UpRiver said:
My scanner flashes repeatedly Finding CtrlChan but no audio on the Rankin County frequencies.
OK, one of two possibilities are the most likely:
1. You are too far from their transmitter site for reception. 800 does not travel as well as Vhf or even Uhf. Twenty to thirty miles is often maximum range on 800mhz sysms, less if there are hills in between. Also, some systems are lower power, or their antenna pattern is adjusted to concentrate coverage on their service area (county, city, whatever area their jurisdiction or member cities or county(ies) cover). If you take a look at the Rankin system in the
database, then click on the underlined "primary" by the "Site 001". That will give you a pop-up with the site information. Click on the FCC call letters (they're underlined, to indicate a link), and you'll get a map page showing the approximate transmitter site locations for that system. Those are not always 100% accurate, but better than nothing. At least it might give you some idea how far from the transmitter(s) you are.
2. As listed in the database, this system only shows one control channel,
859.9625 (the one in
red that's also starred with an asterix). While that's not unusual, systems often have more than one control channel, and alternate them on a schedule. It's also possible that the primary control channel has changed, and no one has submitted the change.
I'd begin with possibility #2 first. The attached UASD file is all the Rankin system frequencies in a "conventional" system file. If you're using the ARC program (I believe you said you are), import it & load it to the scanner, then manually step through the channels. The text tag is the same as the frequency. If you find the control channel, you'll know it. Some people have described the sound as a 'diesel engine', others a motor boat. Anyway, it will be a constant, throbbing sound if you can hear it. If it's a frequency other than 859.9625, then add it to the frequency section of your trunked system file, and also submit it to the database (hit the submit button on the page for the system, then follow the prompts). If you find, and add, an updated control channel to your system, this should cure your problem.
If you did not hear any control channel, or the only one you hear is the one listed, then the first possibility, low signal strength, is more likely. The scanner is not getting enough signal to track reliably. You may need to think about an outside antenna (if you don't have one), or improving your current antenna and/or coax, if you already use an external antenna.
