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| Pierce County Trunk System reception http://www.interceptradio.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=6790 |
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| Author: | Rescue611 [ Wed Mar 27, 2013 7:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Pierce County Trunk System reception |
I don't seem to be able to receive the Pierce Co trunk system on the Tacoma Simulcast from the South Bellevue area, which surprises me a bit as I would think it would be in range. Does this system transmit with lower power or with more distant sites than say the Snoh County system that I can monitor with no difficulty? I'm running a Uniden 996XT with the standard, out-of-the-box antenna. If it's simply out of range, that's cool - I'm just worried I've programmed it incorrectly (though I've double checked everything). Any insight? Many thanks. |
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| Author: | nickcarr [ Wed Mar 27, 2013 9:18 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Pierce County Trunk System reception |
I'm on a hilltop in SE Bellevue and still can't hear it on my discone antenna. I have use my bigger VHF/UHF antenna. Even then I only hear the dispatcher on N Pierce. I still need to program my 996XT with WSP to verify I can get reception from mobile. |
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| Author: | Rescue611 [ Wed Mar 27, 2013 9:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Pierce County Trunk System reception |
nickcarr wrote: I'm on a hilltop in SE Bellevue and still can't hear it on my discone antenna. I have use my bigger VHF/UHF antenna. Even then I only hear the dispatcher on N Pierce. I still need to program my 996XT with WSP to verify I can get reception from mobile. LOL. That makes me feel a lot better! :) I guess I'll have to take a run down there this weekend to see if my programming works. I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that so many talk groups are digital? No idea - I'm a beginner - just speculating. |
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| Author: | nickcarr [ Wed Mar 27, 2013 9:54 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Pierce County Trunk System reception |
Well, it's the frequency range. VHF doesn't bounce as much as UHF. The conventional FPS P25 frequencies (410 Mhz) seem to travel quite well around the Seattle area. 700/800 Mhz travels even better with less energy, so that's why it's recommended for public safety. Works well in urban areas, etc. |
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| Author: | maj0rrager [ Wed Mar 27, 2013 11:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Pierce County Trunk System reception |
I have trouble receiving it in Olympia with an 800MHz antenna on any of my scanners. I can pick up south King County better off the McDonald and Grass sites than I can any of the Tacoma sites. |
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| Author: | Rescue611 [ Thu Mar 28, 2013 1:40 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Pierce County Trunk System reception |
maj0rrager wrote: I have trouble receiving it in Olympia with an 800MHz antenna on any of my scanners. I can pick up south King County better off the McDonald and Grass sites than I can any of the Tacoma sites. The Pierce Co/Tacoma phantom! I'll roll down there this weekend with a mobile 996-XT to validate. I presume freqs/TG's are good as published here and elsewhere, but can anyone explain why the range of the Pierce Co trunk system is so limited Many thanks. |
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| Author: | maj0rrager [ Thu Mar 28, 2013 1:46 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Pierce County Trunk System reception |
Rescue611 wrote: maj0rrager wrote: I have trouble receiving it in Olympia with an 800MHz antenna on any of my scanners. I can pick up south King County better off the McDonald and Grass sites than I can any of the Tacoma sites. The Pierce Co/Tacoma phantom! I'll roll down there this weekend with a mobile 996-XT to validate. I presume freqs/TG's are good as published here and elsewhere, but can anyone explain why the range of the Pierce Co trunk system is so limited Many thanks. The freqs/TGs seem to be valid when I drive through Pierce Co. I have the same issue receiving Grays Harbor from Olympia. My discone can receive VHF/UHF in Snohomish, Port Townsend, etc but not Grays Harbor. I'm assuming this is because of the hills to the west of Oly. |
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| Author: | N7QOR [ Thu Mar 28, 2013 3:02 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Pierce County Trunk System reception |
The hills are likely part of it, but the intended system design could also be part of it. Specifically, the coverage patterns of the system antennas could very well reduce coverage to where you are trying to receive. Most likely they have designed their system / coverage in such a way that the coverage is emphasized in Grays Harbor County, and not Pierce or Thurston Counties etc... |
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| Author: | chpalmer [ Thu Mar 28, 2013 5:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Pierce County Trunk System reception |
Quote: but not Grays Harbor. Most system engineering doesn't look at achieving correct simulcast overlap in areas outside the intended county. Ive found Grays Harbor to be one of those systems. Especially being a VHF system which is harder to simulcast with acceptable overlap, in the first place. Though their overlap inside the county seems to be very useable. |
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| Author: | TechnoWeenie [ Sun Apr 21, 2013 5:05 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Pierce County Trunk System reception |
Are you talking about the tacoma/puyallup 800 SZ system, or the preliminary 700 Mhz system for the county? |
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| Author: | Wilrobnson [ Sun Apr 21, 2013 11:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Pierce County Trunk System reception |
Mix of existing 800 system (Tacoma, Puyallup), 700 (Pierce Transit started it), and VHF for outlying areas and interops. Don't worry, though, as it'll be unmonitorable like the future King County system, P25 phase 2 and completely encrypted. |
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| Author: | Wilrobnson [ Tue Jun 04, 2013 7:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Pierce County Trunk System reception |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sONfxPCTU0 |
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| Author: | TechnoWeenie [ Tue Jun 04, 2013 7:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Pierce County Trunk System reception |
Why would anyone want a trunk radio anyway? What if you're away from your car, or have an emergency and you need a radio right there? |
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| Author: | Wilrobnson [ Tue Jun 04, 2013 9:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Pierce County Trunk System reception |
John, sometimes we don't see eye to eye, but that was funny! |
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| Author: | TechnoWeenie [ Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:13 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Pierce County Trunk System reception |
Wilrobnson wrote: John, sometimes we don't see eye to eye, but that was funny! I try. :mrgreen: Most of my stuff is inspired from real convos. Had a guy ask me what he need to monitor DC, when I lived back there.... They had just switched to their 460 OBT system.. I told him he needed a 'trunked scanner', and his response was something along the lines of 'I don't want something that big, I just want something I can carry around, portable' That convo came about as I was talking to an MPDC officer, who swore that, because his radio was digital (IMBE/ P25 CAI) that it was encrypted, and no one could listen to it... :lol: anyway, back on topic... |
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