Pro 433 EDACS issue

[FireDawgEMT22]

What type of antena are you using. Your best chance is using a yagi antenna pointed towards Oak Harbor. That's where the main transmit tower is. I have a radio for the system and it will not work at my house so I would have to guess your programming is fine you are just out of range.

Also I would not look for rebanded frequencies in Ottawa County until the end of this year at the earliest, most likely sometime next year.

This is the antenna I am using Outdoor VHF-Hi/UHF Scanner Antenna - RadioShack.com it is supposed to cover up to 1300mhz, and it is sitting most the way up on my roof. I am thinking I am out of range, it just seems odd that I can get the control channel perfectly when scanning it in conventional mode.

 

[ctpd845]

This is the antenna I am using Outdoor VHF-Hi/UHF Scanner Antenna - RadioShack.com it is supposed to cover up to 1300mhz, and it is sitting most the way up on my roof. I am thinking I am out of range, it just seems odd that I can get the control channel perfectly when scanning it in conventional mode.

Is there any static on the control channel. If so then the signal you are getting is not strong enough to track the system. Also have you tried moving the antenna around? Sometimes just a few inches can make all the difference in the world.

 

[FireDawgEMT22]

Yeah there is some static that I can hear on the control channel. Amazing I never would have thought that simple small amount of static would prevent the tracking. Thanks, I am planning on raising the antenna a little higher up anyways so maybe that will help.

 

[ctpd845]

It is amazing how the little things can affect radio reception. You might be surprised by tweaking your antenna just a little, it may allow you to listen to the system. It can be done, lifeflight has an Ottawa County EDACS radio in their dispatch. Altough they use a yagi antenna on the roof of an 7 story building.

 

[KC5EIB]

gotcha. That all makes perfect sense. I do have ED set for system type. And last night I was able to get the Sheriff dispatch on 04-121, which I think is odd because the control channel is so strong. I havent been able to get any fire dept traffic at all on it, I couldnt tell if the LE traffic I got was complete conversations or if the LCN might be off. The other thing I might do is when I go to work out in that county I will bring my scanner with me and see if it picks it up. If it does that I am just too far away i guess, even though the control channel is so strong.

I see that the Ottawa County Sheriff is listed on the Ohio MARCS Motorola P25 system. Have other agencies in the county also moved to MARCS and the database not updated yet?

If you put the frequencies for the EDACS system in as FM, you should hear the voice traffic though the radio will not follow the calls from one frequency to another. You should also head a series of beeps at the end of each transmission. This will at lease check to see is these frequencies arfe still being used.

 

[FireDawgEMT22]

Talking with people in the area, i am to far away. The system is only 100 Watts and even though i get the control channel, it has some static and can't track the system properly.

They are still using the system in the database, and the whole county is fighting amongst themselves still. Some are on uhf some on 800 and some on marcs, so the entire county moving to one system is still a ways away....no one wants to give up what they have.

 

[DickH]

Talking with people in the area, i am to far away. The system is only 100 Watts and even though i get the control channel, it has some static and can't track the system properly. ...

I wish you had said that earlier. You may still be able to get that system.
Try this.
Put it in manual and set it on the control channel. Now move the scanner around - SLOWLY.
Up, down, left, right, try other rooms, etc. The wavelength at 850MHz is only 13 inches and there are nulls and voids over that distance. At some point you may get a strong enough signal to track the system.
If nothing else works, a yagi antenna might work.

 

[FireDawgEMT22]

I am using an antenna on my roof, not exactly at the peak though. I am planning on moving it up to the top soon...maybe that will help