Starcom21 Confusion

[ATF1224]

I will be traveling through IL next week and bringing my BCD996T along with me. I am in the process of programming in the Starcom21 system, but I am confused about several things.

Do I need to enter the custom band plan for each site since it has been rebanded? What band plan do I need to use to correctly track all the 700mhz and 700/800mhz sites?

For each 800mhz site I currently have this band plan and a site type of "Mot Custom/Reband":

Band Plan 1 Lower Freq: 851.025
Band Plan 1 Upper Freq: 854.000
Band Plan 1 Step: 25khz
Band Plan 1 Offset 440

Band Plan 2 Lower Freq: 851.0125
Band Plan 2 Upper Freq: 868.9875
Band Plan 2 Step: 25khz
Band Plan 2 Offset 0

Thanks for any help!!

[cubn]

You shouldn't have to put in a band plan unless the 996 works different than the 396T. In the 396T I set up the system as a P25 and enter the frequencies for the site I want to hear, whether it be a 700 or 800 MHz site and it follows it just fine since it reads the voice freq to go to from the 9600 baud control channel. This method works for rebanded and non-rebanded sites.

If you have a ARC996, download this file from Rich at CARMA Chicago.

[N9JIG]

Originally Posted by ATF1224

I will be traveling through IL next week and bringing my BCD996T along with me. I am in the process of programming in the Starcom21 system, but I am confused about several things.

Do I need to enter the custom band plan for each site since it has been rebanded? What band plan do I need to use to correctly track all the 700mhz and 700/800mhz sites?

Thanks for any help!!

No, just enter in the frequencies from the RR database or CARMA Profile and the radio will find the correct voice channels directly. P25 systems that are rebanded so not need any types of custom tables, at least not on SC21. It doesn't matter if they are 700, 800 Rebanded or legacy 800 channels.

As CUBN mentioned feel free to download the CARMA 996 file. Be advised however there are a few freqs missing since I have not yet updated it to account for the new Site information gathered in a couple recent trips around the state. I have a half dozen more sites I want to hit before putting together another System File for the 996.

[ATF1224]

Thanks for the info guys. I am using Freescan to program my radio and make system files.

I have changed all the sites to Motorola P25, and I am entering the sites along I-74 and I-39, since those are the highways I will be traveling along.

I have noticed that the software rounds off the 700mhz frequencies (775.04375 becomes 775.0438).. will this be an issue when it coems time to monitor the system?

[N9JIG]

While I don't have experience with FreeScan (I am an ARC guy!) I don't think it will be an issue. When you enter such a freq directly in the radio the radio drops the trailing 5, so you might want to try just entering it as 775.0437 instead.

The CARMA Profile has the latest info on freqs from my past trips, including the Rockford to Galena trip last weekend, the Macomb area the week before and Little Egypt a couple weeks earlier.

Enjoy!