SRRCS and Preprogrammed Scanner

[rptoday]

I picked up a Uniden HomePatrol II a few days ago and the preprogramming included SRRCS, which is my main monitoring interest. However, I'm hearing no traffic, and I mean none.

I'm monitoring from near Carmichael, and I do hear CHP, Yolo/Placer/Sutter counties, what seems to be a simplex simulcast of Metro Fire dispatch. I hear Forestry, but (notably) nothing from Roseville (all of which are not SRRCS members).

This strikes me as some kind of programming error (control channels?}. As this is a preprogrammed scanner, I don't see that I have access to that stuff, but as I know nothing about I, it's probably just as well. I'm calling Uniden next week.

Is there anything obvious about the SRRCS trunking system that would keep me from hearing that traffic? Is this a known problem with this radio?

 

[hiegtx]

I picked up a Uniden HomePatrol II a few days ago and the preprogramming included SRRCS, which is my main monitoring interest. However, I'm hearing no traffic, and I mean none.

I'm monitoring from near Carmichael, and I do hear CHP, Yolo/Placer/Sutter counties, what seems to be a simplex simulcast of Metro Fire dispatch. I hear Forestry, but (notably) nothing from Roseville (all of which are not SRRCS members).

This strikes me as some kind of programming error (control channels?}. As this is a preprogrammed scanner, I don't see that I have access to that stuff, but as I know nothing about I, it's probably just as well. I'm calling Uniden next week.

Is there anything obvious about the SRRCS trunking system that would keep me from hearing that traffic? Is this a known problem with this radio?

Did you buy the scanner brand new? Or was this a previously owned scanner. If brand new, have you installed Sentinel (the HP-1/HP-2 version) & updated the main database, then connected your scanner to the PC & downloaded the update to the scanner itself?

I'm sure someone in your area is familiar with these systems. Looking at the database, I see that Sutter & Yolo counties primarily use conventional channels, not a trunked system. Placer does show a trunked system, but it's far enough away from you that simulcast might not be a problem.

However, Roseville has a trunked system, that is Simulcast.

Roseville Trunking System, Roseville, California

Roseville Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

For SRRC, the Countywide site is definitely Simulcast.

Sacramento Regional Radio Communications System (SRRCS) P25 Site: Countywide Simulcast

Sacramento Regional Radio Communications System (SRRCS) P25 Site: Countywide Simulcast Details

www.radioreference.com

You're surrounded by multiple towers of the simulcast site. Simulcast can keep you from receiving the system, or it may make all the transmissions that you do receive be garbled and unintelligible.
More on Simulcast in the Wiki: Simulcast digital distortion - The RadioReference Wiki

Your options in dealing with it are limited in effectiveness. A directional antenna, aimed at one single tower, can work for some people, but using that means that you may lose other systems around you because you focused on a single location. Hopefully, someone in your area can confirm this, and possibly advise how they are dealing with the issue.

 

[rptoday]

Thanks for the great response. I bought the radio brand new, installed Sentinal, checked for a firmware update (none available) but database update failed (is nothing easy?). The thing is, when scanning SRRCS, there are no open carriers, noise, garble, nothing. I guess I could end up returning the radio, but I'd much rather get it working

 

[mcjones2013]

I’d recommend trying that database update again and then report back.

 

[mass-man]

Don't return the HP...you said it's pre-programmed but you updated the database as well. Are you scanning the favorites list or the full database?? There's a brief learning curve with the HP but then it is a good radio. It's quite possible whoever did the programming didn't do something right...are the correct service types selected? Is your rang set for your proximity to the system? Can you determine if the talkgroups are correct by comparing to the DB?

 

[gmclam]

... the preprogramming included SRRCS, which is my main monitoring interest. However, I'm hearing no traffic, and I mean none.

The first thing that came to mind was "which version of SRRCS?". Back a couple of years ago we had an analog system on the air for each Sacramento County and Sacramento City AND the early Sacramento P25 system.

Then they turned off the analog systems and after a couple of months made slight changes to the P25 system from what it was. In other words, if you are not programmed with what is presently in the RR DB, it needs to be updated.

I'm monitoring from near Carmichael, and I do hear CHP, Yolo/Placer/Sutter counties, what seems to be a simplex simulcast of Metro Fire dispatch. I hear Forestry, but (notably) nothing from Roseville (all of which are not SRRCS members).

Ok it sounds like your are receiving simplex channels, but I wonder about other trunked systems. Roseville made a "cut over" of their analog system to P25. It's a fairly simple system, but it is Simulcast. You shouldn't have trouble picking that up (you need it for Roseville PD). There is also a VHF P25 trunked system for Placer county. Yeah the sheriff is simulcast on a VHF frequency, but what about picking them up on that trunked system?

This strikes me as some kind of programming error (control channels?}. As this is a preprogrammed scanner, I don't see that I have access to that stuff, but as I know nothing about I, it's probably just as well. I'm calling Uniden next week.

Is there anything obvious about the SRRCS trunking system that would keep me from hearing that traffic? Is this a known problem with this radio?

You should hear traffic, although likely to sound garbled on that scanner. And you'll miss stuff because that radio doesn't handle Simulcast systems. Also note that for Sacramento you should be monitoring site 12. I'd scan only Sacramento site 12 and see what you get.