BCD325P2 issues

[batt14firebuff]

I'm writing this directly after spending two hours trying to find how to get my system up on scan mode on my BCD325P2. I programmed it using freescan, and it successfully uploaded onto the scanner. My only issue is that I cannot get my desired system up on the scan mode. Does it have to do with quick keys?? I cannot seem to find any help on basic navigation and operation of the BCD325P2 online, so that's why I'm coming here. Please help me figure this out.

Edit:
Please know that I have little to no experience in this and need things put into a simple explanation.

 

[fxdscon]

I cannot seem to find any help on basic navigation and operation of the BCD325P2 online

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Have you seen the resources for programming your scanner at these links?

Easier to Read BCD325P2 Digital Scanner Manual

https://www.uniden.info/download/ompdf/BCD325P2om.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+program+bcd325p2+scanner+

 

[batt14firebuff]

I've looked at every single one of those and there is nothing explaining how to get your desired system and group currently scanning

UPDATE: I seemed to have figured out how to get the conventional Los Angeles Fire system working, and I found out how to change systems, however my Los Angeles Police Department and Marin county systems, both Motorola Phase II systems (I believe LAPD is, I know Marin is), won't show up on the system list. If anyone could help out on how I can make the two MOT2 systems show up I would be very grateful. It's digital, so does it require a site under the system, or are sites only for trunked?

 

[mshumeyk]

Very simply, the logical thing for your system would be to assign it Quick Key 1. If your scanner displays "Scan Mode, Nothing to Scan" pressing the "1" key should start scanning of the system. If is doesn't the issue is deeper and you should explore the resources in fxdscon's post.

 

[DudleyG]

Here is a picture of my scanner. Near the bottom, you see S0: followed by *** and numbers, and just below that a line with GRP followed by numbers and - - -

These represent the status of quick keys. As stated above, if there ”*”, that means that quick key is defined but not active, thus push the corresponding number key

.

 

[batt14firebuff]

All of my questions are answered, I just need help on the LAPD and Marin county not showing up issue.

 

[mshumeyk]

Just another point: If you do not have any groups enabled within a system the system will not scan.

 

[DudleyG]

You can only put one trunking system in a BCD325P2 “System”. In other words, assign the LAPD to a “system” with SQK of say 4 and assign the Marin County system to a new “System” and assign that system to SQK 5.

Freescan is not very good about warning you are trying to do something that is not allowed. So if you tried to put LAPD and Marin County in the same system or they were included with another trunking system, only one of the trunking systems would have been written to the scanner.

You can have several conventional systems in the same scanner “system” plus only one trunking system in there with them.

In other words, you might be tempted to name a scanner system POLICE and then try to assign two or more trucking systems for police departments to that scanner system. That's what won't work.

 

[batt14firebuff]

You can only put one trunking system in a BCD325P2 “System”. In other words, assign the LAPD to a “system” with SQK of say 4 and assign the Marin County system to a new “System” and assign that system to SQK 5.

Freescan is not very good about warning you are trying to do something that is not allowed. So if you tried to put LAPD and Marin County in the same system or they were included with another trunking system, only one of the trunking systems would have been written to the scanner.

You can have several conventional systems in the same scanner “system” plus only one trunking system in there with them.

LAPD is it's own system, as well as Marin. I don't know what SQK is, sorry. I'll send a screenshot of what I have it laid out as. I don't know if it's supposed to have a site, or what's needed to make it work. It also won't allow me to set a system quick key, it says that it doesn't have a site attached. Really all I want to do, mainly for Marin, is access each individual group like it allows you to with conventional. It's on a Motorola Type II / P25 system type.

 

[DudleyG]

SQK stands for System Quick Key. If you go to RadioReference Wiki, there is a link to the FreeScan Software (often called FreeScan User Guide) that has a bunch of examples and screen shots. One of the detailed parts shows how to setup a trunked MOT Phase II system. I have never tried to setup one using FreeScan and so I am not sure how to tell it about groups and assign quick keys but the example shows one being setup.

 

[batt14firebuff]

SQK stands for System Quick Key. If you go to RadioReference Wiki, there is a link to the FreeScan Software (often called FreeScan User Guide) that has a bunch of examples and screen shots. One of the detailed parts shows how to setup a trunked MOT Phase II system. I have never tried to setup one using FreeScan and so I am not sure how to tell it about groups and assign quick keys but the example shows one being setup.

If it's not too much trouble do you think you could give me a link to the specific MOT Phase II part?

 

[mshumeyk]

Unless the database is wrong, LAPD dispatch uses conventional analog UHF frequencies but your screenshot shows it as Motorola type 2 on your setup. I use Butel software and am not familiar with Freescan but you must set the correct system type.

 

[batt14firebuff]

Unless the database is wrong, LAPD dispatch uses conventional analog UHF frequencies but your screenshot shows it as Motorola type 2 on your setup. I use Butel software and am not familiar with Freescan but you must set the correct system type.

Looking at this I see that Los Angeles City Police runs on digital frequencies so that's why I assumed it was a Motorola

 

[mshumeyk]

I meant to say conventional digital, but the keyword remains “conventional”

 

[batt14firebuff]

I meant to say conventional digital, but the keyword remains “conventional”

LAPD works now, thanks! Now what's left is marin...

 

[DudleyG]

I just looked at the Marin system in RadioReference database and it looks like you only put the departments that contain talkgroups that you want to listen to. You also have to put in the Sites that contain the frequencies such as Bay Hill, East Zone, Sonoma Mountain, Stewart Point, and West Zone. Without those Sites in there, the scanner doesn't know what frequencies to look at.

 

[batt14firebuff]

I was able to get the Marin Site up, however I have the scanner feed up on my phone and none of it is coming to the scanner. Did I program the site wrong? Is it safer just to use the import from radioreference (once I get premium) feature?

 

[tvengr]

I don't know what SQK is, sorry.

SQK is system quick key. Here is a PDF file which should answer all of your questions about quick keys.

 

[DudleyG]

One other thing to be aware of..... The RR Database shows where the 5 sites are located for Marin. When you look at the location for East Zone, it says that it is a Simulcast site and West Zone also says it is a Simulcast site. The other 3 sites say they are Intelligent Repeaters (don't know what that is). However, the BCD325P2 at times struggles with simulcast sites depending on where you are relative to the site transmitters.

 

[batt14firebuff]

One other thing to be aware of..... The RR Database shows where the 5 sites are located for Marin. When you look at the location for East Zone, it says that it is a Simulcast site and West Zone also says it is a Simulcast site. The other 3 sites say they are Intelligent Repeaters (don't know what that is). However, the BCD325P2 at times struggles with simulcast sites depending on where you are relative to the site transmitters.

I set up the site as shown in the photo above. The likely reason why I'm not hearing anything is because I'm in socal right now and Marin is in norcal. Once I'm up in Marin again I'll try again. I copied all of frequencies in the attached screenshot, the "system frequencies", and put them into the trunk frequencies tab on the site. Will that allow me to listen to listen to the different talk groups that I originally put into the Marin system when I'm within range of the Simulcast transmitters?