Help with my BCD996XT

trucker177 · #1 (**permalink**) 01-17-2013, 1:03 AM

I have a problem and need some help. I am trying to listen to San Bernardino City Ca. fire and police. I programed a new system (Motorola type 2 smartnet). I then entered all the 800 MHz for system 10 and then entered all the talk groups. I followed the step by step guide in the Easier to read XT Scanner Manual. I sit right in the middle of San Bernardino and I hear nothing. What am I doing wrong?

Anderegg · #2 (**permalink**) 01-17-2013, 1:55 AM

When in SCAN, when you press the HOLD button, does the scanner stop on the control channel, and you hear the trunking sound?

Paul

trucker177 · #3 (**permalink**) 01-17-2013, 10:37 AM

When I press the hold button, I hear nothing even when I scroll the whole system. I had the scanner program from the company that I bought it from with Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino County already install. This was the first time that I tried to program a system myself. I found that the system that was program with the 800 MHz for system 10 did not have SBPD or SBFD talk groups in it. I did enter them in to that system but still nothing.... Thanks for your reply Al

Anderegg · #4 (**permalink**) 01-17-2013, 6:51 PM

If you don't hear the control channel when you press hold, obviously the scanner cannot decode it and trunk, much less receive anything.

Did you attach the antenna to the scanner? :-D

Paul

trucker177 · #5 (**permalink**) 01-17-2013, 11:24 PM

Antenna! what's that? Yes the antenna is on. I can hear all the other frequencies just not the system I did. Just can not figure this thing out.

kma371 · #6 (**permalink**) 01-18-2013, 2:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trucker177

Antenna! what's that? Yes the antenna is on. I can hear all the other frequencies just not the system I did. Just can not figure this thing out.

what software were you using to program the radio? try free scan instead and we can take a look at your file.

Anderegg · #7 (**permalink**) 01-18-2013, 2:45 AM

You need to figure out what the active CONTROL CHANNEL frequency is. Put that into some bank, and do an ID SEARCH........if you can hear the control channel, then the scanner will be able to start trunking ID's. ry that as a first step, since you say you are not hearing a control channel.

Paul

DJ88 · #8 (**permalink**) 01-18-2013, 8:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anderegg

If you don't hear the control channel when you press hold, obviously the scanner cannot decode it and trunk, much less receive anything.

Did you attach the antenna to the scanner? :-D

Paul

You'll hear a "motorboat" type sound when your scanner stops on and picks up the control channel. If you don't hear it, your scanner IS NOT picking up the control channel.

trucker177 · #9 (**permalink**) 01-18-2013, 6:07 PM

Thanks guys for your input. I have tried but have had no luck. I'm sure that I did something to screw this up but,have played with this long enough. Time to go find someone that knows more then me. If you are near the Corona area in Calif. let me know. I will by lunch.

kma371 · #10 (**permalink**) 01-18-2013, 9:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trucker177

Thanks guys for your input. I have tried but have had no luck. I'm sure that I did something to screw this up but,have played with this long enough. Time to go find someone that knows more then me. If you are near the Corona area in Calif. let me know. I will by lunch.

Download freescan and I'll send you a file. do you have the cables to program it by computer?

trucker177 · #11 (**permalink**) 01-19-2013, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kma371

Download freescan and I'll send you a file. do you have the cables to program it by computer?

I only have Mac computers. I do have an old Windows lap top put I'll need get it fixed and get the cable for it. I'll let you know. Thanks

trucker177 · #12 (**permalink**) 01-19-2013, 1:39 PM

Let me ask you guys this? When I set up my system and placed the 800MHz for system 10 in San Bernardino county I assign a Quick key for that system. In group1 I placed the TG numbers for both SBFD and SBPD. Do I need to assign a Quick key for the group in that system?

kbehning · #13 (**permalink**) 01-19-2013, 2:33 PM

There are system quick keys and group quick keys. You don't HAVE to assign either.
If you make a system with with talk group id's programmed for groups 1, 2 and 3, but don't assign group quick keys to them, they'll just be on all the time and not controllable.

On my primary system, I listen to a motorola digital trunk system. Its assigned System Quick Key 2. That turns the monitoring of that entire system on and off. In that system I have 4 groups of talk group id's, all with group quick keys defined. 1-Primary Police, 2-Secondary Police, 3-Fire Dept, 4-Ambulances. Most of the time I have group quick key 4 off, so I don't have to listen to the chatter of the less professional ambulance personnel.
If something is happening and I want to see if I can gleen more info from the medical side of the system, I'll turn on group quick key 4.

Its all in how granular you want to be able to turn on and off the activities on your systems as to how you define your system quick keys and group quick keys...

trucker177 · #14 (**permalink**) 01-20-2013, 11:36 PM

Thanks kbehning. I was hoping that this would be my problem but, at least I have a better understanding how this whole thing works. How could I find out if the County of San Bernardino did a rebanding? the frequency that I entered came from the Frequency directory. I see no updates on their site.

scanningisfun · #15 (**permalink**) 01-21-2013, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trucker177

Thanks kbehning. I was hoping that this would be my problem but, at least I have a better understanding how this whole thing works. How could I find out if the County of San Bernardino did a rebanding? the frequency that I entered came from the Frequency directory. I see no updates on their site.

If you are tracking San Bernardino 10, do not enter a rebanded band plan. The scanner will calculate the wrong frequency. The system is not rebanded. Set the site to '800 Standard' and only enter the control channel frequencies. The control channel frequencies are as follows; order does not matter.

856.8500
858.2750
859.4250
860.2500

Jacob

zz0468 · #16 (**permalink**) 01-21-2013, 2:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scanningisfun

If you are tracking San Bernardino 10, do not enter a rebanded band plan. The scanner will calculate the wrong frequency. The system is not rebanded. Set the site to '800 Standard' and only enter the control channel frequencies. The control channel frequencies are as follows; order does not matter.

856.8500
858.2750
859.4250
860.2500

Jacob

Those are all splinter frequencies, so the OP needs to select splinter for that system. He has been advised via PM.

scanningisfun · #17 (**permalink**) 01-21-2013, 2:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zz0468

Those are all splinter frequencies, so the OP needs to select splinter for that system. He has been advised via PM.

Correct, all of the frequencies in the system are splinter frequencies. Sorry about that.

Jacob

trucker177 · #18 (**permalink**) 01-21-2013, 9:06 PM

Thanks guys

trucker177 · #19 (**permalink**) 01-24-2013, 11:28 AM

Hey Guys, I finally got it to work. I did set all the systems as a splinter frequencies for all of San Bernardino County like you guys said and still got nothing. So I set Modulation to NFM (I have no idea what that means) and the Attenuator to on (I have no idea what that means either) and bingo, I heard stuff. I appreciate all your help on this....

scanningisfun · #20 (**permalink**) 01-24-2013, 1:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trucker177

Hey Guys, I finally got it to work. I did set all the systems as a splinter frequencies for all of San Bernardino County like you guys said and still got nothing. So I set Modulation to NFM (I have no idea what that means) and the Attenuator to on (I have no idea what that means either) and bingo, I heard stuff. I appreciate all your help on this....

The modulation was already 'NFM' since the scanner was set to 'Auto'. The 'Auto' modulation setting just uses the band default that is set in the settings. The attenuator just reduces the signal input by about 20 dB. Having the attenuator on would actually hurt your reception unless you are close to the transmitter.

Jacob