TRX-1 Quit receiving Albemarle Co
- Thread starter ka3nxn
- Start date
There are not 19 "sites" ... there are three. One uses three frequencies, one uses nine, and the third uses seven. But they are separate sites.
This is a P25 system, which replaced the old Motorola Smartnet system that you were able to monitor. If you just went in and modified what you had been using before and added the new control channels, that will not work. You need to start from scratch and program the system.
How are you programming your scanner? Are you using the Whistler software? If so, then you can import the system from the database. If you aren't, then I would really recommend you download (it's free!) and use it.
As others have already mentioned, the new system is simulcast. Each "site" is made up of several (looks like four) towers with antennas on them that all transmit simultaneously. Unfortunately the Whistler TRX-1 scanners do not, as a rule, deal with with digital simulcast, so even if you have the system programmed correctly you may not get acceptable results. But let's start with the programming and go from there.
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- Feb 22, 2007
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Okay I'm going to have to admit here I am totally lost as to what you are saying, we have answered your question and the problem is solved. We gave the answer why you are not picking up your County anymore.
You have been using the Motorola type ll smartzone system to listen to your police and fire previously before you lost the ability to hear them.
The reason you can't hear them anymore is because that system is not being used anymore, I assume you could just delete it from your radio. You are now on the tdma Phase 2 simulcast system that has three sites and no more than that. The name of the sites are scott, east and west.
You need to use your easy scan software from Whistler, make sure it's updated and simply program the new system for your county into your radio.
This is not something you're going to want to manually program, you want to use the easy scan software. I really don't know what else to say?
I don't even have easy scan programming software on my PC anymore but I do own a trx1 and it's sitting in a storage bin in my for 5 years, it does not work well at all on Phase 2 simulcast but I'm not going to sell it, I might find a use for it at some point. I stopped using it when my whole area went Phase 2 simulcast, it worked great on the Motorola smart Zone systems but they are all gone now like your countie's is.
If I could make a suggestion. Press the report button and have this thread moved to the Whistler forum. We have answered the question of why you're not picking up your county anymore but perhaps there they can help you properly use the Whistler easy scan software and assist you in putting in your new system that your county is now using.
I m familiar with programming the TRX and I also own a PSR 800 for over 12 years.
The guys on the Whistler forum will set you up. All the information is here on this thread that they need.
I know you said you don't like the Whistler software. However, if you have been trying to program the scanner by hand and that isn't working, I'd recommend going back and trying the software. If you use the Whister software, you don't need to worry about whether the setting is "Motorola", "P25" or anything else - you just download the new system and put it in your scan list. And as recommended above, delete whatever you already had for Charlottesville-Albemarle first.
ka3nxn
Member
Should I be scanning the P16 or the P25 system for the latest for Albemarle Co?
ka3nxn
Member
For the above mentioned site should I be monitoring the P16 or the P25 system? I have a TRX1 that quit receiving the above system and I'm going to wipe it completely clean and start all over.
LeSueurC
IBEW Local 50
P25, they’ve been off the P16 for a while
ka3nxn
Member
Ive tried several times to import the CSV files that I got from RR for this site. I need a little help. I keep getting an error that it can't find the talk group column. I don't want to mess with the file in case i mess something up.
ka3nxn
Member
I've almost given up on this scanner and trying to get this system back up and running. I even put the wildcard and still nothing. Every once in a while I get a burst of audio but nothing. This is the only 800MHz system I monitor. All the others that are trunked are on VHF. The VHF systems work fine. Not the 800MHz system. It was working earlier this year and then as of about March, nothing. I do see an excellent signal strength on the 800 system, and I do see the "T" on the screen so it does see that it is a trunked system, so it's not an antenna issue. I'm at wits end. Just as a reminder I am using a Whistler TRX-1 so I'm stuck using their poor software.
ka3nxn
Member
I've almost given up on this scanner and trying to get this system back up and running. I even put the wildcard and still nothing. Every once in a while I get a burst of audio but nothing. This is the only 800MHz system I monitor. All the others that are trunked are on VHF. The VHF systems work fine. Not the 800MHz system. It was working earlier this year and then as of about March, nothing. I do see an excellent signal strength on the 800 system, and I do see the "T" on the screen so it does see that it is a trunked system, so it's not an antenna issue. I'm at wits end. Just as a reminder I am using a Whistler TRX-1 so I'm stuck using their poor software. The scanner does stop on the wildcard, but I get no audio.
Those are both classic symptoms of simulcast distortion. Unfortunately, the TRX-1 does not have the hardware needed to reliably monitor a simulcast system.
Simulcast Distortion - The RadioReference Wiki
There are things you can try (turn on attenuator, move the scanner an inch or two, use a paperclip as an antenna) which may help, but chances are you won't have much luck with them.
Just out of curiousity, what are the trunked VHF systems you monitor?
The TRX is the wrong radio to be using for a P25 simulcast system. I know you don't want to hear this, but it's the reality. If you own a recent computer running Windows 10 or better, there are SDR / free software solutions that work great and are relatively inexpensive compared to buying a new P25 simulcast capable scanner or a Unication pager. All are relatively complicated to set up, so you will need friends that have a good grasp of current technology.
I've been thru the area with a TRX-1 and this behavior is typical. Haven't really studied patterns of reception but felt like I was getting best reception near one end of the downtown mall (near the Whiskey Jar) and in Scottsville, where I'm likely hearing only one site. One big question for you is whether you're listening mobile/portable or from home. (I see that you list your location as Arvonia). A couple possibilities:
1 - If listening at home, use software to lock out sites except those closest to you. Maybe the one that serves Scottsville would treat you best.
2 - Understand that the audio is pretty crazy with Phase II systems--at least on this radio. You could be getting something so overdriven that the radio can't process it, or encryption could be in place and you'll just hear a soft 'dial tone' sound. (You should also see an 'E' on your display)
3 - Also understand that many newer P25 systems use directional antennas to confine their signal to the actual locality as much as possible. If you're listening from home, you may not be getting the same level of signal as the P16 system had. I used the hear the P16 system all the way across Fluvanna County. Definitely not the case with the new system.
73/Allen (N4JRI)
ka3nxn
Member
HI Allen,
I use it mainly mobile. Just yesterday I was in CHO on top of Pantops Mountain, and I was getting a full scale signal from the tower, plus I could see that it was seeing that it was a trunked system, but only an occasional blurb of noise on the wildcard channel, but nothing discernable. The picture is of the scanner while I was sitting in the Giant shopping center, on Pantops. As you can see, it's getting the tower very well. I keep it in the work truck because I drive all over the state, and the STARS system works great, and like I mentioned earlier, it likes VHF trunked system, but just completely quit working on the 800 system. It won't pickup anything on Albemarle or CHO systems. Although they are both one and the same. I also use an excellent external antenna on the truck. I have an MP1 antenna that covers from 30-6000MHz, and I also have an Austin Sperctra antenna. I even tried to see if it was perchance RF overload by switching to the rubber duck, and even no antenna. Still nothing. I should have bought a Uniden. I really don't like this programming SW. The wildcard alone should cause it to stop and pretty much stay there since this is such a big multi-agency system. Wildcard should be busy almost 100% of the time. I have been monitoring this system since they went 800MHz back I think it was in 2004. My first scanner that I still have was a Uniden 396T. To bad I can't go back to that one.
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Too well. It's seeing strong signals from at least two towers.
OK I asked in my last post which VHF systems you were talking about. You'll have to forgive me ... I'm a frequent visitor to that area but not a resident ... what is "CHO"?
STARS is VHF, yes. But more importantly, it is NOT simulcast. That's why your scanner works on that system, not becuse it's VHF.
The better the antenna, the more towers your scanner can hear, which just makes the simulcast distortion worse.
The scanner cannot decode the digital audio signal. The wildcard has no bearing on that.
Correct on STARS. No simulcast = decent reception. Similar with Navy ELMR in Norfolk. A good test of VHF vs. 800 P25 reception would be the Louisa/Fluvanna P25 system.. (which my TRX-1 doesn't like very much)
73/Allen (N4JRI)
73/Allen (N4JRI)
Your TRX doesn't like the Louisa system because it is simulcast. 800 systems work well if properly designed and implemented. Modern radio systems are designed to keep most of their energy within the confines of their service area to support frequency reuse and limit co-channel interference. Old conventional VHF systems tended to blast power to overcome coverage issues but create problems for other users hundreds of miles away. If it were me, I'd sell the TRX and get an SDS100. You might take a loss in the transaction, but you won't be complaining / pulling your hair out about receive issues.
ka3nxn
Member
Like said I tried the rubber duck, and the signal went to about half scale, still nothing, and with no antenna, I get nothing, which is to be expected.
CHO is the airport code for Charlottesville which we use for the area instead of typing out Charlottesville every time.
Stars is the state wide trunked system that the state PD and other agencies use. It's on VHF and that system works great.
CHO is the airport code for Charlottesville which we use for the area instead of typing out Charlottesville every time.
Stars is the state wide trunked system that the state PD and other agencies use. It's on VHF and that system works great.
