I turned on my BCD436 today for the first time in a week or two and all of the County Sheriff and Punta Gorda TGs are silent. Fire/EMS are fine. Has there been a change?
Charlotte County changes?
- Thread starter KR3E
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Have you tried the new P25 system? Charlotte County (Project 25) Trunking System, Various, Florida - Scanner Frequencies
Were you able to program and listen to the new system. I tried, but was not successful listening with the new frequencies on my BCD436.
tampatracker
Member
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Where are you located in relation to Charlotte Co.?
wtp
Member
on the new system some of the talkgroup numbers are still changing.
i would set it to ID SEARCH.
i noticed the hospital talkgroups were different today.
i would set it to ID SEARCH.
i noticed the hospital talkgroups were different today.
I'm in Punta Gorda Isles
wtp
Member
and don't forget that they are running on phase 1, so you can hear them. for now.
vinnienap
Member
I live in the Deep Creek section of Charlotte County, and am also having trouble receiving Charlotte County Sheriff on the P25 Phase II system.
I have programmed my BCD 996P2 Uniden scanner using a download from Radio Reference through the ARC XT PRO software.
All I get is an occasional short conversation, which is garbled.
If the system is encrypted then so be it. I’d just like to know so I don’t have to keep trying to fix it.
I keep trying different options in the scanner such as Hex/Dec and Digital/Analog sound, but I just can’t get it to work.
Fire and EMS still work fine, as they are in a different system.
Thanks in advance for any input.
Vincent
I have programmed my BCD 996P2 Uniden scanner using a download from Radio Reference through the ARC XT PRO software.
All I get is an occasional short conversation, which is garbled.
If the system is encrypted then so be it. I’d just like to know so I don’t have to keep trying to fix it.
I keep trying different options in the scanner such as Hex/Dec and Digital/Analog sound, but I just can’t get it to work.
Fire and EMS still work fine, as they are in a different system.
Thanks in advance for any input.
Vincent
wtp
Member
when running around IN port charlotte, it comes in better.
as i drive up beacon it sounds fine until i get near home around quasar, then it starts to drop.
they are still on phase 1. so you should program it in that way.
i am not familiar enough with phase 2 to have any idea what happens.
i have a uniden 396T and an XT and the older T sounds better and picks up more.
like i said in the main page they seem to be still changing talkgroups especially in the higher number ones.
i have almost 80 talkgroup numbers that have been used.
and about 25 that i have some idea of who they are.
i would scan in id search and lock out the ones you don't want for now and then check in later.
1 is the old dispatch 1
3 is the old dispatch 3
seems simple and i hoped they would just use the old numbers.
but that would be too simple.
but i guess some people are OCD number people
remember the county was districts 1,2,4,3 just a few years ago.
sure 1,2,3,4 makes sense, but whatever.
ID SEARCH
todd
as i drive up beacon it sounds fine until i get near home around quasar, then it starts to drop.
they are still on phase 1. so you should program it in that way.
i am not familiar enough with phase 2 to have any idea what happens.
i have a uniden 396T and an XT and the older T sounds better and picks up more.
like i said in the main page they seem to be still changing talkgroups especially in the higher number ones.
i have almost 80 talkgroup numbers that have been used.
and about 25 that i have some idea of who they are.
i would scan in id search and lock out the ones you don't want for now and then check in later.
1 is the old dispatch 1
3 is the old dispatch 3
seems simple and i hoped they would just use the old numbers.
but that would be too simple.
but i guess some people are OCD number people
remember the county was districts 1,2,4,3 just a few years ago.
sure 1,2,3,4 makes sense, but whatever.
ID SEARCH
todd
vinnienap
Member
Thanks Todd. The ID search seems to give me more activity, but it’s pretty much garbled and unreadable.
I tried downloading the system again from radio reference, and I noticed all the talk groups are empty. Maybe they’re still in the process of changing over.
I think I’ll let it play out until they’ve finished switching over. I’ll keep checking the downloads occasionally for updates.
If I can find the Dispatch 3 talkgroup that works, I’ll just lock everything else out and call it a day.
Vinnie
I tried downloading the system again from radio reference, and I noticed all the talk groups are empty. Maybe they’re still in the process of changing over.
I think I’ll let it play out until they’ve finished switching over. I’ll keep checking the downloads occasionally for updates.
If I can find the Dispatch 3 talkgroup that works, I’ll just lock everything else out and call it a day.
Vinnie
wtp
Member
i really thought i sent that as a personal message...oops
you are welcome.
and there is still some hospital action on the old system. but it is also simulcast on the new one.
you are welcome.
and there is still some hospital action on the old system. but it is also simulcast on the new one.
vinnienap
Member
I downloaded the new file from RR, and manually added one group. That is the CCSO Dispatch 3 channel, and it’s working. I’ll add a few more tonight and see how it goes. At least I have my most active talkgroup working now.
vinnienap
Member
It seems that the new P25 Phase II system is putting out a weaker signal than the old system. I get all the talk groups, but I have to constantly change the antenna position to get them to come in.
I'm using the antenna that came with the scanner (BCD 996P2)
I'm using the antenna that came with the scanner (BCD 996P2)
I_am_Alpha1
Member
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- May 21, 2014
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- 271
Just stumbled upon this thread. To clarify some things for everyone, the new 700MHz system is operating P25 Phase 1 and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future...they will move to Phase 2 if and when they outgrow what they are using. Phase 2 is TDMA which will allow for more traffic vs Phase 1's FDMA. So don't worry about Phase 2...all counties around the country are buying these dual systems and not using the Phase 2 part. As of today there are no encrypted talkgroups...this will definitely change. What extent encryption will be used is not fully known--just EMS to Hospital has been confirmed from the fire side. I have no info from the LE side on encryption--afraid to bring up the subject as it may give them ideas. The new system is operating at 100w...so why are you hearing garbled stuff?? Well, it's called simulcast distortion and it sucks for scanner users. There are NO scanners on the market that perform great with simulcast...some are better than others and the more you pay, the better they "seem." Older 996 series may not work very well for you...newer SDS series may give you better performance. You will find posts all over this site referring to how well a certain scanner works with simulcast--take them with a grain of salt as each and every system and location will have different results. I have a 396, 996, 436, and 536 sitting next to each other and they all receive differently. Very dependent on several factors...mostly being location, location, location. There are several broadcast towers in the county, each pumping out 100w. Your scanner is sitting in between several of them and is receiving signals from them...but those signals are arriving micro-seconds apart and it confuses scanners causing them to be distorted or just not receive. There are several steps you can try to improve reception...mostly based on decreasing reception. Move the scanner around your house...somewhere reception may be bad. Try a Yagi pointed at one tower--without another on the back side. Use an out of band antenna. The basic principle is to receive only 1 tower so you don't have simulcast distortion. Sarasota is also a simulcast system, but their towers are placed differently so you should only be receiving the Englewood or North Port locations. If all else fails, there is a way to obtain near perfect reception...Motorola XTS5000 for under $100 from E-Bay. These Big M radios cost over $3,000 in the 80's and were built to receive such systems. They do have some drawbacks--you can only scan 15 TGs at a time and they have to be from the same system...at that price, you could buy 2 or 3 (Charlotte, Lee, and Sarasota) and still come out ahead compared to the $700 SDS series scanners. They are very hard to program correctly...and if not done right will end up transmitting and that is very illegal and will get you put behind bars. Get someone to program it for you and if you ever see the red light blink, shut if off immediately and have it programmed the right way.
I've been working diligently on validating the Talkgroup list. I've had an SDR dongle running Unitrunker along side a scanner to make a list and keep RR updated. I have tried several times using the Sunshine law to get a list from the county with no luck...a law group up north looking at legal action. Sarasota county gave me their full TG list with no questions asked and it's been updated on RR. You can help...submit a Sunshine request to the county for the TG list. Contact your Commissioner and push the issue. Keep your fingers crossed--the county could encrypt everything out of spite.
I've been working diligently on validating the Talkgroup list. I've had an SDR dongle running Unitrunker along side a scanner to make a list and keep RR updated. I have tried several times using the Sunshine law to get a list from the county with no luck...a law group up north looking at legal action. Sarasota county gave me their full TG list with no questions asked and it's been updated on RR. You can help...submit a Sunshine request to the county for the TG list. Contact your Commissioner and push the issue. Keep your fingers crossed--the county could encrypt everything out of spite.
queenie8_
Member
what is RR? I am new to this scanner thing and I am learning. I have moved the scanner around to no avail. There are maybe 2 channels that are garbled. I know I am not receiving Charlotte County. After I had to reprogram my scanner due to the Radio System change and I had to reprogram all my counties I use Radio Reference for my Pro 106
edweirdFL
Member
RR is this website, which also has a database RadioReference.com - Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference Database
queenie8_
Member
ok thank you
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