So the good news here is that your scanner is programmed correctly for TACN, since you could hear THP from Bristol VA, 3.3 miles from the tower and in the TACN coverage area.
This also meant that there was a THP radio in the same area as you that was connected to that particular tower site. Part one of the equation is solved.
If you're interested in listening to THP District 5 over the internet, use this link:
District 5: Dispatch 1/TN - State Highway Patrol, District 5: Fall Branch Group Calls Live
Now, lets say that all of THP was at a meeting in Knoxville and there were ZERO THP troopers physically present in NE TN. You would then not be able to hear THP as there would be no radios affiliated to the system for the sites to carry the traffic. It's a matter of BOTH the scanner user being within range of the system AND a THP user radio being connected to the same tower that you're listening to at the same time.
Onto the Bristol PD question: Bristol (TN) PD is on TACN. I'm not sure what radio system Bristol VA PD is on, but I found a listing in the RRDB for Bristol City (VA) police being on VHF 155.595 MHz. That's not TACN, and definitely not digital trunking radio, like TACN. It's
possible that you
might be able to receive a VHF signal 41 miles away, due to more favorable signal propagation with VHF signals over UHF (or 7/800 MHz).
Your location in your profile is listed as Cedar Bluff, VA.
Line of site distance from Cedar Bluff, VA to Bristol at the TN/VA line is about 41 miles. There's not many trunked digital radio systems that can carry 41 miles line of sight thru mountainous terrain. How are you 10 minutes from the VA/TN line? For what it's worth, minutes (or any measure of time) are a terrible way to state distance, as everyone travels at a different speed/pace and time of travel is dependent on speed as well as distance. Miles or Kilometers are the best way to describe distance. I'm fairly certain that we've all been using the info in your profile to make that assertion.
