BCD325P2/BCD996P2: Finding Control Channel. HELP!

[Twitch117c]

Hey All. So my brand new BCD996P2 was working great after i programmed it using Freescan, After i added a few more groups and such, i noticed that my Orange Co NY P25 site was no longer picking any traffic up, so i looked into it and found it to say Finding control channel. I have all the county control Frequencies programed as well. Everything else works but this one now. Ive deleted it and started over and still having the same issue. Im very new to these more advanced scanners and i have idea how to fix it or what i did wrong. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks

 

[hazrat8990]

It is possible that the site is down, or CC activity has switched to a different frequency. Try to see if you can find the CC with a search.

 

[dave3825]

When you deleted and started over, did you erase the programming in the scanner and then put the new programming in?

 

[Twitch117c]

It is possible that the site is down, or CC activity has switched to a different frequency. Try to see if you can find the CC with a search.

I have every CC that is listed on RR for the county.

When you deleted and started over, did you erase the programming in the scanner and then put the new programming in?

Yes, I delete and reprogram every time I make a change to anything.

 

[hazrat8990]

Even though it's listed, doesn't mean it's 100% correct. It doesn't happen all the time, but it's possible that CC activity has moved to one of the traffic channels. I noticed this very thing happen with a site that just went dead. I initially thought the site was down, but found out otherwise by searching. When I verified the change, I submitted my findings so the DB could be updated. Try adding ALL of the frequencies for that particular site.

 

[dave3825]

brand new BCD996P2 was working great after i programmed it using Freescan,

After i added a few more groups and such, i noticed that my Orange Co NY P25 site was no longer picking any traffic up, so i looked into it and found it to say Finding control channel.

So after the first programming, it was working great, then you added more groups, and now, finding control channel happens? Usually that's related to programming but you said you deleted and started over.

OCPSRS has 2 sites. Do you have both sites programmed in or just one?

RFSS	Site	Name	Freqs
1 (1)	001 (1)	North Simulcast	769.79375	770.61875	771.16875	771.74375	772.18125c	772.43125c	772.69375c	774.46875c
1 (1)	002 (2)	South Simulcast	851.075	851.250	851.325	851.600c	852.100c	852.2875c	852.775c	853.6375

Possible a site is down. Could also be simulcast issues with the scanner. I would reach out in the New York forum and ask if anyone in or near Orange County is receiving the site your having the issue with.

 

[Twitch117c]

So after the first programming, it was working great, then you added more groups, and now, finding control channel happens? Usually that's related to programming but you said you deleted and started over.

OCPSRS has 2 sites. Do you have both sites programmed in or just one?

RFSS	Site	Name	Freqs
1 (1)	001 (1)	North Simulcast	769.79375	770.61875	771.16875	771.74375	772.18125c	772.43125c	772.69375c	774.46875c
1 (1)	002 (2)	South Simulcast	851.075	851.250	851.325	851.600c	852.100c	852.2875c	852.775c	853.6375

Possible a site is down. Could also be simulcast issues with the scanner. I would reach out in the New York forum and ask if anyone in or near Orange County is receiving the site your having the issue with.

I do have both sites programmed. I even deleted the south sites and that didn't work, as I'm closer to the north sites

 

[RMason]

I do have both sites programmed. I even deleted the south sites and that didn't work, as I'm closer to the north sites

It looks like you are missing 774.46875c for the North Simulcast site. Only 7 of the 8 frequencies are shown in your programming - and the missing frequency is shown as a control channel in the db.

 

[Twitch117c]

It looks like you are missing 774.46875c for the North Simulcast site. Only 7 of the 8 frequencies are shown in your programming - and the missing frequency is shown as a control channel in the db.

Good catch, I did add that back in. I'm still have thr same issue though even after adding it back.

 

[Twitch117c]

Heres what im getting on the screen still, both on North and south

 

[Twitch117c]

Ok, Update. So after adding back that last control channel i missed, its now picking up some traffic again. i think its where i have the scanner and antenna located. because its hit or miss. I will play around with different locations in the house. But im picking up alot of PD on the control channels and i dont have any PD TGs programmed. How do i fix that? or do i just have to L/O those Ids when the pop up?

 

[jtwalker]

You are picking up traffic for TGs you don’t have programmed because you have it programmed as ID Search instead of ID Scan.

It appears this system is simulcast so the 996 will not perform well on such a system and could behave as you indicate.

 

[Twitch117c]

You are picking up traffic for TGs you don’t have programmed because you have it programmed as ID Search instead of ID Scan.

It appears this system is simulcast so the 996 will not perform well on such a system and could behave as you indicate.

So if i switch to ID Scan will that possibly alleviate some of this issue?

 

[jtwalker]

So if i switch to ID Scan will that possibly alleviate some of this issue?

It will change it to only receive TGs you have programmed, but won’t do anything for simulcast distortion.

 

[ofd8001]

Sorry about being late to the party...

Finding Control Channel means that the scanner is not receiving control channel data associated with the talkgroup. Main reasons are the right control channel frequencies are not programmed, the scanner is too far away from the transmitter or there could be something disrupting the signal. (Some nearby electronic component causing "interference".)

If you are receiving data but the audio is missing or garbled, you might be a victim of simulcast distortion which the 996 scanners don't handle well.

 

[Twitch117c]

I appreciate everyone's input and help. I was able to get it working correctly again. Thank you all.

 

[tvengr]

If you have a good signal, Finding CtrlChan and seeing NFM instead of the control channel frequency are classic symptoms of simulcast distortion.