frustration programming uhf trunked system

[skip39]

i am having some frustation with programming the otisville federal prison trunked system in orange county new york. after programming the system i pickup the talkgroup with no audio. i have been trying to get help with this programming this system for some time now. i would appreciate any assistance.
thanks
ryan.o

 

[Patch42]

What model scanner are you using?

 

[skip39]

psr 500 is the model of the scanner

 

[Patch42]

The database here lists no talkgroups for that system (http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=3268).

Can you describe what you've done so far to monitor the system? Did you use a wildcard object?

 

[tommyscan]

Also check the hi/lo values you are setting for the custom tables. Gre website has an explanation on how to program a uhf trunked system with the psr models.

 

[LEH]

Also check the hi/lo values you are setting for the custom tables. Gre website has an explanation on how to program a uhf trunked system with the psr models.

If you do not have the hi and lo values set, the 500 will not work on the older UHF trunked systems. Been there done that one.

So if you can find a control channel for the system (using conventional entry) and you cannot track anything, then it is 90% the missing threshold values.

First thing is make sure there is an active control channel. All the correct programming in the world won't help if you have a system that isn't in operation.

 

[skip39]

skip39

its weird i get hits on the talkgroup of otisville federal prison trunked system but no audio.
ryan

 

[mikey60]

its weird i get hits on the talkgroup of otisville federal prison trunked system but no audio.
ryan

Is the scanner tuning to the correct frequency when a call grant occurs?

Since there are no talkgroups listed for that system on the database, I would treat the table settings listed as suspect.

Any chance you could run Unitrunker on that system and get some channel information? From that someone could probably come up with a workable table configuration.

Mike

 

[tommyscan]

I looked up that system and it has only one table to program so I am assuming you enter a value of zero for the Hi slot.

 

[W2SJW]

You don't use the tables at all for a single-table system.

If a multi-table setup is needed, there always has to be data in the low & high blocks for it to be valid for VHF & UHF trunk systems.

 

[DonS]

I looked up that system and it has only one table to program so I am assuming you enter a value of zero for the Hi slot.

No, it's not zero.

The GRE article mentioned above is specific to systems that have exactly two sets of base/offset/step data. The general case for VHF/UHF ("OBT") systems is:

1. You have <n> sets of base/offset/step data from some reference source and need to put them in the scanner. I'll refer to the "source tables" as "ST01" through "STnn", and the scanner's tables as "TT01" through "TTnn".
2. Sort the ST table entries in order of ascending "offset" value. For example, if you have two entries with offset values of 560 and 380, the entry with offset 380 is to be considered "ST01". All subsequent steps use these "sorted entries".
3. Each ST table entry will result in one TT entry in the PSR-500/600. The Base frequency, Offset, and Step values in the scanner's TTnn data are copied directly from the STnn data.
4. The "Lo Chan" value in the TT entry is the same as the "Offset" value from the corresponding ST entry.
5. The "Hi Chan" value in the TT entry is one less than the "Offset" value from the next ST entry. If this is the last TT/ST pair, the "Hi Chan" value is 759.

Using the above, the correct PSR-500 entry for the Otisville system in question is:

TT01:
  Lo Chan = 380
  Hi Chan = 759
  Offset  = 380
  Base    = 407.012500
  Step    = 12.5

Another example: the San Mateo County system in California, which has two ST entries listed in the RR DB:

TT01:
  Lo Chan = 380
  Hi Chan = 559
  Offset  = 380
  Base    = 482.000000
  Step    = 12.5
TT02:
  Lo Chan = 560
  Hi Chan = 759
  Offset  = 560
  Base    = 488.000000
  Step    = 12.5

 

[DonS]

You don't use the tables at all for a single-table system.

In the scanner in question (GRE PSR-500), you must always use the tables for any "MOT VHF/UHF" system, even if there's only one entry.

 

[W2SJW]

Don,

Oops! Your are 100% correct! What the hell was I thinking??? :lol:

 

[skip39]

my frustration is over now. i am having no problems with listening to the otisville federal prison trunked system. thanks for everyones help again.
ryan