See thread from software forum...
http://forums.radioreference.com/scanner-programming-software/215595-arc-xt-starcomm21.html
http://forums.radioreference.com/scanner-programming-software/215595-arc-xt-starcomm21.html
Starcomm programing help....
- Thread starter Freqed
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Jake68111
Member
Posted in the above "linked' post..... 
If he is asking what the "bandplan" is on Starcom 700/800 it is set automaticly by the CC in the scanner...No settings needed....He should set each tower or the whole Starcom system on a "System Quick Key" on Uniden scanners.....Jake, how do you hear the Chicago area towers on the PSR800 like T101,T102, T113??.....Still have not purchased the PSR800 cause i don't know how to use the "software on this new Windows 7 computer.....
Jake68111
Member
Hi Ron!
Hopefully he will see your post. I've never owned a Uniden but ventured off to try to help him out anyway.... LOL
Selecting sites and talkgroups with the 800 is very easy. I don't do any programming by hand because everything I want to hear, I've done through the software. I will reserve the hand programming for a time when I might be travelling and don't have the time to program my trip.
I'm not sure what you are asking as far as the the Chicago area towers. I can tell you that I listen to a lot more on StarCom now, then I did with my Pro 106. Picking and chosing what you want to hear is VERY easy. In addition to ISP D5, D6, D17 sometimes D21, I often hear traffic on the IEMA, IEASMA and ILEASA freqs....... I almost wish EVERYONE would go digital. Seems like distance in receiving is extended as I will also from time to time hear Plainfield PD and Romeoville PD from Morris on the Simulcast freq. I have, however messed a little bit with the decoding thresholds on the system and have seen a difference but pick up a little bit more of the robotic garble sometimes.
I really wish I had the time, I'd post a "Pic Tutorial" on how to obtain, extract and install the software. If I can find a chance I might. It is true, the ease of the software was a important selling point for me as I fiddled with it for a bit before I made my purchase.
I hear the tower in Morris=T125 very well, i also monitor PLFD and Romeoville all the time on Towers 101=Lisle, 102=Cook Co So, and T113=District5 locations....PLFD and Romeoville use T125 sparringly but use the other towers i posted 100% of the time...So my question was can you hear the towers i mentioned from Morris T101,102,113 or maybe you have not programmed them into the PSR800....
Jake68111
Member
Wow Ron.... I just checked and the only towers I have programmed are Lasalle, Will(113?), Ottawa, Streator, Grundy and Pontiac...... not sure what the Tower #'s are...... Can you receieve those Towers to the north and east?
UPDATE: So I pulled up the map for tower sites statewide. I now have 9 programmed. The PSR-800 shows them like this: 1-001, 1-013, 1-025, 1-026, 1-029, 1-047, 1-034, 1-042, 2-007...... I did NOT program Tower 102....... I'll have to report back to you and let you know...... THANKS RON for the unexpected lesson....
UPDATE: So I pulled up the map for tower sites statewide. I now have 9 programmed. The PSR-800 shows them like this: 1-001, 1-013, 1-025, 1-026, 1-029, 1-047, 1-034, 1-042, 2-007...... I did NOT program Tower 102....... I'll have to report back to you and let you know...... THANKS RON for the unexpected lesson....
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Yes, i can hear the towers in Chicago, the #ing you have is the same as my #ing only your way is from this web site RadioReference.com - Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference, i also get my tower MAP and listing of towers on www.carmachicago.com...Scroll down thru all the county listings on the Carma site and click on the Starcom site list and there is a neat map of towers and list of all towers and TG's.....
Troop04
Member
Chicago North tower (Cook county)
Can someone help me out please. I am visiting the chicago area and downloaded the control and alternate control channels for the above titled tower. The tower turned on as needed through the gps I use. The problem I am having is with reception for that tower. I looked up the talk groups that were hitting the tower in the database and it is the Cook County Sheriff's Office. Are these talkgroups (dispatch) encrypted? I feel that they are, but I am not positive. Also, from further scanning my scanner doesn't appear to hang on to the tower very long, even though I have the hold time for 2 seconds, which works fine for when I'm at home. All of this I am noticing while driving on the city street w/in Chicago.
One side not, is that I have other towers for the StarCom system, and most of them work fine, as I am receiving ISP and IDOT. I am just having issues with the North tower at this time. Thanks.
By the way, I have a uniden 996T and the firmware is up-to-date.
Can someone help me out please. I am visiting the chicago area and downloaded the control and alternate control channels for the above titled tower. The tower turned on as needed through the gps I use. The problem I am having is with reception for that tower. I looked up the talk groups that were hitting the tower in the database and it is the Cook County Sheriff's Office. Are these talkgroups (dispatch) encrypted? I feel that they are, but I am not positive. Also, from further scanning my scanner doesn't appear to hang on to the tower very long, even though I have the hold time for 2 seconds, which works fine for when I'm at home. All of this I am noticing while driving on the city street w/in Chicago.
One side not, is that I have other towers for the StarCom system, and most of them work fine, as I am receiving ISP and IDOT. I am just having issues with the North tower at this time. Thanks.
By the way, I have a uniden 996T and the firmware is up-to-date.
It will scan right past the tower if you don't have a good 2-5 bars or see the CC....Thats T115-No Cook Co.....I presume your using a Uniden scanner and YES Cook Co is encrypted....I also use a 396XT when i go up that way and it trunks that tower great but my GRE500 has yet to find the tower....
Troop04
Member
Is Cook County the only agency that uses that tower? I had my scanner on ID search and nothing would come up. A matter of fact, I didn't start receiving solid conversations until I was out of Cook County and a county or two west of Chicago.
All Cook County Sheriff and other County units' traffic is on the 501-508 towers, and since they are all encrypted I wouldn't even bother putting them in the radio.
The ISP and other StarCom21 users in Cook County use Towers 102 and 115 in Cook County, and encryption is not used except in very rare instances on these sites. Occasional SC21 traffic in Cook County spills over to surrounding tower sites, like 108, 101, 113 etc.
The ISP and other StarCom21 users in Cook County use Towers 102 and 115 in Cook County, and encryption is not used except in very rare instances on these sites. Occasional SC21 traffic in Cook County spills over to surrounding tower sites, like 108, 101, 113 etc.
Troop04
Member
That helps out a ton! I see what you are talking about with ISP using certain sites versus Cook County having their own site. Thanks for the help. Will have to try it out the next time I pass through the Cook county area.
The Cook County site is a segregated part of StarCom21, only County radios will work on it. County radios will only affiliate to the County sites when tuned to County talkgroups, but they all should have the various Mutual Aid talkgroups, and would affiliate with mainstream SC21 sites (100, 200 and 300 series towers) when using those talkgroups.
McHenry County is similar except that while McHenry County radios will not affiliate on Site 120 they will affiliate on neighboring sites like 108 etc. on McHenry County talkgroups. Mainstream SC21 users likes the ISP will not affiliate on Site 146 (The McHenry County owned sites).
St. Clair County works the same as McHenry County.
While not part of SC21, Champaign County's system likely coordinates TGID's and radio ID's so that they can use SC21's mutual aid resources.
All other SC21 users will usually affiliate with any 100, 200 or 300 site they are in range of, although the system is capable of restricting the sites an individual radio could affiliate with.
McHenry County is similar except that while McHenry County radios will not affiliate on Site 120 they will affiliate on neighboring sites like 108 etc. on McHenry County talkgroups. Mainstream SC21 users likes the ISP will not affiliate on Site 146 (The McHenry County owned sites).
St. Clair County works the same as McHenry County.
While not part of SC21, Champaign County's system likely coordinates TGID's and radio ID's so that they can use SC21's mutual aid resources.
All other SC21 users will usually affiliate with any 100, 200 or 300 site they are in range of, although the system is capable of restricting the sites an individual radio could affiliate with.
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