Trying to get a Whistler TRX-2 working in the Upstate

[aa4lb]

I have a new to me Whistler TRX-2 that is giving me fits. All I tried so far is PAL800 trunked system in Greenville County. Using the Whistler EasyScan software I was able to import all the talkgroups and trunked sites I normally use into a single scanlist and it sort of works. It receives maybe 5% of what my old Radio Shack PRO-106 receives. I also want to break up the talkgroups into other scanlists so I can select what I want to hear. I can't figure out how to connect the Trunked Radio Systems (sites) to the other scanlists when I try this.

I know the usual answer is the issues with simulcast distortion, but I don't believe I'm that far along yet.

Is there anyone in the Greenville County area using one of the later model Whistler scanners with any success on the PAL800 system?

Thanks for your help.
Lee
AA4LB

 

[RaleighGuy]

I can't figure out how to connect the Trunked Radio Systems (sites) to the other scanlists when I try this.

Check attached

 

[hill]

Just put the talkgroups in other scanlists by checking which ones you want them in.

The talkgroups are linked to sites, so really don't do anything thing else.

This scanner might not be the greatest to use if any sites are simulcast.

 

[aa4lb]

Thanks for the quick response RaleighGuy and hill.

I found your (RaleighGuy) document somewhere and tried to follow it. I did get all the county talkgroups I wanted into scanlist 001 and it created trunked system with the correct sites. I did not realize that when I added the talkgroup to another scanlist that it carried the trunked system data with it.

So maybe my problem is not so much talkgroup and site data. Could my very old Radio Shack PRO-106 (sitting on same desk with same talkgroups active) really outperform Whistler's latest technology!? The TRX-2 really is only decoding about 5% of the transmissions that the PRO-106 is.

RaleighGuy do you scan any systems in your area with simulcast sites?

Anyone have any tips or suggestions to try?

Thanks,
Lee
AA4LB

 

[tvengr]

Is Multi-Site on the PRO-106 set to Stationary. If it is, you will scan every site whose control channels are in the frequency list for a system. The TRX-2 will scan only the site with the best signal. The only way around that is to create a separate system for each site you wish to scan.

 

[brian]

Greenville County Simulcast is notorious (at least to me) for being a very challenging simulcast area. My GRE/RS/Whistler scanners struggle mightily to decode much of anything on this site. The TRX scanners are known to be worse at handling simulcast than some of the older Whistler/GRE models. Likely, even if you have everything programmed correctly, you're not going to have much success with the Greenville simulcast site.

Add to that, there aren't any non-simulcast sites on that southern end of Greenville County that carry much of the Greenville County talkgroups. Laurens site carries some if it, but not much.

You're likely going to need a different radio to have much success, unfortunately.

 

[tvengr]

Since the PRO-106 works OK at the OP's location, it is possible it could be a programming issue. I agree that none of the GRE-designed scanners get along well with simulcast.

 

[RaleighGuy]

RaleighGuy do you scan any systems in your area with simulcast sites?

Sorry for the late reply, not following this thread so please tag me with the @ symbol in front of my username or replying to my post.

Yes, I scan a simulcast county site (Cary/Wake System) with my TRX-1 and WS1098, at home it works fine, but a half a mile in any direction it is terrible to no reception. It is totally based on your location in relationship to the towers.

 

[aa4lb]

Here is an update...In the simulcast distortion writeup on RadioReference the first suggestion is set the squelch to zero (open). Tried that and the scanner works great because I only have PAL800 trunked data loaded so far. So, for now I will dedicate this scanner to trunked systems or conventional with CTCSS.

Thanks for all the help guys!
Lee
AA4LB

 

[JohnSC]

Brian is right, as usual, about simulcast. If you can pick it up, Hogback is a non-simulcast tower and carries much of Greenville County talk groups north of I-85. It also handles much of Spartanburg County.