Baltimore County Fire file FreeScan 996XT

[bwhite]

Would anyone have a 996XT FreeScan file that you're pleased with for Baltimore County Fire?
If you have other talkgroups loaded that's fine. Sounds like my set up (still divided north/south) is now obsolete.
I did load all the frequencies but the more I see, the less smart that may be.
Thanx all.

 

[ka3jjz]

Yes, time to redownload from the database

The county is heavily simulcasted - nuff said....Mike

 

[tvengr]

All you need to do is use the control channel and alternate frequencies for the South site and delete the North site. Keep the existing talkgroups. You can also delete the N and S designations on talkgroups. I have an ARC-XT file that I would be happy to convert to FreeSCAN if you would like it.

 

[bwhite]

Yes, time to redownload from the database

The county is heavily simulcasted - nuff said....Mike

Well, actually not enough said. Not all of us have a membership & even so, if it's like some attempts in the past, the downloaded file wasn't so good. That is why I'm asking for a freescan file from someone that has a setup they like.

 

[bwhite]

All you need to do is use the control channel and alternate frequencies for the South site and delete the North site. You can also delete the N and S designations on talkgroups. I have an ARC-XT file that I would be happy to convert to FreeSCAN if you would like it.

That would be super if you'd convert it, I'm not proficient in all the technical nuances.

 

[ka3aaa]

no better time like now to learn how to do it yourself.

 

[tvengr]

As ka3jjz stated, you may have problems with simulcast distortion. It all depends upon your location. The only radios that will receive the Baltimore Co system at my home are the Uniden SDS100/SDS200 scanners and Unication G4/G5 pagers. My BCD996XT is awful on the system. The Baltimore Co MD trunked system is on system quick key 1. All of the groups also have quick keys. You can turn off group quick key 0 to eliminate county police. For basic fire operations, you just need group quick keys 1 thru 4 enabled. If you want EMRC medical consultations, turn on group quick key 7. I am going to include 2 files. The first is the FreeSCAN programming file. The second is a PDF file that will answer all of your questions about using quick keys. You do not need to extract the PDF file. Save the attached files to your computer. Extract the Baltimore Co MD file. Open the extracted file with FreeSCAN and Upload Programming. Group quick keys as follows:
1. Zone A Main
2. Zone BC Cent Div
3. Zone DE West Div
4. Zone FG East Div
5. Zone HI Overflow
6. Zone JK North
7. Zone L Medical
8. Zone M Sta/Sta
9. NVZ Trn/Evnt/OEM
0. County Police

 

[bwhite]

no better time like now to learn how to do it yourself.

Very frustrating to spend hours on this then they change it 3 years from now and you have to relearn something that you knew and forgot. A life's lesson I've learned, stuff like this you do once or very seldom is best left to those who remain proficient in it and if that means paying a bit for that expertise, that's fine, my time is more valuable.

 

[bwhite]

As ka3jjz stated, you may have problems with simulcast distortion. It all depends upon your location. The only radios that will receive the Baltimore Co system at my home are the Uniden SDS100/SDS200 scanners and Unication G4/G5 pagers. My BCD996XT is awful on the system. The Baltimore Co MD trunked system is on system quick key 1. All of the groups also have quick keys. You can turn off group quick key 0 to eliminate county police. For basic fire operations, you just need group quick keys 1 thru 4 enabled. If you want EMRC medical consultations, turn on group quick key 7. I am going to include 2 files. The first is the FreeSCAN programming file. The second is a PDF file that will answer all of your questions about using quick keys. You do not need to extract the PDF file. Save the attached files to your computer. Extract the Baltimore Co MD file. Open the extracted file with FreeSCAN and Upload Programming. Group quick keys as follows:
1. Zone A Main
2. Zone BC Cent Div
3. Zone DE West Div
4. Zone FG East Div
5. Zone HI Overflow
6. Zone JK North
7. Zone L Medical
8. Zone M Sta/Sta
9. NVZ Trn/Evnt/OEM
0. County Police

Thank you very much, I work the next 6-7 days straight so I won't be able to mess with it until after that.
I no longer live that near the Carroll/Balto Co border so it may be some time before I can even get near enough to determine if this works for me.

 

[tvengr]

I no longer live that near the Carroll/Balto Co border so it may be some time before I can even get near enough to determine if this works for me.

You may be better off receiving the system being some distance away rather than being surrounded by simulcast towers.

 

[ka3jjz]

Just a point here - I seem to remember that the late UPMan once said that for Unidens, control channel only programming was the default for P25 systems - so all you really need are those.

Mike

 

[tvengr]

I noticed that if you have a P25 system programmed in FreeSCAN, the control channel only box is grayed out with a check mark in it.

 

[maus92]

Just a point here - I seem to remember that the late UPMan once said that for Unidens, control channel only programming was the default for P25 systems - so all you really need are those.

Mike

Not so sure about that. Earlier this week, I downloaded the NJ statewide P25P2 system to help some guy get his programming right for the Cape May site. Sentinel downloaded every frequency for the site, both the control channels and the traffic channels. I had to edit the traffic channels out by hand.

 

[bwhite]

Not so sure about that. Earlier this week, I downloaded the NJ statewide P25P2 system to help some guy get his programming right for the Cape May site. Sentinel downloaded every frequency for the site, both the control channels and the traffic channels. I had to edit the traffic channels out by hand.

You are illustrating the reason I asked if anyone had a file for the system that they were pleased with so that I don't have to do all the hit-and-miss stuff. One reason being that the 996's are mounted in places where it is a pain in the ..... to remove them to bring them to the PC for programming so if I can do it just once that's a real good thing.

 

[ka3jjz]

Why can't you use the front port for programming? That's part of its purpose....Mike

 

[bwhite]

Why can't you use the front port for programming? That's part of its purpose....Mike

I do. One 996 is vehicle mounted, the other rather permanent elsewhere in the house.
The PC is a desktop as that's the one with the connectors to these devices that work.
If y'all have a USB plug and play solution that doesn't require drivers and all kinds of config I could use that with a Win 10 laptop.
I did post on this topic about a year ago but didn't have the opportunity to take action. I think there were one or two pretty good
plug n play cables available & mentioned in replies to the post. Was a good discussion.

 

[tvengr]

If you have the original RS232 serial cables with the DB9 female connectors for the 996XT's, you can use this USB to serial adapter: Insignia™ 1.3' USB-to-RS-232 (DB9) PDA/Serial Adapter Cable Black NS-PU99501 - Best Buy It has been a while since I first started using this adapter, but the instructions say it is plug and play. I have never a problem using this adapter with any software or scanner.

 

[bwhite]

If you have the original RS232 serial cables with the DB9 female connectors for the 996XT's, you can use this USB to serial adapter: Insignia™ 1.3' USB-to-RS-232 (DB9) PDA/Serial Adapter Cable Black NS-PU99501 - Best Buy It has been a while since I first started using this adapter, but the instructions say it is plug and play. I have never a problem using this adapter with any software or scanner.

Thank you! I'll look for that cable, I should have it. I've been using a usb to serial converter on my desktop but it was a bear to configure, it actually involved BIOS changes to the PC, not something I want to play with again.

 

[bwhite]

If you have the original RS232 serial cables with the DB9 female connectors for the 996XT's, you can use this USB to serial adapter: Insignia™ 1.3' USB-to-RS-232 (DB9) PDA/Serial Adapter Cable Black NS-PU99501 - Best Buy It has been a while since I first started using this adapter, but the instructions say it is plug and play. I have never a problem using this adapter with any software or scanner.

Well, I procured the mentioned cable. Trying to work with the vendor Tripp-Lite to get it to install to a Windows 10 laptop.
The accompanying instructions were for Win 95/98/2000. A search of the web for install instructions has been frustrating.
On the phone with Tripp-Lite tech support now to see if we can't get Win 10 install info and drivers.
Yes, the device was ID'ed upon insertion but it couldn't find drivers (nor could I, or at least those I found didn't work).
More to follow.

 

[maus92]

The product description on the Best Buy link is for an Insignia cable, not Tripp Lite. Insignia is Best Buy's cheap house brand.