SDS100/SDS200: SDS-100 Portland OR reception question

[safetypro79]

I am in Salem on 3rd floor of a concrete building close to windows and about 43 miles from Portland using my SDS-100 and a Remtronix antenna.

Question: any chance I can hear Portland FD system?

 

[donc13]

What's between Salem and Portland in the way of ground elevation (any large hills, small mountains, etc) and are there any tall buildings between your window and Portland?

If so... Probably not, if not.. Maybe

 

[mmckenna]

I am in Salem on 3rd floor of a concrete building close to windows and about 43 miles from Portland using my SDS-100 and a Remtronix antenna.

Question: any chance I can hear Portland FD system?

Only way to know is to try.

But, don't be surprised if it does not work. Building public safety radio systems is expensive. Their main goal is to provide as much coverage as possible inside their jurisdiction. Blasting RF 43 miles away isn't a good design.
Also, frequency coordination usually is done around being able to reuse frequencies, so there's usually efforts made to make sure that RF stays where it is supposed to.

With a good antenna, you may get something. With an indoor antenna inside a steel reinforced concrete building, it's going to be difficult, especially if it is a newer building with energy efficient windows. They tend to block RF very well.

 

[safetypro79]

Thanks, from what I know about signal paths and reception, I was/am doubtful even before I posted but I’m going to program their system into my SDS-100 as I have a small magnetic 800 mhz scanner antenna (SpectrumForce Wideband Antenna) that might give me a signal boost if I mount on my outside patio hand rail.

 

[nessnet]

A yagi...??

 

[mmckenna]

A yagi...??

It would certainly help if there was any signal to be had. But if there's nothing there, it's not going to magically pull it in.

The magnetic mount on the metal railing (as a ground plane) should indicate if there is some signal to work with. If there is a really good yagi might recover enough out of the mud to be useful.

I would not invest in a new antenna unless they were sure there was something to work with.