Bearcat 996P2 P25 Site Frequencies

[shortwaver]

I've been scouring these forums, gone through Marks Scanners Easier to Read manual for the BDC996 but I'm still having trouble.

I would like to listen to the RISCON P25 system here in RI. I am using Proscan and importing Talk Groups that I want to hear from the RISCON using Radio Reference. If I import those talk groups, and one or all of the Sites (North Simulcast, South Simulcast, East...etc) I can hear the talk groups but mostly they just appear on the 996 screen as North Simulcast (I live in the northern part of the state). I do see the TG ID of the calling station but not the station name (Scituate FD..etc). If I do not include the Simulcast frequencies in the import, the scanner reports "nothing to scan".

How and where do I include the frequencies so I can hear the talk groups in my area and have them listed by their names, and not by the simulcast frequency site name?

Thanks
Shortwaver

 

[doctordialtone]

How and where do I include the frequencies so I can hear the talk groups in my area and have them listed by their names

I'm not sure if I understand what you're missing, but maybe it has to do with "Display Mode", which controls what is displayed on the display.

Read here about Display Modes

and here

What program are you using to program with?

 

[Randyk4661]

If they are using simulcast sites, the 996P2 will have difficulty receiving them. Your best bet would to be to desensitize the scanner so that it only picks up the closest radio tower. There are many posts about trying to receive a simulcast system. The only other option you would have is buying an SDS100 or 200 scanner as they are made to handle the simulcasting systems.

 

[shortwaver]

Thanks Doctordialtone for the tip on display modes. I had not seen that and will check if that will work.

Thanks Randyk4661 for the tip. I had read about the simulcast issues with the 996P2, but didn't think that was the issue as I'm hearing the audio nice and clear. I assumed the issue was with people hearing two different site towers, and that causing audio issues.

 

[shortwaver]

I tried cycling through the Display Modes but none of them changed the information on the screen, it continues to say "North Simulcast" and the ID number of the TG when active. I'll keep working at this.

 

[jonwienke]

Site frequencies go under sites. That is what the scanner actually scans to look for traffic.

Talkgroups go under departments and are NOT frequencies. They are ID numbers that identify the user group the traffic is intended to reach. You have to import them as well, or the scanner won't have any idea what it's hearing, and can only display the talkgroup ID. It sounds like you haven't done this.

Also be aware that the 996 (and most other scanners) have issues with simulcast, unless you are in a very specific location. A simulcast system broadcasts the same signal on the same frequency from multiple locations simultaneously, and there is nothing you can do to filter out the multiple overlapping signals. If you are fortunate, you're close enough to one of the transmitters for its signal to drown out all the others, but if you move a short distance, or if the system configuration is changed slightly, your reception may go from perfect to nothing.

 

[pfdradio]

"North Simulcast" is most likely the site name in the scanner, you can change the name. You also need to name the talk group ID. TG 1001 might be police Dispatch, but if you don't name it in the scanner id will only display it as ID:1001. So you would need to name the Talk groups as well.

 

[shortwaver]

Site frequencies go under sites. That is what the scanner actually scans to look for traffic.

Talkgroups go under departments and are NOT frequencies. They are ID numbers that identify the user group the traffic is intended to reach. You have to import them as well, or the scanner won't have any idea what it's hearing, and can only display the talkgroup ID. It sounds like you haven't done this.

Also be aware that the 996 (and most other scanners) have issues with simulcast, unless you are in a very specific location. A simulcast system broadcasts the same signal on the same frequency from multiple locations simultaneously, and there is nothing you can do to filter out the multiple overlapping signals. If you are fortunate, you're close enough to one of the transmitters for its signal to drown out all the others, but if you move a short distance, or if the system configuration is changed slightly, your reception may go from perfect to nothing.

Thanks. That is exactly how I have it set up, with the frequencies under Sites. I also have removed the other sites (East, South, etc) that aren't near me.

Update, now I am noticing that "some" of the talk group names are showing correctly with the TG name, but some still just show the ID number. More work to do.

 

[shortwaver]

"North Simulcast" is most likely the site name in the scanner, you can change the name. You also need to name the talk group ID. TG 1001 might be police Dispatch, but if you don't name it in the scanner id will only display it as ID:1001. So you would need to name the Talk groups as well.

Thanks, it looks like the information I am missing on the screen is the TGID name, as Proscan shows it. If I look at two examples, one that shows the name correctly, and one that does not, they both show their correct names in that TGID Name box. One is RISP N Disp, and the other is Lincoln PD. When Lincoln keys up, I see North Simulcast at the top of the screen and Lincoln PD below it. When RISP N Disp keys up, I see North Simulcast on the top and ID:25 below.

It seems like sometimes I'm getting the raw audio from the site frequency, and the radio is not looking at my settings to see what to show. Certainly a simple explanation but possible?

 

[shortwaver]

I think I figured it out, and my last comment above was pretty close to the resolution.

I had the System, RISCON, set as "ID SEARCH". When I changed that to "ID SCAN", it no longer shows only ID numbers but the name now.

Wow, that only took me about two weeks!

Cheers to all of you for the assistance with this.

Shortwaver

 

[jonwienke]

I think I figured it out, and my last comment above was pretty close to the resolution.

I had the System, RISCON, set as "ID SEARCH". When I changed that to "ID SCAN", it no longer shows only ID numbers but the name now.

All you did was block all talkgroups you haven't explicitly programmed. That's not necessarily a good idea.