BC-996xt STARS not hearing them?

[Russabbey]

Good morning All,
After about a year of owning my BC-996xt, I have been enjoying listening to the VSP. However, about a month ago I stopped hearing them? At first I thought that Salem had had a hiccup with the new system, but I still hadn't heard them for a long while now. I downloaded the new fils for VA-STARS, and put it into the scanner and still nothing. So OK, I did something wrong with a function on the scanner and last night did a reset, then reloaded the STARS file. Still no go. I'm stumped here guys and gals so any help would be appreciated to say the least.
I have no problems with hearing Roanoke, Montgomery, and Floyd Counties so it's not the antenna. I live in Floyd County and Salem is the local SPD district, but I do listen to Wytheville and anywhere else I can. I have an external antenna at about 48 feet above the local ground lever, I guess it's about 2700 feet ASL.
Last night I got very frustrated and after doing a search here, the only thing suggested was to put in just the one location I wish to hear to start. So, I installed (again) just the Fort Lewis Mountain site and the VASPD. Still I'm not hearing them.
Oh, I also have the latest updates installed on the scanner.
Many thinks for any help or even suggestions.
73
Russ Abbey
KG4MAV

 

[K4NNW]

I'm not sure what's going on there either. If it's a freescan file, send it to me and I'll load it into one of my Unidens and see if I get the same results. As it is, I hear Fort Lewis Mountain just fine on my 396XT and 996XT (TGID 767 at the moment, to be precise). I don't know what the problem might be, but I can try to figure it out.

 

[Russabbey]

Thanks Ken, it's on the way to you now.
73
Russ, KG4MAV

 

[N4ANJ]

Try putting in the Bull Mtn VSP Stars frequencies (Patrick County),152.5025 c, 152.7725 a, & 159.2175.
This is what I get best here.
Mike.

 

[brownlab]

Well there is nothing going on that I am aware of that would prevent you from monitoring STARS and it works fine on my XT (but I am in Northern VA). Are you getting the control channel? If you are then I would park it on that for a while and see what you get. I know you said that you have reprogrammed via Freescan but are you sure that you somehow have not locked out the system (I know that is a dumb question but it happens). As Mike suggested above I would try another site. Looks like you are a ways away in Floyd from FT Lewis but sounds like your antenna system is more than adequate. Attached is the Google Map of STAR sites in case you do not have one. Let us know when you figure out what is going on. Good Luck
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=e...d=118004799031358669473.000489796ebec8e62589d

 

[Russabbey]

Mike and BrownLab, I will try Bull Mountain today. My problem seems to be that when I import the sites, whether all of STARS or just on place I don't seem to get ALL of the information I see there. The frequencies are all accounted for, but the other stuff like hex or the other one, (yeah that is technical talk) are missing? I have been butting my head up and down on this desk trying to figure out what is wrong. I think I will just reset the 996 and try Bull today. My thanks and keep the thoughts going.
By the way, I do live in Floyd County which is (for those of you not in the know) South of Roanoke and a little East of Christiansburg in the Southwestern part of VA.
73
Russ, KG4MAV

 

[Russabbey]

Well, earlier I put in Fort Lewis, Bull, and Apple Orchard Mountains. I also put in just the State PD. I have been listening for the last hour and heard nothing! I am just so confused about this new (well 1 year old) scanner I just want to throw it! So, any and all help is welcome. I reset the radio prior to reloading a fresh download from RR.com. The only thing that I changed was putting "display unit ID" on. Otherwise it is as it came from the RR site. I took it off of the tower and put it onto my extendable antenna here on the desk. I have NO problem hearing all of Roanoke County, Floyd and Carroll and Montgomery Counties with this set up so it should not be a problem. The next antenna to try is my 2 meter on top of the tower or one the roof. I will be giving all of the above a chance just to make certain it is nt an antenna issue. Although I don't really thing it is the antenna, I truly think I am doing something wrong.

73
Russ, KG4MAV

 

[N4ANJ]

As a last resort, to hear Salem VSP the old Legacy frequency is still up: 158.985 analog. Both sides of the traffic. I think it is also coming from Bull Mtn. in Patrick County. I listen here om my older analog scanners and my 2 meter rig. This kind of defeats the purpose of the digital scanner but you will hear!
73
Mike

 

[gcgrotz]

Russ: I think someone suggested holding on the CC freq and see if you hear anything digital sounding. If so, it isn't a rx problem but a programming problem. Also see if you can hear the CC on another radio like your 2 meter rig. Or try an analog scan bank of all the channels you need and see if they pop up with digital traffic as the channels get used. If you program one manually in the 996, when that channel gets used the scanner will auto switch to P25 and you should hear it.

 

[kd8x]

Russ, just out of curiosity, have you checked your squelch setting??? I know it sounds simple but I have accidentally set my squelch setting on high while trying to adjust the volume to high....I wasn't getting anything either until I put my squelch back to #2 where I normally keep it....

 

[Russabbey]

Well, After Joe and I got together, it works! First he did the basics, showed me how to build a system up and then add the talk groups. So my many thanks to all of you for the help you so unselfishly supplied to all of us.
Now for the embarrassing side of this. Always check your antenna connections. I had been working on my incoming coax for all of the antennas, and had hooked up the coax for the scanner to the wrong bulkhead SO-239. However, that is not the only problem. If you program direct from RR.com you will have trouble with how it's set up I think. Don't ask me to explain it, but instead of on the ARC-996xt software or for that matter the Freescan software, under the trunk tab check the search instead of scan for the setting ID mode. It will make a big difference.
Again my thanks, I have been sitting here the last two days listening to STARS and enjoying it.

73
Russ, KG4MAV

 

[JoeyC]

... but instead of on the ARC-996xt software or for that matter the Freescan software, under the trunk tab check the search instead of scan for the setting ID mode. It will make a big difference.

Doing this will ignore any IDs you have programmed and will allow ANY and ALL talkgroups not locked out come through. This is fine if you want to hear everything on the system, but will be a nuisance if your intent is listening to specific things.

 

[eaf1956]

Cables

Well, After Joe and I got together, it works! First he did the basics, showed me how to build a system up and then add the talk groups. So my many thanks to all of you for the help you so unselfishly supplied to all of us.
Now for the embarrassing side of this. Always check your antenna connections. I had been working on my incoming coax for all of the antennas, and had hooked up the coax for the scanner to the wrong bulkhead SO-239. However, that is not the only problem. If you program direct from RR.com you will have trouble with how it's set up I think. Don't ask me to explain it, but instead of on the ARC-996xt software or for that matter the Freescan software, under the trunk tab check the search instead of scan for the setting ID mode. It will make a big difference.
Again my thanks, I have been sitting here the last two days listening to STARS and enjoying it.

73
Russ, KG4MAV

Alas, a good reason to label all of the coax coming into the shack. Hate to hook a 800 Mhz Yagi to a HF transceiver. LOL Or a 100 plus foot long wire to my scanner. Especially since I tend to use "Bury Flex" for all applications even if it is overkill on HF.

 

[mike_s104]

If you program direct from RR.com you will have trouble with how it's set up I think. Don't ask me to explain it, but instead of on the ARC-996xt software or for that matter the Freescan software, under the trunk tab check the search instead of scan for the setting ID mode. It will make a big difference.

Doing this will ignore any IDs you have programmed and will allow ANY and ALL talkgroups not locked out come through. This is fine if you want to hear everything on the system, but will be a nuisance if your intent is listening to specific things.

I'm not sure exactly what your issue was. The search/scan setting is not from the RRDB, but rather in the software.

I think you maybe had most/some/all TG ids in a group and were not selecting the quick-key set for that group. Or, the tower(s) was/were not selected within a system.

If you want to hear new un-IDed TGs, then you will want to leave the search on and lockout the TGs you don't want to hear.

In any case, I'm glad you have it working now.

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