Philadelphia from Gloucester County?

[jjudson]

I live in Gloucester County about 8 miles south of Philly as the crow flies. I'm installing a Yagi for 800 Mhz reception, and I'm considering buying a digital trunk scanner. Before I fork over the money for the scanner, I want to find out if anyone in Gloucester County has been successful in getting Philly on their scanner. I've heard stories about poor reception of Philly's system outside of the city, so I don't want to spend the money if it won't do me any good (I'd essentially just be buying the digital scanner for Philly signals).

If I can't get Philly, I'll stick with my BC246T and just listen to Camden's analog trunk system.

Thanks ahead...

 

[ctrabs74]

Depends on where in Gloucester County you are. I know that I've picked up Philadelphia TRS along the Delaware River corridor as far south as the Delaware State Line, and considering Gloucester County is over the river from where I'm talking about, I would suspect the closer to the Delaware River you are (ie. east of 295) the better chance you have of picking up Philly.

 

[Audiodave1]

I get them on a Yagi from Rt 202 and I95 in Wilmington pretty well..Better after the trees de-foliate themselves. I pick up the site near the airport. I would say if you can get the system on your 246 you have a good chance with a digital radio.

Dave

 

[policefreak]

I can just get Philad. from the Deptford/ Runnemede/Bellmawr area. The CC comes in but some of the transmissions do break up a bit. At night, though, I can get them from Berlin. Like, Ctrabs74 said, it depends on what part of the county you are from. If you live in Franklin Twp, chances are you will get nothing. If you live in Washington Twp, well I guess you'll have a shot at picking them up at night. You sound closer than that though, so you should pick up something, unless you live in a big pit The RS 800 duckie works pretty well for me.
Also try picking up Montgomery county, PA. Should come in great. Lots of action. And most of it is analog (except for the fireboard, but that is rebroadcast on analog conventional frequencies). Good luck and happy scanning!! {:>D

 

[jjudson]

I can just get Philad. from the Deptford/ Runnemede/Bellmawr area.

What are you using for an antenna?

I'm right next to you in Woodbury Heights.

 

[Skypilot007]

I can barely hear them from Logan twp in a mobile. In the Gloucester City area I can hear them loud and clear from the mobile. Though from my base in Medford with a 800Mhz yagi pointed right at Philly I can hear them good. Go figure. Maybe my parking spot at work is a dead spot. I'll see if I can scan the system while I ride up 295 today. Using a 796D with a Larson NMO tri-bander(150-450-800).

 

[jjudson]

I can barely hear them from Logan twp in a mobile. In the Gloucester City area I can hear them loud and clear from the mobile. Though from my base in Medford with a 800Mhz yagi pointed right at Philly I can hear them good. Go figure. Maybe my parking spot at work is a dead spot. I'll see if I can scan the system while I ride up 295 today. Using a 796D with a Larson NMO tri-bander(150-450-800).

Gloucester City doesn't surprise me, as it's right across the river with nothing but water in the way. I'm much more interested in your experience with the Yagi. Mobile and handheld seems to have some trouble with distance around here for 800 Mhz. I took a ride on my bike yesterday with my BC246T in my jersey pocket to the waterfront in National Park and Camden was hit and miss from there - even though it's just around the bay past Gloucester City.

 

[policefreak]

What are you using for an antenna?

I'm right next to you in Woodbury Heights.

I have the RS 800 Duck. From Woodbury Heights, you probably can pick it up okay, especially on a clear night with no wind. The Philadelphia system is actually two separate systems, one for police and one for fire/medics/public works. The fire system seems to come in a little better in NJ than the police system.

 

[ctrabs74]

The Philadelphia system is actually two separate systems, one for police and one for fire/medics/public works. The fire system seems to come in a little better in NJ than the police system.

The Fire/EMS/Services system, for whatever reason, has a stronger signal than the PPD system; it's not just in South Jersey, but pretty much everywhere that I've picked it up.

 

[Skypilot007]

Gloucester City doesn't surprise me, as it's right across the river with nothing but water in the way. I'm much more interested in your experience with the Yagi. Mobile and handheld seems to have some trouble with distance around here for 800 Mhz. I took a ride on my bike yesterday with my BC246T in my jersey pocket to the waterfront in National Park and Camden was hit and miss from there - even though it's just around the bay past Gloucester City.

Using the 800mhz yagi from the base in Medford is working well. I was monitoring Philly over much of this past weekend without much trouble at all. My Yagi is about 55ft high feed with Beldon 9913 coax. I was considering trying another yagi with more gain a few months back but with some minor tweaking of the direction the yagi was pointing I'm recieving Philly good now.

 

[policefreak]

Using the 800mhz yagi from the base in Medford is working well. I was monitoring Philly over much of this past weekend without much trouble at all. My Yagi is about 55ft high feed with Beldon 9913 coax. I was considering trying another yagi with more gain a few months back but with some minor tweaking of the direction the yagi was pointing I'm recieving Philly good now.

Youre KIDDING!!! You mean you're monitoring Philly all the way from Medford, dang! The yagi is something you make yourself?

 

[Skypilot007]

Youre KIDDING!!! You mean you're monitoring Philly all the way from Medford, dang! The yagi is something you make yourself?

I think its an old antenex antenna. I can't remember I've has it so long. It still works well. I get Cherry Hill and Camden city good with the same antenna.

 

[policefreak]

Jeez, I wonder if they still make those. If so I'm getting one!!