BCD325P2/BCD996P2: BCD996P2 programming for Stevens County, Washington

[neilensign]

Just got this scanner and wanted to mostly listen to Washington State Patrol and Airlift on P25 Phase 2. I downloaded from RadioReference and after a few days haven't heard any activity. Obviously there's something I need to do but struggling to figure it out.
I live way out in the country and pick up non digital on my BCD996XT up to 50 miles away.
I use a discone with an SSB Electronic wide band preamp at the antenna, 60 feet of LMR 400 into a Stridesburg (active) Multicoupler so I'm confident the signal is getting to the radio. I can see full bars coming up on the signal strength meter while scanning.
I have it programmed for Stevens County, Washington.
The squelch is at about 2 and I'm logging with ARC XT PRO which is the software I used to program.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Neil

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Welcome to the RR forums. Which site(s) on the system have you programmed? If King Simulcast or Tacoma Simulcast then simulcast distortion may be the issue at hand

 

[neilensign]

I don't believe there is any simulcast here. I'm using Colville, Chewelah, Spokane, ect. from Stevens County, WA. over near Northern Idaho.
One of the systems I have loaded is the Justice Integrated Wireless Network/Project25/Phase II

 

[tvengr]

What is your city or town? I use ARC-XT also. If you attach your .rsf programming file(s), I will check for problems. You will need to zip the file to be able to attach it. Click on Attach files and open the zipped file.

 

[nessnet]

Just remember, WSP uses 3 systems, depending on what District,
Conventional, JIWN and their 700MHz.
They also patch to some local LE systems (SRECS as an example)

State Patrol (on Spokane Regional Emergency Communications System)​

DEC	HEX	Mode	Alpha Tag	Description	Tag
60224	eb40	D	WSP Dispatch	Spokane Area	Law Dispatch
60266	eb6a	D	WSP Car 5	Car 5	Law Talk

Try programming conventional as well as JIWN.

Statewide​

Frequency	License	Type	Tone	Alpha Tag	Description	Mode	Tag
154.935	BM		WSP Academy	Academy	FMN	Law Talk
156.075	M		WSP CVE	Commercial Vehicle Enforcement	FMN	Law Talk
155.445	KA5287	M	CSQ	WSP CAR 1	Statewide Car 1 (210.7 PL is being used in some areas)	FMN	Law Talk
155.460	KA5287	M	CSQ	WSP CAR 2	Statewide Car 2	FMN	Law Talk
155.970	KA5287	BM	CSQ	WSP STATE	Statewide Common	FMN	Law Talk
154.770	KA5287	M		WSP Tactical	Tactical	FMN	Law Tac

4 Spokane​

Detachments: Colfax, Colville, Ritzville, Spokane/North

Frequency	License	Type	Tone	Alpha Tag	Description	Mode	Tag
154.665	KNAX341	BM	D40 NAC	WSP Colville	Colville Area	P25	Law Dispatch
154.845	KLS483	BM	D40 NAC	WSP Lind	Ritzville Lind Area	P25	Law Dispatch
154.905	WQSF927	RM	D40 NAC	WSP Spokane	Spokane Area	P25	Law Dispatch
155.970	WNRL439	RM	100.0 PL	WSP Calispel	Calispel State	FMN	Law Talk

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

One of the systems I have loaded is the Justice Integrated Wireless Network/Project25/Phase II

Are you sure they haven't moved onto the system linked below? WA State Patrol database page has a mixture of P25 conventional along with the PII system I linked below. Not seeing any reference Justice Integrated Wireless Network on said DB page so not sure if they've moved on from it

WA State Patrol Project 25 Phase II

New radio system currently being installed.

Just remember, WSP uses 3 systems, depending on what District,

Wow...confusing

 

[tvengr]

Wow...confusing

I am totally discombobulated, but I will try to figure it out.

 

[neilensign]

What is your city or town? I use ARC-XT also. If you attach your .rsf programming file(s), I will check for problems. You will need to zip the file to be able to attach it. Click on Attach files and open the zipped file.

I'm near Chewelah, WA
These are the main ones I've loaded.

 

[tvengr]

The first thing I notice is that you are scanning far too many sites. Not only that, you have the same systems in twice and scanning the same sites multiple times. For example, Airlift Northwest and WSDOT East are both on the same WDOT trunked system. There should be only 1 system using the same sites with the talkgroups all in different groups on the same trunked system. The same is also true for the JIWN trunked system which is in there twice with the same sites. There should be only one JIWN trunked system with all of the talkgroups in different groups. You are also scanning far too many sites over a wide area. You will miss nearly everything in your local area. There is an old saying, "The more you scan, the less you hear!" You should be scanning only the sites in your immediate area. Another thing to check is that you have the latest firmware in the scanner. There was a problem with later scanners that they would not decode digital frequencies above 171.2 MHz in the VHF high band due to a hardware change. There are a number of frequencies in that range on the JIWN trunked system. There was a firmware update issued to fix the problem. Also, you can assign a different system quick key to each site in the trunked systems. You will be able to toggle each site on and off by pressing its system quick key number on the scanner keypad. Here is a PDF file which will answer all of your questions about using quick keys:

 

[neilensign]

The first thing I notice is that you are scanning far too many sites. Not only that, you have the same systems in twice and scanning the same sites multiple times. For example, Airlift Northwest and WSDOT East are both on the same WDOT trunked system. There should be only 1 system using the same sites with the talkgroups all in different groups on the same trunked system. The same is also true for the JIWN trunked system which is in there twice with the same sites. There should be only one JIWN trunked system with all of the talkgroups in different groups. You are also scanning far too many sites over a wide area. You will miss nearly everything in your local area. There is an old saying, "The more you scan, the less you hear!" You should be scanning only the sites in your immediate area. Another thing to check is that you have the latest firmware in the scanner. There was a problem with later scanners that they would not decode digital frequencies above 171.2 MHz in the VHF high band due to a hardware change. There are a number of frequencies in that range on the JIWN trunked system. There was a firmware update issued to fix the problem. Also, you can assign a different system quick key to each site in the trunked systems. You will be able to toggle each site on and off by pressing its system quick key number on the scanner keypad. Here is a PDF file which will answer all of your questions about using quick keys:

Thanks for looking at my files! I will clean them up. I updated the firmware right after unpacking the radio.
Even with those issues I should hear something right? The log is completely empty after several days.

 

[tvengr]

You may be scanning a bunch of out of range sites multiple times and that is why you don't hear anything. With a different system quick key on each site, you will be able to listen to each one individually to determine where you hear activity.

 

[neilensign]

You may be scanning a bunch of out of range sites multiple times and that is why you don't hear anything. With a different system quick key on each site, you will be able to listen to each one individually to determine where you hear activity.

Trimmed it down a lot. I hope this does it.

 

[neilensign]

Still nothing. Are there any settings that need to be done with the radio that I'm not aware of? The only thing I changed was the Quickeys.

 

[tvengr]

If you go to Settings in the scanner menu, scroll to P25 threshold and try taking it off of Auto and set to the various values to see if it improves scanner decoding.

 

[neilensign]

If you go to Settings in the scanner menu, scroll to P25 threshold and try taking it off of Auto and set to the various values to see if it improves scanner decoding.

I'll try that. Thanks!

 

[wtp]

squelch on 2 ?

 

[neilensign]

FCC Callsign KNAX341 (WASHINGTON, STATE OF)

FCC Callsign KNAX341 (WASHINGTON, STATE OF)

www.radioreference.com

Will my BCD996P2 decode 11K2F1E Emission? I'm just getting static when they transmit.
Just keeps getting more confusing.

 

[tvengr]

What frequency?

 

[neilensign]

What frequency?

154.665

 

[neilensign]

154.665

And 154.9050