Those two use different frequency steps don't they the 4800 and the 9600? Just curious, where does your scanner show NX4 system if, you have the sds 100 or 200. I just wanted to check my sds 200.
Last edited:
Poplar Bluff PD/FD New System
- Thread starter wb0wao
- Start date
Yes one is narrow band 6.25 and 1 very narrow band 3.125 if I remember correctly.
nd5y
Member
You can easily tell by listening to the raw control channel or voice channel signal in analog FM mode if it is 4800 or 9600 baud. Post a recording and I can tell you.
nd5y
Member
There are no 6.25 or 3.125 kHz steps on the 800 MHz band in the US (yet).
Everything is on 12.5 kHz spaced channels.
All the PB system frequencies are on 12.5 kHz spaced channels.
FCC Callsign WSAJ269 (POPLAR BLUFF, CITY OF)
FCC Callsign WSAJ269 (POPLAR BLUFF, CITY OF)
www.radioreference.com
I think the frequency steps can only be changed during search mode not, scan correct? It's an sds 200 I have. I've never recorded anything on it so not sure exactly sure how to do it.
nd5y
Member
You don't need frequency steps for scanning programmed channels only for band searching.
I don't have a SDS so I don't know how to change anything.
I don't have a SDS so I don't know how to change anything.
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2011
- Messages
- 938
I own both the SDS 100 & 200.
The Digital Status is normally displayed directly under the Date. If i listen to the new PB site I see NEX4, PBFD 154 MHz site I see NEX9, Ozark Boarder I see DMR, MOSWIN I see P25. ProScan will display NX4 or NX9 without the E for Digitl Mode.
If you are not seeing this here are some things you can try.
1. Open Sentinel > Edit > Edit Profile > Very top banner find "Display Options" it is towards the right or end of the choices) > A box will appear divided into four quadrants, you want the upper left quadrant with 4 choices.
Find "Simple Mode" & turn it OFF. Immediately below is "B/W Color Mode", if you want a color display choose it.
Save it into Sentinel.
Upload to Scanner.
2. Open Sentinel > Edit >Edit Display.
This page will allow you to customize all of the simple or detailed modes & give them color from the color choices on the right side of the screen.
3. If you do not want to learn how to use #2 above, you should be able to download other people's work. If you like what you have now you should save a copy of it by doing the following.
Open Sentinel > File > Export Display Customizing Settings.
This is the same place you go to Import Display Customizing Settings others have made. The procedure is the same as used for .hpe files. RR.Com may have a collection of these, try searching and see.
Thanks for the detailed info! 👍
I tend to agree that it isn't an MDT channel - at least not for now. The units are pretty much running all the stuff that they would be running on an MDT over the air. I am at a loss to come up with more than a WAG as to what it is for. It could be for a future MDT system, geolocation, or just for future scalability. I guess we will see.
I am pretty sure I also heard BOTH sides of the PBFD system today on TG 108! Wasn't close to the scanner so not 100% sure. But will try and nail that down.
I for sure have been hearing both sides of the PBFD.
Thanks for that confirmation. I am starting to think that they PBFD will not migrate to the 800 MHz system. However, they will probably have some radios that are on the 800 MHz system - I would think that the Commanders will have an 800 MHz radio in their vehicles for interoperability reasons. And they probably have a few 800 MHz capable portables as well. That may relate to some UID's that I have logged, but don't hear any traffic on.
I think that they are using Kenwood radios and AFAIK Kenwood doesn't have any VHF/800MHz dual band radios for NXDN. So, for the FD to migrate onto the new system, they would have to get all new radios for the apparatus as well as all of the portables. That would not be cheap and given the low amount of traffic on the existing system, it would be a waste of money.
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2011
- Messages
- 938
Update:
After 7 days (24 hrs a day) of using an LCN finder on the 858 MHz on Site 1 with an unknown LCN, I found nothing.
The 3 different ways I monitored all three freqs. with unknown LCNs strongly suggested I would not find an LCN for any of them at this time. However, this was NOT 24/7 monitoring until now.
Friday Night in the fog the PBPD had a 100-mph pursuit on U.S. 67 towards Wayne County. As they approached the Wayne County line their radio started breaking up and at the Wayne County line they were out of radio range totally. The FCC Site said each Site has a 21.7-mile radius coverage. Don’t forget that the time of day & weather can really affect the signal strength at 850 MHz. I have repeatedly seen over a 12 to 15 dbi change in signal strength due to these factors.
Also, Friday night a house fire on Harper Street had 7 or 8 trucks and 2 full crews working it. I only heard the PBFD Dispatch on the old 154.220. I also never heard any “Fire Ground chatter” during this entire event even on 154.220.
I was hoping to confirm 107 as an PBFD Fire Ground TG, but not this time.
After 7 days (24 hrs a day) of using an LCN finder on the 858 MHz on Site 1 with an unknown LCN, I found nothing.
The 3 different ways I monitored all three freqs. with unknown LCNs strongly suggested I would not find an LCN for any of them at this time. However, this was NOT 24/7 monitoring until now.
Friday Night in the fog the PBPD had a 100-mph pursuit on U.S. 67 towards Wayne County. As they approached the Wayne County line their radio started breaking up and at the Wayne County line they were out of radio range totally. The FCC Site said each Site has a 21.7-mile radius coverage. Don’t forget that the time of day & weather can really affect the signal strength at 850 MHz. I have repeatedly seen over a 12 to 15 dbi change in signal strength due to these factors.
Also, Friday night a house fire on Harper Street had 7 or 8 trucks and 2 full crews working it. I only heard the PBFD Dispatch on the old 154.220. I also never heard any “Fire Ground chatter” during this entire event even on 154.220.
I was hoping to confirm 107 as an PBFD Fire Ground TG, but not this time.
nd5y
Member
Those are for frequency coordination purposes and usually don't reflect real life radio coverage.
That's odd... I was listening to the same incident, and I heard both Dispatch and well as ground units on 154.220.
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2011
- Messages
- 938
I agree, the following is what I overheard many years ago and they were not talking to me. So, let me know if I am even close to getting it right.
I believe they called the FCC maps a “Theorical Isotropic RF Projection Map”. They use the following data:
- Frequency
- RF power
- Height above the ground
- They assume it is at the top of the tower
- The Gain & Directivity of the antenna
- They assume an isotropic terrain (e.g. over water or flat land like Kansas)
- The data is fead into a computer, so it is calculated not actually measured RF coverage area.
I have been told that the NOAA site has the NWS all hazards radio stations true RF coverage area maps as measured by an RF field strength meter. I think they called them RF Contour Maps & is very unsymmetrical in coverage and RF intensity. This also certainly supports what you said about the FCC Map usually not being representative of the true RF coverage.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2011
- Messages
- 938
Were you also listening to the NEW system?
Unfortunately, I was and at least three units of the PBPD were executing a “Traffic Grant”. The speed they were able to find PC to pull car over was amazing. One right after another, my scanner was almost locked to the PD TGs and my attemps at monitoring the FD too were made very difficult.
I was hoping someone would help on this so, thank you!
I know in the past the PBFD used 154.220 for dispatch and Fire grounds too.
I will now start over since that did not work at all well. I think next time I will use more than one scanner!
nd5y
Member
I don't remember how the point radius for mobile areas of operations is calculated but if it was "real" it wouldn't be a perfect circle with the same radius in all directions. Sometimes they are a county or state.
I'm thinking my location is keeping me from receiving PB Public Safety system. I cleared user data and formatted the sd card. I gained from 3 to 5 signal bars. But, my RSSIs are still high and so are the Digital Error numbers. I'm assuming that's why I can't understand what they are saying most of the time. RSSI numbers vary between 92 and 98 on average. Digital Error ranges between 7 and 24 to 27 or so. With 5 signal bars those are about the only reasons I can think of for the garbled voices?
No, this was on their regular channel... I have that avoided on the PD's system,
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2011
- Messages
- 938
Is your new Yagi still mounted horizontally instead of vertically?
This will make a very big difference in signal strength.
With the elements pointing to the sky & ground (vertical polarization) the RF hits the entire length of the elements but when horizontal (elements pointing left & right) the RF signal only hits the cross-sectionsl area of each element. This is like ¼ of an inch comparted to 6 inches or more.
Since you have two radios is the problem found in both radios?
Similar threads
