Welcome to the world of the PRWN. It's not just Gilbert, the damned system sounds like crap almost everywhere. But yes, Gilbert is a problem area and always has been.
The IR's only carry traffic when a P25 radio affiliates with 'em. I usually have them locked out because they rarely have anything on them anyway.
I've been having better luck listening to the system in conventional mode than in trunking mode, using the input frequencies sort of like a close-call for the the units. This is due in part to the hybrid nature of the system's control channel data which, despite claims to the contrary by manufacturers, still throws today's digital scanners for a loop. I've done side by side comparisons scanning conventionally on a BC250 and trunked on a BC796 with the latest firmware installed - the BC250 picks up calls that the BC796 either drops in and out on, or just plain doesn't track at all. I'd say the voice decode rate on my BC250D in conventional mode is about 90%. The BC796 in trunking mode is about 70%. Deplorable.
I was totally excited about this system when it first was announced but now that we have it, I just hate it. What good does it do to listen to your scanner when you only get half the call or worse, none at all! And no amount of tweaking your digital settings or playing with antennae seems to make much difference. Rather than address the issue, manufacturers are too busy adding feature-fluff and GPS interfaces. I guess they feel that's more important than creating a digital receiver that actually WORKS on this system - and maybe that's because they CAN'T. I've spoken to quite a few officers and firefighters who are the first to say the system sucks and they miss the old one, because unlike this one, the old one WORKED.
But Motorola cashed a nice fat check, so it's all good. :roll:
-AZ
