NJ First Energy

I'm using a BCD996P2. If I program the First Energy Matawan site as a ' P25 system ', I hear nothing. When I program the 4 frequencies as ' conventional ', I hear all traffic fine. All my other P25 sites work. Is there some special programming needed for First Energy?

Antenna mast question

The goal is to erect a pole about 30 ft tall in the roof. House construction in this part of the
world is pillar based, that looks similar to the photo below:

Anyways, I am thinking of inserting the 5 ft tall / 2 inch diameter pipe inside the pillar during
pouring concrete phase. Once it dries up, I want to tie antenna pole made of PVC or maybe
even bamboo to hook future antenna that is not too heavy. E.g. ground plane, 3 element
yagi...

Antenna mast question

Antenna recommendation for a firefighter using VHF analog

I'm a volunteer firefighter emt and have been battling reception issues in my area for years now.

I live in a pretty hilly, fairly rural and heavily wooded area known as the driftless area. I mounted a Diamond BC103 just below my roofline (not wanting to upset my HOA) and have LMR600 going into the house (LMR400 inside) being fed to an Icom R8600 through a Stridsberg Engineering multicoupler (also connects to another scanner and weather radio) which monitors 1) paging broadcasts...

Antenna recommendation for a firefighter using VHF analog

Stafford / Fredericksburg New TG Discovery

Listening to what I could of the protests tonight, in the City of Fredericksburg, I came across the following:

Stafford Fire/Rescue
4649- Special OPS B (Encrypted)

Stafford Sheriff
4517- Unknown (Encrypted)

Unknown
5801 - encrypted
5393 - comms in the clear

LA County FD V1-5 Command Repeaters

I’ve been listening to Bobcat fire CMD on LACFD V4 repeater 152.570 & decided to find the repeater location(s). I never did.

1. I went to the RRDB & noticed only V2, 152.240, had a license, WQMJ896, listed.
2. Thinking this license might apply to all Vs I clicked on it.
3. The RR page come up with “Callsign WQMJ896 not found”.
4. I decided to run WQMJ896 through the FCC data base.
5. It came up as being licensed to LA county on 152.240 only, Station Class FEBS, with 4 locations, none within...

LA County FD V1-5 Command Repeaters

Simulcast Question

I have questions, I have been in scanning for over 25 years. But this has got me stumped, My county has 2 sheriff dispatch channels, DMR system one of the tower is over 25+ miles and one of my scanners receives the transmissions from that tower and my other scanner receives the other tower transmissions from the other tower I can see from my front porch. Shouldn't both scanners receive the closest tower too me? Radio Reference has the channels down as SImulcast.

Getting the signal to 8600

Have been a premium member here for a number of years, but not sure if the subject matter qualifies for this particular forum. If I am re-directed I apologize. Have been a happy camper with the 8600 since 2017. Getting all the info I needed from RR and this forum. Just recently moved to a new neighborhood. My backyard runs 368/E-W. Unfortunately overhead utilities run 60ft behind the house/NS. My antenna and ballum hookup gathers 130 ft from home. Have two/ hundred ft rolls of coax. One roll...

Getting the signal to 8600