BCD325P2/BCD996P2: Custom Search

[rocky28965]

I have added the DMR upgrade to my BCD996P2.
Not too certain how it would behave, I programmed a custom search with Proscan.
I chose a band where I knew there were several DMR channels.
I monitored the progress in the history logging window.
When It found a DMR frequency it would stop, and the hammer sound was audible.
There was no visible indication of a DMR channel.
I was expecting it to at least decode the audio.

I then programmed a system group with 2 known working DT3 sites.
Set the frequency, LCN & color.
Ran the scan, but it wouldn't stop on the frequencies.
I knew they were active as I was monitoring them on another radio.
If I held it on the frequency, it received the audio fine.
It displayed the TGID & channel ID

Question.
What am I doing wrong?

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Uniden Scanners are known to struggle with DT3. First thing I would try it increasing the site hold time to 3 or 4 seconds, some have noticed improvement with this change. Be sure you have the latest firmware installed, you'll need at least Version 1.07.07 to support RAS detection in DT3 systems

 

[cg]

Do you have the Tone Code Search set to the digital option? One big downside to searching bands with the older Unidens is their inability to do analog and digital codes at the same time (PL/DPL/LTR vs NAC/DCC/RAN)

chris

 

[jeff]

Try setting your DMR Threshold to Level 10. I have no problem with DT3 systems on my 992P2 and 325P2.

 

[rocky28965]

Uniden Scanners are known to struggle with DT3. First thing I would try it increasing the site hold time to 3 or 4 seconds, some have noticed improvement with this change. Be sure you have the latest firmware installed, you'll need at least Version 1.07.07 to support RAS detection in DT3 systems

The hold time on search was already set on 3.
It finds the DMR frequency, just wont decode it.

Hold time on scan is 2

The current firmware version is 1.10.01

 

[rocky28965]

Do you have the Tone Code Search set to the digital option? One big downside to searching bands with the older Unidens is their inability to do analog and digital codes at the same time (PL/DPL/LTR vs NAC/DCC/RAN)

chris

Still looking for that setting.

 

[rocky28965]

Try setting your DMR Threshold to Level 10. I have no problem with DT3 systems on my 992P2 and 325P2.

Just changed this & it may have sorted the search problem.
Just doing some testing now.

 

[cg]

MENU
SEARCH/CLOSE CALL OPTIONS
TONE/CODE SEARCH
pick the one you want

 

[rocky28965]

The two options are
CTCSS/DCS
NAC/CC/RAN/Area
Which would you recomend?

 

[cg]

CTCSS/DCS is for analog systems and NAC/CC/RAN is for digital. So, if your search is for digital...
If you have it in Analog setting, you will not decode digital but will hear the digital noise. If you are in Digital mode, you will hear the digital but the analog will not show tones.

 

[rocky28965]

CTCSS/DCS is for analog systems and NAC/CC/RAN is for digital. So, if your search is for digital...
If you have it in Analog setting, you will not decode digital but will hear the digital noise. If you are in Digital mode, you will hear the digital but the analog will not show tones.

Understood, but I think I'll leave that off for now.
As I understand it, that's for close call, which I don't use.
My location is semi-rural.
There are two DT3 control channels & six DMR single frequency channels with in my range.
The nearest would be around 20km.
After trying the suggestions in this thread, the radio will now decode a DMR signal in a search.
I have setup a couple of scan groups & thats working ok too.
Hard know if that made the difference, as the settings are now all back on default.

 

[cg]

Also, with ProScan (not sure about others) it is easy to assign Quick Keys to your Custom Searches or Service Searches. This allows the use of the Scan button to force it to resume searching. Otherwise hitting Scan stops the search.
I don't recall if there is a keypad route to that but it is not in each search menu.
Last, Control Channel Only can give you more info for some types of trunking. P25 Trunking will follow the talkgroups right from the search.

chris

 

[rocky28965]

Thanks chris
It's all a learning curve for me and my old memory is not the greatest.
Currently composing DMR scan programs for my radios.
I'm liking those quick keys on the SDS200E, but having a bit of an issue with the BCD996P2.
Seems like you can't have a quick key for any DMR systems, only for their groups.
So if you have several systems it gets a bit messy.
Least thats what I'm finding.
Guess I'm doing something wrong again?

 

[ProScan]

I'm liking those quick keys on the SDS200E, but having a bit of an issue with the BCD996P2.
Seems like you can't have a quick key for any DMR systems, only for their groups.

Sites too. The SQKs on the DMA types are at the site level.

 

[rocky28965]

Seems a bit odd you can assign a quick key to a conventional system but not a DMR.

 

[cg]

DMR conventional could be entered in just like any other frequency however you have no control over the slots or talkgroups. So you can use DMR One Frequency Trunk (OFT) to gain that control over what you hear but you then have to use a Site to add the frequency, even for a single OFT frequency. Your Quick Key is assigned there. You then have GQKs you can assign if you want.

 

[rocky28965]

I've pretty much got this under control now.
I think I've found all the DMR frequencies in my area.
Now using my SDS200E to scan them and find the talk groups.
It shows a bit more info on the history logging window.