BC246T Configuration Opinions

[pdxrealtor]

I'm looking for opinions and options RE: the configuration my BC246T.

I'm in Cedar Hills literally just down the street from the DMV so my location is excellent.

I was thinking one system quick key to monitor all metro dispatch channels. One to monitor all metro detective channels. One to monitor all metro Fire channels. One for all metro medical channels to include the hospitals. Etc. etc... From there I need some direction.

The goal being able to quickly follow on the action should I be monitoring dispatch and the action goes to TAC 1, or the conversation should I be monitoring detectives and the conversation jump to dispatch or records, or the general area should I be monitoring medical and here a car crash on Burnside and 122nd.

Is this even doable?

 

[Gezelle007]

Cedar Hills... in Beaverton? Because you're talking about several different agencies and several different talk groups...

 

[pdxrealtor]

Yes, you are correct about both. ; )

3 systems, several agencies, and hundreds of talk groups

I'm actually mapping this out as I type. So lost about how to organize everything. I know what I want I just have to optimize it and a lot of that is working with the scanner.

Any opinions or advice or experience you can share?

 

[Gezelle007]

Ah, well, first there is only one 800MHz system that is used regularly by Clackamas and Washington county agencies, and a second 800MHz system that is used by Multnomah County. (Currently)

In my scanner, you can only program one trunked system per "bank". My scanner has 10 banks which allows 100 frequencies (or channels) each. However, if you program a trunked system into one of those 10 banks, the single bank you've chosen turns into 10 trunked "zones" with a limit of 10 talkgroups in each zone. I have the Washington/Clackamas/Newberg 800MHz system programmed into bank #8, here's what it looks like:

Zone / Contents
1 Washington County Sheriffs
2 Mutual Aide
3 Hillsboro Police
4 Beaverton Police
5 South Cities Dispatch (Tigard, Tualatin, King City and Sherwood Police)
6 Some Clackamas County talkgroups etc...
7 Newberg-Dundee Police (Since I live in Yamhill County)
8 Newberg-Dundee Fire (Also since I live in Yamhill County)
9 Washington County Firecom
10 and more Washington County Firecom...

Obviously I can't fit the whole trunked system in there but I get the stuff I want to hear.

If I want to hear the action at a crash scene in Gaston, I turn on Zone 1 for the Sheriffs, and Zone 9 (Gaston Fire & Rescue), and turn all the others off... by the way, I am never listening to all of the zones at once.. you'll miss a lot doing that..

Since I don't live close enough to Portland, I don't have them programmed. But you could use any of the other 9 banks in the scanner.

Clear as mud??

 

[pdxrealtor]

I was thinking 3 'SITES' (WC,MC,CC) when I typed 3 systems.... long day and this is enough to hurt a man's brain.

Pretty darn clear, thanks.

I have a bit of a different set in that my scanner is DMA so it does not have banks/lists (think I said that right)

I have systems (up to 200, 9 quick keys) and groups (20 per system, 9 quick keys)

I just put in the control channels for wash. co. and mult. co. each under their own system both assigned to quick key 6.

Then I programmed all police dispatch channels for eash system into a group, each group gets quick key 1.

This allows me to hit quick key 6, turn on ID scan, and hit group quick key 1 (function button/1) and bring in only the dispatch channels across the tri-country area.

Follow me?

From here I'd like to map things out to accomplish your example of getting the action in Gaston by hitting a button or two.

From what I can see now I have two options. Create more groups under the same umbrella as my 'police dispatch' group, or start with another system quick key.

The latter will allow almost endless customization where the earlier will limit me more.

BC246T - The RadioReference Wiki

 

[DickH]

" ... getting the action in Gaston by hitting a button or two. "

You may have a long wait before you need to hit those buttons. - LOL
(Sorry, I couldn't resist)

 

[pdxrealtor]

" ... getting the action in Gaston by hitting a button or two. "

You may have a long wait before you need to hit those buttons. - LOL
(Sorry, I couldn't resist)

LOL... seriously!

 

[Gezelle007]

I was thinking 3... ...will limit me more.

Ah, well, yeah you would have to come up with something like on your own I think, because even if you had all of the law talkgroups on one quick key... that would still be way to much traffic to hear what you want to hear...

 

[pdxrealtor]

What a pleasure it is to have the cable used for computer programming. In all the years I've had a scanner, let alone this one, I've never tried this.

I ended up starting with the Washington County system, and so far it's been easy to accomplish my goal stated above in the earlier posts.

SQK 1 - Washington County

GQK 1- WCSO + WC Common Talk Groups
GQK 2- BEAV. PD. + " "
GQK 3- West Cities. PD + " "
GQK 4- South Cites PD + " "
GQK 5- WC Fire
GQK 6 WC- All Dispatch Channels
GQK 7 All Detectives

I got tired last night so I stopped, but I have 3 more GQK to use under this system quick key. Not sure what I"m going to put in those yet...

I'll do the same thing with Clackamas Co..

Multnomah Co. might be a bit more involved. At the least I'll need to use 2 system quick keys which will allow 20 group quick keys. There's a lot of precincts, agencies, etc... in Mult. Co.

Thumbs up for RR and Freescan....!!