AWiley
Member
Does anyone know if I should be able to monitor the Virginia STARS from Charlottesville, VA? I have all of the right frequencies in the scanner. My Scanner model is the BC 796D.
STARS System
- Thread starter AWiley
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Yes, you should be able to hear the Fork Mtn. site. I'm not sure that the 796 can properly track STARS. Some searching in this forum will turn up a few threads about people trying to get it to work.
Dave
Dave
W4UVV
Member
Won't track STARS
The 796D will not properly track STARS in a trunked mode. His best bet is to create a file of Fork Mtn. site frequencies excluding the primary control channel and scan them in a conventional mode. That method works fine except for the situation, when for whatever reason, one or more of the site's repeater(s) has a long hang time or does not drop. In that case that voice repeater frequency temporarily has to be locked out.
dtscho said:
The 796D will not properly track STARS in a trunked mode. His best bet is to create a file of Fork Mtn. site frequencies excluding the primary control channel and scan them in a conventional mode. That method works fine except for the situation, when for whatever reason, one or more of the site's repeater(s) has a long hang time or does not drop. In that case that voice repeater frequency temporarily has to be locked out.
AWiley
Member
Thank you all for your help. Attached, I have a screen shot of what my current settings are for my ARC 250 program for my 796D. The STARS system is in Bank 4 so you can look at Bank 4 and see what I have.
Thank you all for your feedback!
Thank you all for your feedback!
fmon
Silent Key Jan. 14, 2012
Andrew,
Your offsets are for 3600 baud Motorola systems which range from 380 to 759. STARS is a 9600 baud system which range from 0 to 65535. ARC nor the scanner buttons will not allow for these settings.
The three base and step settings are for the Pro-96 and 2096. The two new Uniden digital scanners will track the system without any of these settings.
Your offsets are for 3600 baud Motorola systems which range from 380 to 759. STARS is a 9600 baud system which range from 0 to 65535. ARC nor the scanner buttons will not allow for these settings.
The three base and step settings are for the Pro-96 and 2096. The two new Uniden digital scanners will track the system without any of these settings.
W4UVV
Member
setup errors
From what I can see of your screenshot it appears you have entered STARS frequencies for multiple sites. Remove all frequencies that are primary control channel frequencies. "TRUNK" should be "OFF". "MODE" should be "NFM". In "System setup" remove the base offset information as it is not applicable. Change the delay time from "2" to "0".
AWiley said:
From what I can see of your screenshot it appears you have entered STARS frequencies for multiple sites. Remove all frequencies that are primary control channel frequencies. "TRUNK" should be "OFF". "MODE" should be "NFM". In "System setup" remove the base offset information as it is not applicable. Change the delay time from "2" to "0".
AWiley
Member
Alright. I got the STARS system to work, sort of. I am listening to it in Conventional mode. All of my frequencies are set to FM. Trunking is off. Only one problem, it is picking up the P25 and LNK settings. Every now and then, I can understand some of what they are saying. Is a better antenna going to be my best bet or location or both.
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
W4UVV
Member
Again....
Although a minor setting issue that will not adversely affect STARS reception performance again change "FM" to "NFM". "Picking up P25 and LNK settings" seems like the 796D is locked onto a primary control channel in a conventional scan. That's exactly what the scanner is supposed to do. Therefore you did not previously delete the primary control channel frequencies in your list and one, probably Fork Mtn. locked up in a scan. That's why you delete primary control channel frequencies. If you have 152.7125, 152.0225 or 152.5625 mhz. in your STARS frequencies file delete them. The control channel contains only data, no voice. If possible always mount your antenna outside as high as practical and use good coax cable. The Fork Mtn. STARS site should have a strong signal into the Charlottesville area and that is what you probably are hearing.
Subsequent to doing an ARC250 file transfer manually sight check each 796D STARS frequency to ensure the scanner or ARC250 did not round off your frequencies or change the step. 7.5 khz. should be selected for all. Make sure the option to round frequencies is not checked. I recommend selecting no bandplan. Good luck.
AWiley said:
Although a minor setting issue that will not adversely affect STARS reception performance again change "FM" to "NFM". "Picking up P25 and LNK settings" seems like the 796D is locked onto a primary control channel in a conventional scan. That's exactly what the scanner is supposed to do. Therefore you did not previously delete the primary control channel frequencies in your list and one, probably Fork Mtn. locked up in a scan. That's why you delete primary control channel frequencies. If you have 152.7125, 152.0225 or 152.5625 mhz. in your STARS frequencies file delete them. The control channel contains only data, no voice. If possible always mount your antenna outside as high as practical and use good coax cable. The Fork Mtn. STARS site should have a strong signal into the Charlottesville area and that is what you probably are hearing.
Subsequent to doing an ARC250 file transfer manually sight check each 796D STARS frequency to ensure the scanner or ARC250 did not round off your frequencies or change the step. 7.5 khz. should be selected for all. Make sure the option to round frequencies is not checked. I recommend selecting no bandplan. Good luck.
AWiley
Member
W4UVV Answer
W4UVV, With everything that everyone has told me including you, I should be able to understand what the units are saying correct? In my apartment, I am only sporadically picking anything up. I'm thinking that if I move the radio to my car, I should do a lot better. Bottom line, will I be able to pick-up and understand the units on the radio? If not, it sounds like I may need to invest in the BC996. Thank you guys so much for your help thus far. Trying to figure scanners out can be downright frustrating sometimes!!!
W4UVV, With everything that everyone has told me including you, I should be able to understand what the units are saying correct? In my apartment, I am only sporadically picking anything up. I'm thinking that if I move the radio to my car, I should do a lot better. Bottom line, will I be able to pick-up and understand the units on the radio? If not, it sounds like I may need to invest in the BC996. Thank you guys so much for your help thus far. Trying to figure scanners out can be downright frustrating sometimes!!!
W4UVV
Member
AWiley said:W4UVV, With everything that everyone has told me including you, I should be able to understand what the units are saying correct? In my apartment, I am only sporadically picking anything up. I'm thinking that if I move the radio to my car, I should do a lot better. Bottom line, will I be able to pick-up and understand the units on the radio? If not, it sounds like I may need to invest in the BC996. Thank you guys so much for your help thus far. Trying to figure scanners out can be downright frustrating sometimes!!!
That being the situation it appears now it is a signal strength issue. I get the impression you are using the small telescoping antenna that came with the 796D. If so no wonder you're experiencing reception difficulties inside an apartment. You're asking generalized questions about reception that no one can answer with certainity. I can't help you with antennas for apartment living. If possible you need an outside antenna. Absent that a preamped indoor antenna could be another choice. Actually the 796D is noticeably more sensitive than the 996T but the 996T with the latest firmware upgrade installed that corrected the multi-packet issue does properly track STARS in the trunked mode. However, if you have poor signal reception no scanner can overcome that deficit. The 996 is a powerful scanner with many user features but just changing receivers is not going to improve your present reception situation. I use mostly mast mounted pre-amped Scantennas on a tower and RG6 coax cable. Whether it be the 796D or whatever scanner, the newer generation of scanners all have learning curves.
tuttleje
Member
I might suggest that if you are interested in listening to STARS you get a PRO 96 vice the BCD-396 T.....or the equivalent desk models. I have both a BCD-396T and a Pro 96. The Pro 96 does a much better job of tracking STARS. The disadvantage of the Pro 96 is that it is larger than the BCD 396 and it does not mute encryption. I live in an area (Williamsburg) where encryption is frequently used. At least with the BCD-396T, I don't have to listen to the noise associated with encryption on the local P25 system. From W4UVV's post, it sounds like the 996T does a good job with STARS. Does anyone have a comparison with the 396T, 996T, Pro 96 and Pro 2096 regarding their abilities with STARS?
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AWiley
Member
Even with the external antenna on my car, I still can't pick it up too well. I guess it is just location. I live in Charlottesville between two mountains on the back side of 5th st. I was just trying to see if I could pick it up. Has anyone had good experiences with whether or not it is best to be going towards Richmond to pick up the system? Just curious. W4UVV, I didn't mean to sound arrogant, I just got frustrated.
gcgrotz
Member
AWiley said:
Greetings:
Fork Mtn in C'ville is pretty good, there are some areas with spotty coverage. I get good results in the truck with a 1/4 wave VHF antenna, handheld is sometimes hit or miss.
If you like, PM me with your location a little more detailed and I'll ride down there. I live in Belmont near downtown. I'm not that familiar with a 796 but I can get and idea of signal levels in your area.
W4UVV
Member
ok
No problem....most of us have gone through a steep learning curve with new scanners and here's a news flash....the 996T manual is wrong when it says you can enter 255 talkgroups for a search & store. If you do you get a "maximum limit exceeded" error. That only wasted a week of my time thinking I was doing something wrong. The 996 had been thoroughly beta testing. Uniden couldn't make such a major mistake. Uniden tech help spent two hours getting the same erroneous message when I finally called for help. Then I was told "255" is wrong. It can't be greater than "254". So you aren't the first or the last person to experience programing frustations. Many have preceeded you and I'm one of them.
AWiley said:
No problem....most of us have gone through a steep learning curve with new scanners and here's a news flash....the 996T manual is wrong when it says you can enter 255 talkgroups for a search & store. If you do you get a "maximum limit exceeded" error. That only wasted a week of my time thinking I was doing something wrong. The 996 had been thoroughly beta testing. Uniden couldn't make such a major mistake. Uniden tech help spent two hours getting the same erroneous message when I finally called for help. Then I was told "255" is wrong. It can't be greater than "254". So you aren't the first or the last person to experience programing frustations. Many have preceeded you and I'm one of them.
Wow! I'm blown away that any RIC2 units are affiliated on Fork Mtn. Caroline is the westernmost county for that TG.
73/Allen (N4JRI)
73/Allen (N4JRI)
n4jri said:
Nitsud if correct. I have lots of miles across 64 from Hampton Roads to WV in the last few months and you can copy VSP 1st DIV channel 1 and channel 2 units on the Fork Mtn. site.
My guess would be that the system is still simulcasting.
As a side note there is lots of testing underway in 5th Division; especially in the evenings.
73
de
chris
kq4z
gcgrotz
Member
Nitsud said:
Hey, what's up? I've been off this week, maybe we should go to Wendy's soon?
As far as RIC 1 and RIC 2, yes that is most of the traffic. Once in a while I hear radio techs or some other talk group. Once I heard an un-id talking from near Brandy Station to what sounded like maybe his boss who was at Short Pump near Richmond. They were amazed at the coverage and how it sounded "like I'm sitting right next to you".
Check on the database for the latest lists of talk groups and make sure they are programmed. They keep adding to them as users come on line and it is a good idea to keep your '396 up to date.
See ya.
hey guys, this is my first post! I'm a long time radioreference user, but I would like to start getting involved in the forums more... I live in Southwest VA about 20 minutes from Virginia Tech... I used to have an old school uniden way back when, before 800mhz... I have been using my Kenwood TK-3160 (from my 4 year volunteer EMS career) to scan the local UHF conventional channels, and just a few weeks ago I got a Uniden BCT15 and I gotta say, that thing is freakin awesome! anyway, my question is, can I pick up stars from where I am? I decided not to invest in a digital scanner because I read that stars wouldnt be implemented in my area until 2009 but I am curious if anyone around here had been able to hear anything ... thanks! -Matt
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