Help! What am I missing?

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JKS3613

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Zachary, LA
Hello,
I am a scanner hobbyist who put my scanner away when Ascension Parish went encrypted. I now live in Zachary, blew the dust off my scanner, and am trying to figure all of this out again. I think I'm close to getting what I want, which is to monitor Zachary PD and Fire, as well as EBRPSO in the Northern part of the parish because I am hearing occasional transmissions, but that's it, only one every few minutes, tops.

I'm not asking for anyone to waste a bunch of time "tutoring" me, as I plan eventually get back up to speed through my own through research and the forum stickys etc., I just want at least be able to listen to something as I get my feet wet again. When I quit, LATIE, LWIN now of course, was just getting going so I have a lot to catch up on. I'm just hoping that maybe someone can tell me what I am missing so I can at least hear something again. Thanks in advance to anyone that can assist me!

Here's what I have, and what I have done so far.
Uniden BCD396T Scanner.

I have set up a system , MOT P-25 and entered ALL of the LWIN freqs for the entire Baton Rouge Simulcast. (probably 100 different freqs including all control channels and alternates.)

I then set up the Talk Groups I want to listen to. (ex. Zachary PD 17373, EBRSO North Dispatch 17050)

What am I missing? Like I said, I get a transmission every 5 or 10 minutes but that's it. (and the calls I hear are between units, never dispatch)

Thanks again!!
Kevin
 

Technoguy58

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Feb 24, 2015
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The Great State of Louisiana
Hello, If your scanner does control channel only scanning, then I would recommend that you only load the control and alternates for each site you want to listen to. In addition to the Baton Rouge simulcast site, consider loading 2 more sites (Baywood and Jackson) and see if that helps you any.
 

JKS3613

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Zachary, LA
Thanks, but nothing worked. I have set up a system that only has the control and alternate control channels programmed in, and I
 

JKS3613

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Zachary, LA
I have tried it both ways, with no luck. I have one system that has only the control and alternate control channels programmed in, and I have another system where I have programmed every single freq published for the Baton Rouge tower. I then setup the talk groups that I want to monitor, and I get only the random and infrequent transmission. I then bought the ARC396 software and it configured a system exactly like the one I had made, and still no regular transmissions. What am I doing wrong and/or why can't I hear them like I want? Again, what am I missing?
Thanks!
 

INDY72

Monitoring since 1982, using radios since 1991.
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Indianapolis, IN
Primary site is a SIMULCAST... That is going to give you headaches, called multipath distortion. There are literally a buttload of info in the forums and wiki about this. But otherwise make sure its set up as P25 ... See this site for more info etc on setting up the BCD396T http://marksscanners.com/396/396.shtml#program moto system
To Program a New Motorola/P25 System, press Menu. At 'Program System' press E/yes.
At 'Select System' scroll to 'New System' and press E/yes.
At 'Select Sys Type' scroll to 'MOT' and press E/yes.
Scroll to the type of Motorola system you want to program and press E/yes.
Note for Motorola/P25 systems: If you are not sure if the system is Motorola or P25, look at the system voice in the RR database for your system. Those entries that say System Voice: Analog and APCO-25 Common Air Interface are not true Project 25 systems as they have one or more analog talkgroups. Program these systems as a Motorola system and let the scanner detect the digital. If the System Voice says System Voice: APCO-25 Common Air Interface Exclusive then the system is a true Project 25 system and program it as a P25 system.
Use '800MHz Standard' for 800 MHz systems that use the standard band plan.
Use '800MHz Custom' for rebanded 800 MHz systems that use a custom band plan.
Use '800MHz Splinter' for 800 MHz systems that use the splinter band plan (analog 800Mhz systems with frequencies between 866-869 MHz [or rebanded 851-854 MHz] ending with 0 instead of 5 e.g. 852.1250, not 852.1375).
Use 'P25' for a Motorola Astro APCO 25 system in any band.
At 'Confirm?' press E/yes.

At 'Edit Name' press E/yes. To name the system, see Entering Text.
Scroll to 'Set Frequencies' and press E/yes.
At 'New Frequency' and press E/yes.
At 'Input Frequency' enter the frequency and press E/yes.
At 'Edit Frequency' press Menu and scroll down to 'New Frequency', then press E/yes. Repeat to program the rest of the trunking frequencies. Press Scan to exit.
Then see Editing System Options to customize the system. Then see Creating Groups. Then see Programming Frequencies/IDs to program IDs.
 

JKS3613

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Messages
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Location
Zachary, LA
Thank you Milf for the detailed setup instructions. I have it set up exactly as you said and just don't get anything. Like I said, I went to the LWIN database and programmed in every single freq listed under "East Baton Rouge Parish" and then under that I setup the talk groups that I want to monitor. I will get occasional transmissions on the various talk groups but it is not any way possible that I am getting everything, or even most of what I should be hearing. You pointed out that it is a "Simulcast" site and that could be problematic. What do I do if that is all that is available?
I feel like I am very close but something is still missing. Anything else you can think of?

Oh yeah, I also set up a system and only entered the control freqs and alternates along with the TGID's and I receives the same things that the other stsem does-no difference.
Thanks again!!!
 

charlie12

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Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
257
Location
Pride, LA
All I have programmed in my scanners are the control channels. If you're in Zachary I would put the Baywood tower that's really in Pride (I guess the State didn't know where they were) the Jackson tower the one at LSP HQ on Florida and the one from the tower at Central Sub in Central.

They don't talk as much as you would think. I mainly listen to EBRSO North Disp. North Talk and Troop A.
You could put East Feliciana SO in at 18,000 they seem to talk a good bit at times.
 

Technoguy58

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Feb 24, 2015
Messages
378
Location
The Great State of Louisiana
I agree. I have monitored the S.O. north dispatch and there is not a lot of traffic on it. The LSP HQ site and the S.O. substation in Central are part of the Baton Rouge Simulcast site and use the same frequencies. Do you know if Central P.D. has its own dispatch or is it dispatched by the S.O.? Sounds kind of like Central is dispatched by S.O. but am not sure. I don't live close enough to listen enough to find out for sure. I still think that JKS3613 would be better off using the Baywood tower and the Jackson tower for what he wants to listen to. Way to much traffic on BTR simulcast to sort through if you just want to listen to northern EBR parish stuff.
 

charlie12

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Dec 19, 2002
Messages
257
Location
Pride, LA
I agree. I have monitored the S.O. north dispatch and there is not a lot of traffic on it. The LSP HQ site and the S.O. substation in Central are part of the Baton Rouge Simulcast site and use the same frequencies. Do you know if Central P.D. has its own dispatch or is it dispatched by the S.O.? Sounds kind of like Central is dispatched by S.O. but am not sure. I don't live close enough to listen enough to find out for sure. I still think that JKS3613 would be better off using the Baywood tower and the Jackson tower for what he wants to listen to. Way to much traffic on BTR simulcast to sort through if you just want to listen to northern EBR parish stuff.

I would say that EBRSO is dispatching Central PD they probably don't and and dispatcher it's too small. I''ve never thought I missed any traffic by having the other towers in my scanners but he does need Baywood and Jackson. I could see the Baywood tower from my house if it wasn't for the trees in the way. I'm about a mile from it.
 
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