Finding Control Channel

Hello all, This digital is new to me. I am lost, I seem to be having the same problem with not finding the control channel. I really don't know how to fix this. I have read all the threads above and am still a little lost. I am in the same town as I'm trying to program. I've tried other towns and have the same problem. bcd996p2 with factory antenna. Any help would be great. Thanks Al

justa thought....if you know anyone with a scanner,program the nearest tower's control channel and see what kind of strength it has,then program just the 1 tower into your scanner and just do an id search to see how it performs.

The "Finding Control Channel" isn't just a digital thing - it's also something you'd see with analog trunked systems.

If you have tried just about everything, I suggest you create a search where your scanning is searching the frequency range where the control channel frequency should be. You are wanting to hear something like a "machine gun" or "motor boat" sound. When you hear this, and you may hear several frequencies with that sound, write the frequencies down. Then program each one in your scanner and see if that is the correct control channel frequency.

Also, hopefully, while you are doing your search, you may hear voice traffic for your system. That will confirm you are in range of your system and probably are not being affected by interference.

Yet another option is if you can get mobile with your scanner. Go to within 1/4 mile of the transmitter site and see if the "Finding Control Channel" goes away. If it does, that means something around your home is keeping you from properly receiving the control channel.

Thank you for all the info. I'm still not sure if I'm doing this right. i am trying to program Union County NJ into the scanner using freescan and radio reference. Still looking for control channel on scanner and there is no APCO band plan entries.
bcd996p2

Finding Control Channel = the scanner is unable to detect a control channel on any of the frequencies programmed for that system. This is either because you are out of range of the system or you don't have the correct frequencies programmed.

Could something be blocking the control channel if I drive a street over and loose all bars ??Then full bars come up and then they go away again and only usauskly hold for second and then stay gone for minutes to hours

Sure. Older Motorola systems like Calvert (and Anne Arundel) are still affected badly by cell towers and other interference.

troymail said:

Sure. Older Motorola systems like Calvert (and Anne Arundel) are still affected badly by cell towers and other interference.

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But what if it’s rebanded ? Calvert is , doesn’t that stop cell tower interference? I can get perfect reception for NOAA and other frequencies like 388.025 which is a p25 phase 11 channel. But I cant get Anne Arundel 800mhz frequencies or calverts 800mhz frequencies . This only happens when I’d rive one town over . I can get them on the rest Calvert county like dunkirk and stuff just not in north beach,, I can get them fine I Chesapeake beach though but once I drive over to north beach the control channel looses all singal . Closest tower is Sunderland .

Joshheartbrake said:

But what if it’s rebanded ? Calvert is , doesn’t that stop cell tower interference? I can get perfect reception for NOAA and other frequencies like 388.025 which is a p25 phase 11 channel. But I cant get Anne Arundel 800mhz frequencies or calverts 800mhz frequencies . This only happens when I’d rive one town over . I can get them on the rest Calvert county like dunkirk and stuff just not in north beach,, I can get them fine I Chesapeake beach though but once I drive over to north beach the control channel looses all singal . Closest tower is Sunderland .

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Rebanding helps the real users - but scanners tend to still receive more interference for various reasons - one being that your scanner is trying to receive a wide(r) range of frequencies - real user radios may not. And of course, you can't really compare a $300-400 scanner to a real subscriber radio that costs a whole lot more....

troymail said:

Rebanding helps the real users - but scanners tend to still receive more interference for various reasons - one being that your scanner is trying to receive a wide(r) range of frequencies - real user radios may not. And of course, you can't really compare a $300-400 scanner to a real subscriber radio that costs a whole lot more....

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So what do I do if it is interference?
How would I fix that issue . There’s a sprint antenna on top of a huge water tower behind my neighborhood I can see it out my window ..

Also, When they switch to p25 , can cell towers still interfere ?

Sometimes, in situations like that, turning on the attenuator can improve reception by reducing the interfering signal to a level that no longer swamps the scanner's front end.

Joshheartbrake said:

So what do I do if it is interference?
How would I fix that issue . There’s a sprint antenna on top of a huge water tower behind my neighborhood I can see it out my window ..

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Other than what Paul mentioned above (ATTenuator) - not much other than move away from the cell tower. I used to drive right past a cell site in AA County driving back and forth to work - voice calls on the scanner would get eaten up by that interference (just become all static) until I drove far enough past it. Sometimes, pressing ATT helped....

Also, When they switch to p25 , can cell towers still interfere ?

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They could - just have to wait and see given most new P25 systems (particularly simulcast systems) have more towers/sites which could (maybe) help you overcome that problems.

troymail said:

Other than what Paul mentioned above (ATTenuator) - not much other than move away from the cell tower. I used to drive right past a cell site in AA County driving back and forth to work - voice calls on the scanner would get eaten up by that interference (just become all static) until I drove far enough past it. Sometimes, pressing ATT helped....

They could - just have to wait and see given most new P25 systems (particularly simulcast systems) have more towers/sites which could (maybe) help you overcome that problems.

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I tried what Paul said , it still goes out of range though easily . Idk if it’s the cell tower or if it’s just reception , I honestly think it’s just reception now , I just drove back into Chesapeake beach and it didn’t loose channel but it was still very staticky ... is it possible that the tower in Sunderland isn’t reaching strong enough to north beach??

The police say they are able to communicate but do also have issues time to time with radio cutting out in north beach area . ( but then again there radios are better than scanners)

I attached a picture of the closet radio tower to me

Yea - the older systems in the area have lots of dead spots... hopefully, they'll get fixed with the new system - only time will tell.

troymail said:

Yea - the older systems in the area have lots of dead spots... hopefully, they'll get fixed with the new system - only time will tell.

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I guess all I can do now is put my scanner on a feed. At my moms house in Dunkirk area
The only thing I hate about this is 1. The 30 second delay, and 2. Sometimes I gotta refresh my browser often to be able to pre pick up the webserver ( it cuts out the audio sometimes as well)

troymail said:

Yea - the older systems in the area have lots of dead spots... hopefully, they'll get fixed with the new system - only time will tell.

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My uncle use to live a street down from me and his scanner worked fine he said , but that was before they reabnanded there system , could something cause this during Rebanding and after? Or do you think it’s something blocking it ( this is a new issue and hasn’t always been this way )