MIRS System Setup Help

[SHU21]

I am trying to setup the Morris County MIRS System on Free Scan for my UNIDEN BDX 396xt

Morris County Trunking System, Morris County, New Jersey - Scanner Frequencies

Cant figure out what I am during wrong?

I have Conventionsl systems and endacs systems setup....

Any one can help with step by step on free scan what i need done?

 

[ka3jjz]

Let's see your file - many times that's the easiest way to diagnose issues. Simply zip (compress) and attach it to your reply. Other FreeScan users can then look at it.

You'll need to be much more specific about what problem(s) you are having. By the way the user guide is hosted here in the RR wiki - you can get to it via the help pulldown in FreeScan. 73 (best regards) Mike

 

[SHU21]

Free Scan File

Attached is the file it is the Morris County Site that is locked out currently.....I dont get hits when not locked out and it is a busy site.

Thanks

 

[ka3jjz]

I can see several things wrong here.

First, this system is what we refer to around here is a mixed mode. That is, it is an analog system with digital voice. This is NOT a straight P25 system, so all your sites need to be UHF type. In addition, you shouldn't lock out your sites - there's another consideration here, and I'll get to that in a moment.

Remove the offsets from the APCO band plan. They don't belong here. When you define the UHF site with the frequencies, you will be asked to put the offsets in.

All groups must have a quick key assigned to them. I don't see that in each of the group screens. In addition, it might be wisest to set up the audio type for each talkgroup - analog or digital.

While you can have multiple sites in a system, you are going to run into issues with simulcast distortion. It's common in every consumer - and even, to a much lesser extent, in commercial radios. You would be much better off to choose the site(s) that are physically closest to you. Each site you select also needs a quick key.

In our Uniden DMA FAQ I would recommend reading the following articles (all links are in blue...)

* Systems, sites and groups
* Multi site trunking
* Simulcast digital distortion

I would also download the 396XT complete reference (it's a PDF) from the Uniden TWiki site, and see if that gives you any more guidance.

Additionally, one way you might be able to at least mitigate your distortion issues would be to use location based scanning. It won't solve it, to be sure, but it should reduce it somewhat. This involves the use of GPS to basically control which site(s) you receive, automatically. That topic is also discussed in the DMA FAQ. Unfortunately it seems our database doesn't have that information in the site listings; perhaps someone in the NJ forum has it. This data should be added to the database for future users.

That should be enough to confuse you for now :.>> No doubt other folks will jump in here once they look at your file.

73 Mike

 

[SHU21]

Quick Keys

Thanks for the info! Why do I need to create a Quick Key for each one? I thought this was for if I wanted to quickly goto that frequency?

Also does it make sense to have one Conventional Site and have alot of groups underneath? Or multiple conventional sites and multiple groups for each town?

 

[ka3jjz]

Please read the articles I suggested. They will make things a lot clearer, I think.

The way I've always thought of quick keys - group quick keys included - are like 'sub banks'. Just because you have defined a trunk system (in the old 'bank' way of thinking; a 'site' in DMA), you haven't told the scanner what talkgroups (stored in 'sub banks' - groups, in DMA terms) you wish to hear. As the article explains, you can switch these GQKs on and off, depending on what you desire to hear. It's not used for quickly going to a frequency - if memory serves (I don't have the XT series) that's what the number tag is for.

I don't have my laptop at work with me, so I can't look at your setup. However I usually set up my conventional systems with numerous groups beneath, so I can turn the groups on/off when I want. It depends, really, on what you are trying to accomplish. That is the power - and sometimes the cause of much confusion - of setting up systems, sites and groups in DMA. 73 Mike

{edit} By the way, I neglected to look at how the system scan option is set - make sure it's set for 'ID Scan', since you already have lists (groups) of talkgroups you want to hear. 'ID Search' is used when you want to hear everything - and perhaps make your own list of talkgroups from what you hear.

 

[ka3jjz]

In reviewing your entire file, it seems that you are missing group and site quick keys almost everywhere, except for Florham Park NJ which looks like is allocated correctly. You won't hear very much this way.It's important to assign quick keys for everything you want to hear. You can turn them on and off manually, or by using Location Based Scanning, which is particularly valuable in a mobile environment. Even your NJSP and West Orange systems have these same issues. 73 Mike