Topsfield police system

[kjl13]

Hello.


I monitor the Topsfield police and fire repeaters and recently(about a month or two ago) I noticed that the range has decreased dramatically, the signal barely reaches outside the town now. I understand that the town has no priority to let people scan better but, any ideas to fix this?

I use a Motorola XTS 3000 for handheld use and a XTL 5000 for my mobile to monitor this. Any ideas I could try?

 

[gordon115]

Where are you located? I'm just North of the Tobin Bridge and hear the FD about the same as I always have. Not a regular listener to their PD.

Gordon

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[kjl13]

I am located in Topsfield, but when I leave the town, (even going just into Danvers on route one). I lose almost all connectivity with my handheld. My mobile has a great signal, but I am not always with it.

Thanks.

Where are you located? I'm just North of the Tobin Bridge and hear the FD about the same as I always have. Not a regular listener to their PD.

Gordon

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[ecps92]

Many towns have reduced or been told to reduce [either FCC or APCO Coordination etc] power as there is no need to cover 100 mi radius
anymore due to the build out of the Mutual Aid Networks and the need to share channels in a very congested market.

On the other hand, it could also be a Transmitter issue. As Scannists we may never know

Hello.


I monitor the Topsfield police and fire repeaters and recently(about a month or two ago) I noticed that the range has decreased dramatically, the signal barely reaches outside the town now. I understand that the town has no priority to let people scan better but, any ideas to fix this?

I use a Motorola XTS 3000 for handheld use and a XTL 5000 for my mobile to monitor this. Any ideas I could try?

 

[kjl13]

Any way to have a better chance of receiving at longer distances?


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[12dbsinad]

Have you tried this with multiple vehicles? Any chance you may have added some LED lighting or other accessories to the vehicle you're using the handheld in?

 

[kjl13]

In vehicles it the signal is mediocre, and I have practically no signal on my handheld.


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[kjl13]

In vehicles it the signal is mediocre, and I have practically no signal on my handheld.


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edit: just noticed the typo, the “it” is not suppose to be there.

 

[kjl13]

Bump.


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[kayn1n32008]

Bump.


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External antennas outside of the vehicle. If not listening across a large portion of the band, I would recommend a 5/8wave.


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[kjl13]

External antennas outside of the vehicle. If not listening across a large portion of the band, I would recommend a 5/8wave.


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Again, lol. My mobile setup works fine, but when I am on the go. My XTS losses all signal as soon as I leave the town. The decrease in range started happening about two or three months ago after they moved their repeaters from a tower in the bottom of the valley to the tower on top of a hill. I though this would increase signal. But all it did was make it worse.


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[kayn1n32008]

Again, lol. My mobile setup works fine, but when I am on the go. My XTS losses all signal as soon as I leave the town. The decrease in range started happening about two or three months ago after they moved their repeaters from a tower in the bottom of the valley to the tower on top of a hill. I though this would increase signal. But all it did was make it worse.


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Vehicles on VHF act like faraday cages. It’s hard to reliable monitor with a portable inside a vehicle.

Quite likely, with the move to a new site, they may have been required to reduce their ERP. At the lower site, they probably were able to license for a really high ERP, saturating the area, making in vehicle signal strengths quite high.

There is probably not much you can do to improve in vehicle monitoring with a handheld.


Edit: I’m assuming these agencies are on VHF. You did not specify.

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[kjl13]

Vehicles on VHF act like faraday cages. It’s hard to reliable monitor with a portable inside a vehicle.

Quite likely, with the move to a new site, they may have been required to reduce their ERP. At the lower site, they probably were able to license for a really high ERP, saturating the area, making in vehicle signal strengths quite high.

There is probably not much you can do to improve in vehicle monitoring with a handheld.


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I am not using a portable inside the vehicle, I am talking about when I am walking around and such.

The topsfield systems are also UHF, and the town did not update their license when they moved the repeater which I found strange.

Finally, when I am in the car; I have a xtl with an external antenna. This works fine; the only problem is with the handheld.


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[kjl13]

Here is the PD license and the FD license.

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?fccCallsign=WPYQ446

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?fccCallsign=WNPL239


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[ecps92]

One is VHF [Fire] the other is UHF [Police]. Both are not in the same band

You may want to experiment with another Antenna, other than the Stock one supplied.

Are you sure they moved the Repeater ? And which agency the PD or FD ?

Here is the PD license and the FD license.

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?fccCallsign=WPYQ446

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?fccCallsign=WNPL239


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[kjl13]

One is VHF [Fire] the other is UHF [Police]. Both are not in the same band

You may want to experiment with another Antenna, other than the Stock one supplied.

Are you sure they moved the Repeater ? And which agency the PD or FD ?

Fire is not VHF. It is uhf...
Unless you think 453.4625 is VHF.

And I am using a different antenna, not the stock. Should of mentioned this before. But I have tried both.

And I am sure they moved the repeaters, they moved both.

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[ecps92]

Sorry, was not delving into the licenses that deep and the first few Freqs are VHF [15x.xxxx]

Try a different Scanner, Portables are not what they used to be.
Even in my old city [UHF and T-Band] I had to move the radio inches sometimes to get a signal, due to hills, buildings and TV-38 [don't laugh]

I'm sure if the Dept was having an issue it would be resolved, systems are not designed for us hobbyists
What leads you to beleive they did move the Repeaters ?

Fire is not VHF. It is uhf...
Unless you think 453.4625 is VHF.

And I am using a different antenna, not the stock. Should of mentioned this before. But I have tried both.

And I am sure they moved the repeaters, they moved both.

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[kjl13]

Sorry, was not delving into the licenses that deep and the first few Freqs are VHF [15x.xxxx]

Try a different Scanner, Portables are not what they used to be.
Even in my old city [UHF and T-Band] I had to move the radio inches sometimes to get a signal, due to hills, buildings and TV-38 [don't laugh]

I'm sure if the Dept was having an issue it would be resolved, systems are not designed for us hobbyists
What leads you to beleive they did move the Repeaters ?

I have tried scanning portables, they just don’t work as well. Plus the audio quality sucks. So I just stay away from scanners. I know a bunch of officers and a few firemen and they also noticed the signal is not what if use to be two to three months ago.

And one of my buddies who is on fire, told me they moved it and it is evident that they did because I also contacted the tower owner and he said topsfield pd and Fire now have antennas up there.


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[ecps92]

FYI [not being confrontational] but the "having antennas" can also mean a Remote RX site, doesn't mean the Repeater actually moved.

BTW - 453.4625 107.2 is R7 down to the South Shore with on a back the radio Telescopic antenna
So I am bowing out of this thread as it seems to be your individual radio set-up [IMHO]

Not sure how the strike thru got added to the message. Hmm

I have tried scanning portables, they just don’t work as well. Plus the audio quality sucks. So I just stay away from scanners. I know a bunch of officers and a few firemen and they also noticed the signal is not what if use to be two to three months ago.

And one of my buddies who is on fire, told me they moved it and it is evident that they did because I also contacted the tower owner and he said topsfield pd and Fire now have antennas up there.


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[kjl13]

FYI [not being confrontational] but the "having antennas" can also mean a Remote RX site, doesn't mean the Repeater actually moved.

BTW - 453.4625 107.2 is R7 down to the South Shore with on a back the radio Telescopic antenna
So I am bowing out of this thread as it seems to be your individual radio set-up [IMHO]

Not sure how the strike thru got added to the message. Hmm

Yea, but the tower is in the middle of the town; could be the case.
But he said they had repeaters at the site, so they had to make sure there was no interference with a system I am installing there.

And were you talking about your own radio setup?