PSR-800 in Cobb county?

[WK4U]

Hey everyone.

I'm about sick of the P25 performance from my 396XT here in Cobb county. And yes I have the latest firmware installed. Wondering if anyone else is using a GRE 800 in Cobb with acceptable results?

I love my 396XT radio, but might sell it for another radio that does multi-site P25 TRS better.

Tim

 

[b7spectra]

With all those antennas you have up and you still don't get a quality signal?

 

[WK4U]

HA!

Yeah with the antenna on the roof, but most of my listening is with a rubber duck.

Tim

 

[MTS2000des]

I haven't tried the PSR800, but I can tell you the PSR500 is hands down, superior to the 396 on the Cobb DTRS, at least where I live, work and play.
I have had OpticalSerenity's PRS500 side by side with my XTS5000, on the same TG's, and the PSR sounds almost as good as my XTS5K.

I have a 396T, and while the price was right (free to me), the performance on Cobb's system is dismal. It is relegated to monitoring the Atlanta DTRS most of the time, where it does much better, since I am issued an XTS from my job.

Uniden needs to get it together. There is no excuse for selling such lousy performing products. The excuse about CQPSK being difficult to decode is horse manure.

It's part of the P25 phase I standard and has been in wide use for over 12 years.

 

[N8IAA]

I use a 396XT, PSR-800, and a Pro-106. When we are having a ScanIn at PDK, (by the way /\/\ike when are we having another?), my 106 is outstanding. The 800 stays in the shack because it isn't really mobile friendly on batteries. But, when the leaves are off the trees, it is my main shack radio for Cobb. I use the GRE/RS 800MHz antenna and an old bag phone antenna with a bnc adapter. Either works well. The 396XT is my main mobile radio. I pick up the Fulton county CC's most of the time, Douglasville next, then Cobb CC's. I do use an external antenna on the vehicle. Don't know what to say, but Erick has hit the nail on the head with his comments.
Larry

 

[WK4U]

Well I take it nobody has an 800 in Cobb county.

How about anywhere else for that matter? I'm thinking about getting one, but would love to hear what others think about it first.

Thanks.

Tim

 

[N8IAA]

Well I take it nobody has an 800 in Cobb county.

How about anywhere else for that matter? I'm thinking about getting one, but would love to hear what others think about it first.

Thanks.

Tim

Tim, did you bother to read my post? I use a PSR-800. Not in Cobb, but in Gwinnett to listen to Gwinnett FD, Forsyth SO/FD/PD's, Hall FD, DeKalb PD/FD. On occasion, Cobb. I use the Fulton county and Douglasville towers to get Cobb. There is a lot the radio does, including recording to the SD card. I'm happy with the radio. Have had it for almost a year.
Larry

 

[cliffro]

I haven't monitored Cobb that much but I brought my 396 home this past weekend and it seemed to get Cobb ok. What problems are people having with the 396 in cobb?

 

[WK4U]

Thought I would revive this thread again, since I recently purchased a new PSR-800 radio for myself.

The 800 seems to work better with Cobb's TRS around the house. Double (or even triple!) that for listening while mobile. The 396 is horrible when moving. External antenna or rubber duck. The 800 decodes much more audio. Location certainly has a lot to do with it. I've decoded Cobb fine in other parts of the county. And we hear from others saying they have no trouble hearing the Cobb system. Here in the far North Eastern part of the county, my reception is not so good.

I can have both radios sitting near each other at different locations in the house – both scanning the same thing. Maybe 20% of the time, one radio will decode a transmission fine, the other will not make a sound. This happens both ways. Apparently one of the vagarities of decoding this wonderful new digital medium.

The 800 also relies heavily on the Radio Reference database for its programming. You cannot enter a discrete frequency into the radio from the keyboard. You can do it with the included software on a computer however. This architecture also makes it very easy to program the radio for something new as you travel around the country.

I'm really not so sure I like this new architecture, and might decide to sell it soon. Even though the 396 is clearly inferior on digital P25 systems. Is it worth keeping just to hear public services in the county I live in? Would love to hear from other 800 users with their thoughts???

Tim

 

[N8IAA]

As I posted earlier, that is why the 800 stays in the shack. Too many button pushes to change scanlists. That is why my 396 goes mobile. The 800 does decode much better than even my 106 and 197. It's just one of those six of one, and half a dozen of another scanner quandries
Larry