Motorola Trunk - BC396XT

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Hello:

I have a Motorola system loaded into my 396XT using the ARC-XT. This system only has "6 sites" but for some reason as the scanner scans, it shows there are 10 sites. I'm not sure where the 396XT is getting the extra 4 sites. When I manually scroll through the sites, only those programmed are displayed.

I hope I'm explaining myself well. I tired to attach some photos to help.

Thanks for the support.
 

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ka3jjz

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I imported this system - if this is the one you are having problems with - into Freescan...

Washington County / Clackamas County / Newberg Trunking System, Various, Oregon - Scanner Frequencies

and it warned me that there are too many groups (46). The limit is 20 / system

It might be that ARC-XT is not handling the overflow properly. There are also 2 blank entries for Banks and Gaston that might also be causing issues.

I'd rearrange your import so you only get what you need. Unless you go all over the county, chances are you won't need everything. If you do you might need to create a duplicate system with the rest of t he groups to hold the other talkgroups.

Mike
 
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kirk23

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ok I am not familiar with ARC XT ..I use FREESCAN..

but from just looking at your pic I think your problem is yourSYSTEM QUICK KEY.. SITE QUICK KEY setup & your GROUP QUICK KEY setup.. I would make sure you put the whole system into the same SYSTEM and give it SYSTEM quick key # 1 (for example) .. assign each of your 6 SITES SITE QUICK KEY 1-6 then keep the groups assigned 1-5 as your have done. Make sure NO OTHER system was given the same SYSTEM QUICK KEY as you have given this system.. then turn off all the other SYSTEMS and just leave this system on.. I think you have another system on the same SYSTEM QUICK KEY as the Clackamas system so that's why you are showing more sites.

I just imported that system with the 6 sites and as well as the 5 groups that you did..and mine is exactly as I imported only 6 sites & 5 groups
 
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ka3jjz

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In FreeScan you can choose which groups you want to import. I'd be very surprised if ARC-XT doesn't also have this same ability

Mike
 
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ok I am not familiar with ARC XT ..I use FREESCAN..

but from just looking at your pic I think your problem is yourSYSTEM QUICK KEY.. SITE QUICK KEY setup & your GROUP QUICK KEY setup.. I would make sure you put the whole system into the same SYSTEM and give it SYSTEM quick key # 1 (for example) .. assign each of your 6 SITES SITE QUICK KEY 1-6 then keep the groups assigned 1-5 as your have done. Make sure NO OTHER system was given the same SYSTEM QUICK KEY as you have given this system.. then turn off all the other SYSTEMS and just leave this system on.. I think you have another system on the same SYSTEM QUICK KEY as the Clackamas system so that's why you are showing more sites.

I just imported that system with the 6 sites and as well as the 5 groups that you did..and mine is exactly as I imported only 6 sites & 5 groups

Thanks for the help. The problem is, I have System 0 (S0) already occupied from S0-S9. i.e. I have an S00, S01, S02, etc.

So the next available system is 1. So technically, Clackamas needs to be S10 thru West Washington at S15.

As for the groups, the scanner only lets you program groups 0-9. So, I am unable to make the groups match the above system numbers. i.e. I can't get Beaverton to be group 10 or 11, 12, etc.

Also, I noticed the scanner is also scanning each individual site frequency. How do I program it to keep the sites in the "background" (for lack of another term) and only scan the talkgroups? I have the scanner set to "ID Scan" mode.

Thanks again everyone!
 

kirk23

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Thanks for the help. The problem is, I have System 0 (S0) already occupied from S0-S9. i.e. I have an S00, S01, S02, etc.

So the next available system is 1. So technically, Clackamas needs to be S10 thru West Washington at S15.

As for the groups, the scanner only lets you program groups 0-9. So, I am unable to make the groups match the above system numbers. i.e. I can't get Beaverton to be group 10 or 11, 12, etc.

Also, I noticed the scanner is also scanning each individual site frequency. How do I program it to keep the sites in the "background" (for lack of another term) and only scan the talkgroups? I have the scanner set to "ID Scan" mode.

Thanks again everyone!

Ok you're not understanding ..S0 in your display IS NOT YOUR SYSTEM the S 0 are you 1st 10 SITES in your SYSTEM ... SYSTEMS 0-99.. within each SYSTEM you can add YOUR SITES which show as S0 for your 1st 10 sites 0-9...S1 will be 10-19...S2 will be sites 20- 29 and so on to S9 which be sites 90-99.. in your case you have 6 sites so mark the SITE QUICK KEY mark them 1 thru 6 .. Your GROUPS are GRP in your display 0-9. you have 6 to add to your SYSTEM mark them 1 to 6..then add your groups 1 thru 5 in your case.
Dont mark anything in systems ..sites or groups as " . " the decimal point otherwise they are ALWAYS ON.
Go into your SYSTEMS and make sure you assign a SYSTEM QUICK KEY AS 0 - 99..
 
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PMJ2kx

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You only need Site 1 and/or Site 2 - they are both the main simulcast sites for each respective county. The other sites are used to fill in gaps of coverage. If you're only listening to Washington County related agencies, don't even bother with Site 2 - or, at least make it a seperate system as to avoid confusion.
 
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Dont mark anything in systems ..sites or groups as " . " the decimal point otherwise they are ALWAYS ON.


Can you please sat that a different way?

I'm learning a lot!
 

kirk23

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Dont mark anything in systems ..sites or groups as " . " the decimal point otherwise they are ALWAYS ON.


Can you please sat that a different way?

I'm learning a lot!
.


in your QUICK KEYS if you choose the "." decimal point instead that SYSTEM...SITE..or GROUP whichever one you choose the DECIMAL POINT in the QUICK KEY will mean it is always ON you will always will receive it and cant turn it off.

always assign #'s to all your SYSTEMS..SITES & GROUPS so you know what to turn on & off


did you just get this radio? how much have you entered into it so far??
 
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Got it. No. I've had it for some time. But this is my first time programing a truck system into it. I still can't figure out why it was doing what it was doing though. It doesn't make sense it has to be set as a 1,2,3 etc vs. 11, 12, 13.

It also still appears to be scanning the sites instead of just scanning the ID's I have plugged in.

Thanks for all your help!
 

ofd8001

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It's possible that you may have sites from other systems assigned to the same Site Quick Key in your scanner. So you've got the sites from the desired system plus four other "rogue" sites showing up too.

When you uploaded your desired system to your scanner via ARC XT, you may have added that to the systems pre-programmed in to your scanner. (But without seeing your scanner's programming, it is hard to say for sure).

I suggest you connect your scanner to your computer and start your ARC XT. Do a "Download from Scanner". Then do a QuickKey Overivew (Top row/QuickKeys=> Quick Key Overview. That will tell you how your system/site quick keys are assigned.

(I might be wrong on this, but the only thing the decimal point does when it comes to system/site quick keys is to allow you to enable/disable system/site quick keys numbered ten and higher.)
 
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ofd8001

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Got it. No. I've had it for some time. But this is my first time programing a truck system into it. I still can't figure out why it was doing what it was doing though. It doesn't make sense it has to be set as a 1,2,3 etc vs. 11, 12, 13.

It also still appears to be scanning the sites instead of just scanning the ID's I have plugged in.

Thanks for all your help!

Trunked systems are a completely different creature than conventional systems. With your scanner, it goes through the sites and stops on any it receives. Should one of the talkgroups you have programmed be active (transmitting), the talkgroup ID (or alpha tag is one has been assigned) will then show up on your scanner.

When you are scanning a trunked system, you do NOT see it scrolling/scanning/rolling through a list of talkgroups.
 

kirk23

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Got it. No. I've had it for some time. But this is my first time programing a truck system into it. I still can't figure out why it was doing what it was doing though. It doesn't make sense it has to be set as a 1,2,3 etc vs. 11, 12, 13.

It also still appears to be scanning the sites instead of just scanning the ID's I have plugged in.

Thanks for all your help!


I was just using it as an example... if you put this Clackamas SYSTEM in your radio you just assign it ANY SYSTEN # you want ..whatever SYSTEM # is free from 0-99.. since you only have 6 sites you want or this system..WHY would you NOT USE SITES 1..2..3..4..5 & 6 ?? instead of 11..12 etc? makes it easier you to follow... then since you have 5 GROUPS to listen to..just assign them 1-5..

like the other guy is telling you... if you assign other sites or even CONVENTIONAL FREQS to the SAME SYSTEM QUICK KEY you will be monitoring them too BECAUSE they have the SAME SYSTEM QUICK KEY.
EVERY SYSTEM and every "block" or "bank" of CONVENTIONAL FREQS should be assigned their own SEPERATE SYSTEM QUICK KEY #
 
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I checked to make sure I didn't have any duplicate quick keys. Thanks for the suggestion though. I had no idea though that it scans the freq. and not just the IDs.

I used S11, 12, 13, etc because S0-S10 were/are taken, I just didn't show that in the pic. The way I figured, I had it laid out was S0-S15. It appears I'm going to have to re-due my #ing now.

Thanks everyone!
 

kirk23

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I checked to make sure I didn't have any duplicate quick keys. Thanks for the suggestion though. I had no idea though that it scans the freq. and not just the IDs.

I used S11, 12, 13, etc because S0-S10 were/are taken, I just didn't show that in the pic. The way I figured, I had it laid out was S0-S15. It appears I'm going to have to re-due my #ing now.

Thanks everyone!


NO DUPLICATE "SYSTEM QUICK KEYS" that's the KEY point here

just remember you have 3 DIFFERENT sets of QUICK KEYS
1-SYSTEMS 0-99
2-SITES 0-99 (that are within each System)
3-GROUPS 0-9 (that are within each Site)

you say your S11,S12,S13 etc were already taken? the S0-99 start over FRESH for each & every SYSTEM

you can use S1.. S2 and so on in EVERY SINGLE SYSTEM in your radio

example System # 1 can have S1..S2 ..S3 and System #3.. System #55 as well as System 99 can all have a different S1..S2 and so on each S0-99 are unique to every one of the 100 (site 0-99) sites in your radio.

sounds like you have ALOT of reorganizing to do....

Kirk
 
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I'm sure I didn't have any duplicates. I have/had 10 conventional Systems Qkeyed as S0 Q0-Q9. So, I saved the Motorola Truck sites as Q11-Q15 (as shown in my pic). From my understanding, you cannot save an entire Truck System with a QKey...you can only QKey the sites.

Cheers.
 

kirk23

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I'm sure I didn't have any duplicates. I have/had 10 conventional Systems Qkeyed as S0 Q0-Q9. So, I saved the Motorola Truck sites as Q11-Q15 (as shown in my pic). From my understanding, you cannot save an entire Truck System with a QKey...you can only QKey the sites.

Cheers.

I am sorry that you are not understanding..
1 last try... you need to assign your System a System # from 0-99 & YES you can put a whole SYSTEM into a single System #.. In fact I have my city FD which is a Motorola P25Trunked Multi Site Digital System as SYSTEM #1 and then I have also assigned the 6 conventional W/Ts freqs the Same System #1 but a different Group # so I can hear both together in System 1..
If duplicate Systems and /or group of conventional freqs are given the same System number you will hear them all together when you activate that System number.

within each System number you can give each tower site a separate Quick key or keep them all in the same Site Quick key.

then you can assign your different talkgroups different Group Quick Key #'s

if you haven't assigned actual System numbers to your systems and left any System as the "." (decimal point ) those systems using the System number . will always be on no matter what system or systems you select to hear. in your SYSTEM QUICK KEY DROP DOWN panel in ARC your choices start at . (decimal) 1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10..11..all the way up to 99

I just looked at your ARC XT screen shot again if you look at the 1st line that says SYSTEM WCCCA there is NO System # assigned to it. when you assign it a number then then you can assign your 6 sites that you see in your screen shot as the BLUE S's site Quick Key 1-6.

your Groups that are RED are 0-4 which are OK
 
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I think I'm up to speed now. So the "number tag" dictates the "System #". No I understand what you are communicating. Thank you soooooo much! & here I thought I had most of it figured out.
 
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