BC396T P25 Programming/Talkgroups IL

[steve_eg]

I'm new to digital scanners. I've been listening to my trusty old BC200XLT for years, and since my county (St. Clair, IL) is going digital, I went out and bought a 396. The UASD software makes programming this a breeze (a far cry from the days of the sore thumb with my 200XLT). Here's the problem, I thought I had set up the talkgroups correctly, but can't hear anything. Earlier today, I heard some brief, broken conversation, but that was it. I get 5 "bars" when I go on hold and "step through" the frequencies using the knob. But when I get to the talkgroups, it shows "Finding CtrlChan" as though it doesn't have the control channels.

The talkgroup ids are all 7xxx, so they're over the "problematic" 5000 range. I'm not trying to stir that pot, I'm just wondering, is this what my problem is?'

On a positive note, I've been able to pick up St. Louis County Police and St. Louis Metro PD on their trunked systems, something which I was never able to do even while "mass-scanning" every frequency in their TRS system with my BC200XLT.

If anyone's got any ideas, I'd appreciate them. If anyone wants them, I've also created and posted the usd files from Burlington Co, NJ and NJSP troop A out on the Yahoo BCD396T forum.

Thanks-

Steve

 

[Voyager]

I'm new to digital scanners. I've been listening to my trusty old BC200XLT for years, and since my county (St. Clair, IL) is going digital, I went out and bought a 396. The UASD software makes programming this a breeze (a far cry from the days of the sore thumb with my 200XLT). Here's the problem, I thought I had set up the talkgroups correctly, but can't hear anything. Earlier today, I heard some brief, broken conversation, but that was it. I get 5 "bars" when I go on hold and "step through" the frequencies using the knob. But when I get to the talkgroups, it shows "Finding CtrlChan" as though it doesn't have the control channels.

The talkgroup ids are all 7xxx, so they're over the "problematic" 5000 range. I'm not trying to stir that pot, I'm just wondering, is this what my problem is?'

On a positive note, I've been able to pick up St. Louis County Police and St. Louis Metro PD on their trunked systems, something which I was never able to do even while "mass-scanning" every frequency in their TRS system with my BC200XLT.

If anyone's got any ideas, I'd appreciate them. If anyone wants them, I've also created and posted the usd files from Burlington Co, NJ and NJSP troop A out on the Yahoo BCD396T forum.

Thanks-

Steve

I don't see a TRS for St. Clair, but what you're describing sounds like it may be a P16/P25 hycrid system, and not a true P25 system, and you have the scanner programmed for a P25 system. Starcom, on the other hand, IS listed as a P25 system.

The 'over 5000' issue only affects P25 systems.

Maybe you can post a link to the system you're having trouble with.

Joe M.

 

[loumaag]

The St Clair system (P25) has not been submitted as a working system yet. FCC Licensing seems to be in place and by your comments I take it it must be going live. Here is hoping we can start getting some submissions on the system.

And yes, based on the system, and what you describe, you are experiencing the >5000 TG problem.

 

[steve_eg]

Thanks for the info. I'm picking up bits and pieces of conversation here and there, and since I've posted, I've tried a couple of more things-I did a custom search for the frequencies (CC only) and it'll stop on what are listed as the control channels, and I'll pick up bits of TGID 7012, which is SC Co. Sheriff. It reads P25 LNK/DAT.

Here's a link to the system:

http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=TRSDB&sid=2324

It's listed as Site 359 D11 St. Clair (Simulcast).

Thanks again, being new to digital, I appreciate the help.

Steve

 

[loumaag]

Steve,

I kind of thought, based on the past publicity, that the St Clair system was seperate. Ah well, we have a person who handles the IL area so I will let him mess with it. :wink:

 

[steve_eg]

Thanks, Lou. I've been keeping the system with the P25 St. Clair SO on, but I don't receive any traffic on it. Now, if I go into search mode, it'll find the control channel, and I can get bits and pieces of broken traffic. When this occurs, it flashes the TGID (even though I've got it programmed in). I found out this morning that the tower is pretty close, within about 4 miles of where I work/live, so I don't think distance from the tower is an issue.

They're supposed to be simulcasting on the conventional frequency, and I do hear traffic on it (the conventional frequency.) I'm wondering if I should have it set up as a P25 system, or if I should set it up as a TRS system.

In any case, I appreciate the input.

Thanks,

Steve

 

[steve_eg]

Thanks, Lou. I've been keeping the system with the P25 St. Clair SO on, but I don't receive any traffic on it. Now, if I go into search mode, it'll find the control channel, and I can get bits and pieces of broken traffic. When this occurs, it flashes the TGID (even though I've got it programmed in). I found out this morning that the tower is pretty close, within about 4 miles of where I work/live, so I don't think distance from the tower is an issue.

They're supposed to be simulcasting on the conventional frequency, and I do hear traffic on it (the conventional frequency.) I'm wondering if I should have it set up as a P25 system, or if I should set it up as a TRS system.

In any case, I appreciate the input.

Thanks,

Steve

 

[Al42]

I'm wondering if I should have it set up as a P25 system, or if I should set it up as a TRS system.

Try it as a Motorola II system. If it works you know it's a P16, not a P25. If it doesn't work, just delete the type II system.

 

[steve_eg]

Over the past few days, I've spent most of my off time playing with my 396, and have figured out what's going on with the P25 system-first, it was the TGID >5000 issue, the Firmware update corrected that. I did try setting up another system as a Motorola Type II, but didn't get anything on that.

Even after the firmware update, I'd get the "Finding control channel" message when I'd hold on a particular TGID. Now, I'd set up a third system using only the control channels listed in the RR Database. (The default "package" came with somewhere between 4 and 6 control channels).

This third system I set up didn't display the "Finding..." message. So, I started looking at the differences between the "stock" St. Clair Co P25 system, and the one I'd set up (I'd since removed the Motorola Type II).

I removed the extra frequencies from the stock group, and continued to get the "Finding CntrlChnl" message.

Aside from the frequencies listed, I also noted that while both systems were set to "Auto" for the P25 level, the system that I'd set up showed a threshold of 8, while the stock config had an auto threshold of 20. I adjusted this down to 8, and now both groups are configured identically, and have no problem with finding the control channel. Now, if we could just the system up to 100%, so there'd be plenty of traffic to monitor on it.

As a side note, any idea why the system I set up auto-adjusted the threshold level, while the stock system didn't seem to?

Thanks for the advice, folks-

Steve