STARS--New Talkgroups

[fmon]

Jason, if you used web import, Win500 will set TSYS correctly to P25 Auto and as Mike noted, first decoding of a CC will set trunking tables correctly.

If you return vie Farmville, you should start picking up STARS somewhere near Prospect.from Leigh Mountain or Cumberland sites. Next will be Petersburg, Franklin, Hampton, Chesapeake, Eastville and Accomac. You could get a little bit of Williamsburg about the same time as Franklin. Both will last a short time.

 

[K4APR]

Thanks for all of the great tips so far guys! You would think after playing with this stuff for 20 years AND working on the systems yourself, I would have a fuzzy idea of what I am doing, but things are changing so fast, I am having a hard time keeping up!

As for Starr's products, two thumbs up! I was a user for my PRO-92, 93 and 94 scanners. His software was always the perfect match and just worked. This new Win500 software was really giving me a fit, but after a couple nights of playing, I am starting to get the hang of it.

So far, for STARS, I have made one list so far with 32 freqs. All primary/secondary CCs. I picked the 10 or so most likely sites that I would listen to, including the Accomack and Eastville sites. I THINK I read in this thread that Burgess' antenna pattern was actually covering the bay and Eastern Shore better than the mainland, so I added that in as well.

Like I said before, I am stuck in Lynchburg for the next week and it just figures this is one of the last few spots in the state without any STARS activity, so I have to wait until I start heading back east. For the trip back, I stuck Franklin, Chesapeake and Hampton in this first bank to see what I can pick up through those areas on the way back home.

So far I love the scanner. I really like the size of my Uniden 396D, but this PRO-106 just seems like its trunking better. Not to mention, I really like the gimmick RGB LED feature

Thanks again for the tips!

 

[K4APR]

If you return vie Farmville, you should start picking up STARS somewhere near Prospect.from Leigh Mountain or Cumberland sites. Next will be Petersburg, Franklin, Hampton, Chesapeake, Eastville and Accomac. You could get a little bit of Williamsburg about the same time as Franklin. Both will last a short time.

OK, I caught most of those in my first go around, but I guess I should go back and take a few out and add some others. I did'nt think of Williamsburg, I guess I figured that was too far north. Cumberland wasn't a thought because I thought that was extreme SW.

That brings up a good question, has anyone made a single VA map showing the current site locations? I know you can look at the FCC license and get individual maps for each site, but it would be nice to have one single map. Possibly add in estimated coverage rings to give a rough idea of which site covers what parts of the state.

 

[K4APR]

Just for the hell of it, I started on a map showing the positions of the sites. Some of them I had to guess since there was not an address for all sites.

 

[K4APR]

Here is the same map, but I killed the labels to show the site makers a little better.

 

[rfburns]

Two (new to me) sites are on the air today.
117 152.2025 control ch
119 152.5325 control ch

Is anyone else hearing them?

 

[beastieboy101]

Two (new to me) sites are on the air today.
117 152.2025 control ch
119 152.5325 control ch

Is anyone else hearing them?

I am receiving site 117 at about 58%-66% signal on a pro-96 from woodbridge.
Nothing on site 119. Also the Independent Hill site is up today.

 

[dtscho]

152.5325 (Site 119) received with excellent signal in Pentagon City yesterday. I added it to the database as Arlington site.

Dave

 

[W4UVV]

765.15625 mhz. vehicle repeater

This past weekend I decided to scan the 765 mhz. range for any STARS mobile repeater activity. I used a R7000 and a 996T. I used a uhf tv deep fringe vertically polarized antenna for the R7000 and a Scantenna for the 996T. Both antennas are tower mounted and preamped at the antennas. Although an analog receiver the R7000 is a significantly more sensitive than the digital scanners and a P25 signal presence is very easy to id. As expected I received the Div 1 mobile repeaters on 765.40625 mhz. noise free most of the time. With my antennas initially pointed north I also was receiving periodic weak P25 data bursts on 765.15625 mhz. They typically were of a one second duration about every 5 seconds but not always constant. As I rotated my antenna arrays to the west the P25 data burst transmissions became stronger. Approximately 7 air miles southwest from my location in Prince George is the Petersburg Halifax Road VSP tower. At that direction my 996T had a 4 bar signal strength which is indicative of a good strong signal. The R7000 signals also were strong. I estimate the 765.15625 mhz. transmitted power at about 5 watts. I never heard any voice comms just short data bursts.

Approximately every 30 minutes a tape cw id would play. I was able to id some of the callsign. I think it was "WPEZ?75" but I probably am wrong. I'm sure it is one of the VSP callsigns. Virginia is licensed for usage of the total block range of 764-765 mhz. and 794-795 mhz. authorized frequencies for low power repeater operations so a FCC database search won't help. I don't know whether other STARS sites are also transmitting 765.15625 mhz. The P25 transmissions do not appear to be images.

What would be the purpose of such a base transmitted signal transmitting 24/7?

 

[W4UVV]

764.95625 mhz.

Add occasional suspected mobile P25 strong data burst signals heard a few minutes ago on 764.95625 mhz. with the antennas pointed south.

 

[slatescan]

looks like they are finally starting to get rolling on the new sites that like 4 or 5 in the last month or so?

 

[tglendye]

I have a PSR500. I have gone from receiving 1 CC to up to 3 while monitoring STARS.

Two questions: Is there a way to ID which CC you are monitoring w/o waiting for voice traffic? My settings alternate the display of the voice channel and CC. Sometimes however, there is limited activity on STARS, which I suspect is because I am actually receiving one of the CC's that is being tested and no TG's are affiliated with the tower.

Also, is there a way to easily lock out a CC on the PSR500? I have gone to the analyze mode, scrolled through and attempted to lock out a CC, but did not have any luck.

Thanks,
Todd

 

[fmon]

I have a PSR500. I have gone from receiving 1 CC to up to 3 while monitoring STARS.

Two questions: Is there a way to ID which CC you are monitoring w/o waiting for voice traffic? My settings alternate the display of the voice channel and CC. Sometimes however, there is limited activity on STARS, which I suspect is because I am actually receiving one of the CC's that is being tested and no TG's are affiliated with the tower.

Man F3 Analyz, check each for decode rate. I get two at this location and one is much better then the other. An S should reappear for each CC during Analyz. Setting the dwell may get you a better shot for holding the CC a little longer during scan operations. Default Dwell is Auto which is 0-200 range. Setting to 140 may give you more time. The numbers are times 100ms.

Also, is there a way to easily lock out a CC on the PSR500? I have gone to the analyze mode, scrolled through and attempted to lock out a CC, but did not have any luck.

Thanks,
Todd

Nope, there is no lockout for trunking frequencies.

 

[tglendye]

Thanks Frank. It looks like Dwell it is. I guess having 3 CC's isn't a bad thing

Todd

 

[rfburns]

Site 110

Is anyone hearing site 110 this morning? The current CC is 161.8125.

 

[freqhopping]

No site 110 for me but I am getting site 109 in Loudoun today. I would think 161.8275, not 161.825 as in the database, is the correct frequency if following the proper step.

 

[tglendye]

Is anyone hearing site 110 this morning? The current CC is 161.8125.

Yes... I had it yesterday w/ about a 76% decode rate when I check it, but I think it went up to the 90's after I recorded it.

I had activity on a total of 6 CC's, when I usually only have activity on one (Fork Mt.). I was copying 152.5475 (Independent Hill?) 76%, 151.3925 (Hogback?) 32%, 161.8125 (site 10?) 76%.

I also had CC activity on both 152.5175 (Edgehill???) and 152.7275 (listed as Warsaw and Franklin). They were showing P25 and sounded close, but the scanner wouldn't show a decode rate????????????????


Todd

 

[n4jri]

No site 110 for me but I am getting site 109 in Loudoun today. I would think 161.8275, not 161.825 as in the database, is the correct frequency if following the proper step.

Are you sure that's the proper step? I think that those 161 CC's are old marine phone channels. That says to me probably 25 or 12.5 kHz spacing.

I believe that STARS radios were intended to do both 12.5 and 7.5 steps on VHF, and that this is why the channel spacing on their tables is 2.5 kHz instead of 7.5.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[gdj47]

Quote: "Are you sure that's the proper step? I think that those 161 CC's are old marine phone channels. That says to me probably 25 or 12.5 kHz spacing."

Would this explain why when I type some of the new Stars CC's such as 161.82750 into my Win96 file, the software rounds it off to 161.830? I am using the extend table listed in the DB. This rounding only occurs on the new 161.xxxxx frequencies.

 

[fmon]

Quote: "Are you sure that's the proper step? I think that those 161 CC's are old marine phone channels. That says to me probably 25 or 12.5 kHz spacing."

Would this explain why when I type some of the new Stars CC's such as 161.82750 into my Win96 file, the software rounds it off to 161.830? I am using the extend table listed in the DB. This rounding only occurs on the new 161.xxxxx frequencies.

PGM>FUNC>GLOB down 16 times and turn On FlexStep
On the 96, you have to live with the round off.