Beginner looking for help in Granite City IL

[kenw2937]

My Aunt has had a scanner for years. She had me get a list of frequencies from radio shack to program one bank in her old scanner to get just THREE local cities (Granite City, Collinsville and Pontoon Beach).
I entered the Police and Fire frequencies and she scans ONLY that bank and has been very happy for a long time.
Now Granite City dropped out and talk on the Pontoon frequencies indicated that they went "digital".. or to "Starcom21". This was greek to us, so we ordered a Uniden BCD996T, thinking we could easily set it up to get these three cities.....
I cannot understand almost ANY of the terminology in the manual.. and I'm looking for someone who might be familiar with this locality and might be able to 'talk me through this'. I can't even seem to follow the instructions for entering/scanning only certain frequencies (even if I had them), so I haven't pursued any downloading of data (or paying for a platinum membership) yet.
Can someone lead me through this without my having to get a PHD in radio Management first?
Somehow I'm thinking this is a lot to ask, since the level of required knowledge appears to be staggering.

[RADIOGUY2002]

How much will you pay me??? LOL, just kidding. Do you have access to a live internet feed near the scanner and do you have aim or facebook. Get back to m via pm and I walk you threw it live if we can work out something for timing.

[kenw2937]

Thanks for your kind offer. Unfortunately, I'm tied up almost totally through next Monday with other commitments, but I wanted to get back with you quickly and let you know that.

I can get the unit near the computer, and we can find some sort of instant messaging etc...

I think I found the necessary information for Granite City in the open database pages of the site I posted this forum on.. I also found a more 'readable' manual and think I entered the system/group/talk group IDs ..(I don't have those notes handy so I may have misused these terms just now) and whatever else I needed to into the scanner.

Frankly, I'm confused on how to directly access/scan just that new "system?". Once I figure that out, I may be clnear getting this done. I assume it has something to do with a Quick Key or something, but I'll need help with that.

I wanted to get back to you quickly and thank you... and let you know it will be next Tuesday or so before I can get back with you and take advantage of your kind offer.

Ken Williams

[RADIOGUY2002]

allright, sounds good. And yes you must assign it a quick key. I think your already on the right track...

[flborror]

Granite City here also did Pontoon go to Starcom or just changed freqs?

[kc9neq]

pontoon beach pd is still using 155.790 non digital.