Scanner for Raleigh public safety?

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RaleighGuy

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Check the frequencies to make sure the control and alternates are correct, sites, especially for Viper, as I'm not sure what sites are best for you in your location.

20190216_155757~01.jpg20190216_155804~01.jpg
 

IcomIcR20

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Just checking, that radio did come with a "rubber duck" antenna, correct?
 

RaleighGuy

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Also, try moving around the room/house and see if it changes. Even small changes in location can make a big difference.
 

IcomIcR20

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Yes. The S always has zero marks.
Have you actually heard anything? Maybe check the NOAA weather frequencies to make sure you are getting signals (not sure what your local one is, but check 162.400, 162.425, 162.450, 162.475, 162.500, 162.525, and 162.550 MHz... those are active 24/7 using high-power transmitters).

You can also try entering the channels directly for VIPER and the Wake County system to make sure you are getting a signal.
 
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Have you actually heard anything? Maybe check the NOAA weather frequencies to make sure you are getting signals (not sure what your local one is, but check 162.400, 162.425, 162.450, 162.475, 162.500, 162.525, and 162.550 MHz... those are active 24/7 using high-power transmitters).

You can also try entering the channels directly for VIPER and the Wake County system to make sure you are getting a signal.

Yeah I can hear a lot, can’t hear downtown or southwest dispatch. But I’m hearing SE, NE, NO, NW, WCSO, KD, SHP via Viper, loud and clear. Been busy to, surprised to be honest how active it is.
 

RaleighGuy

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Yeah I can hear a lot, can’t hear downtown or southwest dispatch. But I’m hearing SE, NE, NO, NW, WCSO, KD, SHP via Viper, loud and clear. Been busy to, surprised to be honest how active it is.
We told you there'd be a lot of traffic :) And, it's a slow weekend. Don't forget, while Wake EMS is dispatched through the Wake system, most EMS to hospital traffic is on Viper, not the Wake system.

You should be able to hear SE and DWNTWN if they're programmed in, everyone hears each other throughout the system.
 

RaleighGuy

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Yeah I can hear a lot, can’t hear downtown or southwest dispatch. But I’m hearing SE, NW loud and clear.

You actually are hearing the SW and Dwntwn units, but don't realize it. ON SE you are hearing 4xx and 5xx units, the 5xx are downtown but the channel is patched to SE. Same for NW, SW units are 6xx and 100xx are NW. Take a look at this Wiki article for a better explanation.

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Wake_County_(NC)_Raleigh_PD_Monitoring_Guide
 

IcomIcR20

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FBI uses VIPER quite a bit. It’s the same as the agency (federal bureau of investigations). You’ll often hear them and other government and NARC units on the VIPER statewide events channels.
 
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Question burst here:

0a: Are Nights busier than days?

0b: Are weekdays or Weekends busier?

1:How many talk groups should I have max, with conventional scanners I wouldn’t want to add to many so I wouldn’t miss anything, does that principle still apply?

2:How to reconfigure RSSI?

3a:Is it normal that you sometimes cannot hear what certain officers are saying?

3b:EMS channel doesn’t always come in well, any idea why?

4:Also will be using the scanner a lot in my car, special antenna I should buy for my car or will it work fine with the standard?

5: how to select specific TAC channel manually?
 

RaleighGuy

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Question burst here:
0a: Are Nights busier than days?
Sometimes, there is no set pattern, depends on a lot of factors.

0b: Are weekdays or Weekends busier?
Typically week days, but it varies

1:How many talk groups should I have max, with conventional scanners I wouldn’t want to add to many so I wouldn’t miss anything, does that principle still apply?
2:How to reconfigure RSSI?
You would probably get better answers starting a new thread in the Whistler scanner forum

3a:Is it normal that you sometimes cannot hear what certain officers are saying?
Sometimes, scanners are not perfect radios like a dedicated P25 radio, the newer (expensive) scanners like SDS100/200 are a lot better but cost 6 times what you paid.

3b:EMS channel doesn’t always come in well, any idea why?
What EMS channel are you referring to, when you ask questions like this you'll get better answers if you give a TG/System. Also, some of these questions are better asked in a new thread in the NC Forum rather than on this thread.

4:Also will be using the scanner a lot in my car, special antenna I should buy for my car or will it work fine with the standard?
You would probably get better answers starting a new thread in the Whistler scanner forum or Antenna forum, but generally an external antenna will give you better results than being inside a metal box.

5: how to select specific TAC channel manually?
You would probably get better answers starting a new thread in the Whistler scanner forum also check Easier to Read Pro-651/652/106/197 - WS1040/1065 - PSR 500/600 Digital Scanner Manual for how to questions, there may be an easy answer found there.

Glad you are getting active on the Raleigh scanner scene, welcome to the hobby.
 
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Thanks a lot. Btw I’m at Wendy’s and am seeing a huge police perence off newbern ave at a hotel. (2:35-Current time) any idea what happened. It’s in east Raleigh. Forgot my scanner when I left the house.
 
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