BCD436HP/BCD536HP: Scan Harris P25 Phase II

My local government is moving to a Harris P25 Phase II multi-site trunk-system next few months. Has anyone been able to scan such a system with the BCD436HP okay?

Thank you.

I've used my GRE/Whistler and Uniden x36 radios on the St. Mary's County, Maryland Harris P25 system. I didn't experience any real reception differences between that system and most any other P25 system (and you really shouldn't see any difference).

I'll echo what troymail said. . . I am monitoring the Lubbock P25 phase 2 system with no difficulty

troymail said:

I've used my GRE/Whistler and Uniden x36 radios on the St. Mary's County, Maryland Harris P25 system. I didn't experience any real reception differences between that system and most any other P25 system (and you really shouldn't see any difference).

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How did you have to enter their frequencies? A certain order like EDACS?

TexScan780D said:

How did you have to enter their frequencies? A certain order like EDACS?

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No - just program like any another P25 trunk system. In fact, given it's a more standard trunking system, the only thing you really need to program is the single active control channel frequency for any given site. Of course, you'll want to put at least the alternate CCs in as well in the event the site switches and used one of them. But you don't need to program in all frequencies or put them in any particular order like EDACS.

Does your system changes CC or just stays on on frequency all the time? I am just trying to get how the Harris system works. I do not think my city is that big enough for a 5 site system and probably can get away just programing on site. does your system have multi-sites?

TexScan780D said:

Does your system changes CC or just stays on on frequency all the time? I am just trying to get how the Harris system works. I do not think my city is that big enough for a 5 site system and probably can get away just programing on site. does your system have multi-sites?

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It varies from system to system. Each "site" in our new State system tends to stay on the same control channel frequency assigned to that "site". Others like Baltimore City seem to move around from one control channel frequency to another.

From what I recall, unlike Motorola P25 systems/configurations where the control channel frequency tends to broadcast itself as the primary along with 1 or 2 alternate control channel frequencies, the Harris system in my area broadcasts all or nearly all of them as either a primary or alternate control channel (or they are sending some unusual opCodes that Pro96Com is misinterpreting which I hadn't thought of until just now). Of course, it has been said for a long time that effectively any of the system/site frequencies could essentially serve as a control channel frequency.

As far as "sites" - do you really mean "site" in the sense of a trunked radio system or is "site" in your situation really mean site as in "tower/transmitter site"? This term many times is misunderstood and/or misused. As an example, Baltimore City is really one simulcast "site" but it has many towers/transmitters. On the other hand, our State system has many "sites" each of which more or less covers one county and within each of those "sites" there are multiple simulcast towers/transmitters.

troymail said:

As far as "sites" - do you really mean "site" in the sense of a trunked radio system or is "site" in your situation really mean site as in "tower/transmitter site"? This term many times is misunderstood and/or misused.

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Yes, I was referring sites to each tower/transmitter location. I know that I am going to have more questions later. thanks.

TexScan780D said:

Yes, I was referring sites to each tower/transmitter location. I know that I am going to have more questions later. thanks.

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Happy to help where I can.....