Portland p25

[BlackSheepDue]

I use to dispatch and I have a friend who still works for an agency who is involved.

Ahh. It pays to know people!


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[BillW1]

Ahh. It pays to know


Yes it does help. We have been dreading the day this would happen but it's coming unfortunately

 

[BillW1]

By the way the control channel is still broadcasting on 853.5375. ID is 08A4h-0101 in case you want to check out the range. I am moving to Lyman this weekend cold and all. So I'll have my work cut out for me trying to hear it during the summer.

 

[W1MTW]

Comparing the systems side by side, the P25 has exactly the same signal strength here in Windham using a rubber dummy load. According to the study, the nearest tower to North Deering is/still will be, the Dorler tower on Riverside St.

 

[BillW1]

When I get the tower back up I'll need to use a yagi most likely. May be a challenge with the vegetation up here unless I can get good elevation.

 

[K1IWN]

Driving around with the 436 with the GPS for the past week or so, I pick Portland up around East Saco to South Gray to Pleasant Street area in Brunswick.

That isn't to say it doesn't go further than that... it is what I noticed as I was travelling.

The Riverside Street tower makes sense. The office for me is on Warren Ave and I get all the talkgroups crisp with no drops or interference on the HP2 with a small mobile mag antenna out the window.

The Augusta base of MSCommNet P25 comes in crisp even without the feed from Whitten Hill in Lisbon... I got that as far south as Saco. I was picking up Gray's P25 clean on 495 in Mass as far as West Haverhill on Saturday, without any assist from Hoosac or Agamenticus (at least the text readout indicated it wasn't the extension feeds from those locales, anyway). By Lawrence, it was chopping out. I was actually surprised I could get it that far with the small mag mount antenna on the car.

My next experiment may be tonight. I will try to lock onto a Portland police freq and pending on traffic, see just how far inland it goes. I could have sworn I got it in Poland as I was leaving the house one morning, but that was the only time I heard it.

As it stands now, I cannot pick up Portland with my 536 at the house with an inside antenna. The Austin Spectra I'm using has reeled in a lot of action, but not that. I am doing some research for an outdoor antenna set up, but it may be June at the earliest before I get that erected.

 

[BlackSheepDue]

Driving around with the 436 with the GPS for the past week or so, I pick Portland up around East Saco to South Gray to Pleasant Street area in Brunswick.



That isn't to say it doesn't go further than that... it is what I noticed as I was travelling.



The Riverside Street tower makes sense. The office for me is on Warren Ave and I get all the talkgroups crisp with no drops or interference on the HP2 with a small mobile mag antenna out the window.



The Augusta base of MSCommNet P25 comes in crisp even without the feed from Whitten Hill in Lisbon... I got that as far south as Saco. I was picking up Gray's P25 clean on 495 in Mass as far as West Haverhill on Saturday, without any assist from Hoosac or Agamenticus (at least the text readout indicated it wasn't the extension feeds from those locales, anyway). By Lawrence, it was chopping out. I was actually surprised I could get it that far with the small mag mount antenna on the car.



My next experiment may be tonight. I will try to lock onto a Portland police freq and pending on traffic, see just how far inland it goes. I could have sworn I got it in Poland as I was leaving the house one morning, but that was the only time I heard it.



As it stands now, I cannot pick up Portland with my 536 at the house with an inside antenna. The Austin Spectra I'm using has reeled in a lot of action, but not that. I am doing some research for an outdoor antenna set up, but it may be June at the earliest before I get that erected.

I find it hard to believe that you're getting mscommnet zone 2 from Portland on any tower but whiten hill. From cape that's pretty much the only zone 2 tower I pick up mobile(536 w/ pctell Wideband mag mount) or at the house(436/396 w/ 40 in telescoping antenna). the gray tower itself is weak. I pick up ossipee far better from cape but if you're in mass you must be picking up a more southern tower than gray.

Portland metro wise just north of Brunswick is about as far as I pick it up but when my father ran up to bangor this fall in the dept. Tahoe he said he was picking Portland up until augusta with his Motorola mobile and 800mhz antenna so there's always hope!


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[K1IWN]

I find it hard to believe that you're getting mscommnet zone 2 from Portland on any tower but whiten hill. From cape that's pretty much the only zone 2 tower I pick up mobile(536 w/ pctell Wideband mag mount) or at the house(436/396 w/ 40 in telescoping antenna). the gray tower itself is weak. I pick up ossipee far better from cape but if you're in mass you must be picking up a more southern tower than gray.

You are likely 100% right. Like I said, the readout on the screen was Zone 2A and not the Whitten Hill extension feed freq.

Portland metro wise just north of Brunswick is about as far as I pick it up but when my father ran up to bangor this fall in the dept. Tahoe he said he was picking Portland up until augusta with his Motorola mobile and 800mhz antenna so there's always hope!

Yeah, I am thinking I am going to need an 800mHz antenna if I want it bad enough. I am currently toying around with the idea of a Diamond D130J or an MP Super Base. The wife hates spiders and I am not sure if I can hang either one on the house without giving her the creeps. :lol:

I'll keep doing research and see if I can come up with something somewhat aesthetically pleasing that does the job.

 

[BlackSheepDue]

I also talked with a south Portland medic today who said that south Portland is all ready to go they're are just waiting for south Portland to put in their tower and to sort out the mess of old and new radios that they have.


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[BillW1]

I have been listening to portland up here in Lyman. The analog signal is about 1-2 bars with the stock antenna inside on the 2nd floor. The digital signal seems much weaker. 0-1 bar. I feel confident that using a Yagi will improve this but then again this is without vegetation on the trees. We will see. Also for what it's forth someone in Windham is broadcasting PPD on Zello. Seems to work pretty good.

 

[lrweb]

So once Portland goes over to the p25 I will need to replace my Bct15x. What are the best options for me. Thanks in advance.
Bob

 

[BlackSheepDue]

So once Portland goes over to the p25 I will need to replace my Bct15x. What are the best options for me. Thanks in advance.
Bob

The 996xt will do the job if you're looking for used but if you go new I would recommend the 996p2 or 536hp depending on your budget.


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[lrweb]

Thanks for the quick response ! I'll look around. That will do the mscommnet too ?

 

[rpurinton]

I have been listening to portland up here in Lyman. The analog signal is about 1-2 bars with the stock antenna inside on the 2nd floor. The digital signal seems much weaker. 0-1 bar. I feel confident that using a Yagi will improve this but then again this is without vegetation on the trees. We will see. Also for what it's forth someone in Windham is broadcasting PPD on Zello. Seems to work pretty good.

That's me I use Zello to "walkie talkie" with other Uber drivers around Portland. I realized instead of just me listening to the scanner in my car, I would connect the scanner to Zello on it's own channel. It's been awesome! Haven't had to mess with it too much yet. The scanner is located in North Deering only a few miles from the riverside tower. quality is pretty clear. I really like that I can be talking on one Zello Channel and come back to listen/replay and even share specific messages from history. I like that Zello "itemizes" each message for fast playback, while skipping all the silence.

Zello is a free app for Windows, Android, and Apple devices. There's no ads even. Once you make an account you can join and listen to the Portland PD channel at Portland Maine Police Dispatch

If you'd like to talk to me directly, just message "russelltp"

Cheers.

 

[BlackSheepDue]

Thanks for the quick response ! I'll look around. That will do the mscommnet too ?

Yes it will. Feel free to pm me if you have further questions


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[Sirzep66]

P25

I have been a "Frequency Buf" for years now. Love my BCT15X. It's good to hear Maine is going digital.. Hopefully get a good deal on ebay. Disabled now so my Scanner is my Main hobby lol.

William

 

[BillW1]

I have the 15X and the 996P2. I just bought the 996P2. I think it was $349. Seems to work OK but has a hard time at times handling the MScomm system compared to standard P25.

 

[BillW1]

That's me I use Zello to "walkie talkie" with other Uber drivers around Portland. I realized instead of just me listening to the scanner in my car, I would connect the scanner to Zello on it's own channel. It's been awesome! Haven't had to mess with it too much yet. The scanner is located in North Deering only a few miles from the riverside tower. quality is pretty clear. I really like that I can be talking on one Zello Channel and come back to listen/replay and even share specific messages from history. I like that Zello "itemizes" each message for fast playback, while skipping all the silence.

Zello is a free app for Windows, Android, and Apple devices. There's no ads even. Once you make an account you can join and listen to the Portland PD channel at Portland Maine Police Dispatch

If you'd like to talk to me directly, just message "russelltp"

Cheers.

Its working really well.

 

[Sirzep66]

I was lookin and the 996xt.. I guess that one does the Analog and Digital? Have to read more. Read on here about Phase 2, but also read the frequencies and it says phase 1. Thinking picking up an older digital to play with. 15X has impressed me.. Super easy copy and paste using free scan. Trunking made easy.

 

[SOCCERCOACH]

Portland Police

Its working really well.

I m hearing the Portland Maine PD on Zello is the Fire dept on Zello also been listening most of the day hearing nothing on anything marked Portland Fire