San Mateo County in Uniden system/group

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dannyg

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Just got a new BC396T and am trying to get San Mateo County running on it. I have all the frequencies (control and regular) loaded in a system, and, when tuning individual channels, the scanner decodes the P25 OK, but in scan mode, it won't follow the trunk tracking. Just keeps running over busy channels without delaying (in ID Search mode).

While I have San Mateo Cty tracking fine in my PRO-96 and BC796D, I programmed them via PC software. We don't have that luxury yet for the 396, so I'm wondering if there is something I'm missing on the manual programming of the San Mateo system. I see no provision for frequency table entries (but they may not be needed for this scanner). It may be similar to the 246T.
 

pmsar35

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When you set up the system, did you select P25 as the system type?

I should have my BCD396T tomorrow (Wednesday) and I'll be entering the San Mateo system also (I work in SF). As I recall from the manual, you select P25 as the system type whether it's a 400 MHz system or an 800 MHz system...
 

dannyg

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pmsar35 said:
When you set up the system, did you select P25 as the system type?

Yes, P25. In the hunt for a different combo, I tried the UHF type, but that didn't even let the individual channels sound as the scanner whizzes through them. At least in the P25 set, I hear the signals, but only for a fraction of a second (without displaying talkgroup info). All other settings (delay et al.) are default settings. I toggled a bunch of settings one at a time (the scientific method :lol: ) but no changes to the behavior. Conventional system scanning works great. I'm too far from San Francisco to try that system.

Something tells me there is a hidden setting of some kind (as there is for this county system on the PRO-96 that can be set only by PC software). I hope it can be done from the scanner by itself.

Let us know how it works for you.
 

UPMan

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If it is this system: http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=TRSDB&sid=1138

Then it doesn't appear to be a P25 (9600 bps) system but rather a Type II system (3600 bps) with digital traffic. If the database is correct, you need to program it as a Motorola UHF with the appropriate base/step/offset. If the database is incorrect and it is indeed a P25 system, then you should program it as a P25 (in which case you don't need to set base/step/offset).

Which site are you putting in? You could put all site control channels in and skip putting in the voice channels (but be sure to select control channel only mode when you program the system). If you do that, the scanner will only run off of the first control channel it can lock onto. It won't check other control channel frequencies unless it loses carrier on the first.

If you don't set it to Control Channel Only, then you'll need to program all frequencies, with each site set up as a different system.
 

dannyg

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Thanks, Paul...
Glenn Cohen called me with this info as you were typing (he's the best, in case anyone wants to know). The Band Plan setting is available when setting up a UHF type of system, and not a P25 type. I knew those Band Plan settings came into it somewhere, but didn't know where. Now I do and got it working.
 

WayneH

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Keep in mind North and South Zones should go in as two different systems. The other sites you can probably lump into one system since they're mainly for fill-in.

Nothing to programming them in, just make sure the two base/offset ranges are in and you're set.

-Wayne
 

b52hbuff

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wayne_h said:
Keep in mind North and South Zones should go in as two different systems. The other sites you can probably lump into one system since they're mainly for fill-in.

-Wayne

sigh... Thanks for the information Wayne. Someone (maybe me?:) will be asking similar questions for MERA. I really miss the Pro-96's feature/bug that lets you scan multiple sites in a single bank...
 
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