St Cloud Area Scanner Guru needed

[oldryder1973]

Got a Whistler 1065 for Xmas. Been working thru programming but would really benefit from advice from a local guru. I'd be happy to buy lunch for someone familiar with programmng; specifically how to choose from the vast array of talk groups.

I have Win500 software and the necessary RR subscription.

Mark S.
St Cloud MN

 

[stmills]

Mark,
Is this your first scanner or did you listen prior to the move to ARMER? If you listened before what did you listen to? If you are new did you have an idea of stuff you want to hear? Fire calls, law enforcement calls , a specific city , Ambulance calls, lots of radio traffic or specific calls? These will all help determine what to program in.

 

[oldryder1973]

Total Rookie

stmills; thx for reply. I am a total rookie given the changes since I used to listen with a general coverage receiver many years ago.

I'd like to listen to the various public safety channels to include the state and local PD's and sheriff, local FD's, aviation, CB (maybe), Skywarn, and 2m and 70cm ham simplex and repeaters.

It'll be a base station and, with steel siding on the house, I expect I'll be adding an external antenna. The programming I've done so far seems to work but the scanner never shows any bars for signal strength using the supplied whip antenna. I haven't taken it outside to test yet because it's been so d@mn cold.

Mark S.

 

[dwgelle]

What Programming software are you using? I could send you one of my files to try. I have the Radio Shack Version of that model. But let me know where you are primarily will be using it. Such as what town you are in. I can modify it for your location.
Dan

 

[oldryder1973]

Dan; thx for the offer. Software is Win500. I also have ARC500 but have been unable to get it to communicate with the scanner.

Local towns are Avon and Albany. St Cloud, Sartell, Cold Spring, Waite Park, and Richmond are all near by (less than 20 miles). County is Stearns.

Mark S.

 

[dwgelle]

OK, I use the Win 500, Which city are you using the scanner? Just at home? or mobile to?

 

[oldryder1973]

Home. 4 miles south of Avon.

 

[dwgelle]

OK try this file. I separated Stearns Talkgroups on their sites. And StCloud and other Counties to the St Cloud Site.

So receiving the Stearns site should work well. But if you want to get the StCloud system, you will most likely want to have an outside antenna to hear that from Avon.

Good luck.

Dan

 

[blue5011]

It'll be a base station and, with steel siding on the house, I expect I'll be adding an external antenna.

Mark S.

I put steel siding and roof on my house a couple of years ago. I could hear 8-10 tower sites w/ an external antenna. Since the siding/ roof went on I have been using a 2m/ 70 rubber-duck (on the back of a BCD996XT) and find I still hear what I need / want to hear, which is basically MN ARMER and local VHF.

Any "action" will come in on a local ARMER tower, so I do not get "overloaded" w/ traffic. As recent as tqo days ago listened to traffic from a county away concerning a grain elevator fire -- it was constant for over 48 hrs...

The other thing is the digital scanner's do take some getting used to programming. I don't recall who I got my first "scanlist" file from, but I have been modifying it since...

Lots of friendly folks here, just got to ask for help, plus every few months there is a meet-up in the Twin Cities (maybe Bloomington?). I have never been to one of the meetings as I am a few hours away.

Welcome back to the hobby!

 

[oldryder1973]

Dan; thx for the file. I uploaded it just fine. I'm leaving it run and figure I'll hear something eventually even with the supplied antenna based on KD4LLA's comments. Just seeing how the file was structured was very helpful. There is an ARMER tower less than 5 miles away in Avon MN and I can hit the repeater there on 2M without difficulty with my FT60.

Michael; thx for comments.

Mark in MN
KD0ZGW

 

[peq387ab]

If your looking for a Stearns County Win 500 file to upload to your scanner, I can email you one. Also could include some adjacent counties as well

 

[oldryder1973]

peq-387ab; yes, I'd be very interested in a Stearns Co file. Also the adjacent counties.

Dan; The file I uploaded from you seemed to load fine (I can watch it scanning thru the list) but in 24 hours I've haven't heard a peep from the scanner so I'm pretty sure I'm still doing something wrong.

Suggestions are welcomed.

Mark in (Avon) MN

 

[oldryder1973]

Still looking for some advice. Scanner seems to work but never stops scanning. Squelch is all the way off. Not sure what to do next.

Mark S.
Avon MN

 

[peq387ab]

I sent you a PM for your email so I can link up that Win 500 file

 

[blue5011]

Still looking for some advice. Scanner seems to work but never stops scanning. Squelch is all the way off. Not sure what to do next.

Mark S.
Avon MN

Are you using an external or back-of-set antenna right now?

Can you receive a local ham repeater or maybe a weather channel, just to check audio selection?

 

[oldryder1973]

no signal

blue50ll: ths for reply.

back of set antenna. I'll try to program the local 2M repeater and also look for a un coded weather channel. I will report the results here.

mark s.

 

[dwgelle]

Ok hmmmm, does the display show a signal bar at the top?

 

[oldryder1973]

no bars, but I did get a weather report by using the "WX" button so it's not deaf.