BCD325P2/BCD996P2: Won't Scan Multiple Systems

[OneBadUukha]

Won't Scan Multiple Systems, Slow Too

I just bought a new BCD996P2. Using FreeSCAN, I programmed and uploaded two systems. One is a conventional P25 system with 5 groups. The other is a Mot II / P25 trunked system with 7 sites and a number of groups. The conventional system occupies slot 1, and the sites of the other system occupy slots 2-8.

However, I can't seem to scan both systems at the same time. By that I mean in order to scan the second system, I need to disable the first system by pressing the 1 key on the unit.

I also noticed that it seems to be scanning slower that my BCT15X, which plows through my channels until it gets a signal. The P2 is working, just seems slower.

Any advice you may have would be great. Thanks.

 

[UPMan]

There is a very good chance that it is scanning the conventional system, but it is scanned so quickly that the display doesn't have a chance to update before it goes back to the trunked system. You can test this by putting one additional frequency into the conventional system that you have some control over (like an FRS/GMRS frequency if you happen to have a set of those radios). Transmit on the radio while scanning and the scanner should catch the transmission. Alternatively, you could also program the local NOAA weather freq (but it is continuous, so the scanner will "hang" on it until you force it to rescan).

EDIT: You say the P25 conventional has 5 groups. How many channels are in each group? If you meant to say that it has 5 channels, then those would be scanned in from 1/20th to 1/60th of a second (assuming no activity on any of the channels).

 

[OneBadUukha]

There is a very good chance that it is scanning the conventional system, but it is scanned so quickly that the display doesn't have a chance to update before it goes back to the trunked system. You can test this by putting one additional frequency into the conventional system that you have some control over (like an FRS/GMRS frequency if you happen to have a set of those radios). Transmit on the radio while scanning and the scanner should catch the transmission. Alternatively, you could also program the local NOAA weather freq (but it is continuous, so the scanner will "hang" on it until you force it to rescan).

EDIT: You say the P25 conventional has 5 groups. How many channels are in each group? If you meant to say that it has 5 channels, then those would be scanned in from 1/20th to 1/60th of a second (assuming no activity on any of the channels).

That's a good test idea: interrupt a channel you can control.

I have five groups with about five channels in each. Since the original post, I ensured that I had zeroed all the wait and delay times, dropped and rebuilt the systems, and they seem to work fine now. Thanks for the feedback. And by feedback, I mean advice, not noisy interference.