Terrell/Forney systems

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Para078

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Anyone know what settings I need to hear both on an SD S200? I'm about 10 miles from Terrell and 20 from Forney. The radio is still set at the factory settings. I'm using a discone antenna 35' up.
 

FishScan

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Cant you just load them from the sentinel software? I listen to both with a G5 in an amp charger. Forney is 30 miles and Terrell is 35 for me.
 

hiegtx

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Anyone know what settings I need to hear both on an SD S200? I'm about 10 miles from Terrell and 20 from Forney. The radio is still set at the factory settings. I'm using a discone antenna 35' up.
You can just append Terrell from the main database to a Favorites list in Sentinel. It's a standard P25 Phase II system, nothing unusual about it. Some talkgroups are still using Phase I (that's the D in the mode column), others Phase II (mode T).

Forney is also a P25 Phase II system. There's only two identified talkgroups showing in the database, both Phase II. I suspect that there are more talkgroups than the ones in the database. I run that system in ID Search mode. I do the same for Terrell. Forney can also simply be appended from the main database).

Note that both Forney & Terrell PD Dispatch talkgroups are simulcast over on the Kaufman County system.
 

Para078

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I used Sentinel to program the scanner. Both are in separate favorite lists. Guess I can delete what I have and start over in case I missed something.
 

hiegtx

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I used Sentinel to program the scanner. Both are in separate favorite lists. Guess I can delete what I have and start over in case I missed something.
There's no real advantage to putting them in separate lists. You can turn the individual system on or off with a system quick key if both are in the same parent list. Or, of course, if you prefer them separated, then toggle their respective lists on or off.
 

Para078

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OK, this is driving me crazy. I have everything in the data base in the scanner. I get no signal from Terrell running analyse. I even added some 800mhz frequencies I found. Am I in a dead spot?
 

hiegtx

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OK, this is driving me crazy. I have everything in the data base in the scanner. I get no signal from Terrell running analyse. I even added some 800mhz frequencies I found. Am I in a dead spot?
If you are reasonably close (in range), you should not have a problem. I can hear Terrell & Forney here at home, about 5 miles southwest of downtown Dallas. That's inside the house, not using an external antenna on the roof. Are you in Kaufman, Rockwall, or Dallas County? Approximate location ? (like a reference point of some kind, highway intersection, or known business that is not far away).

Can you post your programming file? Export it into an *.hpe file. Then, <right><click> on it, and choose "Send to" from the pop-up menu. Send it to a "Compressed (zipped) folder. You can then attach that to a post

One other thing: Did you create the Terrell system manually, either through the keypad, or in Sentinel? If so, did you also enter the location information? If you created manually, and did not add the location details, the scanner will ignore the system if you are using location control. Zero degrees for both latitude & longitude (or those fields left blank) is in the Atlantic Ocean, off the west coast of Africa. If you appended from the main database, the location details should have been carried over without having to enter separately.
 

Para078

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I'm about to narrow it down to my 10 year old antenna, and/or I'm ina dead spot. Went to town earlier with the scanner using the supplied antenna. Perfect reception. I used Sentinel to program it.' then I went to Radio Reference and made sure the settings were correct.

I live about 10 miles east of the tower, Hwy 80 and County Road 351. Range is set at 30 miles. I'm about a mile NE of the Elmo tower and Kaufman County is as clear as it was on VHF.

Since it worked in the car I'm thinking I need to replace my antenna. Right now no one is talking, no one talks when you want them to. It's still on the collapsable antenna. I tried it all the way down, and now it's extended.

I miss the days of enter the frequencies and hit scan. Life was so much better then.
 

hiegtx

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I'm about to narrow it down to my 10 year old antenna, and/or I'm ina dead spot. Went to town earlier with the scanner using the supplied antenna. Perfect reception. I used Sentinel to program it.' then I went to Radio Reference and made sure the settings were correct.

I live about 10 miles east of the tower, Hwy 80 and County Road 351. Range is set at 30 miles. I'm about a mile NE of the Elmo tower and Kaufman County is as clear as it was on VHF.

Since it worked in the car I'm thinking I need to replace my antenna. Right now no one is talking, no one talks when you want them to. It's still on the collapsable antenna. I tried it all the way down, and now it's extended.

I miss the days of enter the frequencies and hit scan. Life was so much better then.
I'd agree, sounds like an antenna, or coax (if using any), problem. Since you can hear them when in your vehicle, using the OEM antenna, there's nothing wrong with your programming.
 

Para078

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Changing antennas with new coax and connectors. Waiting on a tripod roof mount to get it set up.
 

Para078

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Did the antenna switch today. Used a Tram mobile antenna with the groundplane adapter. It's on a seperate mast about five feet below the discone. Getting four bars and clear reception on both systems. Analog reception has improved.

The old discone just became the back up and TV antenna,
 

hiegtx

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Did the antenna switch today. Used a Tram mobile antenna with the groundplane adapter. It's on a seperate mast about five feet below the discone. Getting four bars and clear reception on both systems. Analog reception has improved.

The old discone just became the back up and TV antenna,
Sounds good.

The only listed talkgroups for Forney in the database are for fire & police dispatch. You might set that system to ID Search to see what else is in use. I would expect that police, or fire, if not both, have other TGIDs for tac or talk use. And, they may also have other city services such as public works or water department also on the system. If you find any new ones, please submit to the database.
 

28056

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Bump...

Rarely, Forney will also pop up on Mesquite Citywide (analog) for mutual aid calls. I do not have the TGID.
 
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