BCD396T and understanding APCO 25 in MN

[KC0NYF]

As you all know I have the 396T and when im scanning (loaded info from RR on to BCtool) in ID SCAN mode it will show one frequency on the bottom when im in EP, when I leave EP turn it off and then turn it on, I wll start hearing traffic, and the bottom 800mhz frequency will change. This happens more often when I use my mobile antenna. Im still trying to understand how it all works, is this true with the APCO 25, can I tune in to a local tower and hear anything in the metro due to the ID?? Or do I have to put the towers in all over the metro to hear what is in the count/city I want to hear?? Im also wondering if anyone is using bc tool, I wanted to start custom add my talk groups etc. If sombody could explain how i need to do that, ie, trunk frequencys, id code etc...if you can use an example, ANOKA county would be a good start.

Thanks in advance,

Greg

 

[ka3jjz]

If no one answers here about BCTool, they have their own Yahoo group - no doubt someone there can point you in the right direction...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bctool/

73 Mike

 

[KC0NYF]

Cool I will check it out...I was looking for some more specific info here in MN as far as how the towers work etc

 

[snikliw87]

KC0NYF,

Check out this page from MNMetroscan. Hope it helps:

http://www.geocities.com/mn_metroscan/800mhz_FAQ.htm


73's

 

[mmtstc]

the reason you see a different frequency displaying is because you are going to a different frequency. Your radio listens to the data signal from the control channel. The control channel will tell your radio when each talkgroup is active, and if that is a talkgroup that you wanted to listen to, the control channel will tell your radio that this voice traffic is occurring on voice channel A, after that transmission, the radio will revert back to the control channel until someone begins transmitting on either the same talkgroup or a different talkgroup. Either way, the control channel, which carries no voice, will tell your radio, where and what traffic is occurring on which voice frequency...

 

[KC0NYF]

the reason you see a different frequency displaying is because you are going to a different frequency. Your radio listens to the data signal from the control channel. The control channel will tell your radio when each talkgroup is active, and if that is a talkgroup that you wanted to listen to, the control channel will tell your radio that this voice traffic is occurring on voice channel A, after that transmission, the radio will revert back to the control channel until someone begins transmitting on either the same talkgroup or a different talkgroup. Either way, the control channel, which carries no voice, will tell your radio, where and what traffic is occurring on which voice frequency...

I have down loaded on to the scanner all the towers in the area, should i eliminate or take off some of the towers to create less confusion for the scanner?? or should I say talk groups??

 

[wlmr]

I have down loaded on to the scanner all the towers in the area, should i eliminate or take off some of the towers to create less confusion for the scanner?? or should I say talk groups??

If you haven't already found the Minnesota system, here's the RR link:
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=3508

As you can see there are several sites (towers) covering various areas. You'll most likely need to monitor only the closest one. Each of those towers have several frequencies listed, only a few are control channels and likely no more than one or two are the primary control channels. Those control channels frequencies are the Only ones you need to program, the scanner will take care of the job of switching to the other frequencies at the site to provide you audio from talkgroups using the site.

When you say towers, I want to make sure you are talking about sites (trunking terminology) and not frequencies which usually goes back to non-trunking terminology. If you enter the control channel frequencies for more than one site you need to be careful that your scanner doesn't choose to monitor a site that either hardly ever carries any radio traffic or has a marginal signal and has trouble providing you with a clear audio signal.

I'll defer to those who are from the Minnesota area for specifics, just wanted to make sure you understand the towers -vs- sites concept.

 

[wogggieee]

My personal approach to the situation is to program each site as a different system. There are going to be things you will here on one site that you wont hear on another. This way you cover everything. I have all the sites in the metro programed for into different systems. ie, a system for ramsey county one for anoka county, etc.

 

[KC0NYF]

Ok looking at the rr info for our area the blue and the red's are the ones I have to put in or put in all of them red,blue,black and create a file for each county. Sorry for being so dumb about this just trying to understand it all. Next thing is that I drive all over the metro and would to hear what is going on around all the areas, I just installed bc-rh96 in my car and have an external antenna on the car now two.

Also something else I have noticed on the 396t when your in scan mode and the top of the three lines is the county or folder you have created and then the second line is the channel id for what it stops on
and the next line is the freq. How come sometimes on the freq. line it will say a freq. or the tower that i think it may be receiving from other times it will say "NFM" and when it says this radio is quiet?? Does this mean that im not getting into a control tower?

 

[Raven95150]

You just need to enter the primary and alternate control channels. These are the ones listed in red (primary) and blue (alternate) in the RR database. The frequencies listed in black are voice channels, which you do not need to put in the scanner because the control channel tells the scanner which one to tune to when there is radio traffic.


The 3rd line in the display tells you a few different things. When you are scanning, it displays the frequency of the control channel. When a talkgroup is active, it displays the frequency of the voice channel. When you just see "NFM" in that space, it's because you are not picking up a control channel. That's why the scanner is quiet.

 

[KC0NYF]

You just need to enter the primary and alternate control channels. These are the ones listed in red (primary) and blue (alternate) in the RR database. The frequencies listed in black are voice channels, which you do not need to put in the scanner because the control channel tells the scanner which one to tune to when there is radio traffic.


The 3rd line in the display tells you a few different things. When you are scanning, it displays the frequency of the control channel. When a talkgroup is active, it displays the frequency of the voice channel. When you just see "NFM" in that space, it's because you are not picking up a control channel. That's why the scanner is quiet.

Ok I made a test setup to check things out and made an anoka county set up using bc tool, providing I did things right I put in the control channels for anoka red and blue only. the only thing that shows up is the "NFM", and I dont hear anything, now would I have to put in a control channel that would be close to me. I have friends that are officers in coon rapids but currently I am living in Eden Prairie so would I have to use a control freq in hennepin county to listen to anoka???

 

[stmills]

Hennepin East system would be an option . I believe you will be able to get the dispatch mains and tacs but not the city talkgroups from Anoka on here.

 

[wogggieee]

Ok I made a test setup to check things out and made an anoka county set up using bc tool, providing I did things right I put in the control channels for anoka red and blue only. the only thing that shows up is the "NFM", and I dont hear anything, now would I have to put in a control channel that would be close to me. I have friends that are officers in coon rapids but currently I am living in Eden Prairie so would I have to use a control freq in hennepin county to listen to anoka???

Anoka county system might be a little difficult to get from Eden Prairie without a good antenna, so that could be you problem.

 

[KC0NYF]

Anoka county system might be a little difficult to get from Eden Prairie without a good antenna, so that could be you problem.

In my basic setup I have been able to hear anoka county all the way down in burnsville elko area and monitor anoka all the time in bloomington.

As a side note now I have been running into programing problems again, bctool states that my scanner does not accept apco25.....I have been testing trying to make files county by county instead of having all the matrix info in there. i just ordered the usb cable from uniden so then I can start using arc396.

My other problem is or should i say thought is that my scanner is a refurbish, so I dont have anyone else that has a radio to see if mine is running correctly. I seems a bit weird that the strength meter is bouncing up and down alot, seems like it when it gets locked into a tower is should stay solid, when in my car i have a maxrad antenna that i use and it does the same thing??