Motorola Type II P25 Simulcast for Uniden 396XT

[olmsteadny]

I am interested in information about programming a Motorola Type II P25 simulcast system. I so far have been unsuccessful in programming a Uniden 396XT for a 12-site simulcast system. I have the correct frequencies. locations, control channels, ID's, etc. but am missing something totally as there is no reception. The scanner does work on ordinary programming. Each of the 12 sites transmits on the same frequency, so only one site needs to be entered. I am using Butel software for programming. Any assistance would be appreciated.

[AlabamaRS]

program it as Moto

[olmsteadny]

Did that - no joy.

[rdale]

1) Try programming it manually
2) Can you receive a control channel if you put that in as just a conventional channel?
3) What's the RR database link to the system?

[olmsteadny]

- have tried manual adjustments with no success - will try new system manual program
- conventional 800MHx works OK
- Not using rr database - using frequencies supplied by agency.

It would be helpful to look at a database for a Motorola multi-site P25 simulcast system for refeence.

[rdale]

By saying "works okay" - do you hear the control channel?

Can you find it in the database so we can see? There is no "reference" needed - you just put the control channel in the radio.

[Chauffeur6]

CC's for the Tompkins County system are:

856.6875
857.6875
858.6875
859.8875

The rest of the "how to" can be found here:

StandardP25TrunkedSystems < UnidenMan4 < TWiki

[olmsteadny]

When control channel is entered manually, it does receive data artifact.

URL is Tompkins County Public Safety Trunking System, Ithaca, New York - Scanner Frequencies

[b7spectra]

Try FreeScan.

[olmsteadny]

I have tried Freescan, Butel and manual programming and have had no success. I can program the 6 base channels into the scanner as a conventional system and received transmissions just fine, but nothing is received on the trunked programs. I have tried variations in each programming mode but no success so far.

My suspicion is that there is some issue with a Motorola Type II multi-site simulcast system, but not sure and really just hoping that I have missed something. I have some pretty smart local communication folks as a resource (including Motorola techs) who are scratching their heads also.

I purchased the 396XT after giving up on a 996T that worked wonderfully for over a year until I applied a firmware upgrade, then it stopped receiving the Motorola system.

[rdale]

All you want is to program in the 4 CC's. There is no issue with receiving a simulcast system.

[olmsteadny]

Tried that also - no joy.

[rdale]

Post your freescan file.

[b7spectra]

Does it work on Analog systems? My county only uses 2 channels (yes, just two) for control channels, and that is all I have programmed in and it works with no problem. What about other P25 systems? Have they rebanded and no one posted?

[ofd8001]

You may try locking everything out in your scanner but the system that is giving you trouble. Then put your radio in scan. While it is scanning, press the "Hold" button. At the top of the display you should see something like "SID: 01A6h-0101". If you do not see that, then your radio is not receiving the system. Most likely there is something wrong with the programming, but that's not to rule out a possible scanner defect.

Here's the translation of "SID: 01A6h-0101". The 01A6h part is the system ID number. The example I used is for the Louisville KY system, so yours (if you see it) should be different. The 0101 is the site number.

If you do see some kind of System ID number, then your radio is receiving the system. The next step would be to see if you are in search or scan. If scan, you are looking for only those talkgroups you have programmed. If none of them are talking, you won't hear anything. So putting it in search will look for any talkgroup that is talking.

You also may want to check for the "head-slappers" those simple problems that we miss from time to time and want to hit our heads when we find them. Such as, is the system locked out by the programming software, are the system or group quick keys locked out, is the site locked out and so on.

[WX4JCW]

in the arcxt software it should be set as P25 standard

also your location might have some issues with simulcast distortion - you may want to go someplace else and see if it works - we have that in Orlando

[DaveNF2G]

Tompkins County's system is new and licensed on post-rebanding frequencies, so rebanding is not an issue. The system is P25 Trunked, not Motorola.

Simulcast systems do cause problems for scanners depending on location. It has nothing to do with the programming or the scanner. They can be scanned, but they interfere with themselves if the scanner is in a "bad" location.

[olmsteadny]

After spending time on the telephone with Uniden Technical Support, they have determined that the 396XT will not receive the Tompkins County System. The System is a (relatively) new 800 MHz Motorola P25 Digital Astro Trunking system, in full operation for not quite one year. It is a simulcast system with 12 tower sites. The system version is 7.2, soon to be upgraded to version 7.4. The system has not been re-banded and there is no date set for re-banding at this time but it should take place sometime in 2010.

I can receive the 6 transmit channels when programmed as a conventional system loud and clear. Only when traffic levels pick up is there a "problem" as the scanner (obviously) will not follow the system.

Uniden Technical Support offered no solution, so the 396XT joins the 996T as the second paperweight in my Uniden collection. They said that maybe somewhere down the road it will work with a future firmware upgrade. I am not confident about that being a solution as it was a firmware upgrade that caused the 996T to stop receiving the Tompkins system.

Fortunately, my scanning interests are diverse and they both work well for conventional systems that I follow.

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions.

[GTO_04]

You should at least try to roll back the 996T to the earlier firmware if it worked better.

GTO_04

[olmsteadny]

I have made that request to Uniden several times and they have stated repeatedly that cannot be done and will not provide any assistance. I offered to return the scanner to them to have it done by them - same answer - "No. It cannot be done."