Help with BC246t

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irkjvo

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Ok I just bought a BC246t. I used arc246 and downloads from radioreference to program it. My problem is on one county they use convential system type and on the neighboring county they use Motorola Type 2 800MHz Smartzone. All freq seemed to download and install correctly. And I can listen to the convential system fine. BUT the trunked systems all sound like a machine gun. Nothing is dicernable. Need help because I can't figure this out. The county in question is Dougherty County Georgia.
 

irkjvo

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Correct I'm out of luck or correct it's digitial? If so guess I'll add a digital to the collection. Hate I wasted money on the 246t.
 

N8IAA

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irkjvo said:
Correct I'm out of luck or correct it's digitial? If so guess I'll add a digital to the collection. Hate I wasted money on the 246t.
It is still analog with the ability to add digital to it. Not seeing a D after the TG ID's, your 246 will work. I'm sure that there are conventional frequencies to monitor in the area. When you hold on the main CC, what is the baud rate? 3600 or 9600? If the latter, it is digital. Also, post to the Georgia forum on RR. You may get more info there.
HTH,
Larry
 
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n2mdk

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N8IAA said:
It is still analog with the ability to add digital to it. Not seeing a D after the TG ID's, your 246 will work. I'm sure that there are conventional frequencies to monitor in the area. When you hold on the main CC, what is the baud rate? 3600 or 9600? If the latter, it is digital. Also, post to the Georgia forum on RR. You may get more info there.
HTH,
Larry

It's a Motorola Type II so it's going to be 3600 baud no matter what. Only a P-25 system will show as 9600 not a Moto.
Since no mode type is listed it's most likely all digital TGIDs.
 

irkjvo

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Thanks Jerri & Larry. Guess I need to order a 396t. Man ... my wife is going to kill me!
 

RogerH11

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irkjvo,

When you say "machine gun" are you seeing talk group IDs show up or just a freq?
 

irkjvo

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Roger ...I'm seeing the name of the channel. Per the pic.
 

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RogerH11

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So the word "Dispatch" is a talkgroup I assume? Do you hear the same sound when other talkgroup IDs appear? My 246 doesn't have the same screen as yours. I don't have the word "Busy" line with Freq. number. My display only has the info above the black line on it.

To me it looks like an analog system so it may be programmed wrong.

Try hitting the menu button and under "Program System" hit the E key
Scroll with the tuning knob and under "New System" hit the E key again.

"Under Sys Type" scroll over to "MOT" and the E key.
Hit the E key again under "800 Standard".
Scroll over to "Set Freq." and hit the E key and input the control channel freqs.

After you're done then enter the system you just programmed through the menu screen and hit the E key under "Edit System Option." Then scroll untill you get to "C-Ch Only" and hit the E key. On that screen scroll and set it to "On" and hit the E key.

Then after you do that hit the "Scan" key and hit the key number (4 for example) for whatever system number you just programmed it in while turning off the keys for the systems already in use (1 through 3 by the looks of it).

This will make sure it's programmed correctly and see if you can pick anything up. Perhaps it's programmed wrong or there are some digital signals on it. L/O the signals you can't hear and see what all you can hear. If it's encrypted then you'll hear beeps followed by lots of static. I'm not sure what just plain digital sounds like.

Anyway, does the machine gun also sound like a diesel engine? To me it sounds like you may be hearing just the control channel instead of trunking it.
 
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n2mdk

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That's attached image is a screen capture from the Virtual Control in the ARC246 software.
 

irkjvo

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Thanks Roger, I'll give this a try when I get back from Church. I do believe from other correspondence that this is a all digital system. In this case the 246t don't do me much good.
Jerri ... yes that was a screen cap from arc246. I used it because it was identical to what was on the 246t's screen. Above the line.

Roger I completed the steps you suggested and get the same static and then the machine gun sound. It must just be a complete digital system. I should have researched this area better before I purchased this scanner.
 
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