Asheville programming help needed

[fyrboy]

As I stated in the "Hickory EDACS clarification" post, I'm a newbie and have a 396xt. I've programmed some VIPER & HP stuff (and am amazed at the distance I'm hearing transmissions), but can't get Asheville to ring my bell (Motorola Type II SmartNet analog). I've sat downtown on two occasions with another scanner & monitored their high-band dispatch, and tried every way I know to listen on 800 when they get a call. I can't hear dispatch or the TG's. I've switched from DEC to HEX & back, manually selected while they were yakking, installed all their 800 frequencies in addition to the control & two alternates, removed them, & re-installed them. I switched from "digital" to "analog" & "NFM" to "FM." This RR note, dated 3/20 appears on their page: "Pending change to ASTRO 4.1 Format, and switch to an 3 site simulcast SmartZone." Suggestions?

 

[trumpetman]

Are you programming manually or with software? All you need to do is setup a fresh system as a moto type II, 800 MHz standard. You can then press scan/search and see if the scanner reads the CC and picks up the system. All talk groups are analog in Asheville.

If you're using software, I can throw together a file on FreeScan or ARC and send it to you to make sure it's no little errors that you might've overlooked (I know I'm guilty of that one a lot). Then it'll just be plug and play and we can go from there.

 

[hilofer]

I had a problem the other day with this system also. I was using Freescan and dowloaded the info from RR database and downloaded it to my BCT-15. All the freqs were there but I got no voice traffic or anything at all. I had to go back and change some system type setting (Can't remember exactly what and I am at work right now) I will check when I get home and see what I changed. Once I made the change I was able to get Ash with no problems. Something on the RR d/l end came up different then what the system is described as and it caught my eye right away.

 

[trumpetman]

hilofer,

See if you can ID what the problem was so there's no future malfunctions in the downloading process (if possible). I'm not sure what all the variables are that could've messed up.

 

[ka3jjz]

If you were using version .8e of FreeScan, there was a bug where the system type wasn't always downloaded correctly from RR and had to be reset manually (not a big deal, pretty easy to do). As I understand it. version .9a has this fixed. Could this be the issue? 73 Mike

 

[hilofer]

will do

Sorry, I made it home last night and didn't get a chance to get online. Packing for a trip to Raliegh this weekend and leaving straight after work so won't get a chance to get back to the home base until sunday. Will look into it then.

 

[hilofer]

"If you were using version .8e of FreeScan, there was a bug where the system type wasn't always downloaded correctly from RR and had to be reset manually (not a big deal, pretty easy to do). As I understand it. version .9a has this fixed. Could this be the issue? 73 Mike"

I think this may have been the problem. I remember having to change the system type to MOT because Freescan had changed it to something else.......

 

[chief21]

. (snip) I can't hear [Asheville] dispatch or the TG's. This RR note, dated 3/20 appears on their page: "Pending change to ASTRO 4.1 Format, and switch to an 3 site simulcast SmartZone." Suggestions? (snip)

fyrboy.... Where are you trying to receive Asheville TRS from??? If you're nearby, you should be able to hear the system. However, if you're some distance away, remember that 800 MHz does not travel well. Asheville HAS implemented the three-site simulcast but, even so, their system does not have a terribly large footprint, probably due to the numerous mountains and the RF shadows they create. Their VHF signal goes MUCH further than the 800 signal.

 

[hilofer]

problem with freescan .8e

Yup, when downloading asheville TRS with Freescan .8e, it mis-identifies the system as a MOT VHF Band. I had to change it to a MOT Standard type II to get my BCT-15 to scan correctly. Not a problem with RR but with Freescan itself. Hope this helps. And btw, I am in nw bunc (almost in madison county) and with the stock BCT-15 antennea, asheville does come in although it does drop to one or less bars at times.

 

[KE4ZNR]

Yup, when downloading asheville TRS with Freescan .8e, it mis-identifies the system as a MOT VHF Band. I had to change it to a MOT Standard type II to get my BCT-15 to scan correctly. Not a problem with RR but with Freescan itself. Hope this helps. And btw, I am in nw bunc (almost in madison county) and with the stock BCT-15 antennea, asheville does come in although it does drop to one or less bars at times.

Freescan version .9b is out and available:
ScanNow.org - The Home of FreeSCAN!
Problem you list above has been corrected along with other features having been added.
I recommend you update the software to the latest version
Happy Monitoring
Marshall KE4ZNR