Simulcast coming to Colorado Springs

[Spitfire8520]

The coverage with my 436 sucks since the simulcast switch. Does anyone know if I can program the remaining zone 4 towers not on the simulcast into my scanner and use those to monitor, or will those radios not affiliate with those towers?

You can program other sites, but they are not a replacement for a site that might only be a couple of blocks away. You will probably find that there are a bunch of holes in reception and radios are less likely to affiliate with those other sites as they tend to prefer the closer (stronger) sites over the further (weaker) sites.

It also looks like the old Airport (4-017) site is no longer an alternative for monitoring in Colorado Springs. I'm not in a position to look at that site directly to confirm this, but it looks like it pretty much has no traffic is on it now.

I have tried a few things today to get back my transmissions here in Colorado Springs since they switched over, but no luck. Nothing but crickets. I will look over other threads likewise.

Any other advice regarding my RS Pro-106 would be appreciative.

If you have Airport programmed and the scanner locks onto that site, then that might be why you are not getting any traffic. Remove the control channels associated with the Airport site.

 

[YoungMeezy]

The coverage with my 436 sucks since the simulcast switch. Does anyone know if I can program the remaining zone 4 towers not on the simulcast into my scanner and use those to monitor, or will those radios not affiliate with those towers?

I hear almost everything I used to monitoring Fountain valley. I only miss out if CSFD goes to a command channel for example

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[speard]

Did you update the firmware?

Yes, I have the most recent version.

 

[USASA]

Pro-96

Hi All

Has anyone got a Pro-96 to work on Simulcast?
I have one and I can not get it to work. My other scanners work on it but not the Pro-96.


Al
USASA

 

[YoungMeezy]

I'm trying to change control channels on pro 106 for my uncle. I'm new to this radio, how can I edit the control channels. I downloaded PSREdit500. Don't have a premium account for radio reference

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[bbedsole]

Want a Pro-106 file?

YoungMeezy, if you have a programming cable, I can send you a Win500 file for your Pro-106 if you like, and you can tweak it on your own. Win500 is free to use for 30 days. It has a little bit of a learning curve, but once you have a grasp of it, it's really great.

FYI, the file I am using is working fine (after the recent frequency switch), but I am in the process of creating a new one for myself with all of the non-working frequencies deleted, so I can probably send you that one in about a week if you prefer. bartbedsole@hotmail.com

 

[YoungMeezy]

YoungMeezy, if you have a programming cable, I can send you a Win500 file for your Pro-106 if you like, and you can tweak it on your own. Win500 is free to use for 30 days. It has a little bit of a learning curve, but once you have a grasp of it, it's really great.

FYI, the file I am using is working fine (after the recent frequency switch), but I am in the process of creating a new one for myself with all of the non-working frequencies deleted, so I can probably send you that one in about a week if you prefer. bartbedsole@hotmail.com

That would be great. I have it plugged in to the cable now.. I'll take the current one you have. Netwerkguy@gmail.com

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[bbedsole]

Pueblo loud and clear

Just wanted to add a quick observation. Since the big switch a few weeks ago, I have noticed my scanners picking up A LOT more traffic from Pueblo County. Even today at my house in Briargate, the signal was coming in loud and clear. (even though city police and city fire were still encrypted)

So I started paying attention to which tower those channels are coming from, and it's always the Cheyenne Mt frequencies.

I just thought I would pass it along, in case anyone in town doesn't have the Cheyenne Mt frequencies or Pueblo talkgroups programmed. Before the switch, I would almost NEVER pick up any traffic from Pueblo County. Very odd.

 

[PJH]

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Simulcast_digital_distortion

 

[Spitfire8520]

Just wanted to add a quick observation. Since the big switch a few weeks ago, I have noticed my scanners picking up A LOT more traffic from Pueblo County. Even today at my house in Briargate, the signal was coming in loud and clear. (even though city police and city fire were still encrypted)

So I started paying attention to which tower those channels are coming from, and it's always the Cheyenne Mt frequencies.

I just thought I would pass it along, in case anyone in town doesn't have the Cheyenne Mt frequencies or Pueblo talkgroups programmed. Before the switch, I would almost NEVER pick up any traffic from Pueblo County. Very odd.

It sounds like you don't have your scanner programmed in the most ideal way.

While they share the same radio system, Pueblo County talkgroups will never been heard on the Zone/RFSS 4 sites that are owned by PPRCN. The reverse is also true where most PPRCN users (Colorado Springs & El Paso County) will almost never be heard on non-PPRCN sites (there are a few exceptions).

It is better to treat them as if they are operating on completely different systems. Have one system programmed with El Paso County & Colorado Springs (minus Site 4-017 Airport unless you want to hear just the Airport), and another system programmed with everything else.

 

[bbedsole]

It may not be "ideal", but I do program my scanners this way intentionally.



I have one particular bank (Scan List) intended to receive all law enforcement traffic in the area, so I include the Cheyenne Mountain tower because it allows me to hear the **state patrol**.

Also, I believe Cheyenne Mountain is a Zone 6 tower, not a Zone 4 tower, right? So I'm not hearing Pueblo talkgroups on any Zone 4 towers as you mentioned.

I hope that makes sense. I'm still mostly a novice.

The point I was trying to make is that it was previously very rare to hear Pueblo traffic from the Cheyenne Mountain tower. But now it is very common. Not sure what changed that. Oh well.

 

[Spitfire8520]

It may not be "ideal", but I do program my scanners this way intentionally.



I have one particular bank (Scan List) intended to receive all law enforcement traffic in the area, so I include the Cheyenne Mountain tower because it allows me to hear the **state patrol**.

Also, I believe Cheyenne Mountain is a Zone 6 tower, not a Zone 4 tower, right? So I'm not hearing Pueblo talkgroups on any Zone 4 towers as you mentioned.

I hope that makes sense. I'm still mostly a novice.

The point I was trying to make is that it was previously very rare to hear Pueblo traffic from the Cheyenne Mountain tower. But now it is very common. Not sure what changed that. Oh well.

My counterpoint is that Pueblo County has always frequently been heard on Cheyenne Mountain, but your scanner likely did not monitor it because you likely had better Zone 4 sites programmed.

The GRE/RadioShack/Whistler scanners generally locks onto the first site it finds and sticks with it. It only continues down the control channel list if your scanner loses the signal, the decode drops below a quality threshold (ROAM mode), or you specifically turned on the setting to check all control channels (STAT mode).

What likely happened in the past is that your scanner locked onto a Zone 4 site and stuck with it, so you were left rarely hearing Pueblo County. If the reverse is true and it now sticks with Cheyenne Mountain, you will run into the issue of not hearing CSPD and EPSO until switches back to a Zone 4 site (if it switches back).

An ideal way of setting up your scanner would be to program all of El Paso County as if they were a different system. You can assign talkgroups from multiple different systems to the same Scan List, so it would work in monitoring all area law enforcement. The scanner will automatically switch between the two systems to check for traffic, and you will be assured that you will hear what you are looking for if it can be heard. It removed the random variability of the scanner picking which site it wants to monitor.

There are a few special exceptions that exist. The PPRCN "C Zone" command talkgroups are allowed systemwide, which means it can be heard on sites like Cheyenne Mountain. CSP 2B East is allowed on most Zone 4 sites. If you do go the route of programming them as different systems, then you may want to duplicate those TGs across both systems.

 

[bbedsole]

Ahhh. Makes sense. Thanks!

 

[YoungMeezy]

Today I learned...

The Cheyenne Mountain site carries El Paso County talk groups such as c4 Ruby, c6 Grey, etc

 

[radio]

Indeed. Cheyenne Mt carried an enormous load of the 117 Fire traffic from El Paso units yesterday and continues today.

I have another radio on Cheyenne Mt in Search mode hearing Crowley, Lincoln, Otero and Pueblo Counties plus others.

Bravo and thank you to all agencies involved!

 

[icemantim8]

CSFD - Cannot receive anything for CSFD - Suggestions?

Greetings - very recently my BCD996T stopped receiving the Colorado Springs Fire Department entirely. I moved all of my lists over to Fountain Valley repeater due to the fact that I cannot receive anything from the Simulcast.

I can receive the Colorado Springs Police Department, the El Paso County Sheriffs's Office, El Paso County Fire and also EMS such as AMR dispatch and the Colorado State Patrol. The only tower I have programmed in my radio now is Fountain Valley and I can receive everything EXCEPT the Colorado Springs Fire Department. I am clueless. Did they change the CSFD talkgroups? Probably not.

Again I cannot receive anything from the new Simulcast and do not have it programmed into my radio any longer so reprogramming the Simulcast into my radio is not an option.

Any suggestions on what may have happened and how to get the CSFD back in listening mode?

Thanks for any and all help with this because my main purpose on the digital radio is to listen to Fire. I can live without the PD/SO/CSP

 

[YoungMeezy]

Greetings - very recently my BCD996T stopped receiving the Colorado Springs Fire Department entirely. I moved all of my lists over to Fountain Valley repeater due to the fact that I cannot receive anything from the Simulcast.

I can receive the Colorado Springs Police Department, the El Paso County Sheriffs's Office, El Paso County Fire and also EMS such as AMR dispatch and the Colorado State Patrol. The only tower I have programmed in my radio now is Fountain Valley and I can receive everything EXCEPT the Colorado Springs Fire Department. I am clueless. Did they change the CSFD talkgroups? Probably not.

Again I cannot receive anything from the new Simulcast and do not have it programmed into my radio any longer so reprogramming the Simulcast into my radio is not an option.

Any suggestions on what may have happened and how to get the CSFD back in listening mode?

Thanks for any and all help with this because my main purpose on the digital radio is to listen to Fire. I can live without the PD/SO/CSP

just last week I was getting csfd on the Fountain site, I tried today after your post and nothing [emoji22]

 

[icemantim8]

CSFD - Cannot receive anything for CSFD - UPDATE

Okay. I had to move my BCD996T and my Laird Yagi PC804 to the opposite side of my house so the antenna can face West towards the old Stanley Canyon repeater. I programmed in the Simulcast Control Channel and I can now receive the Colorado Springs Fire Department but the transmissions are a bit choppy and distorted. Will play with the antenna placement more tomorrow after work. I had tried this before but didn't have the Yagi at the time. Wow! This is making me work like the old days with crystal scanners...lol. To be continued

 

[YoungMeezy]

Does anyone know if Fountain Valley is actually rejecting csfd traffic, and why?

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[icemantim8]

Not sure if Fountain Valley is rejecting CSFD or if they removed the TG's from it. I don't know how that all works exactly. I am now able to pick up the Simulcast using my new Yagi 800 Mhz antenna indoors. I also removed Fountain Valley totally from my radio and am able to pick up City and County Fire, AMR, City PD and County SO on the simulcast but only with my Yagi antenna. Unfortunately, you may have to invest in a specialized antenna as I did.