BCD325P2/BCD996P2: Enter P25 System into 996P2 using EZGRab, confusing...

[mscir]

I've successfully loaded Conventional Systems and Groups into my 996p2, but I'm not sure I entered a P25 site using EZGrab in Freescan correctly.
I enter the Loma Prieta repeater shown here, California Radio Interoperable System (CRIS) Trunking System, Various, California by creating a new system "P25 Standard (Digital XT)". In the Site Trunk Frequencies I entered all 6 freq's listed, didn't change "APCO Band Plan" or any other settings anywhere, then entered all 3 Groups listed on the page, Mutual_Aid, State, Felton_Fire. I made sure the Mode was selected correctly in the EZGrab screen, made sure there were Talk Group IDs, and don't see any errors in the menu item, "Tools > Automatic Scanner Optimizer".
I uploaded the system to the scanner and it is displayed as the systems are scanned, but I don't hear any traffic. While I'm only 22' above sea level, the tower is only 14.14 mi (22.75 km) away and listed as being 3,790 ft (1,155 m) elevation. I have a Diamond D-130 on the roof with a low loss cable... So I'm thinking I programmed it wrong. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

RFSS	Site	Name	County	Freqs

1 (1)

020 (14)

Loma Prieta

Santa Clara

769.40625c

770.65625c

773.30625c

773.59375c

774.08125

774.34375

 

[tvengr]

Please attach your FreeSCAN .996 programming file so we can take a look at it to check for errors. You will need to zip the file to be able to attach it. Click on Attach files and open the zipped file. Check your squelch. It is normally set to 2.

 

[mscir]

I've successfully loaded Conventional Systems and Groups into my 996p2, but I'm not sure I entered a P25 site using EZGrab in Freescan correctly.
I enter the Loma Prieta repeater shown here, California Radio Interoperable System (CRIS) Trunking System, Various, California by creating a new system "P25 Standard (Digital XT)". In the Site Trunk Frequencies I entered all 6 freq's listed, didn't change "APCO Band Plan" or any other settings anywhere, then entered all 3 Groups listed on the page, Mutual_Aid, State, Felton_Fire. I made sure the Mode was selected correctly in the EZGrab screen, made sure there were Talk Group IDs, and don't see any errors in the menu item, "Tools > Automatic Scanner Optimizer".
I uploaded the system to the scanner and it is displayed as the systems are scanned, but I don't hear any traffic. While I'm only 22' above sea level, the tower is only 14.14 mi (22.75 km) away and listed as being 3,790 ft (1,155 m) elevation. I have a Diamond D-130 on the roof with a low loss cable... So I'm thinking I programmed it wrong. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

RFSS	Site	Name	County	Freqs

1 (1)

020 (14)

Loma Prieta

Santa Clara

769.40625c

770.65625c

773.30625c

773.59375c

774.08125

774.34375

I'm getting good signal strength. I"m really impressed with the D-130.

 

[mscir]

Please attach your FreeSCAN .996 programming file so we can take a look at it to check for errors. You will need to zip the file to be able to attach it. Click on Attach files and open the zipped file. Check your squelch. It is normally set to 2.

Thanks for your reply. I don't hear anything with SQ set to zero. I just posted screengrabs showing good signal strength (above).

 

[tvengr]

I don't see anything wrong with the trunked system setup. Most of the mutual aid talkgroups are encrypted. The only ones you will be able to receive are MA1CA, MA2CA, and MA3CA. Delete all of the others. For the State talkgroups, you have the Tag (service type) in the Display column instead of the alpha tags for the talkgroups. That will not affect the scanning but you will not know what you are receiving. Also, change ID Mode from ID Search to ID Scan. In ID Search you will be receiving every talkgroup on the system including all of the encrypted ones. In ID Scan, you will receive only the talkgroups you have programmed. While scanning the CRIS trunked system, on the third line from the bottom of the scanner display, do you see 769.4062 or NFM? Is the scanner stopping on talkgroups?

 

[mscir]

Update, I made a mistake in the programming, I didn't realize that modes containing an "e" or "E" were encrypted, partially or fully, so I deleted 16 channels, that left 11, so it may be possible that there is no traffic on those channels right now. I'll monitor the site for a few days and see if anything happens.

 

[mscir]

I don't see anything wrong with the trunked system setup. Most of the mutual aid talkgroups are encrypted. The only ones you will be able to receive are MA1CA, MA2CA, and MA3CA. Delete all of the others. For the State talkgroups, you have the Tag (service type) in the Display column instead of the alpha tags for the talkgroups. That will not affect the scanning but you will not know what you are receiving. Also, change ID Mode from ID Search to ID Scan. In ID Search you will be receiving every talkgroup on the system including all of the encrypted ones. In ID Scan, you will receive only the talkgroups you have programmed. While scanning the CRIS trunked system, on the third line from the bottom of the scanner display, do you see 769.4062 or NFM? Is the scanner stopping on talkgroups?

I'll fix the alpha tags if it starts working, thanks for that, and changed it to "ID SCAN".
I deleted the 16 encrypted channels, that leaves 11.
I have a screenshot above, the scanner is displaying most of the 1st control channel frequency 769.4062MHz, in the DB it's listed as "769.40625c". The frequency never changes. Under that it says, "NFM".
Now that there are far fewer channels I think it may be that there simply is no traffic on it. I'll monitor it for a few days and see if that changes.

 

[tvengr]

What I need to know is if you see 769.4062 or NFM while you are scanning the CRIS system, not while holding on the frequency. Is the scanner stopping on talkgroups? I would program the partially encrypted talkgroups. Some of the transmissions will be in the clear.

 

[mscir]

What I need to know is if you see 769.4062 or NFM while you are scanning the CRIS system, not while holding on the frequency. Is the scanner stopping on talkgroups? I would program the partially encrypted talkgroups. Some of the transmissions will be in the clear.

I apologize, I didn't realize putting it on Hold wouldn't allow it to scan all of the Talkgroups. I disabled all of the quickkeys except for this site and turned off CC. It still shows CC Hits (still learning how to use this thing) and everything flashes by pretty quickly so I took several photos with my phone, they all look like this. Thanks for the tip on the "e" partially encrypted, I'll add them if this starts working.

 

[tvengr]

If you press HOLD, the scanner will stay on that one frequency or talkgroup and will not scan. Your bottom photo shows the frequency. If it shows NFM, you are having problems decoding the control channel. When you change the ID Mode, it will show ID Scan. Now that you are scanning, let me know if you hear anything. I don't know how much activity is on that system.

 

[mscir]

If you press HOLD, the scanner will stay on that one frequency or talkgroup and will not scan. Your bottom photo shows the frequency. If it shows NFM, you are having problems decoding the control channel. When you change the ID Mode, it will show ID Scan. Now that you are scanning, let me know if you hear anything. I don't know how much activity is on that system.

Thank you very much for all of your help, I appreciate it.

 

[mscir]

If you press HOLD, the scanner will stay on that one frequency or talkgroup and will not scan. Your bottom photo shows the frequency. If it shows NFM, you are having problems decoding the control channel. When you change the ID Mode, it will show ID Scan. Now that you are scanning, let me know if you hear anything. I don't know how much activity is on that system.

ID scanning, 5 bars signal strength, adjusted P25 threshold to 5, 7, 13, Auto: no talkgroups detected at all.
I found this old CESRS California map from 2013 showing,
"Loma Prieta Peak, Santa Clara, CTSS Tone 1".
I'm wondering if CESRS became CRIS and this might be the same repeater I'm listening to, and if they still use CTSS tones on P25... Is that something I should be entering into the scanner? I didn't see any settings for it in Freescan or in the manual.
https://www.mcftoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/CESRS-MOUNTAIN-TOP-REPEATER-SITES-AND-TONES.pdf

 

[mscir]

This makes it sound like the CTSS, DCS, or NAC are only for people transmitting to the repeater, but it's dated 2016 so I don't know if it applies.

CODED SQUELCH

Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System (CTCSS) is a system incorporated in radios to reduce or eliminate nuisance type interference from co-channel users. Digital systems use a digital equivalent of CTCSS called Digital Coded Squelch (DCS) on analog systems and Network Access Code (NAC) on the digital P-25 standard systems. Coded squelch will not prevent destructive interference where the signal strength of the interfering signal exceeds that of the desired signal. The statewide CTCSS is 156.7 Hz on VHF Direct, UHF, 7/800 for analog systems and $293 for digital systems. On VHF Repeaters the statewide CTCSS is 136.5 Hz.

Coded squelch is prohibited for priority 1 and 2 situations. A locally designated CTCSS is authorized for priority 3, 4, and 5 traffic if the agency has the ability to continuously monitor a receiver with the universal mutual aid tone (156.7/$293) or has a receiver without the tone protection. These safeguards ensure that the
channels can be used for communications with units from other agencies using carrier-squelch only or with the mutual aid tone.

https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/PSC/Documents/INTEROPERABILITY_2016.pdf

 

[mscir]

I deleted my manually entered System and used the Freescan Import to enter the site, still no traffic.

 

[mscir]

This is the 996 file including the site imported from RR using Freescan.