VA State Police on SDS-100 / 200

[WA4HHG]

This has been driving me crazy. Can't monitor either the VA State Police or the CBBT on my SDS-100 or SDS-200. I live in Chesapeake 8 miles above the NC line, next to the Swamp. I believe the tower is near I-64 and Indian River Rd so its 10'ish miles as the crow flies. Have the 3 Chesapeake and 1 VA Beach sites programmed in along with the State Police and the CBBT. Entered my zip code and a range of 15 miles and still, NADA. Cleaned out a bunch of VSP channels beyond my range so the scanner would not have to scan so many useless channels. Still don't get squat. Checked the control channels with an Icom-7000 and hear data on the closest Chesapeake tower but still, nothing on either scanner.

Programmed using Sentinel loaded with the most recent database update and the firmware in both radios is current.

The city channels, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk work fine and I get the odd hit from the VA Beach ORION system. No state police, CBBT or St. Brides Correctional though. Suggestions?

ciao

 

[LeSueurC]

This has been driving me crazy. Can't monitor either the VA State Police or the CBBT on my SDS-100 or SDS-200. I live in Chesapeake 8 miles above the NC line, next to the Swamp. I believe the tower is near I-64 and Indian River Rd so its 10'ish miles as the crow flies. Have the 3 Chesapeake and 1 VA Beach sites programmed in along with the State Police and the CBBT. Entered my zip code and a range of 15 miles and still, NADA. Cleaned out a bunch of VSP channels beyond my range so the scanner would not have to scan so many useless channels. Still don't get squat. Checked the control channels with an Icom-7000 and hear data on the closest Chesapeake tower but still, nothing on either scanner.

Programmed using Sentinel loaded with the most recent database update and the firmware in both radios is current.

The city channels, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk work fine and I get the odd hit from the VA Beach ORION system. No state police, CBBT or St. Brides Correctional though. Suggestions?

ciao

Try lowering your squelch. The Chesapeake site is off Military Highway, not far from Greenbrier Pkwy at the VSP Chesapeake Area Office.

 

[mike_s104]

Do either of them stop on any tower? Also make sure that you have the services you want to monitor selected.

 

[jeepsandradios]

Have you tried locking on it the local tower ? Do you see anything ?

 

[LeSueurC]

Also make sure you have Site NAC enabled. I've found it made it a little bit easier on multi site systems.

 

[WA4HHG]

Fixed the (no) problem! Locked onto the Chesapeake tower and waited. There was very little traffic until evening rush hour. Am hearing VSP traffic from Emporia, Petersburg, VA Beach and Williamsburg.

Thank you for the suggestions.

 

[jeepsandradios]

If your listening from a fixed location thats the best route. Scanning all the sites in the state takes longer than most transmissions. Glad you got it worked out.

 

[W4UVV]

Fixed the (no) problem! Locked onto the Chesapeake tower and waited. There was very little traffic until evening rush hour. Am hearing VSP traffic from Emporia, Petersburg, VA Beach and Williamsburg.

Thank you for the suggestions.

-----------------
Chuck,

I seriously doubt you were hearing Petersburg VSP in Division 5. You most likely were hearing the Waverly STARS site in Division 5 located off Rt. 460 about 5 miles south in Sussex Co.

John
W4UVV

 

[WA4HHG]

I thinned out the number of Depts significantly and that went a long way to "cure" the problem. Was scanning too many TG's at first. Its working great, now.

If your listening from a fixed location thats the best route. Scanning all the sites in the state takes longer than most transmissions. Glad you got it worked out.

 

[WA4HHG]

Certainly makes sense. At 30' my radio horizon is only about 7.5 miles and I doubt the STARS tower in Petersburg is tall enough to even come close to making up the difference. Even Waverly is a bit of a reach although I believe I have that one programmed in. There is a VSP "Safety Station" at Rt 58 and 460 in Suffolk. Am wondering if that is a STARS tower, also?

-----------------
Chuck,

I seriously doubt you were hearing Petersburg VSP in Division 5. You most likely were hearing the Waverly STARS site in Division 5 located off Rt. 460 about 5 miles south in Sussex Co.

John
W4UVV

 

[LeSueurC]

Certainly makes sense. At 30' my radio horizon is only about 7.5 miles and I doubt the STARS tower in Petersburg is tall enough to even come close to making up the difference. Even Waverly is a bit of a reach although I believe I have that one programmed in. There is a VSP "Safety Station" at Rt 58 and 460 in Suffolk. Am wondering if that is a STARS tower, also?

I wondered that too a while ago. I believe that tower was for the legacy VHF system VSP had

 

[kainixon2187]

I wondered that too a while ago. I believe that tower was for the legacy VHF system VSP had

Correct. Now it's used for some type of microwave data system.

 

[vavolff]

Correct. Now it's used for some type of microwave data system.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but would that be the microwave system that links the Eastern Shore VSP units with Division 5 in Chesapeake, or is it something different? I remember overhearing something to that effect from a Trooper and a couple of VBPD officers at a 7-11/Wawa. Then again, that could also be the most untrue info ever lol

 

[kainixon2187]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but would that be the microwave system that links the Eastern Shore VSP units with Division 5 in Chesapeake, or is it something different? I remember overhearing something to that effect from a Trooper and a couple of VBPD officers at a 7-11/Wawa. Then again, that could also be the most untrue info ever lol

I'm unsure, the fcc licensing system is down on my end, but some of the licenses for the system should be WQGF940, KIW36, and KGF79.

 

[TJX400]

All of the STARS sites are linked via microwave. In order for a talkgroup to be active on a defined site, a subscriber must be affiliated with said talkgroup using said site. That's why on the Thornburg site you hear traffic from Div 1 and Div 7... Subscribers from both divisions are affiliated with those talkgroups on the site. That's why if a subscriber wants to listen to RIC1 on the West Virginia/Virginia line, they can.

 

[hill]

Some systems limit the sites which each each talkgroup can affiliate. This is so a trooper way outside of Division 1 at the VA/WV line is not needless hogging system resources from local radio system users. Some talkgroups are allowed to roam systemwide, while others are only useable in a fixed area.

.

 

[Fenway702]

Also make sure you have Site NAC enabled. I've found it made it a little bit easier on multi site systems.

What is site NAC and how do you enable it?
Thanks!

 

[kainixon2187]

What is site NAC and how do you enable it?
Thanks!

Site NAC sets a NAC (Network Access Code, like a pl tone for P25) for a specific site. To enable this you can click edit favorites list in sentinel, then click on the site, click options, and then click P25 NAC, and select whatever NAC is assigned for that site.