Problems with SD RCS and SD City system in Poway

[fxnighttrader]

Hello All,

I live in Poway, near Pomerado Road, about a mile from Poway Fire Station 3. I've always been able to receive SD/Poway Fire and SDPD here. About 4-6 weeks ago I stopped receiving those channels at my house. I can receive them once I get most of the way down Poway Road towards the 15 (and then all over San Diego). At that point along Poway Road, I am in view of Black Mountain and probably Palomar Mtn so I assume it is getting a good signal from one of those repeater sites. The reception is OK but still a bit scratchy. I can help it out a bit by using squelch by it never comes in 5 X 5 like it used to.

On RCS, I still receive the channels but it seems like I get a lot less traffic. I also notice that many more transmissions are "going digital" both from dispatch and from units in the field. I mostly use the POWD talkgroup, which does have units out in Julian, Alpine, etc. but I don't remember this amount garbled communications. Sopmetimes I can scan the SO channels for minutes without hearing a single transmission. Given the amount of activity in SDSO countywide, I know that cannot be the real situation.

I have a Whistler TRX-1 handheld. I have done the RadioReference.com updates regularly. I have made the changes for the rebanding on both systems. I can get broadcasts, just not in the same areas as I always have.

It feels like somehow one or more repeater sites are no longer being accessed like they were. I even went to HRO and bought a new better antenna but that didn't make it better or worse. This all started around the time I came here to find out about frequencies for the Del Mar Fair and did an update at that time to load them up. I know it can't be systemic because SDPD go down Pomerado all the time to RB and Poway Fire 3 is right down the street. They would have complained Day 1, Hour 1, if the system had a problem.

Anyone have any suggestions of what I may have done inadvertently to my setup, what I should check or if there is some obscure configuration error that other TRX-1 users are experiencing? I'd love to get back to hearing all the traffic I used to, especially the SD Metro/Poway Fire dispatch.

Thanks in advance! I always get the best advice here

 

[Robertolson]

Did you do a Firmware update on your TRX, so it will accept the Rebanding....I know on the older Unidens, firmware updates were needed.

 

[fxnighttrader]

Did you do a Firmware update on your TRX, so it will accept the Rebanding....I know on the older Unidens, firmware updates were needed.

I've done every update that the TRX-1 software has suggested. Everytime I use the PC app, I "Check All Updates" and today it did not suggest a firmware update so I believe I am current.

There was a PC app update that I did recently, I do wonder if that may have introduced some obscure error.

 

[Anderegg]

I posted a month ago that SDFD was sending northern area responses to weird zone 15 or 16 channels, and was told that the San Pasqual transmitter site had gone down so they were using RCS channels for the responses. I have also noticed the very low signal strength when passing through, like on the I-15 north of Poerado Rd, my 996's almost cannot receive anything at all.

Paul

 

[fxnighttrader]

I posted a month ago that SDFD was sending northern area responses to weird zone 15 or 16 channels, and was told that the San Pasqual transmitter site had gone down so they were using RCS channels for the responses. I have also noticed the very low signal strength when passing through, like on the I-15 north of Poerado Rd, my 996's almost cannot receive anything at all.

Paul

Very interesting, that sounds exactly like what I'm experiencing. Did you find any confirmation or any workaround? Appreciate the help!

 

[celbaseman]

I have a TRX-2 and I have had problems hearing the trunked systems when the squelch setting is above about 10. The problem I have with the radio is when I turn down the squelch setting then interference on a conventional frequency I have programmed cause the squelch to open. I do not understand why, on a trunked channel the squelch would have impact on receiving, but it does on the TRX-2, but not my Uniden radios.

 

[fxnighttrader]

I have a TRX-2 and I have had problems hearing the trunked systems when the squelch setting is above about 10. The problem I have with the radio is when I turn down the squelch setting then interference on a conventional frequency I have programmed cause the squelch to open. I do not understand why, on a trunked channel the squelch would have impact on receiving, but it does on the TRX-2, but not my Uniden radios.

Is there any way to change the base level of squelch with the PC app such that the actual squelch knob is fine tuning a whole different range? I have the feeling that squelch is more powerful today than it used to be and my noticing that coincides with a PC application update to the TRX-1/2 software, thus I'm receiving fewer conversations than before. Does that make sense?

 

[celbaseman]

I have been experimenting with my TRX-2. I have set the squelch to min. Seems to be receiving trunked systems well. Have not had a problem with non-trunked channels blowing squelch.