St.Louis City PD and St. Louis County PD

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kwagner

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I am still having trouble getting the frequencies correct for St. Louis County PD as well as St. Louis City PD. I have a digital scanner and have downloaded the frequencies from this web site onto my GRE Scanner and I am still not receiving any transmissions. Can someone please guide me in the right direction so that I can start receiving these frequencies. I know that it has nothing to do with my antennae on my vehicle as I can receive St. Charles County Sheriff almost all of the way into St. Clair down hwy 44.
Thanks for any and all help that you can provide
 

VASCAR2

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I'm not sure how you have your scanner programmed but here are a couple of ideas. I believe GRE are the same radio as the Radio Shack Pro series which I have programmed for friends. On the RS Pro scanners they have open and closed mode. If you have the scanner set in the closed mode the scanner will only receive unlocked talk groups that are entered into the radio. If you don't have talk group entered in closed mode you won't hear all traffic. If the scanner is in the open mode the scanner still will not receive any talk groups that are locked out. You can lock and unlock each talk group just like you can lockout/ unlock frequencies on a conventional scanner.

It is also possible if you are not getting any trunk traffic you don't have scanner configured properly for following the trunk system, ie has to be P25 Motorola, not EDACS and not Motorola Type I, Motorola Type II, and not conventional.

I hope you get it sorted out, if you consult the manual you can unlock all talk groups on a system plus if you have inadvertently entered the wrong control channel frequency or locked out that frequency you will not hear any traffic on that particular site.
 
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KeyWest35

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Is it possible you are too far away? St Louis City is on a P25 system and coverage is not good in St Louis County. I went to Wentzville last Sunday and only started to monitor St Charles P25 frequencies near I 64 and 141 without an external antenna. I received St Charles VHFsignals at Big Bend and 141.Once i got in St Charles county reception of all of the frequencies was good. I am using a PSR 800 and wish i could pick up a lot more from my house but i live in a deep valley in St Louis County and am lucky to be able to pick up the city on it and only in my bedroom with a rigged antenna. I thought about investing in a good Yagi base antenna but will wait till St Louis County goes online with their new system supposedly around Dec of 2014.By the way a friends digital Home Patrol does not pick up the St louis system at my house in the same location with the same antenna.
 

KeyWest35

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I would like to know what radio and antenna you are using to receive St louis City where you say you hear it as i was in O'Fallon at a high elevation for several hours last Sunday and I had my 800 tuned to St Louis also and only received O'Fallon PD and St Charles on digital. The St Louis dispatch site has a circular range of only 15 miles from its tower at 1200 Clark. Now if you are listening to O'Fallon PD it will say St Louis Metropolitan Police on the screen as it is connected to the city system but digital does not have the distance VHF transmissions have. Please share your information with me and others out here.
 

stlouisx50

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I no longer live out in Ofallon, but do drive I-64 daily. I will have to reprogram all of the cities control channels and let you know.

I can tell you that I recall hearing the city near I-70 and Veterans Memorial Parkway. I believe it was on Lambert's Tower.

Now as far as Starcom (IL)
You can get a booming signal Hwy N and I-64 and you can also get a fair signal at I-70 and VMP as well.


I'll reply back as soon as I am able to do the test again. I was using the Pro-106 and the 800MHZ Radio Shack Antenna.
 

KeyWest35

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stlouisx50 I did some tweaking of sites and driving around yesterday and it is a shame i live in a deep valley as near my house i received St Charles and St Louis City but no Illinois starcom though i should according to a map of transmitting towers. Now i do receive St Louis fairly good in only one spot in my house, my bedroom for some strange reason where i reside but i am going to invest in a good yagi antenna and some lmr400 cable and see if i can receive some other systems. as well improve the city system. I will also try the other systems in St Charles next time i am out there since i added more sites. Thanks for sharing your info,
 

stlouisx50

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stlouisx50 I did some tweaking of sites and driving around yesterday and it is a shame i live in a deep valley as near my house i received St Charles and St Louis City but no Illinois starcom though i should according to a map of transmitting towers. Now i do receive St Louis fairly good in only one spot in my house, my bedroom for some strange reason where i reside but i am going to invest in a good yagi antenna and some lmr400 cable and see if i can receive some other systems. as well improve the city system. I will also try the other systems in St Charles next time i am out there since i added more sites. Thanks for sharing your info,


I experience a huge amount of dead spots for the St. Charles County 800mhz P-25 system as well. I am wondering if the other site for O'Fallon is even up and working. The only tower that find to be working is the MO-94 and MO-D site. The one that's supposed to be in the north part of O'Fallon just does not seem to be on air.
 

kwagner

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I can receive St. Louis City Fire Dispatch on my mobile scanner where I live in Wentzville, I just need to get the frequencies tweeked for St. Louis County PD and also for St. Louis City PD as well. I have received St. Charles County Sheriff all of the way down in St. Clair Mo. which is down Hwy 44 so I don't think that it is a reception problem. I am using a PSR-600, I am not sure if I have them downloaded from here onto the scanner or not. I am looking for someone who has these programmed into their scanner already to let me know if these frequencies are good and up to date. I also have just a Radio Shack antennae on my roof mounted to one of the vent pipes and I also receive St. Louis City Fire Dispatch in my home in Wentzville. This scanner antenae and the mount I would guess would be less than 50 bucks and might help you pick up more than what you are currently receiving on your base scanner now.
 

stlouisx50

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I can receive St. Louis City Fire Dispatch on my mobile scanner where I live in Wentzville, I just need to get the frequencies tweeked for St. Louis County PD and also for St. Louis City PD as well. I have received St. Charles County Sheriff all of the way down in St. Clair Mo. which is down Hwy 44 so I don't think that it is a reception problem. I am using a PSR-600, I am not sure if I have them downloaded from here onto the scanner or not. I am looking for someone who has these programmed into their scanner already to let me know if these frequencies are good and up to date. I also have just a Radio Shack antennae on my roof mounted to one of the vent pipes and I also receive St. Louis City Fire Dispatch in my home in Wentzville. This scanner antenae and the mount I would guess would be less than 50 bucks and might help you pick up more than what you are currently receiving on your base scanner now.


It's highly unlikely that you will be able to hear St. Louis City Police out in Wentzville. I now live just north of you near Moscow Mills. The fire frequencies are fairly easy to receive even from my location as well. However, I don't know how much longer that is going to last since St. Louis City has been testing its fire dispatch on 800mhz. Now they may still do a simulcast though.

What frequencies were you wanting to program for St. Louis County? The reason I ask is that depending on what you want to hear it may not be worth it. Most of the car radios do not put out a signal very far. You may be able to hear 155.130 , 155.565.and maybe 154.875 from where you are, but only dispatch.
 
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county uses a 2 mile radio for its cars.

you can hear them on the dispatch frequency if they are close enough to you.
 

kruser

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county uses a 2 mile radio for its cars.

you can hear them on the dispatch frequency if they are close enough to you.

Never heard of a "2 mile" radio!

I can hear county cars from 20 miles or more away no problem depending on their location at the time.
The mobile radios STL county use are fairly high power radios (50 or 75 watt I think) but they do not use repeaters so that is why many cannot hear the mobiles if they do not have an outdoor antenna up at a decent height.
The county is analog simplex meaning the cars and dispatch all transmit and receive on the same single frequency. That will be changing though as they start moving to a new 800 MHz system that they are building out.
 

shelleys1

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kruser,

You're absolutely correct - County has never used anything like a "2 mile" radio! The Moto radios are high wattage and the new 800 MHz Moto system will be as well. We are all familiar with the difficult terrain in St. Louis County (multiple areas of bluffs and valleys) and the significant area the system must cover (St. Louis County PD must be able to patrol not only unincorporated St. Louis County, but also be available to assist municipalities within it, when needed). Thus the cars and handhelds must be powerful enough to hit their closest tower. They do fine almost all the time and will also be with the new system.

Shell
 

stlouisx50

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kruser,

You're absolutely correct - County has never used anything like a "2 mile" radio! The Moto radios are high wattage and the new 800 MHz Moto system will be as well. We are all familiar with the difficult terrain in St. Louis County (multiple areas of bluffs and valleys) and the significant area the system must cover (St. Louis County PD must be able to patrol not only unincorporated St. Louis County, but also be available to assist municipalities within it, when needed). Thus the cars and handhelds must be powerful enough to hit their closest tower. They do fine almost all the time and will also be with the new system.

Shell


How much is it going to cost for these new tweeked out radio's battery replacement? The more digital , the more battery consumption. Are you ready for the cost? The county can't even provide it's patrol cars with 50% reliable AC during this heat.
 

shelleys1

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How much is it going to cost for these new tweeked out radio's battery replacement? The more digital , the more battery consumption. Are you ready for the cost? The county can't even provide it's patrol cars with 50% reliable AC during this heat.

The new radio system was voted on and approved by the County residents back in '09. It will be operational by either the end of this year or the first quarter of 2013 (along with the new Communications Center and EOC).

What makes you think our cars aren't reliable right now??? *Blink*

Shell
 

kruser

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kruser,

You're absolutely correct - County has never used anything like a "2 mile" radio! The Moto radios are high wattage and the new 800 MHz Moto system will be as well. We are all familiar with the difficult terrain in St. Louis County (multiple areas of bluffs and valleys) and the significant area the system must cover (St. Louis County PD must be able to patrol not only unincorporated St. Louis County, but also be available to assist municipalities within it, when needed). Thus the cars and handhelds must be powerful enough to hit their closest tower. They do fine almost all the time and will also be with the new system.

Shell


WELCOME BACK Shelley!!
 

stlouisx50

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The new radio system was voted on and approved by the County residents back in '09. It will be operational by either the end of this year or the first quarter of 2013 (along with the new Communications Center and EOC).

What makes you think our cars aren't reliable right now??? *Blink*

Shell

Because I personally know an officer that reports getting a car without AC more times than not and says each time they complain about broken AC they say they will put it on the list. The officer says it's a 50/50 shot at getting a car with working AC.
 

shelleys1

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Because I personally know an officer that reports getting a car without AC more times than not and says each time they complain about broken AC they say they will put it on the list. The officer says it's a 50/50 shot at getting a car with working AC.

With the long heatwave we just experienced I wouldn't be surprised that there were cars which did have problems with A/C. There are also some cars (certainly not the majority) which have been in service for a longer time, will have higher mileage and, of course, subsequent mechanical problems...that's something which every department experiences and deals with. But it doesn't mean that the majority of the pool is having problems with A/C or other mechanical difficulties...that's ludicrous. Believe me, Chief Fitch wouldn't stand for it!
 

stlouisx50

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With the long heatwave we just experienced I wouldn't be surprised that there were cars which did have problems with A/C. There are also some cars (certainly not the majority) which have been in service for a longer time, will have higher mileage and, of course, subsequent mechanical problems...that's something which every department experiences and deals with. But it doesn't mean that the majority of the pool is having problems with A/C or other mechanical difficulties...that's ludicrous. Believe me, Chief Fitch wouldn't stand for it!


It was not that Fitch was standing for it. The cars were on a long waiting list to be fixed. I'll have to follow up on the situation currently and let you know.
 

shelleys1

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St. Louis County Vehicles...

It was not that Fitch was standing for it. The cars were on a long waiting list to be fixed. I'll have to follow up on the situation currently and let you know.


I must apologize - I've been tied up with some projects, as well as some doctor's appointments. I wanted to get the list below to you sooner but wasn't able to until now. With the last few weeks averaging well over 102-105 for most of the days and the heat index ranging from at least 109-115 and higher, there's no question a number of vehicles will have had problems! The NWS has reported that much of this is unprecidented and we've set some (unwanted!) records. The list below consists of St. Louis County Departments which use marked and unmarked vehicles and the pool is large! There are also some other vehicles (not that many) which are not included on the list.

465 Patrol officer vehicles (not including their supervisors)
Emergency Operations Personnel
Highway Safety Team
Tactical Operations Unit (We call them TACT AKA SWAT)
Metro Air Support Unit (several drive patrol cars)
Spirit Airport Detail
Metrolink Police Unit (a few drive marked or unmarked cars)
Drug Interdiction
Canine Units
Crime Scene Investigation Division
Crime Scene Investigation Vans
Drug Enforcement Personnel
Crimes Against Persons Detectives
Crimes Against Property Detectives
Computer and Financial Fraud Detectives
Family Crimes Detectives

There are a couple of other departments which use marked and unmarked cars...I'm sorry, I didn't have time to get you a full count of exactly how many vehicles are in use but I think it's somewhere between 750-800.

Shelley
 
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