Recently purchased a TRX-1 and I am experiencing simulcast distortion on the Indianapolis Dept of Public Safety system. I am on the border of Madison and Hamilton counties and have tried having both sites loaded and also each site loaded separately. I have changed the settings for DSP Level Adapt, ADC Gain, DAC Gain and the Data Decode Thresholds. Nothing I have done makes reception any better. I can receive conventional and Hoosier SAFE-T systems fine. Any ideas anyone? If I cannot get this resolved this scanner is useless to me since my local PD and FD are on the Indy Dept of Pub Safely system.
TRX-1 and simulcast distortion
- Thread starter K9QR
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Try the Uniden SDS 100 or a Unication Pager
Like the post above it has been posted here starting with the release of the TRX's they for the most part do not work on these systems.
The only scanners that work are the SDS100 handheld on sale now and the SDS200 mobile shipping estimated last of Jan or early Feb 2019.
Whistler has been making statements dating back to May 2018 but has not showed a drawing or test scanner. Like also stated above a Unication G4 single band pager or the G5 dual band pager will work but they are not scanners and have some limitations that scanners have.
The only scanners that work are the SDS100 handheld on sale now and the SDS200 mobile shipping estimated last of Jan or early Feb 2019.
Whistler has been making statements dating back to May 2018 but has not showed a drawing or test scanner. Like also stated above a Unication G4 single band pager or the G5 dual band pager will work but they are not scanners and have some limitations that scanners have.
WA0CBW
Member
Just an FYI all the sites have the same frequencies in a simulcast system. If you are loading two sites that have different frequencies then they are not simulcast. They could be two different systems that may have sumulcast sites.
BB
BB
Simulcast distortion issues have been discussed hundreds of times over and over on the site here. It's a well known issues with P25 scanners up until the latest release of Uniden's high end scanners.
Have a browse at the forum discussions. You may also find some tips on making your TRX-1 work. My TRX 2 sits in the middle of a 700 MHZ P2 simulcast cell and works fine.
Have a browse at the forum discussions. You may also find some tips on making your TRX-1 work. My TRX 2 sits in the middle of a 700 MHZ P2 simulcast cell and works fine.
Before I forked out the bucks for a Unication or SDS 100/200 (when it comes out), I would check to see if anyone in the area owns a 436/536HP. If you find one, ask whether or not it can handle the system in question better than the one you own.
I had to buy a 436HP here in Waco because of the linear simulcast distortion. Although it is not perfect, when compared with the SDS 100 or Unication G5, it works great for me. I also bought two antennas to enhance reception:
800 MHz 2.5db Gain Professional Portable SMA Antenna | Scanner Master
I use this combination for mobile.
https://www.amazon.com/Tram-Tram1267r-Sma-Magnet-Nmo-Mounting-Rubber/dp/B07C2SDFXR
https://www.amazon.com/Tram-Tram1267r-Sma-Magnet-Nmo-Mounting-Rubber/dp/B07C2SDFXR
I have successfully monitored several statewide systems with this radio and experienced minimal linear distortion. However, some areas are more prone to such, I suppose, for a combination of variables.
I agree, you need to find the sites that are closest to you and work out, up to 32 objects per TSYS. You might even have to buy a directional antenna and point it toward the appropriate direction to hear Troopers.
Did you read this? http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Indianapolis_Department_Of_Public_Safety
I had to buy a 436HP here in Waco because of the linear simulcast distortion. Although it is not perfect, when compared with the SDS 100 or Unication G5, it works great for me. I also bought two antennas to enhance reception:
800 MHz 2.5db Gain Professional Portable SMA Antenna | Scanner Master
I use this combination for mobile.
https://www.amazon.com/Tram-Tram1267r-Sma-Magnet-Nmo-Mounting-Rubber/dp/B07C2SDFXR
https://www.amazon.com/Tram-Tram1267r-Sma-Magnet-Nmo-Mounting-Rubber/dp/B07C2SDFXR
I have successfully monitored several statewide systems with this radio and experienced minimal linear distortion. However, some areas are more prone to such, I suppose, for a combination of variables.
I agree, you need to find the sites that are closest to you and work out, up to 32 objects per TSYS. You might even have to buy a directional antenna and point it toward the appropriate direction to hear Troopers.
Did you read this? http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Indianapolis_Department_Of_Public_Safety
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GTO_04
Member
Each site should be loaded separately. You may already know this, but just to double check, Hamilton County is System 3 and Madison County is System 4. Like the other posters said, your best bets are the Unication (G5 for me) and the SDS-100. The Uniden 436/536 do OK as well but not like the Unication. The Unication works best for me. The SDS-100 had phenomenal reception on "800," good enough that I can even monitor System 1 from Noblesville with the stock antenna. I had to return the SDS-100 because it was causing severe interference on my radar detector which ironically is a Uniden R1. I like the SDS model well enough that I may just get the 200 for base station use.
I have a Uniden and BCD396 XT which works "most" of the time but there are times when it struggles with a lot of garbling. I use it when traveling and when listening to SAFE-T. Fortunately, the SAFE-T sites I monitor are not simulcast so the 396 works just fine for them. When I take the 396 to work in Indy, it works fine on System 1 because I am very close to only 1 tower so that takes care of the simulcast issues. I can take it to Illinois and it works fine on the Starcom 21 simulcast systems. The simulcast system I have the most trouble with is IDPS System 3.
The G5 is flawless on IDPS System 3. The only limitation on the G5 is that you can only monitor one system at a time.
Good luck resolving the simulcast issues I know it can be frustrating. The best solution for you may be returning the TRX-1 if you are within the return window. I have a GRE PSR-500 and it struggles even more on the simulcast systems than does my 396XT.
GTO_04
Yes, I was using the GRE PSR 500 when I was experiencing linear simulcast distortion problems here in Waco. GTO, thanks for your comments.
Ubbe
Member
It's all about signal strenghts, and those are not alike in different locations or even in the same room if you have a portable scanner. If one tower are considerable stronger than the others then it should be no problem for any scanner. If you only have one scanner and would like to receive transmissions from all directions on all frequencies then it's not much you can do. But if you can block reception from all directions except from one tower, or use a directional antenna, or use a filter to filter out one frequency band and use a directional antenna only for that band, then you have all possibilities to receive a simulcast system with a standard scanner.
/Ubbe
There's one other option that also works, but requires more hands-on effort. I've been using a software defined radio called OP-25. If you have an older laptop or desktop not being used, for less than $50 in parts you can turn it into a very reliable P-25 "scanner". It used to be very difficult to install and configure, but with the latest releases it's now very easy and most of it is self installing with the use of predefined scripts. It's not mobile of course, but for listening in your home it's a very cheap way of monitoring simulcast systems. I've even installed it on a small laptop and have it operating in my car. Check out the software defined radio section and look for OP-25 threads for instructions.
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