Help with radio

[rs989]

I live in Edina and bought a used Radio Shack scanner, programming cable, batteries, etc. The seller programmed in all the codes for me and the scanner really does not work that well. It will garble, or go to static. A friend of mine in Detroit said I should buy a used Motorola XTS2500 radio and I did on E-Bay. It came with a couple of batteries, charger, and a speaker mic. The seller said I needed a programming cable and I found a cheap one since i was told the original ones are not cheap!. He sent me the software, a file called a "system key" and a note that said RID#336003 it also said that number may have to change. and finally instructions on how to program it up. He said this way is so much better than any scanner out there and I would be happy.

So I get all the stuff, install the software on my computer and follow the directions on entering the frequencies and codes. I told the software where the "system key" is since it would not let me generate a new trunking system. After a couple of hours I thought I figured it out, what a mess!. So I get it to have Edina Police and Fire, State Patrol and a agency called Violent Offenders Task Force since it maybe to listen in case I happen to hear my neighbor's name come over . All appeared to be normal but when I turn the radio on after I programmed it the little LED on the top flashes a couple of times and then nothing ever happens. The display shows the name of the channel I entered it as and can and what little that will come in over the scanner never comes out over the Motorola radio. For testing I would press the talk button but it just emits a loud tone.

My buddy says he does it in Detroit to listen to them and it works great and I must be doing something wrong and suggested this site for help. He gave me a new RID# to use but all the radio does is beep and the display says "OUT OF RANGE". All this mess to listen to my local police and streaming is not possible since the feeds are delayed so they can be censored (nice country this is) and my cellphone woulds just drains the battery faster plus he said it's loud coming over the speaker mic and some people might think your a cop and leave you alone. Can anyone out there help on what's going on?. I have about $500 invested in this mess and the seller does not take returns. i e-mailed him what was going on but he said it was working great before he sold it and I must be doing something wrong.

 

[mmckenna]

Your friend in Detroit has led you down an expensive path that will not only fail to work, but can also be considered illegal.

There's way to many details to go into about why what you are trying to do isn't going to work. Trying to get all the details from you to try and narrow down exactly where the issue lies would take too long.

What I can tell you is:

By setting up your radio with a system key and radio ID, you've basically tried to access a trunked radio system that you, very likely, have zero authorization to be on.
Trunked radio systems are very specifically designed to control access. The system key should not be given out by anyone other than those who own/control the system. It's comparable to you giving a random stranger on the street a key to your home and telling them to help themselves to whatever they want.
Using a radio ID that has not be assigned by the system administrator is like randomly guessing someones Visa card number and using it for your purchases. It's just wrong, no matter what the guy that sold you the radio says.

Radio ID's are tied to specific radios. If you try to guess and put in one that is already assigned, it can cause radios to not work. That might be a police officers radio, a fire fighters radio or an EMT's radio. That means someone can lose their life. I'm guessing that is not your intent, and if it is, you need to stop. Now. If you are trying to cause issues with valid radios on the system, then you'll likely get what you've got coming.

Trunked radio systems, especially multi-site ones, have a limited number of available channels. By putting your radio on the system and trying to listen to talk groups, you are essentially tying up one of those channels on a system that may very well have limited resources. This has caused issues in the past.

Any good system administrator will be able to recognize an invalid radio showing up on their system. It's easy for them to be able to block your radio.

If you get caught trying to use this radio on a system that you do not have specific authorization to use, you can be charged with a felony.

I'm not trying to scare you off, just telling you how these things work. I run a trunked system and I would personally make sure the book was thrown at anyone that tried to access my system illegally.

Without knowing exactly what you are doing, you are putting others lives at risk. You are stealing services from the agency that runs it (even if you are not actively pushing the push to talk button).

Seriously, stop now. Turn the radio off and see if you can still get your money back. Better yet, pass on the name of the person that is giving out the system keys and radio ID's, I'm sure the agency that runs the radio system would love to have that information.

A scanner is the correct tool for what you are trying to do. If the reception is not good enough, then invest in a decent outdoor antenna. It'll be much cheaper AND legal.

If you really want to use the radio you have, then research "non-affiliation", and get some help.

Really, you shouldn't be blowing $500 on this sort of stuff without asking some questions, first. Your buddy in Detroit wasted a lot of your hard earned money.

 

[mikewazowski]

Before this gets out of hand, I'm closing the thread.