BC296D and LTR Multinet

[LSD4me]

just to clarify finally, does the Uniden BC296D have the capability to track LTR Multinet systems (Chester County, PA)?

I have everything setup correctly with the 16 frequencies listed in the correct order and they all have an L next to them. When i scan that bank, it goes through all 16 freq's (which all have an L) but no sound is heard. If i press the TRUNK button while SCANNING that bank, it will stop on one channel and voice is heard but no talkgroups show up. I can hear transmissions on individual channels but when i scan the whole bank, nothing.... ANy ideas????

 

[FPO703]

There are currently no scanners on the market that will trunktrack LTR Multinet or Passport systems.

 

[LSD4me]

I am able to hear transmissions in idividual channels....is this the only way to track this system? Manually going from channel to channel?

 

[FPO703]

That's correct.

 

[INDY72]

You do NOT have to manually do it,.. set up a bank with just the LTR Passport or Multinet in it in CONVENTIONAL mode and scan it like a conventional freq with NO DELAY for passport systems as there is a data burp every two or so seconds on every repeater. if you have a delay on,.. you will only be on one freq for4ever hearing the zzt,... zzt,... type of sound. As to multinets,.. I am unclear as to if you can delay on each freq or not.

 

[grem467]

a multinet system has a constant control channel on the air, and atleast for the clay county system, its frequency changes from time to time.

its control data is subaudiable so mostly it will appear as a dead carrier.

 

[INDY72]

OK ty for info... so to do multinet,.. we have to do it like we did EDACS before the TT II's came out.... scan in conventional and just do the lock out method.. rotating the lockouts for the CC...

 

[pro92b]

OK ty for info... so to do multinet,.. we have to do it like we did EDACS before the TT II's came out.... scan in conventional and just do the lock out method.. rotating the lockouts for the CC...

No, it's not that simple. The MultiNet status channel transmits subaudible data continuously but does also carry voice traffic on a rotating basis. A second channel on the system, called the home channel, also transmits subaudible data any time there is traffic on the system, regardless which channel. The home channel also carries voice traffic on a rotating basis.

To avoid hanging the scanner on the status and home channels they can be locked out but on a 5 channel system you'd lose 40% of the traffic. The only alternative is to manually change the channels which becomes tiresome quickly. Setting a negative delay on a Uniden scanner with that capability is an unsatisfactory work around that still causes missed calls.

 

[eyes00only]

Mr. LSD4me

Are you really sure your hearing anything?

Mr. T Leary

 

[LSD4me]

I have all the channels in the bank (all tunked by the way) and the bank is on LTR trunk. When scanning, no sound. When i press the trunk button, it stops on one of the channels and voice is heard. I just cant automate it....

 

[cg]

when you are in TRUNK mode, there is no valid traffic that matches the LCN and talkgroup pattern. When the TRUNK is shut off, it is scanning conventionally and you should then get traffic. Because your radios cannot trunktrack Multinet systems, it will not work by itself.

chris gordon
granby ct

 

[jeremym70]

The State of Washington DOT Multinet system operates a little differently. The status channel is always assigned first as a voice channel, and the status data moves off onto the home channel while the status channel is being used as a voice channel. Kind of a strange way to operate, since they used to always assign the home channel first and the status channel would only get used as a voice channel if the home channel was busy. A few years ago they apparently changed the way the system operates and how channels are assigned.
Jeremy

 

[EricCottrell]

The State of Washington DOT Multinet system operates a little differently. The status channel is always assigned first as a voice channel, and the status data moves off onto the home channel while the status channel is being used as a voice channel. Kind of a strange way to operate, since they used to always assign the home channel first and the status channel would only get used as a voice channel if the home channel was busy. A few years ago they apparently changed the way the system operates and how channels are assigned.
Jeremy

Hello,

The status channel is still the status channel. If you listen to it with LTRDump you will still see all system activity. On all LTR systems if a group is assigned to a channel other than the home channel the home channel will be active directing units to the voice channel.

On the local Multi-Net LTR system I noticed that units will be randomly assigned a voice channel and do not always come up on the home channel. I wonder if it is to spread repeater activity although the home channel and status channel gets the most. The Pima Co, AZ system is interesting because both status channel and home channels are on continuously. I think this was done to improve system response times.

The only method to trunktrack this Multi-Net LTR system is with two radios and a computer running LTRDump/LTRTrunk. When I was at the Winter SWLFest up in Kulpsville PA I was able to listen to the system. The "control channel" radio is setup on the status channel. I used the frequency park feature of LTRTrunk to move the scanner off to an idle frequency so I did not have to listen to the data burst or carrier. You already have the serial controlled voice radio (BC296D). You need an old scanner that can cover the frequency range with a discriminator tap and a low-pass data slicer to monitor the status channel. If you also have a BC780 you can use the built-in low-pass data slicer instead.

73 Eric

 

[mr_hankey]

don't forget my 1/2 baked method of tracking multinet/passport LTR with the 296 by using the "Priority Plus" feature of the scanner...

search around this forum for details on how to do it (has to be 11 frequencies or less)