I just got a Bluetail P25RX-II scanner and loaded up the SARA frequencies for Rural Scott County. According to the PDF download dated June 20th, the primary frequency is 769.35625. I live in Walcott not far from the site tower but can not get a good RF signal. One of the other frequencies listed as a secondary control channel (770.78125) gives good RF signal and seems to work fine on the MEDCOM talk group but is garbled and chopped on the others. Does anyone have experience with this?
Rural Scott County SARA Frequencies
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Simulcast distortion is more likely than not your issue. SDS scanner, or a Unication pager would resolve the issue since these both are designed to handle simulcast systems.
The Bluetail P25RX-II is supposed to be able to handle simulcast. I finally realized the problem is that all PD talkgroups are now encrypted. Also found the primary control frequency is wrong in RR. Should be 770.78125 which is currently labeled as a secondary channel. I will submit the change.
The blue tail is not a simulcast receiver like the others. It can handle non-simulcast systems. But yes, encryption and wrong control channel doesn't help
I'm not an expert, but according to the maker's website:
"The P25RX has been verified to work in challenging simulcast environments making BlueTail Technologies the only American business offering a non-subscriber receiver to achieve this."
Any commercial scanner will "work", but if you go through the radio reference forums, this receiver isn't any better than them and the issues you're experiencing might be related to simulcast distortion no matter how much you try to improve it. It's a sales pitch, but the end users are usually the best judges of performance. Good luck, but as I said, you're describing simulcast distortion symptoms.
Kevin told me you got the bluetail. We must of ordered at the same time. I finally got to try mine last night. I got it mainly for ISICS and Starcom but being in a bad location. Either system's reception isn't good but SARA reception was very good. Have you looked at the Signal Insights tab and the display for the reception? Its the best way to fine tune for reception. Like you mention the encrypted tgs can be a bane when trying to use a new receiver,
Hi Mike. I've learned a lot so far. After figuring out the primary control frequency my reception is actually good out here in Walcott. I submitted a change but was told that the RR database no longer specifies the primary control frequency (even though it's incorrect in the pdf download). I also had to edit the RR talk group dsd file to change the site id from 34 to 52.
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You have old information. There is no need for you submit any changes. Every SARA freq for rural Scott County is listed as a Control Channel.
SARA Network Site: Scott Co Rural Simulcast
SARA Network Site: Scott Co Rural Simulcast Details
www.radioreference.com
I understand that now but if you pull up the PDF download dated June 20, 2023 it still has it. That's what got me confused:You have old information. There is no need for you submit any changes. Every SARA freq for rural Scott County is listed as a Control Channel.
SARA Network Site: Scott Co Rural Simulcast
SARA Network Site: Scott Co Rural Simulcast Detailswww.radioreference.com
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I normally lock out the police TGs since they are encrypted but I jhve notice this weekend they have the dispatchers in the clear for most part.
I've noticed that too.
P25RXII should have no trouble receiving simulcast signalling. It does not suffer from "simulcast distortion" like like scanners and other recievers that are not designed to decode P25 simulcast. SARA probably rolls its control channels on a periodic basis like other non-Motorola P25 systems.
For while now they have been staying on the same frequency. your mileage may vary
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