OKay - got an update on my predicament - Thanks again to all for the suggestions! Before I left work yesterday afternoon, I reprogrammed the scanner for the Caesar's Head site as well as turning on the attenuator. Tried the "paperclip antenna" in the car as well. Nothing until I was about a mile from the house when it alerted me to a talkgroup transmission - but as quickly as it did, it was "gone" - I didn't have a chance to see the display, so I'm not sure which one it was. Tried the scanner in the house this morning with the "paperclip" again - nothing - no squelch being broken, no received signal(s), etc.
I'm sorry you're still struggling with reception in Upstate SC. I'll try to take a look at that program when I have a chance.
But I should have been more specific in my recommendations. Here's some clarification.
Try programming the Hogback and Caesars Head sites
instead of the Greenville site. If you're in range of one of those sites, you'll have better success with decode since those sites are no simulcast. If you program the Hogback and/or Caesars Head sites
in addition to the Greenville site, then the radio may lock onto the Greenville site anyway, depending in the how you have Multi-site set. That situation won't help your experience.
You may find that programming one of these alternate sites at a time will help you determine which one specifically, if either, you can receive from your location.
The recommendations about engaging the Attenuator and trying different (less efficient) antennas are suggestions to use while monitoring
only the Greenville site to combat the simulcast issue. Sometimes, lesser reception helps minimize the effect of the simulcast site. But a less efficient antenna also reduces reception of everything else you're scanning, such as your VHF conventional channels. If you engage the Attenuator in Global mode (GA displayed at the top of the display) then that attenuates (reduces) reception of all objects.
In Taylors, you'll need all the antenna you can get to receive Hogback and/or Caesars Head because you're likely on the margin of reception for those sites in that location. Trying to monitor one or both of those sites with a less efficient antenna, or with the Attenuator engaged, will make your experience worse. If your only other available antenna is the stock antenna that came with the radio, investing in the Remtronix 800MHz antenna is good advice - it will enhance your reception of those more distant sites. An antenna designed for 800MHz is not going to be ideal for VHF reception, so then you have to consider compromises to reception in different bands based on different antennas.
Your experience using the scanner in a vehicle is going to be completely different than stationary at home or at the office. I typically find that using a scanner with an antenna attached directly to the top of the scanner results in poorer reception. The metal cage of the car, or if the scanner is laying flat on the seat, or metal tint on the windows can all degrade reception in the vehicle. Other obstructions like large buildings or metal utility towers, and nearby sources of strong radio signals like commercial wireless towers can all adversely affect reception as you move. So I'd recommend performing your testing from a stationary location first, and see if you can find a reasonably successful solution in that location first. Once you have that conquered, then you can try to figure out the additional challenges while mobile. An antenna mounted outside the vehicle is generally a preferred solution for most hobbyists, but you don't want to go to that trouble until you're sure this radio will at least work at home.
Hopefully, you find the process of this trial and error interesting and enjoyable. Many hobbyists find optimizing the performance of their scanners as entertaining as actually listening to the scanner. However, many other hobbyists just want to listen and not be bothered by the technical challenges. And these challenges are what turn a lot of folks off to the hobby - it's just too much trouble. With some patience and effort, if you're successful, you'll have a great sense of satisfaction and you'll learn a lot in the process.
Keep us updated.
