Uniden BCT8 and Livonia...

csvt17 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-14-2006, 09:43 PM

Hi Im new and just got a BCT8...I programmed all of Livonia's Fire Radio Frequencies into Bank 1 all in the correct order...

I then programmed all of the AFS numbers that I want to hear into each of the radio frequencies...

Ill hit "search" and it displays "ID Scan"...and I dont hear anything at all...no talking as of yet, and Ive had it for 5 or 6 hours now.

Did I do something wrong programming the numbers? Or is there another search option?

What I wanna do overall is scan all of the AFS numbers I have programmed at once, so I dont have to keep manually going through and doing it...SOMEONE HELLLP!!

seamusg · #2 (**permalink**) 08-15-2006, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csvt17

Hi Im new and just got a BCT8...I programmed all of Livonia's Fire Radio Frequencies into Bank 1 all in the correct order...

I then programmed all of the AFS numbers that I want to hear into each of the radio frequencies...

Ill hit "search" and it displays "ID Scan"...and I dont hear anything at all...no talking as of yet, and Ive had it for 5 or 6 hours now.

Did I do something wrong programming the numbers? Or is there another search option?

What I wanna do overall is scan all of the AFS numbers I have programmed at once, so I dont have to keep manually going through and doing it...SOMEONE HELLLP!!

Program the freqs like this:
CH01 866.71250
CH02 867.30000
CH03 867.78750
CH04 868.30000
CH05 868.82500
set the system to EDACS WIDE and each channel to trunked.
Then put the scanner in ID SEARCH and if you are in range you should hear traffic.

csvt17 · #3 (**permalink**) 08-15-2006, 02:52 PM

I entered the freq.'s in order...do u have to put that extra 0 at the end? Cuz when I entered the freq.'s, there was only room for the 4 end numbers and not the extra 0...

On this scanner too, there is only EDACS...and EDACS scat...so which one?

Last, when I hit "srch", it scrolls "ID Scan" across the screen. How do I get ID Search?

seamusg · #4 (**permalink**) 08-15-2006, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csvt17

I entered the freq.'s in order...do u have to put that extra 0 at the end? Cuz when I entered the freq.'s, there was only room for the 4 end numbers and not the extra 0...

On this scanner too, there is only EDACS...and EDACS scat...so which one?

Last, when I hit "srch", it scrolls "ID Scan" across the screen. How do I get ID Search?

It's not EDACS scat it's EDACS standard. on most Uneden scanners that's EDACS WIDE, I don't have a BC8T, but if you don't have a choice I guess just EDACS. If the BC8t is like the other Uniden scanners hit search while scanning it should change to ID SCAN. ID SCAN shows all the Talkgroups not just the ones you have programed. I tried Livonia today on one of my scanners and could barely receive it, but Livonia is a little was away from me. The ending 0 will not make any difference, that was just the format in the database. Make shure you can get the control channel from where you're at. Right now I'm seeing it on Livonia's channel 2, but it's weak where I'm at. Also it would help if you put your location in your profile, it helps people who are trying to help - they don't have to guess. Also if the scanner is showing ID SCAN it is scannig a trunked system, if your BC8T acts anything like my BC796D.

Jim

csvt17 · #5 (**permalink**) 08-15-2006, 05:04 PM

I was showing channel 2 also...367.3000 I believe...

It does do the ID Scan, but nothing comes through...I have 5 ID's programmed also, both dispatches, 2 fire house tones, and one HEMS ID...

SHoudl I just program all of the ID's?

I am located right in Livonia, MI also..

So I shoudl get calls..?

csvt17 · #6 (**permalink**) 08-15-2006, 06:43 PM

I guess what I wanna know is how to ID scan or search every ID I have programmed...

does the ID SCAN feature automatically do this?

newbie · #7 (**permalink**) 08-15-2006, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csvt17

I guess what I wanna know is how to ID scan or search every ID I have programmed...

does the ID SCAN feature automatically do this?

Yes ID scan scans your programmed id's. ID search uses the cc to find all ID's as they are broadcast.

csvt17 · #8 (**permalink**) 08-15-2006, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newbie

Yes ID scan scans your programmed id's. ID search uses the cc to find all ID's as they are broadcast.

When ID SCAN isnt on, Im guessing ID SEARCH is, and search picks up the Local Livonia Police Dept. too...which I dont want...

So I shoudl leave it on ID SCAN?

CUz when on ID SCAN, as stated, it picks up only the ID #'s I have entered which are mainly, Dispatch, Tone Outs for all stations, commands, and HEMS......and on ID SCAN, it doesnt pick up a lot...is that just because theres really nothing going on?

newbie · #9 (**permalink**) 08-15-2006, 07:12 PM

Yep just leave it on scan thn. Livonia has everything real low so you may not hear much. All depends on your location.

seamusg · #10 (**permalink**) 08-15-2006, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csvt17

I guess what I wanna know is how to ID scan or search every ID I have programmed...

does the ID SCAN feature automatically do this?

I suggested ID SCAN to see if you could receive Livonia, if you hear nothing on ID SCAN and have thw scanner programed corectly, then you're to far away to hear them. Also 367.3 is not one of their freqs. Did you mean 867.3, which I'am showing as the current CC.

csvt17 · #11 (**permalink**) 08-16-2006, 04:41 PM

It does not matter if I enter the ID's more than once does it?

FOr example, for each list ucan store 10 ID's...

so I have 3 stations on list 1...then I have those same stations on list 2...

Does that matter?

newbie · #12 (**permalink**) 08-16-2006, 04:56 PM

No no no.... the lists are grouped by 10 but all 50 are used by the trunked system in the bank.

csvt17 · #13 (**permalink**) 08-16-2006, 05:02 PM

So no..it doesnt matter that I have duplicate ID's?

or no im doing it wrong??

newbie · #14 (**permalink**) 08-16-2006, 07:06 PM

Dupes are not a good idea. And yes you are doing it wrong.

place tthe freq's 1 - x. then you can place all the TG's you want in the lists. Talk group lisst 1-1 - 1-10 doees not go to freq 1. The lists are just theree to let you group things.

List 1 PD
List 2 FD
List 3 DPW

or just fill them and lump them together. you can only have 1 trrunked system to a bank.

csvt17 · #15 (**permalink**) 08-16-2006, 07:38 PM

The way I am thinkin it works is..

there are 5 freqs on Livonias trunked system...I entered all of them in the correct order...

now...for list 1-1 to 1-10 I have the ID's I want ranging from each fire station to dispatch...

and in 2-1 to 2-10 I have those same ID's with some different ones too...

same with list 3-1 to 3-10...

Your saying, I should delete the dupe's I have in lists 2 and 3 and just keep them in list 1?

Then put the remaining ID's I want in lists 2 to 3? Correct now?

seamusg · #16 (**permalink**) 08-16-2006, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csvt17

The way I am thinkin it works is..

there are 5 freqs on Livonias trunked system...I entered all of them in the correct order...

now...for list 1-1 to 1-10 I have the ID's I want ranging from each fire station to dispatch...

and in 2-1 to 2-10 I have those same ID's with some different ones too...

same with list 3-1 to 3-10...

Your saying, I should delete the dupe's I have in lists 2 and 3 and just keep them in list 1?

Then put the remaining ID's I want in lists 2 to 3? Correct now?

Talk Groups , which are what your putting into the lists have nothin to do with freqs, they are part of the system. You still need to go to the WIKI here and study trunking.

csvt17 · #17 (**permalink**) 08-16-2006, 08:40 PM

So I pretty much get itl...maybe Im just writing it wrong...

The talk group ID's, which I deleted all the dupes, are just programmed into the truked bank, which holds the frequencies..

It doesnt matter which list the TG ID's are programmed into, the scanner will automatically find the active Talk Group on any freq...correct?

So if its on 866.7125 today, and a TG ID is on list 2...it will still pick up that ID even though its on freq. channel 1....all right??

seamusg · #18 (**permalink**) 08-16-2006, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csvt17

So I pretty much get itl...maybe Im just writing it wrong...

The talk group ID's, which I deleted all the dupes, are just programmed into the truked bank, which holds the frequencies..

It doesnt matter which list the TG ID's are programmed into, the scanner will automatically find the active Talk Group on any freq...correct?

So if its on 866.7125 today, and a TG ID is on list 2...it will still pick up that ID even though its on freq. channel 1....all right??

A short lession on trunking - the scanner get the TG number and voice channel from the control channel - it the switches to the voice channel which is what you hear and it looks up the talk group number in it's lists and displays whats there.

csvt17 · #19 (**permalink**) 08-16-2006, 09:58 PM

So in other words the Talk group list number doesnt at all correspond with the Freq. channel number? correct?

If the freq. ch.1 866.7125 comes up with TG ID number 06-046 (which is station #6, and is in TG ID list # 2), it will still pick it up...?

Overall, talk group ID's do not matter what so ever what list they are in, as long as the freq.'s are programmed correctly...?

seamusg · #20 (**permalink**) 08-16-2006, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csvt17

So in other words the Talk group list number doesnt at all correspond with the Freq. channel number? correct?

If the freq. ch.1 866.7125 comes up with TG ID number 06-046 (which is station #6, and is in TG ID list # 2), it will still pick it up...?

Overall, talk group ID's do not matter what so ever what list they are in, as long as the freq.'s are programmed correctly...?

Yes, the list in the scanner are only the way the person who designed the scanner laid out the talk group lists. For example a BC796D has 10 lists of ten each and a Pro 96 calls them sub banks and has 5 sub banks of 30 each. An EDACS site can have up to 20 channels (1 controll and 19 voice). The scanner when it gets a TG number does a lookup in it's lists for the TG number for the alpha tag. Lists are only a way of organizing the scanner, on a Uniden scanner you can turn off lists in the ID SCAN mode to not hear them and on a GRE scanner you turn off sub banks in closed mode to not hear them. You still need to go to the WIKI to read how trunked systems work.