PSR-600 re-programming

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Putting on my dunce cap here folks. I've tried searching for relative topics but to no avail so forgive me if this has been posted for whatever umpteenth time. I'm located in south central PA. I had my PSR-600 programmed about 5 or 6 years ago by a "better than me" Fire Chief. It worked great with all the trunking and conventional scanning...for awhile. I lost my "Harford County Maryland Fire & EMS", and all of my "York County Pa. Police" about 2 or 3 of those years ago and thought no biggie, I still have the main "York County Fire & EMS. I figured the York County PD as well as Harford County Md. went to a different or new trunking system and I would be able to retrieve that if and when I ever tried to do this myself. So on the advice of said Fire Chief, I tried to do it myself with the subscriptions to Radio Reference and PSRedit.com. I made my connections with my cable to computer. I was able to import "trunked data" from Radio Reference all the latest frequencies for Harford County Md Fire & EMS & Sheriff, York County PD, York County Fire & EMS. I downloaded all that to my PSR-600. Now...I have no York County FD dispatch or EMS dispatch, although I can see it is included in what I uploaded from the list. I also still have no Harford County Fire & EMS at all although I can see its also on the list. I have no York County PD either as well even though it too is on the list. I do however have OPS channels and can still hear FD's responding etc. I tried importing "Conventional Data" and it allows me to select the York County Agencies ie: York County 911, but there is no where to enter what I've selected. Besides touching this thing as my first and foremost f**k-up, what did I do wrong or not do at all??? I'm purely a novice so if you talk in Computerese I will not Ka-peesh! Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
 

troymail

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Could be something simple in your programming but it also might also be the significant change in the systems you are trying to monitor. Both York and Harford have switched to much more challenging (harder to receive) simulcast systems in the past few years.

The biggest problem you now have - York County is now mostly P25 Phase 2 and the PSR-600 won't work for those (Phase 2) talkgroups. Harford is still Phase 1 as far as I know and should work if your are properly receiving the system.

Can you post your configuration here so we can look for any other basic programming issues?
 
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Thanks for responding. By posting the configuration, do you mean the "General Configuration" in the PSR download? If so, how do I copy that and post it to here so you can see it?
 

Swipesy

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If you are still using PSREdit do this -

1. Open your PSREdit Configuration in the software
2. Click on General Configuration Tab
3. Click on File>Save As
4. Give the file a Name and save to your Desktop as a name.bin file

Post that file to Radio Reference as an attachment
 

troymail

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I do see a few issues in your configuration... but keep in mind two major things:

- York is primarily a P25 Phase 2 system now (far as I know) so it is unlikely you will hear much with your PSR600

- Baltimore and Harford Counties could be a challenge due to simulcast

Baltimore County (NORTH) seems to be programmed correctly and should (somewhat) work if you are in receiving range (which might require being in or very near the county).

Harford appears to still be programmed as the old Motorola system (wrong sys type, wrong control frequencies).

I see some other issues but I'll need to wait until I return home to provide more....

Check your PM (private messages).
 

Swipesy

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I too looked at your configuration.

1. The System that you have labeled as York I believe is a Phase II system and if it is using Phase II exclusively you will not be able to monitor it with your 600.

2. In your York P25 system you have a few Talkgroups that are in the 50000 number scheme. I think those are Phase II talkgroups and you probably cannot monitor them

3. It looks like the the Hartford System is Phase II. If they have no Phase I radios on the system you will not be able to monitor that system with the 600.

4. As Troymail said Baltimore looks to be programmed correctly but.......

Troymail is the best guy around and work with him. If it can be monitored he will help you get it right.
 
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Thank you both Gentlemen for your help!!! Beating my head against a wall here and it's starting to hurt. The Baltimore channels are quite chatty and I've taken them out of scanning. I downloaded the latest Harford MD list from PSRedit who says they get them from Radio Reference. I extended out my antennae and I'm now picking up York City PD 1 and actually heard a FD Dispatch alert about an hour ago. Do you think this is an "Antennae" problem? Do I need to take this thing to a professional and have them start over?
 

Swipesy

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Nooooooooooo, do not take your radio to a professional. You are almost there. Troy will take good care of you and get you humming as best that your location allows.

With these new P-25 systems antennas are always a problem. Sometimes too much antenna and sometimes too little. Sit tight and Troy said he would contact you and get you going. He is very familiar with your area and can help you more that I can up here in Cleveland.
 

troymail

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Try loading this and see if you receive anything.... just something to start with... You can change the extension from ".txt" to ".bin" or just load it into PSREdit as ".txt"...

There are 7 different scanlists -- you may want to try listening to one at a time...

I'm just curious if:

(1) you can see the blinking "T" indicating that you are receiving systems in each scanlist (some you might not due to distant and other factors).

(2) do you receive any activity on any of the systems/scanlists?
 

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  • Rinely PA.txt
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When you say "load it", all I get when I open this "txt" up is garbled letters and symbols. I saved it to my desktop. How do I load it into my scanner from there?
 
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OK it went through. I had to convert to ".bin" but I got it and I wiped everything else out of scanner. I now have 7 scanning lists. Baltimore County is very active. There is no "T" when Baltimore is talking but the "T" flashes during scanning. I can read the scan list and see what I have as far as whats programmed. But I'm seeing York UHF and it sounds like police? What did you give me as far as York Fire and EMS and how do I identify? BTW...thank you for helping in case I havent said it enough times!!!
 

troymail

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OK it went through. I had to convert to ".bin" but I got it and I wiped everything else out of scanner. I now have 7 scanning lists. Baltimore County is very active. There is no "T" when Baltimore is talking but the "T" flashes during scanning. I can read the scan list and see what I have as far as whats programmed. But I'm seeing York UHF and it sounds like police? What did you give me as far as York Fire and EMS and how do I identify? BTW...thank you for helping in case I havent said it enough times!!!

'T' means the radio is processing a control channel. It should go away when there is voice and then when voice stops, the 'T' will reappear (if tracking a system).

The first 4 scanlists are the newer York County 700 Mhz sites.

Scanlist 5 is a hybrid of several of the old UHF sites that are closest to you.

Scanlist 6 is Baltimore County.

Scanlist 7 is Harford.

Try disabling all sites and only try to monitor one at a time starting with Scanlist 1 -- look for the 'T' on each...

Based on my testing last year for York, the PSR600 is likely going to have lots of issues trying to lock onto the York 700 Mhz sites... and even when if does, we're expecting the talkgroups to be Phase 2 so you probably won't hear much (but I'm curious if that turns out no to be the case).

I'm not sure what is still active on the old UHF frequencies.....

Baltimore County is working you say... ok.

How about Harford?
 
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I'll have to get back to you on this later today. I'm a little confused as to how to disable without screwing something up and work calls curently. Thanks again.
 
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