BCD-325-P2 new user help

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mdaugherity

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I'm a new scanner user, BCD-325-P2 I've read most of my user manual. I have no problem finding and saving a frequency to listen to, however my county( Cleburne county Alabama) apparently uses ( DMR) ?/?/ My question is how can I listen to my county dispatch police/fire. I know already the frequency is 159.1050, but when I looked at the Alabama first responder option, the code/frequency I'm seeing is " 11656 " . Well, I cannot load that into my scanner and hear anything, the display says, not a valid code. Please steer me in the right direction, Thank yall. Mike
 

hiegtx

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I'm a new scanner user, BCD-325-P2 I've read most of my user manual. I have no problem finding and saving a frequency to listen to, however my county( Cleburne county Alabama) apparently uses ( DMR) ?/?/
For the channels in your county that are listed as DMR (Cleburne Law Enforcement Dispatch, EMS Search and Rescue Dispatch, also Heflin Fire Dispatch & Fire Tac), you would need the DMR upgrade on your 325P2. Start here for more information on the DMR upgrade for your scanner, if that interests you.

My question is how can I listen to my county dispatch police/fire. I know already the frequency is 159.1050,
See the above. That frequency is being used in DMR (MotoTRBO) mode.

but when I looked at the Alabama first responder option, the code/frequency I'm seeing is " 11656 " . Well, I cannot load that into my scanner and hear anything, the display says, not a valid code. Please steer me in the right direction, Thank yall. Mike
"11656" is not a frequency. It is a talkgroup ID on the Alabama First Responder Network trunked system.

That system is P25 Phase II, although most of the current talkgroups, including the one for your county, are using P25 Phase I, as indicated by the D in the mode column. Your 325P2 can receive that TGID and that system. Per the notes, that talkgroup is patched to the 155.1050 DMR frequency (meaning you would hear the same radio traffic on either one of them).

See Trunking Basics - The RadioReference Wiki for a more complete explanation of a trunking system.

You would need to program the First Responder system into your scanner. See Easier to Read BCD325P2 Digital Scanner Manual for step by step instructions and other information on your scanner.

As you are a Premium subscriber, you can use software to import and set up that system. Looking at the location map for the system, there does not appear to be a tower site in your county, but looks like the Calhoun Simulcast site would cover your county as well. You would need to import the site, as well as the talkgroup in order to receive that.
 

marksmith

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Your radio can receive it as the previous poster has described, by entering the trunked p25 system, which will be much more useful than the DMR vhf setup.

Do as described above, and make sure you incluse the desired talkgroups.

536/436/ws1095/996p2/996xt/325p2/396xt/psr800/396t/HP-1/HP-2 & others
 

NYRHKY94

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As Steve noted above in his well written response, you can simplify the programming process by importing your county system directly into your BCD325P2 using software. The one I use for my BCD325P2 is Proscan. They have a 30-day fully functional free trial that is worth a try if you are so inclined. The import process is pretty simple and everything for your county system (including talk groups) will load properly. Enjoy the new scanner. I love mine.
 

mdaugherity

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Thank you again for your advice. I was able to program the p-25 trunking system into my scanner. I used my neighboring county ( Calhoun ) "c" frequency, 856.2625, then I used the talkgroup ID 11656 in order to try and listen to Cleburne county services. I am hearing all of my neighboring county transmissions, but so far not one coming from my county over the ID 11656. My final question to you pro's is..... Can I only listen to 11656( on hold) maybe? I have not heard a single call on that ID yet, only a lot of others ( not in my county) . Thanks for any advice.
 

a29zuk

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It's also possible the Calhoun Simulcast does not have ID 11656 activated on its site. If that is the case, since your county doesn't have a tower, it could be carried by your other nearby county's site.
Looking at the database Cherokee County has two sites. Have you tried these?
Also, someone who lives nearby in the Alabama forum may be able to help.

Good Luck
Jim
 

Spitfire8520

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Thank you again for your advice. I was able to program the p-25 trunking system into my scanner. I used my neighboring county ( Calhoun ) "c" frequency, 856.2625, then I used the talkgroup ID 11656 in order to try and listen to Cleburne county services. I am hearing all of my neighboring county transmissions, but so far not one coming from my county over the ID 11656. My final question to you pro's is..... Can I only listen to 11656( on hold) maybe? I have not heard a single call on that ID yet, only a lot of others ( not in my county) . Thanks for any advice.

It is very possible that you are running into an affiliation issue that is part of a networked trunking system. Affiliation means that an actual system radio needs to check in and tell the system it is trying to listen to a particular talkgroup.

If an actual radio on the system is not actively affiliated to that particular talkgroup on that particular site, then it will not be broadcasted. The way the system sees it is that there is no reason to broadcast the traffic if no one is listening to it.

I would guess that the talkgroup is available in the radios of the neighboring agencies, but they may not switch to it often unless they are actively assisting.

My guess is that you will have to buy the DMR upgrade in order to reliably listen to your local public safety.
 
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