Please explain different sites

[UFEMTFF]

I am currently listening to this system:

http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&sid=195

What is the point of two sites? I am right in the city of gainesville, within miles of the tower. Do I need to worry about programing the frequencies for the rest of the county?

 

[hiegtx]

I am currently listening to this system:

http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&sid=195

What is the point of two sites? I am right in the city of gainesville, within miles of the tower. Do I need to worry about programing the frequencies for the rest of the county?

From what I understand about a Smartzone system, a given radio (handheld or vehicular) would be associated with a specific site (or tower if you prefer). You would normally hear transmissions to/from it only if monitoring that site.

That would change if the unit was out of it's home territory, as in a chase or on an investigation. In those cases, that talkgroup would be repeated on the site (tower) where the unit was at that time.

Notice that the sites refer to specific licenses: Site 1 "Gainesville Licenses", Site 2 listed as "Alachua County Licenses". My guess, at least least initially, is set them up separately. You'll probably hear some overlap regardless, but suspect that setting up only one or the other would mean you'll miss calls. Checking the mapping for transmitter location shows them to be approximately the same place, but that may not be accurate.

 

[n4voxgill]

There is only one set of control channels shown, if you have a scanner that will control channel scan, then just enter the frequencies in red and blue and don't worry about it. The county and city put their frequencies into one pot for the radio system.

 

[UFEMTFF]

There is only one set of control channels shown, if you have a scanner that will control channel scan, then just enter the frequencies in red and blue and don't worry about it. The county and city put their frequencies into one pot for the radio system.

I have a BCD996T, does that do control channel scan? Does this mean all I have to do is enter 3 freqs. into my scanner and I'll be able to hear everything? How is this possible?

 

[seamusg]

I have a BCD996T, does that do control channel scan? Does this mean all I have to do is enter 3 freqs. into my scanner and I'll be able to hear everything? How is this possible?

The BCD996T is a control channel scanner. On a Motorola system the scanner gets the voice channel from the control channel and goes to that freq.

 

[UFEMTFF]

The BCD996T is a control channel scanner. On a Motorola system the scanner gets the voice channel from the control channel and goes to that freq.

But, if I only have the control channel programmed, I won't hear anything.

 

[seamusg]

But, if I only have the control channel programmed, I won't hear anything.

You should hear everthing on that site with control channel only. The scanner does not use the other channels programed. It only uses what it gets from the control channel on a MOT system, unless your programing an EDACS or LTR system all you need is the control channel.

 

[UFEMTFF]

You should hear everthing on that site with control channel only. The scanner does not use the other channels programed. It only uses what it gets from the control channel on a MOT system, unless your programing an EDACS or LTR system all you need is the control channel.

I've tried what the database lists as the control channel, and I've heard nothing. I also tried the back up channels, and still nothing. I did hear almost everything when I had all of the freqs listed in two sites, but i was missing some transmissions.

 

[seamusg]

I've tried what the database lists as the control channel, and I've heard nothing. I also tried the back up channels, and still nothing. I did hear almost everything when I had all of the freqs listed in two sites, but i was missing some transmissions.

Sounds like you don't have the system programed corrrectly.

 

[UFEMTFF]

Well, this thread seems to be getting way off topic, but oh well.

My original question was about the two sites, because I was missing a few transmissions every now and then, even when there wasn't a lot of chatter on the radio. I would say I was hearing about 75% of the transmissions.

So I thought maybe I had a site problem.

And then I heard about CC Only, and I've tried that. But that doesn't seem to work at all. The system in question is this:

http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&sid=195

 

[seamusg]

Well, this thread seems to be getting way off topic, but oh well.

My original question was about the two sites, because I was missing a few transmissions every now and then, even when there wasn't a lot of chatter on the radio. I would say I was hearing about 75% of the transmissions.

So I thought maybe I had a site problem.

And then I heard about CC Only, and I've tried that. But that doesn't seem to work at all. The system in question is this:

http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&sid=195

That system is a Motorola Type II SmartZone not a P25 system on your scanner CC only won't work on this system if you program it as a P25.

 

[UFEMTFF]

I don't think I programed it as P25... My scanner only asks for site type and system type, and for both I chose "Motorola Type II / P25".

and for the sites i chose 800mhz standard

 

[DickH]

But, if I only have the control channel programmed, I won't hear anything.

Why don't you learn how a trunked system works? Then you'll know why control channel only works.
Also, reading the rest of the thread, it sounds as if your scanner is not TRUNKING, just hearing the separate frequencies.

 

[UFEMTFF]

Why don't you learn how a trunked system works? Then you'll know why control channel only works.
Also, reading the rest of the thread, it sounds as if your scanner is not TRUNKING, just hearing the separate frequencies.

I have learned how a trunk system works. I've also read as much as I could find on the "Control Channel Only" feature, and how it works.

Yes, I know for a fact that my scanner is trunking, because when I had it programmed with all of the frequencies for all of the sites, I picked up conversations ONLY on the 10 TGs I had programmed.

Removing all the channels but the control channel, leaving every other setitng the same, left me with no audio whatsoever.

But, I've obviously got this thread derailed at this point, so I'm just going to wait for a moderator to close it. I'm going to have to figure the rest out on my own.

Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[DickH]

I looked at the RR database and there are no control channels listed for the Alachua site and you must have at least one. So by entering all the freqs., it picked up the unlisted control channel(s) and that's why it was working with all freqs.

Here's what I suggest. Step through every freq. manually and you should hear the data on the control channel. But remember, they may change control channels. Some systems change periodically - that's why there can be up to 4 in a Motorola system. Where I live, it almost never changes, but some places change daily, so you need to enter all CCs.

If you treat the 2 sites as separate systems you will eventually figure out which one is best to monitor.

To summarize, since you don't know all the CCs, forget about CC only. Just enter all the freqs. for both sites as 2 separate systems and monitor both of them. You will probably find that some (or most) Talk Groups show up on both systems.

 

[n4voxgill]

If you look at the actual licenses for Gainesville and Alachua County you will see that they are both located on the same tower. The two agencies combined their frequencies into one system that is operated by Gainesville Untillities. There is only one control channel with common alternates.

He does not have his scanner programed correctly or he would be trunk tracking the system. I repeat, this is one system with combined frequencies and only one control channel.

 

[UFEMTFF]

I looked at the RR database and there are no control channels listed for the Alachua site and you must have at least one. So by entering all the freqs., it picked up the unlisted control channel(s) and that's why it was working with all freqs.

Here's what I suggest. Step through every freq. manually and you should hear the data on the control channel. But remember, they may change control channels. Some systems change periodically - that's why there can be up to 4 in a Motorola system. Where I live, it almost never changes, but some places change daily, so you need to enter all CCs.

If you treat the 2 sites as separate systems you will eventually figure out which one is best to monitor.

To summarize, since you don't know all the CCs, forget about CC only. Just enter all the freqs. for both sites as 2 separate systems and monitor both of them. You will probably find that some (or most) Talk Groups show up on both systems.

Ok, that was my problem. I entered both sites on one system....but I looked that the Wiki and it says that you can't monitor two sites on one system moto type II smartzone. I'll try it as two separate systems, and double up on the TGs I want.

Thanks!

 

[n4voxgill]

there is only one site!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FPO703]

How can there be 'only one site' with 37 frequencies?

Why not help us DB Admins out and submit the correct information so that others can benefit from the correct information?

 

[DickH]

there is only one site!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Obviously, the RR database is wrong. So which of the 37 freqs. are on that one site? A Motorola system can have only 28 freqs. max., plus other freqs. for Intellirepeaters and simplex ops.

If there is only one site, why are there 3 locations; Gainsville, Hawthorne & High Springs listed under the county site, WPTC649 in the FCC database?
Perhaps they are Intellirepeaters - we have 9 of them, plus 5 Simulcast sites in my city.

Strange doings down there in humidland.