How do you enter a digital frequency on RS Pro 96 Don Starr?

[newradiostation]

If a frequency like 173.8375 and 173.6375 are listed as P25 Digital,
how should they be entered using Don's Starsoft?
Does DC mean Digital Channel?

In Rx Mode there are 6 options

AM
FM
MOT
EDACS
CT
DC


There are also 3 options at the top

Conv
MOT
EDACS


Also what is the Default and AUTO setting, just in case you don't know or if it is mixed and you want to pick up all modes and see the details? Don makes mention of a Default below:

"Mode: Here you set the receive mode to be used in Tune Mode. If you leave this at the “Default” setting, the scanner chooses a receive mode appropriate for the current frequency band."



Can I also enter these Digital frequencies in a Digital Trunking bank at the bottom where I have some open space left like I do with Analog CT/FM freqs without problems?

Thanks

[jeffrey420]

If it is a conventional channel, just leave it as FM. The scanner will switch to digital when it receives a signal. Do not set it as DC or CT.

[jeffrey420]

If it is a trunked site you setup as a analog system would be. The scanner will automatically convert it if digital is received.

[Dubbin]

In other words there is nothing that you need to do other then enter the freq. The PRO-96 will do the rest.

[James]

Originally Posted by newradiostation

If a frequency like 173.8375 and 173.6375 are listed as P25 Digital,
how should they be entered using Don's Starsoft?

*edit
If they are P25 they *MAY* be entered as MOT in a trunked bank.
Could be entered as conventional, if not trunked system.

Originally Posted by newradiostation

Does DC mean Digital Channel?

No, its short for DCS (digital coded squelch)

Originally Posted by newradiostation

In Rx Mode there are 6 options

AM
FM
MOT
EDACS
CT
DC

Yep For setting the rx mode for the *frequency* entered. CT is short for CTCSS (continuous tone coded squelch system)

Originally Posted by newradiostation

There are also 3 options at the top

Conv
MOT
EDACS

These are for setting the *bank* (conventional, motorola, edacs) you could have a MO trunked bank, and also have some conventional freqs. mixed in.

Originally Posted by newradiostation

Also what is the Default and AUTO setting, just in case you don't know or if it is mixed and you want to pick up all modes and see the details? Don makes mention of a Default below:

"Mode: Here you set the receive mode to be used in Tune Mode. If you leave this at the “Default” setting, the scanner chooses a receive mode appropriate for the current frequency band."

Dons quote pretty much explains it If you want to change, say 144.4 from (default FM) to AM. Only applies when scanner is in TUNE MODE, doesn't affect scanning, searching, etc.

Originally Posted by newradiostation

Can I also enter these Digital frequencies in a Digital Trunking bank at the bottom where I have some open space left like I do with Analog CT/FM freqs without problems?

Thanks

The scanner "knows" if it is digital or analog. Just enter the freq.
You won't have a *digital trunking bank* only MOT EDACS or CONVENTIONAL.

[jeffrey420]

P25 doesn't necessarily mean that it is MOT. It can be conventional and be P25. In St. Charles county Missouri the sheriffs dept. is digital conventional, and listed as P25.

Just to clarify....

[n4voxgill]

Originally Posted by Dubbin

In other words there is nothing that you need to do other then enter the freq. The PRO-96 will do the rest.

They just will not accept your simple, correct answer.

[James]

Originally Posted by n4voxgill

They just will not accept your simple, correct answer.

Well...he had more than the *one* question.

And jeffrey420:
"P25 doesn't necessarily mean that it is MOT. It can be conventional and be P25. In St. Charles county Missouri the sheriffs dept. is digital conventional, and listed as P25.

Just to clarify...."

Thanks my mistake. I'll edit it.

[jeffrey420]

Originally Posted by n4voxgill

They just will not accept your simple, correct answer.

Yes it is a simple answer. But I thought it necessary to provide more info so they would not enter it in the CT or DC mode since the scanner is unable to decode digital that way.

[jambo]

Hey "newsradiostation" can you give us the system you are trying to use so we can look at it. From there we can give you some better advise on how you would program your radio with the Win96 software.

[newradiostation]

Originally Posted by jambo

Hey "newsradiostation" can you give us the system you are trying to use so we can look at it. From there we can give you some better advise on how you would program your radio with the Win96 software.

This was a hypothetical question. I don't have the digital frequencies yet.

Examples, the San Francisco 800mgz mixed digital/analog trunked system. Or a 400mgz trunked Motorola Type II SmartZone 860D APCO-25 system.

After entering all it's channels with TG's. We still have space at the bottom of the main 50 capacity channel bank.

So I enter some 100-400mgz range CT mode frequencies from FBI, DEA and Mutual aid in the remainder of the bank up to the 50 limit (bank space is 00-49).

Bank is set to MOT and functions fine.

If I still have space remaining at the bottom of the 50 channel capacity bank and want to enter additional frequencies that may or may not be digital on their own and have nothing to do with the trunked 800 or 400mgz system. Such as some Federal Marshal, Dea or other channels that occasionally come in the clear.

In the simple short answer that was eloquently given, You're all saying I should enter that frequency as a Default which is Rx Mode set to FM using Don Starr's program. In this mode I will not see any CT's to help distinguish units, but I'll get everything analog and digital.

Boy is this a long post

[James]

Originally Posted by newradiostation

This was a hypothetical question. I don't have the digital frequencies yet.

Examples, the San Francisco 800mgz mixed digital/analog trunked system. Or a 400mgz trunked Motorola Type II SmartZone 860D APCO-25 system.

After entering all it's channels with TG's. We still have space at the bottom of the main 50 capacity channel bank.

So I enter some 100-400mgz range CT mode frequencies from FBI, DEA and Mutual aid in the remainder of the bank up to the 50 limit (bank space is 00-49).

Bank is set to MOT and functions fine.

If I still have space remaining at the bottom of the 50 channel capacity bank and want to enter additional frequencies that may or may not be digital on their own and have nothing to do with the trunked 800 or 400mgz system. Such as some Federal Marshal, Dea or other channels that occasionally come in the clear.

In the simple short answer that was eloquently given, You're all saying I should enter that frequency as a Default which is Rx Mode set to FM using Don Starr's program. In this mode I will not see any CT's to help distinguish units, but I'll get everything analog and digital.

Boy is this a long post

Dubbin ? n4voxgill ?

(don't get mad, I couldn't help myself. Besides, I might get long winded)

[Dubbin]

Originally Posted by James

Dubbin ? n4voxgill ?

(don't get mad, I couldn't help myself. Besides, I might get long winded)

What?

[n4voxgill]

forget that digital is involved. enter conventional as conventional and trunked as trunked. t

[James]

Originally Posted by Dubbin

What?

See post #7 in the thread.

I'm just joking

[Dubbin]

Originally Posted by James

See post #7 in the thread.

I'm just joking

I still have no idea what you're talking about.

[newradiostation]

Example, BATFE Ch1 Frequency 165.2875 CT 103.5 set in CT mode

By itself I may hear Analog transmissions while set on FM or CT, so long as they are in the clear and not encrypted and get some enjoyment.

Posters here are saying that if you set a channel to FM mode, which is the default setting for Starrsoft, you'll hear clear voice transmissions on all modes (digital and analog) because the scanner does the work and the scanner knows. So when that channel switches to P25 I'll hear digital. When it switches to FM, I'll hear FM. I didn't know this was possible.

I always thought P25 digital channels were exclusively part of trunked systems. Not independent stand alone channels.

I did not know there were also single P25 channels, not part of any trunked system, that operate in P25 digital just by themselves and switch between FM and digital P25. And in order to get them, you need to set them to Default which is FM.

Currently I have everything set to CT and has worked fine. I didn't know they can also operate in P25 independently and switch back and forth.

I was wondering if I could place such channels that switch from digital to analog in a bank that already has a digital trunked system without causing interference.

Hope it makes sense.

[W4KRR]

Originally Posted by newradiostation

Example, BATFE Ch1 Frequency 165.2875 CT 103.5 set in CT mode

By itself I may hear Analog transmissions while set on FM or CT, so long as they are in the clear and not encrypted and get some enjoyment.

Posters here are saying that if you set a channel to FM mode, which is the default setting for Starrsoft, you'll hear clear voice transmissions on all modes (digital and analog) because the scanner does the work and the scanner knows. So when that channel switches to P25 I'll hear digital. When it switches to FM, I'll hear FM. I didn't know this was possible.

I always thought P25 digital channels were exclusively part of trunked systems. Not independent stand alone channels.

I did not know there were also single P25 channels, not part of any trunked system, that operate in P25 digital just by themselves and switch between FM and digital P25. And in order to get them, you need to set them to Default which is FM.

Currently I have everything set to CT and has worked fine. I didn't know they can also operate in P25 independently and switch back and forth.

I was wondering if I could place such channels that switch from digital to analog in a bank that already has a digital trunked system without causing interference.

Hope it makes sense.

Except for one detail: If you program a tone in, either CT or DC, you won't hear any digital traffic. In order to hear both conventional analog or digital traffic on a given frequency, program it as FM mode, leave out any CT or DC tones.