BC246 T programing help needed

[Carraway]

I have purchased the software for this unit and need some help.

I have programed RS scanner and and used to dealing with "Banks" A Marine bank, and Police bank, a bank for Fire/EMS.....

Just not making much headway with the set up of my scanner.

I need some other real world examples:

What I want to do is set up two different counties and with in those two different counties have Police, EMS/Fire, State Hwy Patrol, etc.

I also want a bank for VHF only, Air only, Ham only Weather only, etc.....

Do I need to set up My County as the system, my FD/EMS as a group and the filter the channels in each pubic service?

I do not want to have to do a any lockout out and back in channels when I change locations from county to county.

The software has not proven to be very user friendly as of yet.

Chris

 

[ka3jjz]

Chris, let's start with what software you bought - there are many packages for the 246 out there now, so it's an important question. There are free packages, such as FreeScan and BCTool that, with a paid subscription, would allow you to download data from the database directly into the editor.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves here.

Everyone sets up a DMA radio differently, and I'm no exception to the rule - I have a 396, and I've set things up probably differently than most. The first thing to keep in mind is that there are no banks. Everything is set up as 'systems' and within them 'groups'. So for county 1, you would set that up as your first system, then underneath it, you would define groups (containing talkgroups) for police, fire, EMS, ect. That would be how to set things up if we're talking a trunked system.

If it's not, then I would set up a system for your county as a conventional system, then the groups would be frequencies for PD, fire, EMS, ect. inside the system. The 246 cannot do location based scanning (you mentioned not having to lock out things as you move from county to county); only the 996 and BCT15 can do that (using GPS). However, I think you'll find that the 246 scans very fast, so it should not really be an issue.

You could also build a conventional system to house your air, VHF, ham and so on in a similar manner.

I've used most of the above logic for my 396, and it has turned out reasonably well. As I live in Anne Arundel county Maryland, that is one system - then my groups are PD talkgroups, Fire talkgroups, tac and so on. I have other counties - Baltimore county, Baltimore city and several others - set up the same way.

I also have a conventional 'system' with most of my conventional freqs - as I live near BWI, I have seperate groups for milair, civil air, airport services, and several other things.

It's very much a personal choice how to build your systems and groups. However, keep this wiki article handy - there's lots here that can help, including a link for the 'Easier to Read' manual for the 246, and links for BCTool and FreeScan, among many others. There are also some articles on some hints (and pitfalls) of using DMA. Anything in blue is a link here - in the wiki, links are often underlined and/or in blue.

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/BC246T

73 Mike

 

[Carraway]

BC246T help

73 Mike,

I purchased the BC246T UASD Vrs. 2.0.1.7 from Uniden. I have taken a look at the easy to read BC 246t manual online and it has been helpful but I still have question.

Your third paragraph has enlighten me quite a bit.

Concerning switching from one county on week days and another for weekends, which is what I am after. I would thing that I should be able to have two different systems or groups that would contain the proper content for each and switch on and off to the disired county system/group. Right?

I do have trunking in my area which some poice and HP and do want to be able to access them as well.

What software do you recommend for programming this unit. I am looking for an user friendly package.


Chris

 

[ka3jjz]

You could indeed set up 2 or more systems and simply lock/unlock the appropriate quick key as you need. The trunking would need to go into its own group - AFAIK you cannot mix trunking and conventional in the same system (someone please correct me...). If memory serves, however, I think you can assign more than 1 system to a quick key - so you could have 'county1 trunk' system and 'county1 conventional' system tied to one quick key, then repeat that kind of setup for 'county2'

If I didn't already have software for the other scanners, along with the 396, I'd really look at FreeScan and BCTool. Both are free, so you lose nothing but a little time fooling around with them.

However, no matter what software you get, you need to get your mind around DMA. User-friendly to me, at least, is a pure judgement call - what I would label 'user friendly' you might scream about 'Im confused'. Remember, no banks. Some have said that it helps to think of banks (systems) and sub banks (groups), as some RS radios use it - but I prefer to think of it as a high level set (systems) , then subsets containing either talkgroups or other frequencies (groups). But everyone approaches this differently.

73 (which is an old ham shorthand for 'best regards') Mike

 

[n2mdk]

You can't mix trunking and conventional frequencies within the same system on the 246 or any of the Uniden DMA scanners. As mike has said you can store both under the same System Quick Key.

 

[eecame]

Efficient and logical use of the quick keys is the real winner here. I have my 246 set up with the CRESA TRS and BOEC TRS, The BOEC has 270 TGID's that I'm interested in so it's divided into two systems that share the same quick key.

My conventional systems are divided by county with agencies as the groups and each with their own QK. Give everything a QK and use the same QK's for the things you'll be switching on and off regularly.

 

[Carraway]

BC246T programing

Mike,

Oops. I though you were the 73th guy to use the handle Mike. My bad

Wrapping my mind around the DMA layout is the main issue for sure. Banks and Sub-banks concept helps.

So a Trunked and Conventional "group" can on be set up in the same "System". But I can have multiple system set to be scanned and have the scanner roll threw both "systems" while scanning. Right?

Also, how do I tell the group I am programing is a conventional, a motorola II or etc. etc.

73 to you too,

Chris

 

[pogbobo]

Chris ... the trunked vs. conventional has to be set at the system level ... i.e. you have a conventional system that has groups of conventional freqs or you have a trunked system that has groups of talkgroups