Help a poor newbie program pro 197

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Scanner: Radio Shack Pro 197

Our PD here in Gatesville, TX just went digital so everyone is purchasing digital scanners and wanting me to program them since I'm a computer tech. Unfortunately for me computer tech and radio expert are far from the same. So I picked up a programming cable from radio shack and downloaded the freq for coryell county and have everything working except for the police dept. I'm assuming the PD ins't updated in the DB yet. I searched the forum and found the thread below with some info listed about this but cannot figure out how to get that info programmed. Any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated.

http://forums.radioreference.com/texas-radio-discussion-forum/229681-gatesville-tx-police.html
 

hiegtx

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Scanner: Radio Shack Pro 197

Our PD here in Gatesville, TX just went digital so everyone is purchasing digital scanners and wanting me to program them since I'm a computer tech. Unfortunately for me computer tech and radio expert are far from the same. So I picked up a programming cable from radio shack and downloaded the freq for coryell county and have everything working except for the police dept. I'm assuming the PD ins't updated in the DB yet. I searched the forum and found the thread below with some info listed about this but cannot figure out how to get that info programmed. Any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated.

http://forums.radioreference.com/texas-radio-discussion-forum/229681-gatesville-tx-police.html
Welcome to Radio Reference

The database isn't 'updated yet' for Coryell County because, apparently, no one has submitted the changes.

However, looking at the thread you reference, the information in there is really not specific, and partially incorrect.

The two frequencies listed as "EMS" are both licensed to CORYELL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.

For the ones listed as "PD"

PD
154.305 nac507 not a valid frequency. Depending on the scanner used, may have been hearing 154.295. licensed to Copperas Cove

158.790 nac507 this is licensed to Gatesville, and should be the repeater input.

154.995 nac507 also Gatesville. Should be the repeater output, and the one you'd program

155.480 nac507 not valid. Copperas Cove is licensed for both 155.475 (which is a law enforcement inter-op frequency) and 155.4825.

156.040 nac507 not a valid frequency. No licenses in Texas for that. Probably hearing 156.000, licensed to Copperas Cove.

You indicate you bought a programming cable. Which software package are you using? Also, you may be able to find someone closer to you, using the same software, down in the Texas Forum.
 
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Thanks for the advice. I'll try the one you mentioned by itself. I put all those freq in a trunk but not sure I did it right because i never heard anything. Also, I'm unsure where the nac code comes into play.

Software is arc 500 from radio shack. It came with the cable.
 

hiegtx

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Thanks for the advice. I'll try the one you mentioned by itself. I put all those freq in a trunk but not sure I did it right because i never heard anything. Also, I'm unsure where the nac code comes into play.

Software is arc 500 from radio shack. It came with the cable.
keeper,
Those are not trunked frequencies. They are conventional.
They go in the same way the Tx DPS frequencies do.

Did you buy the ARC500 yet, or are you (for now) just using the 'trial version', that came with the cable?

If you want to load Win500 & try it, I can throw a file together for you fairly quickly for that software. (I don't have the ARC software for this model.)
 

hiegtx

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I'm using the trial of arc 500. I'll try the other software. Is there a trial available of it?
You can use Win500 for 30 days, full functions, before you have to either buy the software or discontinue use. Win500 is $35.00; ARC is 39.95, but has less features at that price (for the same features in ARC as in Win500, you have to get the "Pro" version @ $69.95). See this guide for Win500.

Give me an idea of what you want in a file, besides Gatesville/Coryell County, and I'll put one together (probably after I get home from work tomorrow evening). PM me with that, or just reply with the info.

Edit to add:
Went ahead & created a file, based in part on current comments in the Gatesville thread in the Texas forum.

Note the following:
154.305 nac507
154.305 is not valid (probably bleedover). I have entered that as 154.295, which is actually licensed to Coperras Cove

158.790 nac507
input side to Gatesville's 154.995

154.995 nac507
Gateville PD (programmed both with current analog, this digital NAC, & a NAC search)

155.480 nac507
Also not valid, probably bleedover from Copperas Cove's 155.4825, & entered as such

156.040 nac507
Not valid, probable actual frequency is 156.000, which is the input side to Copperas Cove's 158.760. Entered both 156.000 and 158.760

EMS
153.380 nac102
159.585 nac507
These are licensed to the hospital

Once you download and install Win500, save the attached file and unzip.
Most newer versions of Windows will extract the programming file is you <right><click> on the zipped file after download. Or, you can use a free file utility such as 7zip.

Once you've extracted the file, open it with Win500 & take a look. I also added the conventional frequencies for the counties surrounding you, plus Texas DPS. I did not add the TxWARN P25 system or Waco/McLennan, Copperas Cove, or Bell County (but easily can, if you think any might be in range).
 
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Working great. you are awesome. So far I've heard Gatesville PD and Coryell Sheriff. I haven't heard any DPS yet but I may just need to keep listening. Thanks!
 

hiegtx

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Working great. you are awesome. So far I've heard Gatesville PD and Coryell Sheriff. I haven't heard any DPS yet but I may just need to keep listening. Thanks!
Here's a slightly corrected file. (I have now deleted the other one to avoid confusion.)

The original listed DPS twice on the "scan lists". DPS is only on list 10.

I also added the Copperas Cove TRS. Not sure how much you'll hear on that, since it has a note that some of that of the traffic is on ProVoice mode, which is not monitorable. But it won't hurt to give it a shot. I assigned it to Scan List 8.

You can turn the individual scan lists on or off by pressing the number while the scanner is scanning. See the "Easier to Read" manual for more operating tips.

What I did was put the new digital frequencies in scan list 2, and used the NAC codes from the Gatesville thread in the Texas Forum. For the frequencies that I indicated above were invalid, I used the closest valid frequency. I also duplicated the frequencies with a NAC 'search' entry, since in at least once case, the NAC code initially reported has changed. I also entered a NAC search entry for Coryell County S.O., in case they start using digital. All of the new digital frequencies were set to use the cyan LED alert (to catch your attention so you could verify them).

Since many of those digital frequencies are are actually licensed to Copperas Cove, not Gatesville, I text tagged those as "Copperas?". It's possible that Copperas is handling some of the dispatch for Gatesville, and using their own frequencies for it. Street names calls are dispatched to should give you a better idea of whose units these really are. Of course, they may be sharing the dispatch duties and frequencies. Combined dispatch operations are becoming more common here in the DFW Metro area. That's something that only a person in the area can determine. I'm only guessing from 100 miles away.
 
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Ensnared

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Waco-Woodway Neighbor

Working great. you are awesome. So far I've heard Gatesville PD and Coryell Sheriff. I haven't heard any DPS yet but I may just need to keep listening. Thanks!

If you need more assistance from someone who used to work at TDCJ-ID & is now living in Waco/Woodway, let me know. Did you say that "everyone" is buying digital radios over there?

When I was working over there in 2009, I heard mention of the Sheriff migrating to digital, but not the city. But, it is just a matter of time.

Yes, I have often wondered about the accuracy of Coryell county frequencies since I've never intercepted Copperas Cove.

Let it be known that I recently intercepted Woodway digital trunking when I was in Hamilton, Texas returning home on highway 36. It came in loud and clear with my mobile antenna, if you are interested.
 
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