BCD436HP P25 Programming

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Astialis

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Hi!

Perhaps someone can help me. I'm new to digital trunking and just go the BCD436HP a few weeks ago and have not been able to program it. The RR and Sentinel databases are no good where I live, so I have to manually program the scanner. I found a few P25 control channels (8 so far), or at least I think they are, since I can't hear anything while "custom searching", and the DAT option lights up on the screen. According to the manual, that's data from a control channel. I read somewhere that for this scanner, I only need to program the control channel, so I created a new Favorites List, added a New System, and saved those 8 frequencies/control channels as individual Sites. I turned on ID Search, but when scanning, nothing is heard. Maybe I'm missing something, a setting on the scanner or something. I even know there's a TGID with 162, because I saw a YouTube video of someone from the area with a programmed BCD436HP, and I can see the TGID 162 on the screen from time to time, very quickly flashing, but no conversation can be heard. If I do a "custom search" I can hear conversation on some frequencies, so I know they're being used. While "custom searching", when the scanner stops at a voice channel with conversation, I can see on the screen it is in fact a P25 system, and it also gives me the NAC.

What am I missing?
 

sparklehorse

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Control channels broadcast continuously. If any of your 8 suspected control channels is intermittent then you can rule it out as a CC. Digital voice mode transmissions sound similar to P25 control channels, and also similar to control channels for analog trunking systems. You might be hearing DMR, or NXDN, or any of a number of other digital formats as well. It can take some sleuthing to figure out exactly what it is you're receiving, and what system it belongs to, if any. You can find sound samples on the Internet for each of the common digital formats. They each sound a bit different. That may help you narrow down the format possibilities. A cheap RTL-SDR dongle plugged into your PC feeding into free software like Unitrunker can be a great tool too. You might also try having a mod move this thread to the Carribbean forum where someone in your area might be of help. Local knowledge Can be a beautiful thing.

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kma371

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The frequencies you are hearing data on must be programmed as trunked systems otherwise you won't be able to follow conversations as they move across different frequencies contained within the system.
 

sparklehorse

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Portland, Oregon
The frequencies you are hearing data on must be programmed as trunked systems otherwise you won't be able to follow conversations as they move across different frequencies contained within the system.

Also you would have to have the correct type of system selected, such as analog Motorola Type II, or P25, or EDACS, etc.

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