Wyoming-GR-Kentwood

[stawho]

expecting a new scanner today from scannermasters,(bcd396xt) i have not owned a scanner in like 10-12 years. want to listen to local police for now, till i get more time to play with the unit.
looks like all the local police are using the "ctcss" system ? so do all i have to do is program the "repeater" freqs? is this a trunked system? what does "LEIN" mean? thanx.

 

[SCPD]

expecting a new scanner today from scannermasters,(bcd396xt) i have not owned a scanner in like 10-12 years. want to listen to local police for now, till i get more time to play with the unit.
looks like all the local police are using the "ctcss" system ? so do all i have to do is program the "repeater" freqs? is this a trunked system? what does "LEIN" mean? thanx.

CTCSS is a code that only allows radios with that code to come though on your scanner.

Yes always put in repeater OUTPUT frequencies, NEVER input.

LEIN means Law Enforcement Information Network, it's what they use to check your driving record, criminal record, see if you have warrants, etc.

 

[stawho]

thankya, thats not a "trunked" system is it? i did look in the glossary for "LEIN" but did'nt find it. thanx again. what a amazing scanner compared to those of 10-12 yrs ago.

 

[stawho]

some systems do not have a repeater? or should say some freqs do not have repeaters, what doo you do then?

 

[drdispatch]

thankya, thats not a "trunked" system is it? i did look in the glossary for "LEIN" but did'nt find it. thanx again. what a amazing scanner compared to those of 10-12 yrs ago.

I think the two of you are talking about 2 different things;
CTCSS is Control Tone Coded Squelch System, which is just a sub-audible tone transmitted along with the radio signal so that agencies several miles away that are on the same frequency can't hear the transmission, because they would use a different tone. (Motorola calls it PL - Private Line tone.)

The trunked system you might be thinking of is the MPSCS - Michigan Public Safety Communications System. It is a statewide digital trunked system used by many agencies throughout Michigan.

(A lot of abbreviations, I know, but you pretty much have to get used to it!)

 

[drdispatch]

some systems do not have a repeater? or should say some freqs do not have repeaters, what doo you do then?

If both base & mobile units are on the same frequency, without a repeater, that is called simplex operation. You will hear both sides, but only if the mobile units are within range.

 

[stawho]

thank you, just learning or relearning. so if no repeater is listed for that freq. i could put it in the scanner and i might hear traffic on that freq. ? yea, after reaching the state police is gonna be a whole another learning curve. thank you

 

[drdispatch]

thank you, just learning or relearning. so if no repeater is listed for that freq. i could put it in the scanner and i might hear traffic on that freq. ? yea, after reaching the state police is gonna be a whole another learning curve. thank you

On each page of the database, below the map of the county or state, there is a feature that allows you to show or hide input frequencies via a drop-down. If it's less confusing for you to hide the inputs, then just do that, & it will remember that setting each time you log in. The only time I find the input frequencies useful is when there is "skip" coming in to the repeater, to figure out where it might be coming from. You really don't need them for scanning purposes.

 

[stawho]

thank you, that will help.