Saratoga County issues

[mkirker]

I am having a problem monitoring Saratoga Counties 800 system on my GRE600 - I programmed the frequencies and talk groups in as P25 auto but I don't hear anything. I live in Clifton Park so it shouldn't be a problem. I currently only hear the County 911 VHF freq - Any ideas?
I am hearing a little about Phase II 800 systems , are we not going to be able to monitor these?

Mark

 

[snorkle]

saratoga issues

I am having a problem monitoring Saratoga Counties 800 system on my GRE600 - I programmed the frequencies and talk groups in as P25 auto but I don't hear anything. I live in Clifton Park so it shouldn't be a problem. I currently only hear the County 911 VHF freq - Any ideas?
I am hearing a little about Phase II 800 systems , are we not going to be able to monitor these?

Mark

Did you reband your radio?. Enter just the control channels. I pick them up loud and clear here in Broadalbin.

 

[Thunderknight]

I am having a problem monitoring Saratoga Counties 800 system on my GRE600 - I programmed the frequencies and talk groups in as P25 auto but I don't hear anything. I live in Clifton Park so it shouldn't be a problem. I currently only hear the County 911 VHF freq - Any ideas?
I am hearing a little about Phase II 800 systems , are we not going to be able to monitor these?

Saratoga County is 100% P25 Phase 1.

Even it was Phase 2, there are scanners available to monitor those.

For your problem:
There is a long thread in this forum about Saratoga County. Lots of people have had trouble with receiving it on scanners...mostly due to simulcast distortion. Scanners don't handle simulcast systems well. Clifton Park seems to be a really tough area - probably because it's covered by several sites.

Did you program by hand or with software?

If the PSR-600 is like the Radio Shack version...you should see a white T in a black square box on the top of the screen while it's receiving a trunked system. Do you see that?

 

[mkirker]

I have not rebanded my radio - I just tried to google it and it appears GRE is out of business. I will keep trying to figure it out. I have 13 freqs programmed in, I don't need to do that, just the control chans?

 

[Thunderknight]

I don't think you need to reband the PSR-600.

It doesn't actually hurt anything to program all south zone channels in. (Don't bother with the north zone for your location).

Do you see the white "T" in a black square on the top of the screen? Even flashing/flickering occasionally.

 

[mkirker]

Nope don't see a white T - must be doing something wrong .man I can't figure this out . I did update the firmware and cpu before

 

[Thunderknight]

I have the Radio Shack version, but I think the functions are the same.
Press Tune
Enter 851.5875 (the current control channel).
Press ENT

Do you hear anything?
Does a percentage number appear on the bottom left?

You can try the same steps with 859.2625, the current control channel for Colonie's P25 system. See if you get a different result. You can probably hear it in Clifton Park.

 

[mkirker]

i programmed them all in one by one manually and nothing. I am a bit frustrated, Colonie always worked before and now nothing

Mark

 

[snorkle]

saratoga county issues

i programmed them all in one by one manually and nothing. I am a bit frustrated, Colonie always worked before and now nothing

Mark

the 600 ,500 and 106 are basically the same. You have to reband the radio. Go to the T tables . Then get in our car and head west on rt 29. I have the pro 106. I pick them up in Cobleskil.

wb2gye

 

[Thunderknight]

If Colonie always worked (I assume you mean within the past couple of years?) and now doesn't, that implies something else changed.

It's not clear from your reply, did you try the Tune method I described above? The control channel transmits all the time. If you pickup nothing when doing that, then you are not going to pick up the system in trunking mode either. It then implies a location, antenna or receiver problem. Since you said you can hear the VHF 911 channel, perhaps your radio went "deaf" to 800 MHz.

 

[Thunderknight]

the 600 ,500 and 106 are basically the same. You have to reband the radio. Go to the T tables . Then get in our car and head west on rt 29. I have the pro 106. I pick them up in Cobleskil.

wb2gye

It's a p25 system. OP said he had upgraded the firmware. All it should take is setting the band plan to p25 auto.
But this is why I asked about the conventional TUNE mode - if the OP hears nothing on the CC, then band plans and rebanding have nothing to do with it.

 

[mkirker]

I have upgraded the firmware and have tried to program in the control channels as regular channels and still hear nothing. This is on both my GRE 500 and 600 -- I don't think both radios are 800 deaf. I am guessing operator error. I drove around today with the handheld in case it was a location or antenna issue and still nothing. One of the replies said there is a long thread on this issue somewhere but I cant find it. I am still trying and really appreciate all the help and replies on this.

 

[mkirker]

sorry my hand held is a Pro-106

 

[snorkle]

saratoga county issues

sorry my hand held is a Pro-106

Colonie is on the old system of 855-860. Saratoga is on 851-854.9 , The radio from the factoriy doesn't recognize the 851-854 system with there control channels.SO you have to reband the radio. Its all in the owners manual.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Here is the other thread:

http://forums.radioreference.com/ne...icial-thread.html?highlight=saratoga+official

 

[mkirker]

Thanks for the link to the old thread Dave I will go through it and see what I find
Snorkle there is nothing in the manual on how to reband the radio

Mark

 

[snorkle]

its under T TABLES . in the manual. or go to marks scanners. Also if your squelch is turned to low it will not work.

 

[mkirker]

I was able to get Saratoga County to work. Jeez it took forever. Thanks for the help