Help with 796d and Pro-96, have both HELP!

[breezyjr]

Hello all,
Looking for a little insight. I'm wondering why my Pro-96 decodes the MSP (michigan state police) better than my 796d....
I'm using the same scantenna with a high quality antenna coupler.
It actaully getting quite annoying at this point. I have the two scanners running at the same time, and the pro-96 will be decoding along, with the 796d not stopping on anything.
Is there something I've done wrong? I used ARC250Pro for the 796 and the WIN96 for the pro96. I have only the control channel for each tower programmed in each bank. ie. the northville CC is in its own bank.

I'm really confused as to why there is such a HUGE difference.
I really want to love my 796d, but, right now......

Thanks in advance,
breezyjr

 

[breezyjr]

I should also mention that I have also tried entering all the frequencies listed in the database, a la analog trunking. But, that doesn't seem to make a difference.

breezyjr

 

[fmon]

I should also mention that I have also tried entering all the frequencies listed in the database, a la analog trunking. But, that doesn't seem to make a difference.

breezyjr

Welcome to the board.

All freqs entered for a system eliminates the need to setup CC only Plan for the 796D (wasted space in the 96) and has nothing to do with analog or digital.

The Pro-96 will work with CC only without any additional settings other than the type system for the bank and each trunked freq. However the BC796 will not—you must select the correct CC only Band Plan.

These freqs are CC (or alt CC) for Northville, they alone would be CC only Plan 3. But Northville also has freqs ending with 625 and 875—these combined with the CC’s requires CC only Plan 4. To set the Plan, press MENU, 2, 2, ENTER, then rotate VFO to CNTRL CH ONLY and Press ENTER, 4, SCAN or SRCH.
867.9250
868.4250
868.9250

 

[breezyjr]

OK, now I'm just confused.
Are you saying, in the 796d I need to enter all the freqs for a given tower, and let it trunk like you would an analog trunked system, or, do I just enter the CC.
It is my understanding, in the pro-96 one only needs to enter the CC freqs for each tower, I figured the same for the 796.

If I read your post correctly, if I only put in the CC, i need to use the 796 CC only function for correct tracking. And, if I add all the freqs for a given tower, I can track normally, non CC only mode. Is this correct?

Wait, I think I'm just confusing myself more. yuck. Why or why, just when I get analog trunking figured out, now I need to figure out digital trunking. Blah!


I think I'm geting closer to figuring this out though. thanks for the answer so far.

breezyjr

 

[fmon]

OK, now I'm just confused.
Are you saying, in the 796d I need to enter all the freqs for a given tower, and let it trunk like you would an analog trunked system, or, do I just enter the CC.

Don’t confuse analog/digital trunking with how to set the radio up. Your inserted card automatically decodes digital if needed.

It is my understanding, in the pro-96 one only needs to enter the CC freqs for each tower, I figured the same for the 796.

Yes the 96 only needs CC’s and the bank and each CC set to Motorola. The 796 requires additional setting of a CC only Plan which I explained in the previous posting.

If I read your post correctly, if I only put in the CC, i need to use the 796 CC only function for correct tracking. And, if I add all the freqs for a given tower, I can track normally, non CC only mode. Is this correct?

Correct but make sure CC only Mode is in OFF if all freqs are programmed.

Wait, I think I'm just confusing myself more. yuck. Why or why, just when I get analog trunking figured out, now I need to figure out digital trunking. Blah!

The digital card does this for you, the scanner is setup the same for both digital and analog.

 

[breezyjr]

Thanx so much fmon. Now I get it.
The confusing thing is the pro96's CC only, and the 796's ability to do both.
would you say the 796 works better with CC only, or with all the tower freqs programmed and the CC only mode turned off? Or, doesn't it make a difference.
I haven't read the manual, but if this is like the 780xlt, the CC only mode doesn't work while scanning, if I rememer correctly.

So, this is what i'm going to do. If this is wrong, feel free to correct me.
going to program all the tower freqs for 3 seperate towers in three serpate banks, and turn the CC only mode to "off"
then go back into my pro96 and only put in the CC in eash of the seperate banks I have set up. In theory, they both should work the same.... I know there will be differences, but, basically work the same.

Thanks again for you input. Now, I can finally be happy with my 796, which I still think is the better radio.

Later,
breezyjr

 

[fmon]

Thanx so much fmon. Now I get it.
The confusing thing is the pro96's CC only, and the 796's ability to do both.

The 96 will do both also, but the other freqs are excess as they are on the 796 if properly set with CC only mode.

would you say the 796 works better with CC only, or with all the tower freqs programmed and the CC only mode turned off? Or, doesn't it make a difference.

Either way, the 96 and 796 function on the current CC, so anything else is wasted space (excess). I traveled through Atlanta several months ago making one short stop for fuel (70 gals.). Knowing I wasn’t going to spend any time in the area, I pre-programmed 6 Motorola II trunking systems into one bank in the order which we were traveling. As we departed one system to the next, I simply pressed TRUNK then the HOLD/UP button repeatedly until the next CC came up (loud and clear). All systems worked flawlessly in ID SEARCH mode on my 785D (or OPEN mode on the 96).

I haven't read the manual, but if this is like the 780xlt, the CC only mode doesn't work while scanning, if I rememer correctly.

Don’t know.

So, this is what i'm going to do. If this is wrong, feel free to correct me.
going to program all the tower freqs for 3 seperate towers in three serpate banks, and turn the CC only mode to "off" then go back into my pro96 and only put in the CC in eash of the seperate banks I have set up. In theory, they both should work the same.... I know there will be differences, but, basically work the same.

Both scanners should work very well in either mode, the 796 requires additional settings—the correct CC only plan or OFF.

Thanks again for you input. Now, I can finally be happy with my 796, which I still think is the better radio.

Glad to be of help. Both are great radios, some features are in the 796 and not in the 96, but some are in the 96 which are not in the 796. Though V-Scan is a distinct advantage, in the trip mentioned above, I continued to Pensacola, then Ft Myers, then back up the spine of Florida to I-95 at Jax, then back to home to Virginia on I-95 and US 58. EACH state has it’s own Folder in V-Scan. Simply push a few buttons while crossing state lines. I had to program the 785 into 4 separate .mem files, stored in my laptop, making changes at our overnight campgrounds.

 

[breezyjr]

thanks again for the help.
But, I'm still frustrated. I have both radios up and running at this point, and the 796, in CC only mode, says it can't find the control channel, even though the pro-96 is humming along.

I "thought" the 796 had better sensitivity than the pro-96, but, at this particular time, the pro-96 is kicking butt.

I'm actually stating to wonder if I didn't get a bum radio.

Although, at this point I am not hooked up to my outside antenna. But, still, if the 96 is getting signals fine, the 796 should be getting "something"

I realize you probably don't have an answer as to why I'm not getting a signal, just kinda on a rant. /end rant

breezyjr

 

[breezyjr]

Now, not receiving control channel....

Well, I just hooked the 796 up to my outside antenna, and still nothing. Control Channel only not found. I don't get it. I live approx 15 miles from the Northville tower, and aprrox 10-15 from the Holly tower, and I pick up niether. But, as stated before the pro-96 does just fine. Listening to oakland county TRS and MSP TRS, without a problem. And, that is just with the rubber ducky.

Can anyone offer any ideas. is it possible I have a bad radio?

I know the 796 works, as I've received signals on it before, both in the house, and driving around.

I just don't get it.

breezyjr

 

[fmon]

1) By pressing TRUNK and stepping through the freqs manually, do you hear any CC noise?

2) In the procedure above, is each freq set as Mxxx on line 1?

If the answer to question 1 is no on the known current CC and question 2 is yes on the current CC then you could have a bad radio.

 

[KB8UYC]

Might I just add that I have seen the 796 in person but I own the pro-96 and although the 796 is a beast of a scanner, Uniden did not make that scanner very user friendly. And with that I think I will wait on the Radio Shack Base/Mobile to come out!

I like the pro-96, it is very very user friendly!

Glad you got your problem figured out though!

 

[scannerfreak]

Here is a step by step process on how to program the trunking part of the BC296/796D. This might help you:


First, go to MENU, Then Scan Options (2), Then Trunk(2). Then select the Bank you want to program and press enter.

Then press trunk type(1), Then choose ON, Then select the appropriate system. IE: type 2 800 APCO, type 1, EDACS, ect.. Then choose Trunk Channel(2). Then select the CH number you want to begin with and hit enter. Then enter the Freq. You can alpha tag the channel but It don't matter because it won't show up anyway in trunked mode (If you name the bank).

If you are entering control channel only, enter the freq. and then go to MENU,2,2 select bank and hit enter, then scroll down to Control Channel Only. Now you need to look at your freq's and choose the right PLAN either 1,2,3, or 4. (Pages 66 and 67 of the manual.) Make sure you enter ALL Control Channels if there is more than one.

If not using CC only mode, just simply enter all the freq's and choose OFF for CC only Mode. Of course you can always do all of this Via the software, and make your life much easier!

Now with that being done, now you need to decide whether you want to enter all the talk groups you want to monitor and Scan them, Or If you want to ID search. If you want to ID search, This will stop on ALL active TG's, Press and hold the TRUNK button until "Ready To ID Search" is displayed.

If you only want to scan ID's you have programmed, Press and hold the TRUNK button again, and "Ready To ID Scan" will be displyed. Now the scanner will only stop on ID's you have programmed.




You may have done all this already, I don't know. But I thought I would post it just in case!


PS- Have you tried adjusting the sound quality? If this is set to high or to low, it is possible you will not receive anything.

 

[breezyjr]

OK, First thx for the replies.
Second. fmon- yes, it reads mxxx and yes I hear CC noise.
In fact, after I read this, I went outside turned the radio, and it seemed to work fine, in CC only mode. It is strange. I know very little about propigation (sp?) but, could it be, since it is later in the evening, I'm able to receive a better signal?

Scanner_freak, thanks for the info, but i used ARC250 pro to program, plus I have the 780xlt, which was similar in programming, so I am comfortable with programming by hand or computer.

erchambers. I cannot disagree with you more. I think the 796 is much easier than the pro96. Ok, maybe not much easier, but I can't imagine programming the pro96 by hand, where the 796, I think, would not be all that bad programming by hand. Albeit, I few more button presses. but, I'm all for agreeing to disagree. But, I also used WIN96 for the pro 96. So I guess I cheated a bit.

So, like I said, for the two minutes I was outside, I managed to get a signal, reset the sound quality (it was a bit off, from all the fooling this afternoon) and all apears well, so far....... Knocking on my head (wood) for good luck....

thanks again for the help....
breezyjr

 

[Mark01]

From what your describing the problem seems to be a reception problem as you are not recieving the control channel with enough signal strength and the display is indicating this by the "control channel not found message"Try to test the signal strength on the data channel/frequencie your trying to recieve by going out of digital mode Menu>3:System Options>0 P25 Card>2isable and then pressing scan then trunk and scroll to the data channel you have in the bank for the tower your trying to recieve you should hear the data buzz sound you will need about 2 bars on the signal strength meter to trunktrack and recieve the system adaquately.

I have a 796D and live in roughly the same distance from the Holly and Northville tower as you in Oakland county.I can recieve both the systems fine with an external beam antenna ,but if I am only using my 800mhz Radio Shack antenna plugged in the back the Holly tower is the only one I recieve with enough signal strength without the audio garbling.

If you have enough signal strength on the data channel enable the P25 card by going to Menu>3:System Options>0 P25 Card>1:Enable and set a data channel in a bank .I use CC only and have no problems with it you can Scan and Search in this mode,I am currently using Plan 2 with no problems.
Another problem may be the sound quality adjustment unlike the Pro 96 wich has this automatically adjusted. The 796
has to be adjusted by holding on an ID and waiting until a user keys up and talks then press 9 for two seconds until the display shows SOUND QUALITY and a number .Adjust with the VFO/Select knob when the user talks until you see a low number and press enter. 0015-0002 seems to work OK.Press the RSM key and scan the bank.There is definately a learning curve to adjusting this and is not as user friendly as the Pro 96.

HTH

Mark

 

[breezyjr]

Thanks for theinfo mark. I'll try it. I also sent you an Email.

breezyjr