BCD996XT Questions

[W6SDF]

OK, this thing is more complicated than some aircraft I used to work on!

I got it to work on the San Diego County APCO 25 RCS system in search mode as I'm too lazy to start programming scan mode (I think I'm making sense here). The PC cable is missing so I'll need to get that resolved before going further (I'm bummed!). I can't even install the firmware upgrade.

First question...Sometimes in the ID line I see one number, sometimes 2. Can someone explain this to me?

This scanner is replacing (for now, eventually complementing) my 4 old and loved RS 2006s which still work GREAT on San Diego City system. Two of them have OPTO boards, 1 has many of Bill Cheeks mods and CE-232 board, and 1 is stock. They trunk very well using trunker.

I REALLY love the way trunker and its variants allowed me to see everything going on and control the 2006s, but I'm also starting to see the power of the 996 with groups and the quick keys. My question is, will I be able to integrate trunker into the system to control the scanner? Will I be losing functionality or crippling the capabilities of the 996?

 

[W6KRU]

Your PC cable may not be missing. Is this a new scanner? Several people reported missing PC cables in their new 996XTs and in every case the cable was found after examining the packing material more carefully. I think it is tucked into a small spot in one end of the material. Take another look?

 

[KE4ZNR]

1) As Dan mentions below the cable is there...just have to look in the ends of the packing material...alot of people have missed it when opening up the box the first time around.
2) That would be an I-Call. The one or two numbers you are seeing are the Unit IDs (or RIDs) involved with the I-Call.
3) Trunker was good in it's time but you can use Unitrunker (for 3600 Baud Moto Systems or Analog EDACS) or Trunk88 (for 3600 Baud Moto Trunked systems)or Pro96Com (with pure P25 systems) with the 996XT and its Control Channel Output option. Simply hook the data cable between the radio and your computer and you can monitor system activity.
BTW: If you ever decide to get rid of one of those 2006's let me know as I looooove me a Pro 2006 :lol:
Happy Monitoring
Marshall KE4ZNR

OK, this thing is more complicated than some aircraft I used to work on!

I got it to work on the San Diego County APCO 25 RCS system in search mode as I'm too lazy to start programming scan mode (I think I'm making sense here). The PC cable is missing so I'll need to get that resolved before going further (I'm bummed!). I can't even install the firmware upgrade.

First question...Sometimes in the ID line I see one number, sometimes 2. Can someone explain this to me?

This scanner is replacing (for now, eventually complementing) my 4 old and loved RS 2006s which still work GREAT on San Diego City system. Two of them have OPTO boards, 1 has many of Bill Cheeks mods and CE-232 board, and 1 is stock. They trunk very well using trunker.

I REALLY love the way trunker and its variants allowed me to see everything going on and control the 2006s, but I'm also starting to see the power of the 996 with groups and the quick keys. My question is, will I be able to integrate trunker into the system to control the scanner? Will I be losing functionality or crippling the capabilities of the 996?

 

[W6SDF]

Your PC cable may not be missing. Is this a new scanner? Several people reported missing PC cables in their new 996XTs and in every case the cable was found after examining the packing material more carefully. I think it is tucked into a small spot in one end of the material. Take another look?

A quick trip to the garage found the cable just as you said, tucked away on the OTHER side of the box from the mobile cables!

1) As Dan mentions below the cable is there...just have to look in the ends of the packing material...alot of people have missed it when opening up the box the first time around.
2) That would be an I-Call. The one or two numbers you are seeing are the Unit IDs (or RIDs) involved with the I-Call.
3) Trunker was good in it's time but you can use Unitrunker (for 3600 Baud Moto Systems or Analog EDACS) or Trunk88 (for 3600 Baud Moto Trunked systems)or Pro96Com (with pure P25 systems) with the 996XT and its Control Channel Output option. Simply hook the data cable between the radio and your computer and you can monitor system activity.
BTW: If you ever decide to get rid of one of those 2006's let me know as I looooove me a Pro 2006 :lol:
Happy Monitoring
Marshall KE4ZNR

I'll keep you in mind for a 2006, one may be expendable now.

Anyone know the baud rate of the San Diego County RCS system?

Which program of the above is more "trunker like" (I don't take change well)?

Will any of them use my highly customized trunker files?

 

[KE4ZNR]

Looking in the database reveals that the San Diego County RCS System appears to be a "Mixed Mode" 3600 Baud Moto System.
If that is the case then you probably want to check out Trunk88.
The appearance is not too different than what you are used to already.
Here is a link to a picture of what Trunk88 looks like:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2558/3997120838_7eb83cd634_o.jpg
I used my BCD996XT with the Control Channel Output set to on hooked up to my laptop with the included serial cable and a serial to USB converter.
Works great!
Happy Monitoring!
Marshall KE4ZNR

A quick trip to the garage found the cable just as you said, tucked away on the OTHER side of the box from the mobile cables!



I'll keep you in mind for a 2006, one may be expendable now.

Anyone know the baud rate of the San Diego County RCS system?

Which program of the above is more "trunker like" (I don't take change well)?

Will any of them use my highly customized trunker files?

 

[W6SDF]

Hmmm. I looked at the database before asking..never did see the baud rate listed.

Got Trunk88 working, kind of. Somewhere I read that to work properly the scanner had to be on hold. Is that correct?

Can '88 use my Trunker files?

What do I use to D/L the radioreference database into the radio (after I buy a premium, of course)?

Edit - I'm reading the premium info & see the list. I guess it comes down to personal preference. I'll look for comparisons...

Looking in the database reveals that the San Diego County RCS System appears to be a "Mixed Mode" 3600 Baud Moto System.
If that is the case then you probably want to check out Trunk88.
The appearance is not too different than what you are used to already.
Here is a link to a picture of what Trunk88 looks like:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2558/3997120838_7eb83cd634_o.jpg
I used my BCD996XT with the Control Channel Output set to on hooked up to my laptop with the included serial cable and a serial to USB converter.
Works great!
Happy Monitoring!
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[KE4ZNR]

Hmmm. I looked at the database before asking..never did see the baud rate listed.

Got Trunk88 working, kind of. Somewhere I read that to work properly the scanner had to be on hold. Is that correct?

Before any of the Trunk System decoders can use the CC output from the 396XT/996XT a couple of things have to happen:
1) The Control Channel needs to be programmed into a system in memory.
2) The radio needs to be parked on the Control Channel.

Can '88 use my Trunker files?

Good question as I have limited Trunker experience. But you should be able to open a systems ".CTL" file from Trunk88 in notepad and cut and paste from Trunker into the ".CTL" file.

What do I use to D/L the radioreference database into the radio (after I buy a premium, of course)?

My personal preference: Freescan. But like you say below everyone has their favorite!

Edit - I'm reading the premium info & see the list. I guess it comes down to personal preference. I'll look for comparisons...

Happy Monitoring!
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[W6SDF]

I installed freescan & loaded my first system. Doing that broke Trunk88. Have to figure that out later. I have a basic question on Trunk systems in general, San Diego RCS in particular. It is a multi-site Motorola Smartzone. I entered the northeast system, which I can receive best. I'm deducing from the name Smartzone, and the fact that each site has different numbers of frequencies, that only certain talkgroups are broadcast from a particular site. How can I determine which talkgroups are associated with a particular site, or does it change with the location of the radio?

I ran into a wall with only being able to load 20 talkgroups in the scanner. I guess I need to figure out how to split them into groups...

Is the term SITE as used in the reference database the same as SITE in the scanner?

If I'm way of base, be gentle!

 

[Kennrth]

Channels: 25,000 maximum
Systems: 500 maximum
Groups per system: 20 maximum
Talkgroups per trunked system: 500 maximum
Channels per conventional system: 1000 maximum
Scan Rate: 100 channels per second (conventional mode)
Search Rate: 300 steps per second (on 5 kHz steps)
System Quick Key range: 0-99
Group Quick Key range: 0-9
Custom Search Ranges: 10
Startup Keys: 10
System Number Tagging: 999
Channel Number Tagging: 999
Preprogrammed Service Search Bands: 12
Band Scope Span Range: 0.2 MHz To 500 MHz
Band Scope Step: 5 kHz To 100 kHz

 

[W6SDF]

Channels: 25,000 maximum
Systems: 500 maximum
Groups per system: 20 maximum
yada, yada, yada. (can I screw up a quote like that? I guess it's not really a quote anymore, is it?)

Hmmmm, that's helpful (not). I knew the max groups was 20 and said I need to figure out how to re-arrange things. I'll figure it out. It's just frustrating to not get it out of the box, ya know? I just want to get started with SOMETHING right away! Which I did by day 2...And yes, I know I need to RTFM over and over, but what a joke that is, and I've seen smarter folks than me say so! I used to teach nurses & pharmacists how to use IV pumps and I'd tell them "by the time you get home, you'll forget all of this, so you just need to lock yourself in a closet for a while and DO IT and it'll all come back" Well, I'm in the closet, I'm just cheating a little...

 

[UPMan]

On Smartzone systems, what channels appear on a site depend on the actual transceivers that have affiliated with the site. If no radio for, for example, Metro EMS has affiliated with the site, then no Metro EMS traffic will appear on the site (since none have affiliated, as far as the system is concerned, no on is there to hear the transmission). Some systems are further managed to assign specific zones to particular agencies so that when a transceiver is in range of multiple zones it will only use the zone it is assigned to. Not sure if RCS is managed that way, though.

As to limits, you might have stated it imprecisely...the scanner can have 20 channel groups per system, but each of those groups can contain multiple talk group id's (channels). Up to 500 total per system.

SITE in the scanner = SITE in the database = SITE in the real world.

The scanner was designed to parallel the real world so that you only have to learn one "method" (the real world) rather than having to map the real world to banks or some other paradigm.

 

[W6SDF]

Roger that UPMan! Thanks for the clarification, it helped a lot, as did the site=site=site description...very well put!