BCD325P2/BCD996P2: BCD996P2 Programming problem

[MountainWolf]

I have been a member of RadioReference and an BCD996P2 owner for almost 3 years and this is my first forum post. I have been trying to program my scanner to always start on my county sheriffs frequency, and that part is easy, but the problem is that the scanner reads the tower sites in alphabetical order when it starts up and it stops on the first tower in that alphabetical list. So instead of starting on the Hector tower, which is the tower closest to me, it starts on the Cabbot tower, which is farther away and has a weaker signal, or no signal at all on this channel.
I need to find a way to get the scanner to start up on a certain channel and a certain tower - the one I have on HOLD when I turn the scanner off. I know there has to be an easy way to do this without deleting any of the other towers. Hopefully it can be done without having to enter a startup code every time I turn it on.
I have a couple thousand channels programmed & many sites and talkgroups, using an outside antenna that picks up distant locations, but I would like to start up on the tower closest to me so as to have the best signal.
I am using quick keys 0 thru 9 and there are several towers linked to each one. There are four other local channels linked to the sheriffs channel (priority status set to link them) so I can hold on the sheriffs and if there is traffic on Fire, EMS, or State PD, I will hear those also. Problem is: When I turn the scanner off (with that channel on HOLD) and then turn the scanner on the next day, it is holding on the right channel but the wrong tower. So I have to release HOLD and then scan my way up to the right tower, HOLD on the tower and then turn the tuning knob until I get to the sheriffs channel. Got to be a way to start on the right tower without having to hold a key during startup?

Any help appreciated.

 

[doctordialtone]

Any help appreciated.

This explains scanning order for a different model, but I'm sure there are similarities. If not, so be it.

Scanning Order

Hope it helps. Good luck.

More on scanning order.

 

[wtp]

so why not have a quick key with the tower you want and only have the sheriff on that one.
then before you turn it off, set it up for that one.
the other thing i recommend is more radios.
when the wife and i go out i usually have a 396T and 325P2, she has a 396XT.

 

[MountainWolf]

This explains scanning order for a different model, but I'm sure there are similarities. If not, so be it.

Scanning Order

Hope it helps. Good luck.

More on scanning order.

I have been all through the easier to read manual in the last couple of years. It doesn't say anything about alphabetical reading of tower names, it does mention reading sites in the order they were created though. I know I didn't create the Cabbot site first, but could be that FreeScan creates them in alphabetical order perhaps when I download the programming, I don't know.
I'm thinking about trying different scanner programming software.
Thanks for your reply.

 

[wtp]

i do not know if this works, but it did on some cell phones.
put a period in from of the name so .sheriff
or even try a number 1sheriff
just ideas as i don't have that radio.

 

[MountainWolf]

so why not have a quick key with the tower you want and only have the sheriff on that one.
then before you turn it off, set it up for that one.
the other thing i recommend is more radios.
when the wife and i go out i usually have a 396T and 325P2, she has a 396XT.

I use the 0 through 9 quick keys like the banks on older scanners, just what I'm used to after decades of scanner listening. And I have each of those quick keys jam packed with channels. It's very far from a perfect program, I know, it's just a massive headache to work with so many channels in the FreeScan software program. But I suppose I could assign a 2-digit quick key specific for the sheriff - just a little extra button pushing and I'd rather keep it as simple as possible, but that might be the fix I have to use.

As for other radios, I also have an older Uniden HomePatrol-1 going that I could set up to do what I'm trying to get the BCD996P2 to do, but it's not connected to the roof antenna, I use it mostly for line-of-sight channels to the east and mobile. Also have a few older conventional scanners and a USB SDR radio dongle. I like the digital Unidens, love the BCD996P2, just don't like the programming headaches.
Thank you for the reply.

 

[pb_lonny]

Maybe use quick keys and only have that one active?

 

[MountainWolf]

Maybe use quick keys and only have that one active?

Am using quick keys and have one active when I want to hold on a channel. But have each Q key 0 through 9 attached to several channels. Using a 2-digit Q key is an option but I'm trying to get around that.
Thanks for your reply.

 

[n1chu]

Maybe as “wpt” has eluded to, editing the Site name might work… insert an “A” or “AA” at the beginning of the Site name you would like the scanner to recognize first upon boot up. If, as you say, the boot process follows alphabetical order, fool it into thinking your chosen Site is first.

 

[doctordialtone]

Maybe as “wpt” has eluded to, editing the Site name might work

You mean @wtp ?

Yes those are some good suggestions, but you'll find it difficult to outsmart the factory design as explained in
Uniden Scanning Order

 

[n1chu]

You mean @wtp ?

Yes those are some good suggestions, but you'll find it difficult to outsmart the factory design as explained in
Uniden Scanning Order

These suggestions are easily proved out as beneficial or not by trying them. I’ve changed Site names to what I wanted to see in the display and that worked but I have no idea if it “fools” the scanner into thinking otherwise when it comes to the order in which the scanner looks at any given Site…

 

[tvengr]

What is your city and county and which systems and agencies do you want to monitor? I am attaching a PDF file which will answer all of your questions about using quick keys.

 

[MountainWolf]

What is your city and county and which systems and agencies do you want to monitor? I am attaching a PDF file which will answer all of your questions about using quick keys.

That told me exactly what I needed to do. Thank you so much! ...

"While the selected system is displayed on the scanner screen, press the HOLD button for about 3 seconds. System Hold On will be displayed and HOLD will continue to flash on the screen."

Don't know how I missed that one - the 3-second press on the HOLD button. That sure enough holds on the chosen "System", which displays the tower name for my nearest location. It scans only that system, and that covers all my priority channels plus other local channels of interest. And now when I turn it off and back on again, it continues scanning that same system. Perfect!

I had thought the "Site" referred to the repeater tower, but apparently it's the "System" that is linked to the name of the tower and that has caused me much confusion.

I'm in Pope county, AR and mostly monitor county units, since Russellville PD is fully encrypted, as is the university. I like to know what's going on around me. But I also scan surrounding counties and other areas of the state when it's quiet locally. I've tuned in on the Space Shuttle, and listened to emergency personnel when a tornado hit Jonesboro 150 miles from here.

I appreciate the quick key file -- you solved my problem! Thank you!

 

[MountainWolf]

A BIG THANK YOU!!! to everybody for the helpful suggestions. Problem solved in less than 24 hours! I am impressed!
Good Day to you all and Happy Scanning!