ARC396Pro / BCD396T

[johnnynyc]

I've never had a scanner before so your patience and input will be appreciated.
Some of the agencies I would like to program have an Input field next to the Freq. field.
Using the ARC396 software, where and how is this number used?

 

[ez_duce]

Welcom aboard, johnny. You only need to program the output frequency in order to listen. You can program the input if you want, but not needed. I did put them in(just because) and have them locked out. I just name them something like: PD Dispatch Input......
When using ARC396, or any other program, just put them in as different frequencies.

 

[johnnynyc]

Easy enough. So nothing will be missed by not having these programmed?
One more thing, I have noticed that several towns have what seems to be conventional frequency info yet they have an APCO25 mode listed. When I did a search of trunking systems in that county, they do not show up. For instance: In Westchester County, NY the city of Yonkers PD. Is it programmed as a convetional system even though it is lacking a tone and shows a channel #?
Thanks for the help.

J

 

[ez_duce]

1. You won't miss anything by having the input locked out. The repeater just listens on that channel, and rebroadcasts on the output frequency at a much higher power. The only reason i even programmed them in, was in case my CloseCall picked up the freq, that way i would already know what it was used for.
2. I am not the expert on APCO-25, just starting out myself. First, APCO-25 is just the name of the new standard that law enforcement radio systems have to meet. It is possible to have non-trunked digital frequencies in this mode. Non-trunked digital freqs do not need a control channel, thus working the same was as conventional freqs, just need a digital capable scanner is all. The channel # shown by them is only for internal use at the PD(ex: switch to channel 3, Bob, there's a hot blonde at Mike's.......) Digital frequencies dont need tones either.
Hope that answers your ?, someone else may post here and correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[loumaag]

The APCO-25 designation on conventional frequencies just indicates that P25 Common Air Interface digitial modulation is being used on the frequency. Indeed your digital scanner will decode these signals proviing you do not set it in CTCSS (PL) or DCS (DPL) mode or in tone search mode. In other words make sure you have it in AUTO, FM or NFM modes only.

 

[johnnynyc]

Thanks so much for the info. You guys saved me a bunch of head scratching.
But, I'm sure these won't be my last questions.
Thanks again,
J

 

[Al42]

One other need for inputs - if you ever listen to FDNYs borough frequencies (or citiwide), you'll hear requests for "mixer off" - that's "turn off the repeater so no one hears this but you". If you're listening on the input, and you're close enough to the unit transmitting, you'll hear him - you won't hear him on the output. What you will hear on the output is a transmitter with no audio, so you'll have to manually tell the scanner to scan past the output frequency.