner much better once you put that 800Mhz antenna on it.

-AZ

 

[frang]

The transmissions are garbled most of the time. Sometimes the dispatch/field unit are both perfectly clear, sometimes just the dispatch can be heard, and sometimes the xmissions start off clear then become garbled.


Hi, guy_7

I have the same radio (PSR-500) and the same problem receiving Peoria PD as you are having. I live in Peoria. Did you try the 800 mhz antenna? I have the stock antenna, and it shows full scale for Peoria. It seems like it can't decode the Peoria signal. Most other agencies work pretty good. I am very frustrated.

Thanks for any help

 

[wupatki]

Something else to try is adding the White Tanks freqs (769.15625,769,40625,770.40625,770.65625) to your Peoria System. Currently most of the Peoria traffic is being carried by the White Tanks Simulcast. I hear it won't last forever but for the time being it's how I have my radio set up and works quite well all over the valley.

And yes the Radio Shack 800Mhz antenna is best all around antenna to have if you want to monitor 700/800 trunked systems and it does quite well on VHF/UHF.

Good luck, let us know if anything helps.

 

[guy_7]

Hi Frang,

Yes I tried the 800mhz antenna and it did not make any difference at all with the Peoria system. I have tried from areas all around and outside Peoria with the exact same results. I have been reading up quite a bit on scanners and decoding P25 systems and this is a much bigger issue than my radio settings. I have pretty much given up on the issue at this point which is depressing because monitoring my local PD was the main reason for buying the radio in the first place. Sorry to hear your having the same issue, if you find a resolution please share it.

Thanks

 

[guy_7]

Something else to try is adding the White Tanks freqs (769.15625,769,40625,770.40625,770.65625) to your Peoria System. Currently most of the Peoria traffic is being carried by the White Tanks Simulcast. I hear it won't last forever but for the time being it's how I have my radio set up and works quite well all over the valley.

And yes the Radio Shack 800Mhz antenna is best all around antenna to have if you want to monitor 700/800 trunked systems and it does quite well on VHF/UHF.

Good luck, let us know if anything helps.

Wupatki

I have whatever frequencies are in the RR database. When I get home I will check to see if the frequencies you listed are in there.

Thanks

 

[AZScanner]

Hi Frang,

Yes I tried the 800mhz antenna and it did not make any difference at all with the Peoria system. I have tried from areas all around and outside Peoria with the exact same results. I have been reading up quite a bit on scanners and decoding P25 systems and this is a much bigger issue than my radio settings. I have pretty much given up on the issue at this point which is depressing because monitoring my local PD was the main reason for buying the radio in the first place. Sorry to hear your having the same issue, if you find a resolution please share it.

Thanks

I'm really surprised to hear that. I use the 800MHz ducks on all my digitals specifically because without them they're nearly worthless for these systems (at my location in Chandler anyway). You said that other digital systems work fine, so maybe Wupatki's idea will help. Please keep us posted.

-AZ

 

[phoenicks]

Hello guy_7; I live inSurprise and I seem to pick up Peoria pretty clear.I have the Uniden BCD396XT and am 4 miles from the White Tank Mtns. I can pick up Channel A1 and a couple public works talk groups, but thats about it. I feel your frustration. I bought a digital scanner to pick up Surprise police, only to find out later that they are encrypted. Oh, I sem to have trouble with Phoenix fire coming in garbeled and choppy. The old radios come in fine as well as AZ DPS and SW Ambulance. I am using a dipole antenna that I bought on Ebay. I bought the 800 MHz antenna and did'nt notice a difference. I can pick up several channels out here without any antenna at all.

 

[frang]

Hi Guy_7

I purchased the 800 duck this morning and not much difference either. I am about to give up also. I am not sure how to program the white tank frequency's that wupatki gave. I also only want to monitor Peoria PD. I have listened to them for the last 22 years. Now they move everything to encrypted channels except channel 1. I used to be the eyes and ears in my area of town. They will lose a lot of volunteers during emergency traffic. I was hoping it was a setting in the radio. I feel like selling the radio, and waiting to see if a new generation radio comes out in the future. If I figure out anything I will post it.

 

[guy_7]

Hmmm this is interesting... I punched in the White Tanks freqs that Wupatki listed and it seems that I am getting almost all of the dispatch calls on A1 clearly now. I have been monitoring for an hour or so and it has only went digital on me twice. This is promising. I went back to the RR database, selected the RWC, chose site 208 (white tanks) and 501 (Peoria Simulcast G), and then the Peoria PD talkgroup.
I added it the radio as a new system called Peoria Police, and assigned it to the same scan list as the old Peoria PD. Its probably not necessary to keep the old "system" though. Its interesting because while it is receiving its switching back and forth between the control channels on each site. I guess its supposed to do that, either way I am receiving more now than I have then ever so THANK YOU WUPATKI.

 

[phoenicks]

Guy_7
Yes those are the same frequencies that I am using. White Tanks, and Simulcast G. Now all I hope is that Surprise goes un encrypted soon. I hear they are.

 

[ctrl]

It's a shame how many calls peoria moves to A3 which is encrypted. Definitely loosing extra eyes out there now.