Thanks to GTO 04 5-16-2010 Sunday

[W9NES]

I just wanted to say "Thank You" to GTO 04 for visting W9NES on Sunday 5-16-2010.GTO O4 brought over his Uniden 396XT along with his GRE scanner and they did the same thing on MECA that my scanners are doing over in this area.Thanks for your Time GTO 04. It was a pleasure to meet you and you are always welcome in my home.Best Reguards,Tim DeLong W9NES Montoring all of Metro Indianapolis/Marion County, Central Indiana.

 

[GTO_04]

You're welcome. I just wish I had better news for MECA reception in your area. GRE, or Uniden (T or XT) reception is just hit and miss in that area with some garbling. Sometimes it's OK, sometimes it's not.

Maybe the scanner manufacturers will improve their decoding of simulcast systems if enough people complain about it.

 

[W9NES]

This is the problem we all are having across Metro Indianapolis/Marion County with 8 locations that have been posted in this fourm in the past.

 

[bearcat991]

Have any of you tried an 800 beam pointed directly at the tower you want to receive? If that doesn't work a preamp will help as I use one and receive MECA from 35 miles out. Must be some strong interference in certain areas but the proper antenna and a preamp will help...if not guess you have to move.....

 

[W9NES]

I have tried all types of 800Beam antennas pointed at the MECA tower sites and nothing has helped.A preamp will only make things worse*.I am not moving from my home.*The area of 71Street and Michigan Road to my south to 96Th and Michigan Road to my north as been a problem for a long time and after having another RR member to come over and prove my point backs up what I have trying to tell all of you for a long time.It does not matter if you have a Uniden 396T, Uniden 396XT, Uniden 996T, Uniden 996XT or a GRE or Radio Shack they all do the same thing. If anyone would like to come over like GTO 04 did with their radios and see what is going on you are more than welcome to see what your radios will do.

 

[getitfixed]

I have the same problem at kentucky avenue and high school road on southwest side.

 

[W9NES]

Thanks getitfixed.Please call me when it is a good time for you.

 

[W9NES]

5-17-2010 Monday 8400North Michigan Road 6:00PM.Uniden 396T was checked on MECA system 1.Still same problem*Garbled talkgroups and not picking up control channels* Indicator on 396T was flashing"Finding Control Channel* My 396T has the lastest updates on software from Uniden."No Signal found in the parking lot Southwest Corner of 79Th and Michigan Road in the shopping center parking lot.

 

[drunyon]

While I don't live there and haven't followed your troubles have there been any reports of trouble with MECA radios (portables or mobiles) operating in the same area or is it just scanners?

 

[W9NES]

IMPD along with other users are having problems while they are using the system.I met a IMPD North District Officer at Radio Shack in the 8700 Block on North Michigan Road about a month back and he told me that IMPD has told MECA numerious times about problems "They IMPD" are having with there radios but there request to have the problems fixed are"Falling on Deaf Ears".The North District Officer was very nice after I introduced myself to him as a "Ham Radio Operator" and I went with him to Wall Mart where I met him during his shift.The Wall Mart is on West 86Th Street east of Michigan Road.While I was inside the building with him on his "MECA issued radio" he called Control 4 times on his radio and "None of the Control Operators answered him" When he called in on his Cell Phone the Control Operator told him on the phone they could not hear him.He told them he had called in 4 times with his location and "Gave Up" and called them on his cell phone.MECA has been told about the problems by There Users of the system but the refuse to fix the problem.I will extend the invite to "Any of our RR members" to come over to the area of 71Street and Michigan to 96Th and Michiagn Road and try your scanners in this area.You will see there is a problem and it is *Not my scanners" with all the updated software that I have from Uniden on the Uniden 396T and the Uniden 996T."My door is open to all who would like to see and hear this on your scanner.

 

[jerk]

While I don't live there and haven't followed your troubles have there been any reports of trouble with MECA radios (portables or mobiles) operating in the same area or is it just scanners?

I believe it is just with scanners...

but if they keep making enough noise, someone is going to say to themselves... hmn, we seem to have a lot of scanner listeners... maybe encryption is a good idea.

In other words some will cut off their nose to spit their face and don't know when to quit.
Look ACCEPT the obvious... it's not about scanner reception, they don't care, they probably never will care and if you make an issue... they will do something about it but you won't like the results.

If you want "excellent" reception buy a Motorola radio or quietly figure out a solution or accept the limitations, but it is NOT about scanner listeners and never will be!

 

[W9NES]

It is a problem with the current system called MECA.Users of the system are having problems being heard across Metro Indianapolis/Marion County.AlphaBravo 1 there is nothing wrong with the scanners as I have all the updated Firmware and after GTO04 came over last Sunday that proves my point.A lot of us cannot afford $2500.00 radios just for scanning.All scanners in the area have been tested Uniden,Radioshack, GRE, and they all do the same thing.When MECA fixes there problems with my location and the other (8) across the Metro Indianapolis/Marion County area that is when we will be able to hear like we used to."It was really great when MECA was analog and we never had this problem in my area"Now that they are digital Users of the system along with the rest of us are having problems hearing them"AlphaBravo "Question---Would you like to come to NW Indianapolis and hear this for yourself on your scanner?" My door is always open for you and others'Thank You.

 

[jerk]

If it is a problem for the "users" of the system, then there is a mechanism in place to report it and it will get fixed.

If it is a problem with scanner reception... sorry about your luck!
Repeated complaining will only get attention focused on scanner users, and it won't be for the good of scanner listeners.

Learn to live with it... or you could move... ?

 

[Dispatch2323]

I think we are missing the point AlphaBravo1 is making. He is not disputing there is a problem on the NW side with reception...his point as I understand it is...if scanner listeners complain too much...Meca will just encrypt..they have already gone that route with Swat, Narc and the 3rd Channels for districts...I'm sure more are to follow...please quit calling Meca and David Schwartz...they don't care.

 

[W9NES]

Disptach2323,My point is this.IMPD Officers have been compaining about this with there radios for over a year now to MECA and the Request have"Fallen on Deaf Ears" IMPD and Others have filled out request for service forms to MECA but those have "Fallen on Deaf Ears" I do have a Recording of a IMPD Officer talking to control requesting that they notify MECA of the radio problem and Control advises the officer that"Quote,Meca is aware of the problem but they will not fix it" I also heard a Sgt asking Control for the same request and once again he was told the following---MECA is aware there is a problem but MECA will not fix the problem"Dispatch 2323 again would you like to bring out your scanner to this area of NW Metro Indianapolis/Marion County to hear this problem."There is no CONTROL Channel at 79Th and Michigan Road.SW Corner.I would be very glad to meet with you and show you that there is a problem.Also please feel free to being out all of your scanners with you for MECA and they will show you also that there is a problem.My Uniden 396T will all the latest Frimware updates will not take care of the problem.If you would like to accept my invite please contact me off line and we can meet.I also have another RR member in the same area that is north of 79Th on Michigan Road that is also having the same problem.He is also backing me up on this problem.

 

[usswood]

I think we are missing the point AlphaBravo1 is making. He is not disputing there is a problem on the NW side with reception...his point as I understand it is...if scanner listeners complain too much...Meca will just encrypt..they have already gone that route with Swat, Narc and the 3rd Channels for districts...I'm sure more are to follow...please quit calling Meca and David Schwartz...they don't care.

well I for one can't understand how encryption will make reception in that area any better if there is a legit problem with coverage over there...heck ENC would only make things worse probably...always brings out the encryption criers...look if they are going ENC, they will make that move and their is nothing anyone can do to stop it so please stop trying to blame scanner listeners for system managers, police chiefs, and Sheriffs decisions on their radio systems and the crap that Motorola gives them to sell there ENC

 

[aaron315]

I have the same problem at kentucky avenue and high school road on southwest side.

I can confirm the area of HS and Kentucky is crap on a 396xt, 996t AND a (lagit) Motorola XTS.

Although: I also loose the Greenwood, Indianapolis (Dist 52) and Hendricks Co Safe-T sites in the same area. The Moto radio will run it's battery into the ground tring to negotiate an affiliation. The scanners just don't hear dink. Perhaps some day I'll load the service monitor into the truck and see what it can see.

I would describe the affected area as that running along and near a line represented by Kentucky Ave and beginning 1/2 mile south of High School Rd to 1/4 mile south of I465. I have noticed degraded performance on MECA as far south as Ameriplex Blvd.

A co-worker lives in the same development as Tim. I don't even bother turning on a radio when I am up there. There is something whack in several places around the area.

Tim may or may not communicate it well, but he is dead on that there is something not right in the area of his home.

Another post says "If it is a problem for the "users" of the system, then there is a mechanism in place to report it and it will get fixed." Well :roll: Aint that just dandy. I know a lot of "users" that have reported the area even both Kentucky Rd and tims' area) when before cutover when the new system was in testing. While the Moto radios do better than the scanners, it is still crap.

 

[aaron315]

ENC in Tim's area is completly useless most of the time.

See ya on the 3's.

 

[jerk]

I think we are missing the point AlphaBravo1 is making. He is not disputing there is a problem on the NW side with reception...his point as I understand it is...if scanner listeners complain too much...Meca will just encrypt..they have already gone that route with Swat, Narc and the 3rd Channels for districts...I'm sure more are to follow...please quit calling Meca and David Schwartz...they don't care.

Exactly!

 

[jerk]

Disptach2323,My point is this.IMPD Officers have been compaining about this with there radios for over a year now to MECA and the Request have"Fallen on Deaf Ears" IMPD and Others have filled out request for service forms to MECA but those have "Fallen on Deaf Ears" I do have a Recording of a IMPD Officer talking to control requesting that they notify MECA of the radio problem and Control advises the officer that"Quote, Meca is aware of the problem but they will not fix it"
<Snip> .

Tim, recordings... you don't even work for MECA or any public safety organization... and no ham stuff doesn't count in my book.
MECA doesn't care about your scanner issues. Aren't you getting little obsessed? The more "noise" you make the worse it will be for all scanner listeners... and you won't solve the problems for the officers. If it was truly a big issue, the police or fire union would be all over it or they may be saving it for contract renegotiation time.

The proper channels to report the problem is not over the radio or telephone, it's here [URL="http://www.indy.gov/eGov/County/MECA/Help/Documents/MECA%20Incident%20Form(e).pdf"]http://www.indy.gov/eGov/County/MECA/Help/Documents/MECA%20Incident%20Form(e).pdf[/URL]