P25 APCO Band Plan Settings for IIMARS

[bhall7]

Hello,

I'm programming the Idaho IIMARS system (Scanner Frequencies: Idaho Interoperable Mutual Aid Radio System (IIMARS) Trunking System, Statewide, Idaho) into my BCD396XT in anticipation for a trip to Idaho next week. In FreeSCAN, there is a site setting for P25 Standard systems called APCO Band Plan that has rows labeled in hex (0-9, A-F) with frequency and spacing. Do I need to set anything for this system specifically, or is this just for the re-banded 800MHz systems? I'm excited to try out my BCD396XT on a digital system!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[thewenk]

Originally Posted by bhall7

Hello,

I'm programming the Idaho IIMARS system (Scanner Frequencies: Idaho Interoperable Mutual Aid Radio System (IIMARS) Trunking System, Statewide, Idaho) into my BCD396XT in anticipation for a trip to Idaho next week. In FreeSCAN, there is a site setting for P25 Standard systems called APCO Band Plan that has rows labeled in hex (0-9, A-F) with frequency and spacing. Do I need to set anything for this system specifically, or is this just for the re-banded 800MHz systems? I'm excited to try out my BCD396XT on a digital system!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

No special settings required for the band plan. Just select the P25 standard(396XT) and the scanner will get the band plan info automatically from the information broadcast by the control channel. Don't select Mot Type II/P25. If Mot Type II was selected when you downloaded from RR it needs to be changed to P25 Standard (396XT). Just enter the control channel for each site. I'd also suggest you run in the ID search mode even if you have all the talkgroups entered. I think you will find the 396XT does an extremely good job on the Idaho system.

How far north in Idaho will you be going?

Dave

[bhall7]

Thanks so much for the quick reply. I can't wait to get up there and test it out. So far, all of the scanning I've done has been on analog (UCAN in Utah), although apparently there are some digital talkgroups (which I have not heard yet). Soon after I posted, I also found the EIIMARS system. I wonder if this was some sort of test system prior to the actual IIMARS system going live. Just a thought. A similar situation happened down in Frisco, TX, where I lived and they are deploying a new Moto P25 system.

Thanks for the suggestion regarding ID Search on IIMARS. I'll be going up as far as Rexburg, and maybe later in the year, up near Yellowstone.

Thanks!

[thewenk]

Program in the EIIMARS Ssytem too. Although it is in testing now, it will probably be operational before long. Madison County will be on this system - they are doing testing right now.

Although you don't need it, here is the IIMARS band plan as the XT shows it:
POS FREQ SPACING
0 851.00625 6.250
1 762.00625 6.250
2 764.01250 6.250
3 156.47500 5.000

Dave

[WalkieTalkie]

I am also planning a trip to Idaho in the coming weeks and was wondering if the 700mhz plan works with a pro-164 or pro-97?

[thewenk]

Originally Posted by WalkieTalkie

I am also planning a trip to Idaho in the coming weeks and was wondering if the 700mhz plan works with a pro-164 or pro-97?

No they won't work. Since the Idaho system is P25 digital, the only scanners that work are the digital Uniden 996T or 396T or 396XT; the GRE PSR500 or PSR600 and the RS PRO106 or PRO197.

Even though the band plan shows 851.00625 MHz and 156.475 MHz, the system is still only broadcasting on 700 MHz digital. Those other frequencies are to allow for older vhf and uhf radios to be integrated into the system for interoperability purposes, I think.

Dave