New - BC125AT entering freqs/tones questions

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jefflackey

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I was into scanning a LONG time ago - as in RS2006 long time ago! Just picked up a Uniden BC125AT and I'm entering some local freqs into it. But just some basic questions I hope you guys can answer:

1. I assume if a freq shows P25 as the mode, no need to enter it in this scanner, correct? Since that is digital and this scanner is not. E.g.

153.93500 KNAB459 RM 075 NAC LeMars PD Police P25 Law Dispatch

No need to enter this one due to it being P25 mode, correct?

2. If a frequency listed shows a blank for "Tone" are you better off when programming that one to to "No Tone" or "Off" for the tone options?

Thanks
 

pb_lonny

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1. You are correct, this scanner does not support P25 so no point programming them in.

2. I have never noticed this option, I always use "Search" or set the correct tone. "Off" means tones are ignored, "No Tone" means the squelch will only open if no tone is received on that channel.
 

wbswetnam

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Unless you have the soldering skills to put a discriminator tap in the BC125AT (it can be done) then yes, ignore any digital frequencies or enter a PL tone to skip over it if it is dual analog / digital.
 

jefflackey

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Unless you have the soldering skills to put a discriminator tap in the BC125AT (it can be done) then yes, ignore any digital frequencies or enter a PL tone to skip over it if it is dual analog / digital.

Heh, now you're taking me way back to the old RS-2006 days - that great old scanner had a lot of soldering mods, e.g. unlocking the cellular 800 MHz freqs, etc.

I suspect this will scratch my itch just enough to make me soon want a full fledged digital everything handheld.

I just got the ARC125 software and upgraded my RR membership so I'm now just directly importing the frequencies. Though the fire trucks just went by and I didn't hear anything, arg! But I still want to learn what all the abbreviations etc. mean in the freq database so I'll keep reading/studying.

Thanks
 

Valeriy

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Heh, now you're taking me way back to the old RS-2006 days - that great old scanner had a lot of soldering mods, e.g. unlocking the cellular 800 MHz freqs, etc.

I suspect this will scratch my itch just enough to make me soon want a full fledged digital everything handheld.

You might try a Whistler unit, then.
I would suggest that not because I have one yet (just planning to get one or more), but rather because I have a DMR non-unlockable BCD436HP (many "thanks", Uniden-America saboteurs).

jefflackey;2635483 I just got the ARC125 software and upgraded my RR membership so I'm now just directly importing the frequencies. Though the fire trucks just went by and I didn't hear anything said:
Try also Scan125 Control Program, by Nick Bailey (U.K.):
Scan125 Control Program
I still use it with a UBC125XLT (the European version of the BC125AT), and IMHO it is better than ARC125, more reliable and with more features.
Regards.
 

N8IAA

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Heh, now you're taking me way back to the old RS-2006 days - that great old scanner had a lot of soldering mods, e.g. unlocking the cellular 800 MHz freqs, etc.

I suspect this will scratch my itch just enough to make me soon want a full fledged digital everything handheld.

I just got the ARC125 software and upgraded my RR membership so I'm now just directly importing the frequencies. Though the fire trucks just went by and I didn't hear anything, arg! But I still want to learn what all the abbreviations etc. mean in the freq database so I'll keep reading/studying.

Thanks
Your city is P-25, as is your county SD. My suggestion is that you get either a WS-1040, or a BCD396XT to monitor those frequencies. The 125 is just not going to do it for you.
Larry
 

jefflackey

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Your city is P-25, as is your county SD. My suggestion is that you get either a WS-1040, or a BCD396XT to monitor those frequencies. The 125 is just not going to do it for you.
Larry

Larry, as I said, I am WAY behind on today's technology, but when I look at Sioux County, IA other than the Sheriff Dispatch, everything looks like it's FM - is that not useable for this scanner?
 

N8IAA

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Larry, as I said, I am WAY behind on today's technology, but when I look at Sioux County, IA other than the Sheriff Dispatch, everything looks like it's FM - is that not useable for this scanner?

You can use the 125 for Sioux county with the exception of the P-25 SD dispatch.
Now, Sioux city is on its own P-25 system. The digital systems started quite awhile ago. I've had digital scanners for over a decade now. Sometimes it's hard to keep up.
Larry
 

jefflackey

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You can use the 125 for Sioux county with the exception of the P-25 SD dispatch.
Now, Sioux city is on its own P-25 system. The digital systems started quite awhile ago. I've had digital scanners for over a decade now. Sometimes it's hard to keep up.
Larry

Gotcha. I knew as soon as I purchased this I'd immediately crave something like the BCD436HP, LOL! But I could swing a hundred bucks right now, couldn't afford $450 or so. But I know I'll end up with the full digital scanner at some point (and I really haven't done homework on Uniden vs. Whistler, etc. - I just am familiar with Uniden.)

Had the scanner next to the sofa scanning last night, picked up the hospital/EMS (just ambulance saying they were coming back to the hospital from the high school football game) but not much else. What does puzzle me, even though the actual tiny 5000 person town I'm in (Orange City, IA) is small, I know we have local police cars running around, but I haven't yet heard any conversation at all between the cars and the base. None. Kind of odd. ( FWIW, I also added the Diamond whip antenna most people here recommend.)
 

N8IAA

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Gotcha. I knew as soon as I purchased this I'd immediately crave something like the BCD436HP, LOL! But I could swing a hundred bucks right now, couldn't afford $450 or so. But I know I'll end up with the full digital scanner at some point (and I really haven't done homework on Uniden vs. Whistler, etc. - I just am familiar with Uniden.)

Had the scanner next to the sofa scanning last night, picked up the hospital/EMS (just ambulance saying they were coming back to the hospital from the high school football game) but not much else. What does puzzle me, even though the actual tiny 5000 person town I'm in (Orange City, IA) is small, I know we have local police cars running around, but I haven't yet heard any conversation at all between the cars and the base. None. Kind of odd. ( FWIW, I also added the Diamond whip antenna most people here recommend.)

You won't need anything as complicated as the 436. You have no Phase II digital anywhere near you. You may need to go with the Uniden 325P2 since the 396XT is no longer available. But, the Whistler WS-1040 will work fine. The reason you're not hearing them, is because they are talking on dispatch, which is P-25, and the 125 will not pick it up. The 325 is the big brother of the 125. Look the same, but are completely different. Couldn't find Orange City in the data base, what frequencies are they on?
Larry
 

jefflackey

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Iowa
You won't need anything as complicated as the 436. You have no Phase II digital anywhere near you. You may need to go with the Uniden 325P2 since the 396XT is no longer available. But, the Whistler WS-1040 will work fine. The reason you're not hearing them, is because they are talking on dispatch, which is P-25, and the 125 will not pick it up. The 325 is the big brother of the 125. Look the same, but are completely different. Couldn't find Orange City in the data base, what frequencies are they on?
Larry

Thanks, Orange City is county seat of Sioux County, don't see specific freqs anywhere. Going to ask a guy who works in in my labs who is a volunteer firefighter if he has some freqs. For now I just entered all the Sioux County and surrounding county freqs into the scanner. But, for example, I just heard the lifeflight helicopter fly over head (small town, about 5000, nice hospital is about 2 minutes from here, so we see and hear whenever the life flight chopper heads to and from the hospital) and I'm surprised I'm not hearing anything on the EMS/Hospital frequency listed (155.400, FM) for Sioux County (not Sioux City)

I think I will return this scanner, had it about a week, all the packing etc. was kept in perfect shape just in case (Amazon so no problem) and purchase a higher end system. Of
course, that means coming up with $200-300 more than what I paid for the 125, but I think I kinda knew I'd end up getting something higher end eventually anyway.

So the 352 is about $360, 426 is about $460, and I suppose I need to do some researching on options from Whistler (don't know them.) The techie in me says, if I get the 352 I'll end up for some reason wanting/needing the extra capability of the 426 (I travel on business a lot and would likely carry it with me, one reason for a handheld.)
 
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