Wise County TX - Help with new SDS-100 and Wise CO SO channels

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KA5BTX

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Got my new SDS-100 and setup favorites for Wise County but am not getting any hits. These are analog systems, Insee them listed in the scanning with the frequency but never any traffic. If I use Broadcastify at the same time on my phone I hear traffic there. I have all the service types picked, I have updated the firmware and database. Any help in what I am missing to pick up Wise County SO and Fire would be a big help.
 

jason51

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What part of Wise County are you located? The SO repeater is very weak and difficult to hear without an external antenna unless you are within a few miles of Decatur. 158.8050
 

hiegtx

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Got my new SDS-100 and setup favorites for Wise County but am not getting any hits. These are analog systems, Insee them listed in the scanning with the frequency but never any traffic. If I use Broadcastify at the same time on my phone I hear traffic there. I have all the service types picked, I have updated the firmware and database. Any help in what I am missing to pick up Wise County SO and Fire would be a big help.
Actually, no, many of the frequencies in use in Wise County are P25 (digital), not analog. They are not on trunked systems, but they are digital.

Did you manually create your Favorites list? Or did you append the county frequencies to a Favorites list.

In Sentinel, open up the main database by clicking on "US" to expand the list of states. (Click the "plus sign" right by it.)
Now, with the list of states expanded, click on the + sign by "Texas" to expand the list of counties.

Scroll down to Wise, expand that, then expand the "County Folders".
The entry for "Wise" under the County folder has all the local cities as well as county channels.
1605067918902.png
Right-click on it then select Append to send these to the Favorites list of your choice, or add a new one.

I would also note that if you added the frequencies manually, and are using location control, then you'd never hear the channels unless you also manuallly entered location information.
 

KA5BTX

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Actually, no, many of the frequencies in use in Wise County are P25 (digital), not analog. They are not on trunked systems, but they are digital.

Did you manually create your Favorites list? Or did you append the county frequencies to a Favorites list.

In Sentinel, open up the main database by clicking on "US" to expand the list of states. (Click the "plus sign" right by it.)
Now, with the list of states expanded, click on the + sign by "Texas" to expand the list of counties.

Scroll down to Wise, expand that, then expand the "County Folders".
The entry for "Wise" under the County folder has all the local cities as well as county channels.
View attachment 93913
Right-click on it then select Append to send these to the Favorites list of your choice, or add a new one.

I would also note that if you added the frequencies manually, and are using location control, then you'd never hear the channels unless you also manuallly entered location information.

I did the manual append method. And, I am on the far eastern edge of the county, seriously at County Line Road. I bet my HT Antenna is just too weak. Tomorrow I am going to go plug into my big 2m J-Pole out in the HAM Shack and see if that does the trick.
 

KA5BTX

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What part of Wise County are you located? The SO repeater is very weak and difficult to hear without an external antenna unless you are within a few miles of Decatur. 158.8050

I am way out east at County Line Road - Going to attach to my big Base 2m/70cm HAM J-pole tomorrow and see if that pulls them in. I was just so surprised to hear Denton, Flower Mound, and some Carrolton X-Missions but not get my Wise Co.
 

hiegtx

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Even with that, the database is not very accurate for Wise Co
Could be, But Wise is out of range for me, unless I'm taking a trip west out to Stephens County to visit friends, and then, I only hear it briefly during my trip.
 

hiegtx

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I did the manual append method. And, I am on the far eastern edge of the county, seriously at County Line Road. I bet my HT Antenna is just too weak. Tomorrow I am going to go plug into my big 2m J-Pole out in the HAM Shack and see if that does the trick.
Since you appended it, then you have what the database shows. But as Jason noted, that may be inaccurate, or incomplete.
 

KevinC

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Maybe something to do with this...

 

jason51

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Hooking up that external antenna will fix your problem. The stock antenna will not receive WCSO that far. As long as you have an external or longer portable antenna you will be ok. But, the SDS version scanners do no do very well on conventional, non-trucked communications. They shine on trucked simulcast systems, that is why you are able to hear Denton Co. Sds does very well on that. The SO repeater is not very good and is not very high up in a tower, fire does much better, but still not good.
as far a programming, out in SO 158.805 and a NAC of 065. They are digital only.
fire, 154.995. Do not out a tone in, that will allow you to receive both analog and digital on that channel, fire tone in analog, other traffic is digital on fire.
 

jason51

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Maybe something to do with this...

Has absolutely nothing to do with that.
 
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