Programming dummy towers, MPSCS

hanlonmi06

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Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 16, 2009
Messages
211
Location
Pittsfield Twp, Michigan
I stumbled across a tip where someone described programming a "dummy tower" into the site list on something like the MPSCS. I tried this the other day and it actually seemed to make an improvement of my scanning reception on this system.

Some background: I travel often between Wayne, Washtenaw and Monroe counties using a GRE PSR800/WS1080, and have accepted my simulcast fate. I have a mix of the simulcast sites and stand alone like Northville. The radio is hooked to a 1/4 wave NMO mount that yes, I drilled the damn hole smack dab on top of the truck cab. Its fed through a scanner masters BPF-800-EN and this radio essentially only scans MPSCS.

In the scanner programming, I added the dummy towers "in between" all of the towers set up in the site list, using 1300mhz as a tower frequency, and changed nothing else.

My question is, why did this programming change seem to positively impact this arrangement?

Using my highly calibrated RF sniffing ears, it was as if I added a NOS sticker to my back window and got 20 extra HP. The reception was obviously different, seemingly getting more of the transmissions. I still get simulcast issues, but it does seem to work better.
 

rivardj

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Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2009
Messages
343
Location
Michigan
I stumbled across a tip where someone described programming a "dummy tower" into the site list on something like the MPSCS. I tried this the other day and it actually seemed to make an improvement of my scanning reception on this system.

Some background: I travel often between Wayne, Washtenaw and Monroe counties using a GRE PSR800/WS1080, and have accepted my simulcast fate. I have a mix of the simulcast sites and stand alone like Northville. The radio is hooked to a 1/4 wave NMO mount that yes, I drilled the damn hole smack dab on top of the truck cab. Its fed through a scanner masters BPF-800-EN and this radio essentially only scans MPSCS.

In the scanner programming, I added the dummy towers "in between" all of the towers set up in the site list, using 1300mhz as a tower frequency, and changed nothing else.

My question is, why did this programming change seem to positively impact this arrangement?

Using my highly calibrated RF sniffing ears, it was as if I added a NOS sticker to my back window and got 20 extra HP. The reception was obviously different, seemingly getting more of the transmissions. I still get simulcast issues, but it does seem to work better.
April fools is on April 1st not August 1st.
 

hanlonmi06

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 16, 2009
Messages
211
Location
Pittsfield Twp, Michigan
Perhaps the last comment was facetious, but this isn't a joke posting. This actually seemed to make enough of a difference to notice a change in the scanning and I am curious as to why that may be. Its entirely possible that there is no difference and my perceptions are inaccurate. I have no scientific way to test this.

I figured this space would be the best option to solicit some ideas. Perhaps I am mistaken.
 

dmchalmers

Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2019
Messages
422
Perhaps the last comment was facetious, but this isn't a joke posting. This actually seemed to make enough of a difference to notice a change in the scanning and I am curious as to why that may be. Its entirely possible that there is no difference and my perceptions are inaccurate. I have no scientific way to test this.

I figured this space would be the best option to solicit some ideas. Perhaps I am mistaken.
I've said it befor this site is all for the experts an not for the beginners!
 
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