ProScan: How To Program Type I Trunked Systems w/more Than 10 Frequencies

[Paysonscanner]

I'm very gradually getting used to our new Uniden BC325P2. The instructions are pretty minimal so I'm trying to learn as I go by clicking on everything. The dilemma I face right now is I can't get an old Type I trunked system to work. I have the fleet map and have successfully programed the system into the PSR-500/600's I have and experience no problems. The system has 14 frequencies at one site and the data channel rotates every 24 hours to a new frequency.

I noticed when I tried to program the system that there is a maximum of 10 frequencies for one site. I picked the 10 most likely frequencies that handle the data, but any one of the 14 is used at times. How to I get a 14 frequency system programmed into the radio?

By the way, the Uniden instructions are printed using such a small font that I have to get out a magnifying glass on most days to read them. Those of us who have had lens replacement surgery and chose to maximize distance vision, don't see that well close up. Others who are 60-65 years old and older, often don't have very good close up vision. My now 93 year old Daddy can't read them at all and using a magnifying glass is hard for him due to some shaking. Maybe I should post this comment in the Uniden forum. I bought the "Easier to Read" manual when I ordered the radio. The font is larger, but the instructions are not all that good. The instructions for the ProScan software are minimal and don't get into the specifics of things, like this 1 site, 14 frequency issue I'm having here. I had no problem programming the multi-site Arizona Public Service (electric utility) system into the radio with a simple download from the RR Database, but this older Type I system is a mystery. Did I miss something that helps?

A couple of places where the ProScan software is outstanding. First, the "fill down" feature is incredibly useful for things like inserting multiple lines of the same tone on each frequency. Second, the ability to go into my Win500 software, copy a list of frequencies or talkgroups, then retrieve them in the clipboard of the ProScan software for importing into a BC325P2 file is amazing. This was hard to do, if not impossible, using the StarrSoft software for GRE radios. This is saving oodles of time, while I build my new program for the 325, using existing programs of the GRE PSR-500/600 files that my late Hubby wrote and rewrote for nearly 10 years. I don't know if any other software has this feature, but to me it is about as useful as any feature for any software. Thank you so much!

 

[ka3jjz]

According to the database entry for your county, there is no Type I systems in your area. There are, however, 2 Phase 1 systems; please be more specific about which trunk you are trying to program.

Go to the very bottom of;

Gila County, Arizona (AZ) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference for Gila County, Arizona (AZ)

www.radioreference.com

Mike

 

[Paysonscanner]

According to the database entry for your county, there is no Type I systems in your area. There are, however, 2 Phase 1 systems; please be more specific about which trunk you are trying to program.

Go to the very bottom of;

Gila County, Arizona (AZ) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference for Gila County, Arizona (AZ)

www.radioreference.com

Mike

The system I'm trying to program is out of the area, not in Gila County. It is actually a site back in California and I'm trying to help a friend who also bought the same radio when I did. She is trying to listen to Southern California Edison and a ski area with an old (mid 80's install) Type 1 system. She got the right fleet map 25 years ago and has listened to them on older Uniden and GRE scanners, but we have put our heads together and can't figure out this maximum of 10 frequency per site limitation.

 

[ka3jjz]

And the system / URL is? Just go to the 'RadioReference' link in the blue toolbar to the left, click on it, select 'Database' and use the maps and pulldowns. Once everyone sees the system you are trying to use, they can help...Mike

 

[ProScan]

maximum of 10 frequency per site limitation.

Where do you see that? You certainly can enter 14 frequencies. No maximum limit in ProScan. If you exceed the scanner limitation then you will get an error when uploading which I think is 1,000 frequencies per system. Please provide the radioreference database links of the systems. Since you are a Premium Subscriber, you can use the Import - RadioReference Web function to import the systems.

If you are entering in the system manually, ensure that the System Type is set to Motorola and the Fleetmap is set correctly.

 

[Paysonscanner]

Where do you see that? You certainly can enter 14 frequencies. No maximum limit in ProScan. If you exceed the scanner limitation then you will get an error when uploading which I think is 1,000 frequencies per system. Please provide the radioreference database links of the systems. Since you are a Premium Subscriber, you can use the Import - RadioReference Web function to import the systems.

If you are entering in the system manually, ensure that the System Type is set to Motorola and the Fleetmap is set correctly.

Ok, here is what happened. I did not download the system from the RRDB. I had a Word document in front of me that showed the fleet map and talkgroups. I then entered everything into ProScan directly. I often change the way RRDB abbreviates text tags so for a small system and then build the system from scratch. Anyhow, I entered the system type and the fleet map then went to put the frequencies in. A box with ten lines appeared, so I assumed it was only going to allow me that number of frequencies. Now that I was told there isn't such a limit, I went back and found I needed to right click the frequency line and there was add. Then I just needed to add two more lines to that box. I did not hunt and peck around enough clicking on the keys randomly to find the solution. I assumed the box had only ten lines for some unknown reason. I'm finding I need to learn this radio and the software by trial and error, a little time consuming, but all that seems to be available.

This brings up another question. When I create a conventional system and assign a quick key it shows up in the left hand window as S1, S2 etc. It then shows up on the left hand screen in that way. When I create a trunked system it does not give me that option. When I add the system frequencies another tab is added below the system, when I click on that tab after entering the frequencies it then has a box where I can add a quick key. When I chose the number the tab above it (the system tab), the display shows, for example "S-2" with the notation "(First)." The "S-2" also shows up on the frequency tab. This confused me, what does it mean? Is this the reason the system won't trunk track?

It's after 9 p.m. out in California where my friend is. I'm going to send her the file to try tomorrow so she can try it out during the day while the lifts are open. I won't know till Monday night if the system now works. Thanks for your help, I may have more questions as I go along.

 

[Paysonscanner]

This is the system I'm trying to help my friend with:

Mammoth Mountain & June Mountain Ski Areas:

393A

76.6

I now see that it only has 12, not 14, frequencies.

 

[ProScan]

This is the system I'm trying to help my friend with:
Mammoth Mountain & June Mountain Ski Areas:

393A

76.6

I now see that it only has 12, not 14, frequencies.

This system. Mammoth Mountain & June Mountain Ski Areas Trunking System, Mammoth Mountain, California - Scanner Frequencies
If manually inputting the Fleet Map, set it like this.

This brings up another question. When I create a conventional system and assign a quick key it shows up in the left hand window as S1, S2 etc. It then shows up on the left hand screen in that way. When I create a trunked system it does not give me that option.

On trunking systems, the SQK's are assigned at the Site level. See the section "Understanding Quick Keys" in this link Easier to Read BCD325P2 Digital Scanner Manual if you don't have it already.

 

[Paysonscanner]

This system. Mammoth Mountain & June Mountain Ski Areas Trunking System, Mammoth Mountain, California - Scanner Frequencies
If manually inputting the Fleet Map, set it like this.
View attachment 94105


On trunking systems, the SQK's are assigned at the Site level. See the section "Understanding Quick Keys" in this link Easier to Read BCD325P2 Digital Scanner Manual if you don't have it already.

Thank you so much for your help!! I've been reading through the Easier to Read manual very gradually. Whenever I have a question it is difficult to find the information I'm looking for. It isn't written in the order my mind works, so it is challenging. I'm not faulting whoever wrote it as everyone has different ways of thinking, especially women in a predominantly male hobby. However, I have 47 years of YL and XYL experience, along with the training my daddy and late Hubby gave me. I also have 20+ years of using GRE scanners and this is my first Uniden since the BC780's. The new Uniden's don't seem as intuitive.

One more question just popped into my head. When a conventional system is displayed it shows all the frequency groups I've programmed. The status of those groups that are locked out doesn't show up. This makes no sense to me as I have to get into the menu, find the groups and scroll about trying to figure out what is locked out and what I want to be scanning. I can't imagine someone designing a scanner where the group status is not displayed. Am I doing something wrong here, with the group status showing up if I change some type of setting?

 

[doctordialtone]

This makes no sense to me as I have to get into the menu, find the groups and scroll about trying to figure out what is locked out and what I want to be scanning.

On the display there are two rows - the top row starts with "S0" that row displays which systems are enabled.

Below it is "GRP" which displays which talk groups are enabled. It's in the manual.

Read about "Quick Keys"

 

[Paysonscanner]

On the display there are two rows - the top row starts with "S0" that row displays which systems are enabled.

Below it is "GRP" which displays which talk groups are enabled. It's in the manual.

Read about "Quick Keys"

I've tried that in one of my systems. My local system consists of 10 groups. When I edit the groups and chose which groups to monitor, sometimes on one group, the radio continues to show numbers 1-10 (0) no matter what is locked and unlocked. I've tried this a dozen or more times and the result is always 10 groups being displayed. In other systems, where I only have 4 groups, 1-4 show up during the scan. It doesn't matter if I lock out all 4 groups, the groups I've programed are always displayed when a scan the system. The radio and the ProScan are very complex. Maybe I didn't do something in the settings to have group status display.

 

[firemun]

I've tried that in one of my systems. My local system consists of 10 groups. When I edit the groups and chose which groups to monitor, sometimes on one group, the radio continues to show numbers 1-10 (0) no matter what is locked and unlocked. I've tried this a dozen or more times and the result is always 10 groups being displayed. In other systems, where I only have 4 groups, 1-4 show up during the scan. It doesn't matter if I lock out all 4 groups, the groups I've programed are always displayed when a scan the system. The radio and the ProScan are very complex. Maybe I didn't do something in the settings to have group status display.

I doubt this will be helpful as I am not familiar with ProScan...but it is worth mentioning. I use Butel Arc software for my BCD325P2 scanner programming. In the Butel software there are a series of checkboxes that you select that determines whether a group shows up in the scan list regardless of whether there are active frequencies programmed. That is to say you can lock out every frequency within a group and the number for that group will still show. I am guessing there is something similar within ProScan. One other thought....by lock out are you locking out in the menu or using l/o button or are you disabling the the group using the "func" + grp # key?

As Uniden dealer, I have sold probably 3 dozen 325p2 scanners and programming can make them a dream or a pain to use. I have sold many to older...less tech savy...individuals and most have caught on pretty quick if the programming is intuitive. The 325p2 is a good scanner...hang with it. You will get it!!

 

[tvengr]

I see only 9 frequencies in the system. Mammoth Mountain & June Mountain Ski Areas Trunking System, Mammoth Mountain, California - Scanner Frequencies (radioreference.com)

 

[Paysonscanner]

I see only 9 frequencies in the system. Mammoth Mountain & June Mountain Ski Areas Trunking System, Mammoth Mountain, California - Scanner Frequencies (radioreference.com)

I need to submit an update on the Mammoth Mountain System. I did a search on all the frequencies this ski area has licensed when my friend could not get her new BCD325P2 to follow the trunking. Once we learned that there were 14 licensed freqs and entered all of them her scanner worked just dandy. I think the 325 can trunk just using the data channel, but I don't know which are data and which are exclusively voice. They rotate every 24 hours and my friend hasn't had time to monitor them in simplex to determine which of the 14 get used for data. I also can't decipher how to do data channel only trunk tracking with the 325. I have another friend from Mammoth who is also having trouble figuring out the 325's instructions and using Proscan given the lack of instructions that come with each product.

Proscan has some incredibly useful, time reducing features, but finding them involves quite a bit of trial and error work. Sometimes I find things quite accidently. I applaud the man who designed the software and how devoted he has been in constantly making the product better. However, like nearly every talented technical person I've ever worked with, telling people how to use what they have designed is not a strong suit. I remember about 3 decades of trying to use medical software in a hospital and how all the nurses were so frustrated when new software was handed to us. The techs only made us feel stupid and we knew they didn't know the first thing about working with patients. Oh well, we are all so different, some of it handed to us at birth, that we have to make a concerted effort to understand each other, huh!! We all need each other, no matter what our differences happen to be.

The most incredible feature of ProScan is the ability to go into other model scanner software (such as the GRE scanner's Starrsoft program), copy a portion of the data on channel lists and then being able to import it into ProScan. Talk about time saving. Many of the files late Hubby and I wrote are not accessible in the Radio Reference database because we developed them directly from official agency directories and include ways of having the alphanumerics make sense to us. I can just copy and paste from Starrsoft to ProScan. I can't even do that between all the models of GRE scanners using Starrsoft.

When I lived in California late Hubby and I programmed a lot of scanners for family, friends, the hospital's ER scanner, the volunteer FD's scanner and for newcomers to the hobby. I'm doing none of that in Payson, but I don't get out much. I've only gotten to know a couple of neighbors as I'm mostly housebound with my elderly parents. I'm not complaining as I'm talking with them like I never have before, what neat people they are! I didn't know them as well when I was younger.

 

[Paysonscanner]

I doubt this will be helpful as I am not familiar with ProScan...but it is worth mentioning. I use Butel Arc software for my BCD325P2 scanner programming. In the Butel software there are a series of checkboxes that you select that determines whether a group shows up in the scan list regardless of whether there are active frequencies programmed. That is to say you can lock out every frequency within a group and the number for that group will still show. I am guessing there is something similar within ProScan. One other thought....by lock out are you locking out in the menu or using l/o button or are you disabling the the group using the "func" + grp # key?

As Uniden dealer, I have sold probably 3 dozen 325p2 scanners and programming can make them a dream or a pain to use. I have sold many to older...less tech savy...individuals and most have caught on pretty quick if the programming is intuitive. The 325p2 is a good scanner...hang with it. You will get it!!

I've tried it both ways and it makes no difference. The process of locking out groups in a conventional system or in a trunked system is very cumbersome in the 325P2. So many buttons to push to enter programming and choosing the right place to hit the lockout choice. Next, I'm trying to figure out how to go to frequencies quickly in a manual mode. This wonderfully large capacity radio is tough to navigate in. That, and the inability to individually program delays for each channel is a major deficit in this radio. It's one size fits all, you have to accept delay or not delay and the same delay times for every channel in every system. Maybe they should have sacrificed a bit of channel capacity to allow individualizing the channels.

 

[tvengr]

The process of locking out groups in a conventional system or in a trunked system is very cumbersome in the 325P2.

It is very simple to enable and disable groups in the 325P2. You assign a group quick key number (1 thru 0) to each group. There is a separate set of 10 group quick keys available for each system. While scanning a system, pressing FUNC and then the group quick key number will toggle that group on and off. Its status will be displayed on the bottom line of the screen. You can change the status of several groups at once by pressing FUNC and then a series of numbers. If you press L/O once while on a frequency or talkgroup, it will lockout the frequency or talkgroup temporarily. When you cycle power, the lockout will be cleared. If you press L/O twice, it will be a permanent lockout. Likewise, you can assign a system quick key to each site in a system. There are 100 system quick keys available (0 thru 99). Pressing the system quick key number of a site will toggle it on and off. If at least one site is enabled, the system will scan. If all sites are disabled, the system will not scan. If a conventional system or site in a trunked system has a 2 digit system quick key, you press the decimal point (./No) button first. The second line from the bottom of the scanner display shows system quick key status.

 

[Paysonscanner]

It is very simple to enable and disable groups in the 325P2. You assign a group quick key number (1 thru 0) to each group. There is a separate set of 10 group quick keys available for each system. While scanning a system, pressing FUNC and then the group quick key number will toggle that group on and off. Its status will be displayed on the bottom line of the screen. You can change the status of several groups at once by pressing FUNC and then a series of numbers. If you press L/O once while on a frequency or talkgroup, it will lockout the frequency or talkgroup temporarily. When you cycle power, the lockout will be cleared. If you press L/O twice, it will be a permanent lockout. Likewise, you can assign a system quick key to each site in a system. There are 100 system quick keys available (0 thru 99). Pressing the system quick key number of a site will toggle it on and off. If at least one site is enabled, the system will scan. If all sites are disabled, the system will not scan. If a conventional system or site in a trunked system has a 2 digit system quick key, you press the decimal point (./No) button first. The second line from the bottom of the scanner display shows system quick key status.

Thank you! I wish the ProScan and Uniden instructions would explain things this directly. I hadn't figured out how to get systems with quick keys over 10 to scan on the radio either so the explanation in your second to last sentence really helped. I tried looking at the instructions today again and did not figure out whatever it was I needed at the time, but now I can't remember what I was looking for. Another time . . . .