The North Fulton County's new system

[MTS2000des]

what you are experiencing is typical of a consumer digital scanner, they lack the proper circuitry in the front end to receive simulcast digital properly.

Some call it simulcast "distortion". This is a total incorrect statement, there is no "distortion" of the signal in the system, the system radios work flawlessly. The root cause of the problem is a design deficiency in the consumer scanner.

You can try adjusting some of the thresholds or playing with different antennas at your location, but in the end, it's just the modern reality that consumer digital scanners yield subpar performance on digital simulcast radio systems like the NFRRSA.

 

[rfd320]

Thanks! I kind of suspected that after listening to some of the other systems around town.

 

[K4SVT]

They are having alot of problems setting up this fine system...so the source says..but it will get better after all the bugs and radios are switched over..i guess enjoy it while you can..

 

[Jakeportland]

Is the phase 2 system going to go encrypted ?

 

[edcohen05]

Best scanner to buy for new system

Can anyone suggest a scanner that will work best for this new system for now and in the future

 

[K4SVT]

Well if they go to phase 2 with encryption..then nothing will...

 

[rapidcharger]

Can anyone suggest a scanner that will work best for this new system for now and in the future

I would count on encryption being used for police.

Fire and EMS might not be however. If you're willing to spend a few hundred dollars on a scanner just to listen to the Sleepy Hollow Fire & EMS or maybe public works type departments, until they migrate to something else several years later, I have heard good things about the Radio Shack 668. But keep in mind, the only certainty is that they won't be using anything that scanner can listen to forever.

 

[MTS2000des]

My Pro-668 works fairly well on this system at home. Driving around is another story, but then again I am outside it's intended coverage area. My APX/XTS (in non-affiliate scan mode) works flawlessly of course well beyond what the system was designed for.

As far as phase 2, I have it on good info that over the next year or so, all the phase 1 radios on the system will be phased out and replaced with phase 2 gear, and thus the talkgroups would be all phase 2. Encryption? What RC said, most likely for LE. The same source indicated all new hardware was being ordered with both ADP and AES-256.

For now, any phase 1 scanner. In the future, phase 2 is a must. They all have their pluses and minuses, IMO, the GRE/Whistler radios tend to do a better job. My Uniden 996T can't even lock on the CC on this system but the 668 can receive it just fine. At the end of the day, they are cheap consumer devices and one must accept they will be doing some tweaking with DSP settings, experimenting with antennas, etc. It is not like a system radio which just plain works. YMMV. You'll just have to try and see. My advice is get with someone near you who can come by with their scanner and see how well theirs works, or order from someone with a good return policy.

 

[n11]

Best scanner settings to try adjusting for better sound?

what you are experiencing is typical of a consumer digital scanner,...................................................................................
You can try adjusting some of the thresholds.................................................................................................................

I have two Pro-668's and have them programmed and working for NFRRSA. Unfortunately the quality varies dramatically based on time and/or location. Would someone (who knows a lot more than me) suggest the best thresholds or other settings that I could try adjusting to see what happens. With two scanners I could adjust only one and compare A vs. B to see what is working best.

If anyone has finalized some better settings for this particular system that would also be nice to know. Thanks for any advice.

 

[MTS2000des]

watch this guy's video.
I used the settings he recommended and it made a world of difference.
Hope that helps.

 

[n11]

watch this guy's video.
I used the settings he recommended and it made a world of difference.
Hope that helps.

Will do...thanks!

 

[KD4YGG]

watch this guy's video.
I used the settings he recommended and it made a world of difference.
Hope that helps.

Agreed - this helps out greatly!!!

 

[edcohen05]

In my original post I was trying to get some information on what make and model scanner would be the best on to get for this new system. I understand that if the go to Phase II and encrypt it nothing
will work. I can understand them doing Police but why bother with Fire

 

[thegriff]

I watched the video and the only true settings I saw were the decode thresholds. Is that what you've changed that helped decodes? The business about the CC vs. VS frequencies seemed like a red herring.

 

[DanRollman]

I can understand them doing Police but why bother with Fire

I dunno. Ask Gwinnett County. I think the honest answer is because some bureaucrats think taxpayers should pay no attention (and the media should stop helping citizens pay attention) to the government agents the citizens fund. The citizens exist to support (pay) government agent salaries. Citizens serve the government employees, not the other way around. If that's your mindset, why wouldn't you encrypt everything (including the parks department and janitors, as in Gwinnett)?

As an aside, to be clear, I don't understand them "doing Police" either. I'm just rolling with your question re: fire. We shouldn't be so quick to concede that our local constabulary needs to encrypt their field communications and hide their communications from the non-existent "bad guys with scanners and iPhone apps".

 

[MTS2000des]

I dunno. Ask Gwinnett County.

You'll never get an answer other than some carefully selected, USDA Grade A guano.

I think the honest answer is because some bureaucrats think taxpayers should pay no attention (and the media should stop helping citizens pay attention) to the government agents the citizens fund.

Yep. Pretty much it. Ironic how it has become, but then, when you have government officials who are corrupt and vile like this guy who act with total impunity, it is no wonder why in his agencies' case, full AES-256 was ordered up for their new phase 2 network. It's all about being accountable, and today's governments are become more under the controlled of corporate interests like those on Capitol Hill in DC.

As an aside, to be clear, I don't understand them "doing Police" either. I'm just rolling with your question re: fire. We shouldn't be so quick to concede that our local constabulary needs to encrypt their field communications and hide their communications from the non-existent "bad guys with scanners and iPhone apps".

Those who have common sense and don't want to look like they are hiding something have at least for now conceded that the "getting the cat out of a tree" call is not a homeland security emergency that requires AES-256 encryption and a military response vehicle to respond.

But it's getting hard to tell who the good guys and bad guys are these days, I guess the corporate paymasters that own this place like it that way. Keep everyone afraid and they will do whatever we want, and they'll gladly pay for it to.

 

[N8IAA]

I dunno. Ask Gwinnett County. I think the honest answer is because some bureaucrats think taxpayers should pay no attention (and the media should stop helping citizens pay attention) to the government agents the citizens fund. The citizens exist to support (pay) government agent salaries. Citizens serve the government employees, not the other way around. If that's your mindset, why wouldn't you encrypt everything (including the parks department and janitors, as in Gwinnett)?

As an aside, to be clear, I don't understand them "doing Police" either. I'm just rolling with your question re: fire. We shouldn't be so quick to concede that our local constabulary needs to encrypt their field communications and hide their communications from the non-existent "bad guys with scanners and iPhone apps".

Well, Dan...janitors, parks, and dog catchers have been encrypted since day one in 2008, as have the PD's and SO.
I, for one, will show my displeasure at the polls. Every member of the 'good old boy commissioners' will not have my vote. I haven't voted for SPLOST since the first time after moving here sixteen years ago. I know one year the extra tax only won because of the teachers thinking they wouldn't get any money. What a joke.
I know my one vote won't matter, but it's my way of saying no.
L8ter,
Larry
Sorry for the off topic post.
L.

 

[MTS2000des]

NFRRSA really reaches out!

After passively monitoring this system using an APX6000, this system is receivable with no BER issues. Now keep in mind I am not in anyway registering with the network and my radio is completely disabled from transmitting any RF, so I have no way of knowing how a subscriber would get back in from these locations, but I can hear it all the way into Douglas county to the west, well into southern Cherokee (Woodstock and Canton) and pretty much everywhere in Cobb.

some places in Cobb I am surprised how well it does, considering the rough terrain (there are some places along the EWC where Cobb's DTRS suffers some "going digital") where the NFRRSA sounds fine.

It seems this is a well engineered network that performs very well beyond it's intended coverage area at least as far as being able to receive it using a receiver that can actually decode CQPSK-LSM.

too bad most scanners can't even come close to the performance of a subscriber radio so most people can experience how good this system can sound.

 

[gtscee]

SSPD/SSFD using Home Patrol-1

I'm using a Home Patrol-1. It looks like the new NFRRSA P-25 isn't in the database yet (as of today 5/8). If anyone knows otherwise, please let me know where to look.

Also, does anyone know if the Sandy Springs talkgroups will move to Phase 2? What about encryption? I would consider buying a Phase 2 scanner if needed, but don't want to do so and then find the channels encrypted.

 

[wise871]

I'm using a Home Patrol-1. It looks like the new NFRRSA P-25 isn't in the database yet (as of today 5/8). If anyone knows otherwise, please let me know where to look.

Also, does anyone know if the Sandy Springs talkgroups will move to Phase 2? What about encryption? I would consider buying a Phase 2 scanner if needed, but don't want to do so and then find the channels encrypted.

The HomePatrol-1 will not monitor that system so it will not show up in your database. It's a Phase 2 system. None of the talk groups are encrypted on NFRRSA as of yet.