BCT8 on Ohio MARCS?

[RadioTech19]

I have a Uniden BCT8 here that I am trying to get to monitor the Ohio marcs system. I have got the control frequencies in it but when I hear communication on my other marcs radio, this one seems like it isn't going to listen to the traffic. Is there one little thing that I am missing...it kinda seems like it. Thanks!

 

[hiegtx]

I have a Uniden BCT8 here that I am trying to get to monitor the Ohio marcs system. I have got the control frequencies in it but when I hear communication on my other marcs radio, this one seems like it isn't going to listen to the traffic. Is there one little thing that I am missing...it kinda seems like it. Thanks!

austink,
That "one little thing" missing is that the MARCS system is digital.
State of Ohio MARCS - Multi-Agency Radio Communications Trunking System, Statewide, Multi-State - Scanner Frequencies
Look at the "System Voice" description. It's a Type II system, but all the communications are digital (APCO-25, meaning digital; there's also a "D" in the mode column by the talkgroups).

The BCT8 is not capable of receiving & decoding digital transmissions. If your other "marcs radio" is the Pro-106 in your signature, that's why it will receive it. The 106 is a digital scanner. So while MARCS is set up as a Type II system (not a pure P25 Standard), all the transmissions are digital, and the 106 decodes them quite well.

 

[RadioTech19]

So there is no way to make this scan marcs?

 

[hiegtx]

So there is no way to make this scan marcs?

That's correct. The BCT8 scanner is not capable of digital, so it will not work on the MARCS system.

However, you probably have other analog channels within range, whether at the city or county level, also businesses, aircraft, railroads, etc, that you could load into the BCT8.

 

[RadioTech19]

Okay, thank you very much for all your help. Kinda a bummer on the news tho.

 

[DaveIN]

However your PRO-106 should do nicely.