OK, Im clueless....

[gojeda]

So I've just gotten my Pro96 (used - ebay), downloaded my copy of Win96, got the USB data cable, already updated the firmware to the most recent one by Radio Shack, signed up as premium subscriber on RR.com, and downloaded the csv file (from RR.com) for Broward County.

Now what?

This is what I am after (in order):

1. Listening to Coral Springs, FL Police (Public Safety)
2. Listening to Coral Springs, FL Fire.
3. Listening to KFLL airport tower and ground frequencies.
4. A few other random frequencies of interest.

So, my first problem:

I figured I'd start out with the Broward County csv file. I downloaded Broward County's csv files (321.csv), and tried importing into Win96:

File>Import>321.csv>File type: WinXX Extended CSV File>Open

.....nada. Win96 doesn't import a single bit of data. Tried changing file types around, still nothing.

OK, must be something I am doing wrong. I'll come back to that later. I decide to try out Win96's web import feature that works with RR.com. Tried out importing Coral Springs Public Safety and got an xml error. OK, fair enough...it can be fixed. Tried out importing conventional frequencies for Broward County from RR.com. Bzzt...another xml error.

I dutyfully report the two xml bugs to the appropriate forum. So that is where I am now after a rather frustrating 2 hours.

I did manage to import some data, more on that later.

Win96's help files leave a bit to be desired. It is better than nothing, but it doesn't really explain what each checkbox means. For example, when I get to reading the part of about the CT/DC field, all it basically says is "This is the field where you can enter your CT/DC values".

Hello?! What is the CT/DC?

So that is the kind of thing I am running into. I am not new to scanners, but digital trunking is a new world for me. I know the basics like attentuation, lockouts, priorities, and things like that. I just still need to inform myself of all these little switches, and the concepts of fleet maps, talkgroups, sites, etc.....

So, the first thing I'd like to address is the CSV file imports into Win96. Any ideas of what I am doing wrong?

Secondly, how does one reset this scanner to factory settings?

Thirdly...Broward County, for example, seems to have 5 sites of 70 channels:
Primary
Deerfield Beach
Hollywood
Ft. Lauderdale
Plantation

And then the talkgroups, all 32 of them...but I am only interested in:
Firecom
Medcom
Broward County Sheriff
Broward County Sheriff (District 11 - Pompano)

Since 70 channels is more than one bank on a Pro96 can hold, which is 50, what do I do with the remaining 20 channels? Or do I just need Primary and can ignore the other 4 sites?

Also, am I correct that a max of 29 talkgroup IDs are allowed on each back? So what happens when an agency has more than 29 IDs in a given talkgroup?

I tried out just checking off Primary (28 channels) and the talkgroups above, and I did get a good deal of activity. But, I don't know, this is all so new to me.

Thanks for the pointers, just can't wait to get over that 'hump' when things finally start clicking.

 

[N4JNW]

Well, to clarify one of your questions, to which I am positive I know, CT/DC are a type of tone squelch.

Long story short, when you program a frequency, let's say.. 155.490... Anything, that transmits on 155.490, will be heard. So I'm sure you're saying,

"Well, what's wrong with that?"

Well, quite frankly, when you program in a text tag, there's a lot wrong with that! When you get to monitoring several counties, some countied use the SAME frequencies, but have a different CT/DC tone.

For example: Let's say you're going to monitor County "A". Ok, County "A" Police is 155.490. County "B" EMS is 155.490 as well. See what I mean?

So, you program in the proper tone, to seperate the two. That way, County "B" EMS, won't be mistaken for County "A" Police, and vice versa.

Now, from a technical standpoint.. What IS a CT/DC tone? This is simply a subaudible tone that is inserted with a transmitted carrier, to open the squelch of the agencies radio's. No, you can't hear it.. (Or I don't think you can anyway, I can't..).. But it's there.. Tones are there to aid in frequency seperation between counties and agencies.

 

[rvawatch]

For example, when I get to reading the part of about the CT/DC field, all it basically says is "This is the field where you can enter your CT/DC values".

you dont need any ct/dc for digital channels

Secondly, how does one reset this scanner to factory settings?

turn on the scanner, while the greeting is displayed (after the dsp versions), press 0, then press 1, then press ENTER."

Since 70 channels is more than one bank on a Pro96 can hold, which is 50, what do I do with the remaining 20 channels? Or do I just need Primary and can ignore the other 4 sites?

If your area is digital, then you only need to enter in the control channels. If the different sites broadcast different things, then you will need all of them, if you want to hear all of them. Program them into different banks.

If the different sites are just broadcasting the same thing, then just enter the ones close to where you need in one bank, putting a "filler" frequency of a random number (say 900.0000) in FM mode in between the control channels (the pro96 cant encode them if they are all together).

Also, am I correct that a max of 29 talkgroup IDs are allowed on each back? So what happens when an agency has more than 29 IDs in a given talkgroup?

No. Every bank has 5 folders of 30 talkgroups. Total of 150 talkgroups for each bank. With the system set up, press PGM, then press TRUNK to scroll through the different folders. Using win96 you can select the different folders by the radio box click things next to the checkmarks on the lower right where you enter in the talkgroups. (if that makes any sense)

I tried out just checking off Primary (28 channels) and the talkgroups above, and I did get a good deal of activity. But, I don't know, this is all so new to me.

good. to "close" the bank (enable it so the scanner will only "play" the talkgroups you have entered in, as opposed to any talkgroup that uses the control channel), press FUNC, then press 5, while monitoring the bank. Doing so again will "open" the bank (allowing the scanner to "play" and talkgroup that uses the control channel, regardless of whether you have the talkgroup programmed).

I don't know if you have the pro96 manual, but it really does explain alot in detail. you can find it online at radioshack's website.

Andrew

 

[gojeda]

Well, to clarify one of your questions, to which I am positive I know, CT/DC are a type of tone squelch.

Long story short, when you program a frequency, let's say.. 155.490... Anything, that transmits on 155.490, will be heard. So I'm sure you're saying,

"Well, what's wrong with that?"

Well, quite frankly, when you program in a text tag, there's a lot wrong with that! When you get to monitoring several counties, some countied use the SAME frequencies, but have a different CT/DC tone.

For example: Let's say you're going to monitor County "A". Ok, County "A" Police is 155.490. County "B" EMS is 155.490 as well. See what I mean?

So, you program in the proper tone, to seperate the two. That way, County "B" EMS, won't be mistaken for County "A" Police, and vice versa.

Now, from a technical standpoint.. What IS a CT/DC tone? This is simply a subaudible tone that is inserted with a transmitted carrier, to open the squelch of the agencies radio's. No, you can't hear it.. (Or I don't think you can anyway, I can't..).. But it's there.. Tones are there to aid in frequency seperation between counties and agencies.

Thanks for the education.

gojeda

 

[gojeda]

you dont need any ct/dc for digital channels

Cool.....KG's explanation helped alot as well.

turn on the scanner, while the greeting is displayed (after the dsp versions), press 0, then press 1, then press ENTER."

Excellent...thanks for that.

If your area is digital, then you only need to enter in the control channels. If the different sites broadcast different things, then you will need all of them, if you want to hear all of them. Program them into different banks.

Let me get this straight.

According to RR's database Broward County has, I believe, 5 different sites for a total of 70 different frequencies. I would assume that these 70 frequencies handle the totality of county communications, therefore - yes - I would assume they broadcast different things.

It seems RR.com gives me some more information here, but it is a bit ambiguous. When one looks at:
http://radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&sid=212

....based on my interests which is Broward Sheriff, Broward Medcom, and Broward Firecom, can I safely ignore Site 2, Site 3, and Site 4? The wording throws me off. Site 3 says that it carries these talkgroups only (which is clear to me). But Deerfield Beach talkgroups are carried on Site 2 only.

You see, to me that says that Site 2 is the only place where Deerfield Bch. talkgroups are carried, but Site 2 may carry other talkgroups as well. Does this make sense?

If the different sites are just broadcasting the same thing, then just enter the ones close to where you need in one bank, putting a "filler" frequency of a random number (say 900.0000) in FM mode in between the control channels (the pro96 cant encode them if they are all together).

So, for example....

Bank 1: Broward County Sheriff talkgroup
Bank 2: Broward Medcom talkgroup
Bank 3: Broward Firecom talkgroup

Is that so? If so, I think I understand that.....but what about the frequencies? Which frequencies go in whick bank? Or do I need to have the same collection of county site frequencies in each bank since they are county "pool" frequencies?

As for the control frequencies, you are saying they need to be separated by one dumby frequency, or else they will not correctly?

Can the control frequencies be separated by a real non-control county frequency instead, so as not to "waste" a slot on a filler frequency?

No. Every bank has 5 folders of 30 talkgroups. Total of 150 talkgroups for each bank. With the system set up, press PGM, then press TRUNK to scroll through the different folders. Using win96 you can select the different folders by the radio box click things next to the checkmarks on the lower right where you enter in the talkgroups. (if that makes any sense)

Yes indeed it does. I see that. Thanks for this explanation.

good. to "close" the bank (enable it so the scanner will only "play" the talkgroups you have entered in, as opposed to any talkgroup that uses the control channel), press FUNC, then press 5, while monitoring the bank. Doing so again will "open" the bank (allowing the scanner to "play" and talkgroup that uses the control channel, regardless of whether you have the talkgroup programmed).

Ahh, OK....so I need to close the bank, using the keystrokes above, so that only the talkgroups I''ve programmed in will be heard? So if I do not close the bank, a county agency, like Broward County Public Schools can be heard if they are using that control channel?

Another thing, since 15 of 70 county channels are control channels, are control channels statically or dynamically assigned by the system? Im not even sure what control channels are to be honest, but I will download and read the manual to find out.

Thank you for the help Andrew.

gojeda

 

[mike_webb59]

Q: According to RR's database Broward County has, I believe, 5 different sites for a total of 70 different frequencies.

Each one of the "sites" cover a certain area. You only need to program those sites within your area. One site per bank:

Bank 1: Downtown
Bank 2: Deerfield
et cetera

If you click on the Site's Name, and then in the popup on the call sign, most times it will pop up another map of the towers, and that can help.

Q: But Deerfield Beach talkgroups are carried on Site 2 only.

That is, if you program a Bank with the Deerfield frequencies, only that bank will receive the Talkgroups in the Table marked "Deerfield Beach," along with all others. No other site will broadcast the Deerfield TGIDs, but they will broadcast others.

Q: Can the control frequencies be separated by a real non-control county frequency instead, so as not to "waste" a slot on a filler frequency?

No, it needs to be a true dummy frequency IMHO


Here's my suggestion:

Program 5 banks, one bank contains one site. I'd add all the channels, as some agencies will change control channel from time to time.

Create one set of ALL the Talkgroups I want to hear on all sites. (Even though Deerfield TGIDs may not be heard, for example, it won't hurt to have them programmed-- it's just simpler to manage). Add that *uber*set to the 5 banks, close all banks and start listening. Pretty soon you'll figure out that some sites are not in your range, and you can lock out the entire bank, or re-program for other use. Once you find the two or three sites that you can receive, then you can add all sites to one bank with the dummy skip frequency in between.

HTH, Mike