BCD325P2 programming for Sacramento County

[robertwichert]

I have programmed my BCD325P2 using ARC-XT and I'm getting pretty much nothing. I programmed the analog fire frequencies and fire calls come through, but I am getting no police calls at all. Is this due to "simulcast"? I am totally unfamiliar with "simulcast" issues. I was familiar with "rebanding" an older radio but I was believing that rebanding is not required with new radios. Was I wrong?

 

[wtp]

squelch on 2 ?
i do see simulcast on the system.
if the radio can hear another tower, it upsets the reception.
that can lead to hearing anything to hearing nothing.
even if the radio shows 5 bars on reception.
reband is not needed.
try walking around to see if you get better reception, or driving if it is legal.

 

[mcjones2013]

Whereabouts are you, generally?

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Try these: 2.1 Multipath Mitigation for Scanners
You may or may not find one that works for you, everyone's situation is different. If you can afford a Uniden SDS100 or SDS200, these scanners are much better at tracking simulcast systems

 

[gmclam]

I have programmed my BCD325P2 using ARC-XT and I'm getting pretty much nothing. I programmed the analog fire frequencies and fire calls come through, but I am getting no police calls at all. Is this due to "simulcast"? I am totally unfamiliar with "simulcast" issues. I was familiar with "rebanding" an older radio but I was believing that rebanding is not required with new radios. Was I wrong?

The two main fire dispatch channels are available on VHF as well as the Simulcast trunked system (TGs A1 & B1). This alone makes it entirely possible to get fire dispatch and nothing else. I also have a BCD996P2 and it works as well as can be expected on the trunked system. Yes it misses calls, which is why I use an SDS-100 for that.

I wonder what site(s) you programmed for the system. With little exception, you should program site 12. There's only 4 potential control channels active, listen to each in NFM mode then monitor (w/o scanning) to see their signal strength and decode rate. A strong signal with low decode rate signifies to me that it is likely a simulcast issue. Regardless you should get something. Use ID Search until you get it debugged.

This has nothing to do with rebanding, that is a thing of the past. This is an entirely new system (P25) not MOT II.

 

[robertwichert]

Thanks to everyone!
I am in Fair Oaks near San Juan and Sunset.
Cheers!

 

[gmclam]

I too am in Fair Oaks but over near Hazel. We get signals from both Station 21 (Greenback & Mariposa) and Carpenter Peak (near Costco in Folsom). Regardless of which location you receive from, it is electronically named "site 12". And receiving both "at the same time" is Simulcast, which some receivers handle better than others. It's not uncommon to also get signals from the tower near CSUS & hwy 50 too.

I'm farther away from Station 21 than you, but with an outside omni-directional antenna, I'm sure both signals are strong. For SRRCS I use my SDS-100s exclusively. I use the PSR-500 or PRO-197 on other local P25 systems/channels.

 

[robertwichert]

I recently got back to scanning, apparently at a bad time. Previously I was using a handheld Bearcat 246, I think it was. And going from memory, it was a rebanded Motorola II system that I was scanning and I got all the police traffic. Now nothing.

 

[gmclam]

The MOT II system is long gone. They are now on a P25 Phase I Simulcast system.