CFA channel 68 Victoria

[nirvana]

Hello everyone.

I got myself a UBCD396XT & have been getting my head around the whole concept of how all the groups,systems & sites work & finally managed to get it all working for the channels I need to listen to. I am used to using the bearcat92xlt & this scanner is just something else. It`s a grouse unit.
I am not technically minded , but have manually programmed everything into the unit by reading lots & playing with the unit all the time.
My question is about CFA channel 68 here in Victoria . I have it programmed in as 161.16250 and have the audio type set as " ALL " . The CFA requested firies to switch to channel 68 yesterday , but I couldn`t pick it up ( I`m located halfway between geelong & ballarat & the fire was west of ballarat). I tried changing to analogue only & set the CTCSS frequency as 167.9 hz ,as per the chart I have ,but still couldn`t pick up channel 68.

Is there something I should be doing to capture the signal ? Do I set the audio as analogue,digital or all ?
Do I need to change the band width for that channel ( I have no idea how to do that, but ch68 is 12.500). Do I use CTCSS or is it just the distance of approx. 70 kms is too great for my scanner to pick it up ? I don`t think region 15 has gone fully digital ,yet. I am using the standard rubber duck ariel & also a car-mounted uhf/vhf ariel.
I pick up chatter on most of the channels I have programmed & they are fairly clear.

Any help is much appreciated.

Thankyou.

[Phil]

Ch 68 is a Simplex Channel, so would have been used on an exercise or as a fireground channel

[nirvana]

I take it I am too far away to hear ?

Is there any need for me to turn on the analogue CTCSS until Victoria becomes fully digital ?
The radio language / terms I`m reading about are mostly new to me ,so I`m just trying to grasp the stuff I need to know & learn about .



Thanks,

Nirvana

[Comint]

I take it I am too far away to hear ?

Is there any need for me to turn on the analogue CTCSS until Victoria becomes fully digital ?
The radio language / terms I`m reading about are mostly new to me ,so I`m just trying to grasp the stuff I need to know & learn about .

The ACMA have what they call a Notional Service Area radius of 40 Km, and assumes that the Base Antenna (read Repeater Antenna) is at least 200 metres above surrounding terrain. So if you hear anything outside of 40 Km from a Repeater, consider yourself lucky.

If they are using the frequency in a Simplex situation, then the range is less because the antennas are closer to the ground, and, of course, the handhelds are lower RF output.

--
Comint

[nirvana]

Thanks , Comint.


Nirvana