Weak receptions TRX-1

[jwong]

Does anyone experiencing weak receptions on the nextgen system in San Diego County for the last couple of days?

 

[scottmarer]

Yes ... I am in North SD County (north Escondido) and reception seems poor ...
I can get some fire dispatch but not hearing dispatch and such from the Deer Springs Station ; missing EMS and other talk ...
I am new to the TRX-1 so possibly some programming I am missing ...
I started with the zip and then county figuring it would be all encompassing ...

 

[jwong]

San Diego County is using simulcast broadcasting on their systems. The TRX-1 unfortunately Doesn’t have the capability to pick up those channels and the sad new is their is no upgrade software to fix that.

The Uniden SDS100 or SDS200 would be your best bet for San Diego County.

 

[Enjoi19]

Have you tried programming each site into it's own scanlist, using only ones that are reasonable to reach for you? Perhaps worth a shot. Might be locking onto one and getting stuck.

You may also benefit from using an 800mhz antenna in that region.

 

[jwong]

I has been using the 830b unfortunately nothing changed.

 

[Enjoi19]

Try making a scanlist with just the nearest tower and see how it sounds then, work from there.

 

[jwong]

I had try that but it don’t seem to work. I contacted Whistler they confirmed that TRX-1 will have issues with simulcast. Just ordered the SDS100 hope that will solve my problem. Thanks for all your help!

 

[Ubbe]

Try making a scanlist with just the nearest tower and see how it sounds then, work from there.

A scanlist use a frequency and as the same frequency is used in all towers it doesn't matter what site you choose, they all will still be received.

It's only by reducing the signal to get the other towers so low in strenght that they can't be received and only one site remains with a usuable strenght that it will be problem free to receive simulcast systems with a standard scanner. You can also use an antenna with a high direction pointed so that only one site are received. If you use an external antenna you can use a $20 variable attenuator 0-20dB on the coax and adjust until the signal are so low that only a single site will be received.

/Ubbe

 

[fredva]

In a simulcast system, a "site" is actually an area consisting of multiple transmitters all sharing the same frequencies. In my opinion, it would be less confusing if they used some other term, such as "group", but "site" was what was chosen. A large system will often contain multiple sites. If you are truly talking about locking out a site, you can do that because that site will have different frequencies than another site. But you can't use any kind of lock-out function to isolate your radio to listening to only one transmitter on a simulcast system. You'd have to be in the right spot and/or limit the strength of signal received from other transmitters as Ubbe indicated.

 

[scottmarer]

I ended up returning the TRX-1 and getting the SDS100 and it has been night and day; getting far more reception than before.

 

[k5xs]

Your experience mirrors mine. Was missing a lot of transmissions on my TRX-1. Got a SDS100 and the difference is striking. The SDS100 gets three times as much traffic as my TRX-1.

 

[rgchristy]

I picked up a BCD436HP and now I can pick up Philly PD & Fire TRS in my home. Side by side, my TRX-1 and PSR-800 are deaf. I'm apprehensive about the SDS-100, because I've heard that it might be worse than my 436. Anybody have a similar experience? I do love the color display, though.

I ended up returning the TRX-1 and getting the SDS100 and it has been night and day; getting far more reception than before.

 

[trentbob]

Unfortunately it is common knowledge that Whistler scanners do not handle simulcast systems. I live in Bucks County PA and a Whistler doesn't work a lick on my P2 tdma simulcast.

TRX is a nice scanner as long as you are not going to need it for P1 or P2 simulcast systems.

It's pretty well known on RR but it's a shame there isn't a disclaimer or vendors don't advise customers of this fact. Some people get mixed results with missed transmissions Etc but are okay with that.

The SDS 100 and 200 are specifically made to pick up simulcast systems that are affected by distortion from LSM. They will work very well on P1 and P2 simulcast systems. They will pick up Bucks County and Philly very well.

Occasionally people are disappointed with results because they don't know how to use it properly and don't take the time or effort to learn.

 

[rgchristy]

Thanks for the info. I live in Delco and had pretty much given up on Philly, until I got the 436.

 

[trentbob]

Yep, the x36s can work pretty decently on P1 in Philly. You basically have two sites. One for police and one for fire and city services so you might get a faster scan if you put the police on one favorites list and fire and city services on the other favorites list.

You have a choice then to just scan one site with a faster scan. You might get some LSM issues if you're on the move in certain parts of the city when you're in between two different towers. You can always add a 1 or 2 second system hold time in system options. It will hang on the site a little longer so you don't get missed transmissions or clipped transmissions.

There are some other sites like for the SEPTA tunnels but basically you just need Zone 1 and 2 sites.

Yep, Whistler scanners are useless in Philadelphia as the P1 towers are so close to each other and there's so many of them. Good luck, glad it worked out... Bob.

 

[Ubbe]

It could also have problem during a conversation to continously decode the data, so choose a longer delay time for the TG. 5 sec are a good start.

/Ubbe

 

[jaspence]

jwong, the TRX1 does pick up simulcast fine. Location of towers and other objects do cause problems, but I use both of mine regularly without problems. I have an excellent location, which does make a difference, but the radio picks up very well,

 

[trentbob]

I found that the radios worked very well on type II smartzone systems but I have never nor has anyone in my circles ever had any success on P1 or P2. It could be the way systems are configured also.

For example my system has one site called simulcast that you can manipulate in the radio but there are 26 Towers very close together in the county simultaneously transmitting what the radio is calling for. Philly has two sites you can manipulate in the radio and multiple multiple Towers very close together. This causes simulcast distortion secondary to LSM.

Honestly the TRX 1 would be my go-to radio if it did work on P2 tdma simulcast for me. God knows I have tried adjusting DSP, ADC and DAC hours on end and threshold levels.

It is all about location location location. There could be a location within the tower set up that the radio would work in a stationary position, that's certainly possible and if someone says that it works good for them I believe it.

I just couldn't make a blanket statement to everybody out there that it works fine or very well. Believe me I wish it did. I've always liked the radio.