i skimmed before posting. not a program ?!

[Hexmaster]

DISREGARD! i got it figured out. no you star com hear the whole state with an indoor antenna and don't check everything! I deleted all things far away and checked things close and found things I missed. going to bed.

I am getting into star com trunking on my bcd996xt and it is working great.

One question that should be easy for someone to answer and if your answer is what I think it is going to be I have allot of deleting to do in Free Scan!! GRR.

I programmed all of northern state police, central state police and southern state police into my scanner on star com. i am hearing close counties crystal clear but no others.

I thought star com could be heard through out the whole state. Am I wrong???

The sooner the answer the sooner I can go back to the drawing board. Hope I am in the correct forum. I am tired.

Thank you. All.

 

[n5ims]

Large networked systems, like StarCom, do provide coverage over a large area, but to isolate talkgroups to only the sites where users on that talkgroup are. This is probably why you are only hearing those counties that are close. One of my old posts (http://forums.radioreference.com/gr...ng-specific-site-actually-do.html#post1785419) can help demonstrate this.

This is done since most sites only have a few channels (generally no more than 20) and systemwide, often there are many more than this number of conversations going on at a single time, at least when things are active. If they didn't do this, a conversation about what kind of doughnuts to pick up in Macomb may slow down or prevent an officer in Rockford from calling in their traffic stop.

 

[n9mxq]

You could listen to Belvidere IL PD in Springfield if there was a squad there from Belvidere using the towers in the area.

Basically if there's not a user in the area, you won't hear anything..

 

[Hexmaster]

my light bulb just lit up! kind of slow

yeah that dawned on me all of a sudden. I drove a cab when I was a a teenager in the suburbs back in the day for a short time and I remember they where on repeaters, you would have to wait for the Motorola to beep before you could talk.

Even those being on repeaters had a range. If you got a fair gong far enough away you would loose contact with the dispatcher. That was a long time ago but that made me realize I was not going to pick up the whole state. Besides all I hear them do in the four counties I get is pull people over and write tickets anyways. Deputies and much more interesting.

Thank you.

 

[Hexmaster]

I also live in large surburban area 50 mile from Chic.

Large networked systems, like StarCom, do provide coverage over a large area, but to isolate talkgroups to only the sites where users on that talkgroup are. This is probably why you are only hearing those counties that are close. One of my old posts (http://forums.radioreference.com/gr...ng-specific-site-actually-do.html#post1785419) can help demonstrate this.

This is done since most sites only have a few channels (generally no more than 20) and systemwide, often there are many more than this number of conversations going on at a single time, at least when things are active. If they didn't do this, a conversation about what kind of doughnuts to pick up in Macomb may slow down or prevent an officer in Rockford from calling in their traffic stop.

.

Allot of things are of still along around me. Allot. But everything in Cook county and Cook county's suburbs are encrypted. I just started playing with P25 last two days. It's more aggravating to find a county for me or I don't understand it yet in Free Scan. Any other other Programs that will work with my BCD996XT out there that are like Free Scan? I would even pay for a program that is more interface friendly. I am wishing I spent a few more bucks. Another guy in another thread was telling me about a Uniden where you Basically put in the zip code and call it a day. I am jealous. I hope they don't encrypt everything put a major city next to me a rich one Naperville IL is on Star Com or Something similar and they are also encrypted recently. I am a old C.B. geek , retired of course and I just know people will find ways to modify there scanners to get around this. The mods are probably are ready in them they just have to be done by a tech I bet. I could be wrong. Anyways thanks for that information. I won't give up, I'll modify If I have to, how will they catch me if I am not transmitting?? I just want to listen not use it to commit crimes, I think that is why we are loosing the privileges because of idiots who have used scanners against police. So the good people have to pay the price. Always away around it.

I don't think all police are going to encrypt or are they. make sense if they do because if the are spend the millions they are might as well throw in some high tech encryption.

Other stuff to listen to. I just have to a base antenna outside. I want to hear planes. Every now and then I pick them up inside with stock antenna but weak and staic'y I have tons of air craft near me. I tried putting in about sixty air craft freq's with no luck so if anyone reading this in the Chicago area has Air Freq's for me I would love to have them. I found allot here on this site but none seem to work but that was first try.

Sorry diffted off subject. I am deperate to get them though. Trains I find a bit boring, they wake me up at 2 am evry night a mile away careless what they are saying. lol.

I love this bcd996xt but I think I should have gone up a few models or down and saved a few hundred bucks. The word decoder on the box was sellers trick and I fell for it thinking it would decode encrypted freq's

 

[gewecke]

Leave your wildcard turned on, and keep a pen and pad handy because you will see lots of new tg's come up that you can look up in the db and then include them in a list with a tag.
This will help you learn who the normal users are on starcom21 in your area.
As n9mxg said, if there's a trooper from downstate in your area, then you may hear traffic from his home district. Or someone from another department in your area.
This happens a lot during the week and sometimes on weekends!

73,
n9zas

 

[Hexmaster]

Leave your wildcard turned on, and keep a pen and pad handy because you will see lots of new tg's come up that you can look up in the db and then include them in a list with a tag.
This will help you learn who the normal users are on starcom21 in your area.
As n9mxg said, if there's a trooper from downstate in your area, then you may hear traffic from his home district. Or someone from another department in your area.
This happens a lot during the week and sometimes on weekends!

73,
n9zas

Thank you

 

[n9mxq]

.

Allot of things are of still along around me. Allot. But everything in Cook county and Cook county's suburbs are encrypted. I just started playing with P25 last two days. It's more aggravating to find a county for me or I don't understand it yet in Free Scan. Any other other Programs that will work with my BCD996XT out there that are like Free Scan? I would even pay for a program that is more interface friendly. I am wishing I spent a few more bucks. Another guy in another thread was telling me about a Uniden where you Basically put in the zip code and call it a day. I am jealous. I hope they don't encrypt everything put a major city next to me a rich one Naperville IL is on Star Com or Something similar and they are also encrypted recently. I am a old C.B. geek , retired of course and I just know people will find ways to modify there scanners to get around this. The mods are probably are ready in them they just have to be done by a tech I bet. I could be wrong. Anyways thanks for that information. I won't give up, I'll modify If I have to, how will they catch me if I am not transmitting?? I just want to listen not use it to commit crimes, I think that is why we are loosing the privileges because of idiots who have used scanners against police. So the good people have to pay the price. Always away around it.

There is no "MOD" for digital encryption.. If they don't want you to hear, you won't.

I don't think all police are going to encrypt or are they. make sense if they do because if the are spend the millions they are might as well throw in some high tech encryption.

Other stuff to listen to. I just have to a base antenna outside. I want to hear planes. Every now and then I pick them up inside with stock antenna but weak and staic'y I have tons of air craft near me. I tried putting in about sixty air craft freq's with no luck so if anyone reading this in the Chicago area has Air Freq's for me I would love to have them. I found allot here on this site but none seem to work but that was first try.

Sorry diffted off subject. I am deperate to get them though. Trains I find a bit boring, they wake me up at 2 am evry night a mile away careless what they are saying. lol.

I love this bcd996xt but I think I should have gone up a few models or down and saved a few hundred bucks. The word decoder on the box was sellers trick and I fell for it thinking it would decode encrypted freq's

I use Freescan to program my 396T and love it. Let me know if I can help. I'd even be happy to try and make a file for you with Freescan so it would be easier to load for you.

 

[Hexmaster]

Thank you

I found a place from another user in a another thread where to send it. The are going to unlock it so I can hear the encryption. I just have to deal with parting with it for now. I might wait till Jan 1st though because things might change again. And according to the place I am sending every time something changes I'll have to send it back again. I don't think my county is going to encrypt.

But I am surrounded by so many suburbs being so close to Chicago, I want to hear cook county. That is where all the action is.

I found what I am looking for. I have my little Pro 106 analog to get me through till I get the Uniden back. I think I know how they are doing it, When I did the firmware upgrade on it there was an option for a masters key. I bet if I had that I could get into it but I would probably screw up the whole thing so I am just going to pay someone.

As for Free Scan I have it pretty much figured out. Unless you know how to program it so it will pick up the county's I want to hear that are encrypted. I think the scanner needs to be unlocked though.

I should probably not say to much more about it. I know this it not something that should be done but I am doing it anyways, what's the point of having a top notch scanner when half of your counties are going encrypted. my state is anal about this and I think I have figured out why. Because I live by Chicago and it's a security precaution for terrorism. Just a theory but if I am correct they where not kidding when they said ten years ago they where taking away our freedoms.

here is my secondary e-mail. Have at it if you have time I would appreciate help. I can program no problem I just can't hear the near by counties because they are all encrypted already. Time to ship the scanner out. This never gonna end. Guess I am a die hard , not giving up ! Putting another $240+ $ into with shipping maybe more.
Blade.mxc2@yahoo.com

 

[n9mxq]

If you're talking about Starcom encryption, whoever says they can modify your scanner to pick it up is selling you a load of snake oil.

 

[Hexmaster]

I would love to have help on digital free scan

So let me re post this. Then I am basically screwed then? Everything is gong encrypted in IL it's just a matter of when. So confused now. I basically can only hear my county and once they encrypted it's useless to me.

I think It's Time to E-Bay it then. What's the point. ?

This has gone way to aggravating for me. .

I deleted and redid this post. I just read the snake oil post and I believe you.



Thanks.

 

[n9mxq]

OK.. Let me state this again:

If the departments you want to listen to are DIGITALLY ENCRYPTED there is NO MOD or other way to listen. Full stop, End of story. Anyone who tells you different is just trying to make money off you. The only way you could listen is for them to give you one of their radios.

 

[Hexmaster]

all i needed to know

OK.. Let me state this again:

If the departments you want to listen to are DIGITALLY ENCRYPTED there is NO MOD or other way to listen. Full stop, End of story. Anyone who tells you different is just trying to make money off you. The only way you could listen is for them to give you one of their radios.

thank you then.

I am putting this radio on E-Bay tomorrow then. IL is 45% there already. Scanners are already almost useless here now. O.k. thanks for saving me money, shipping and another big let down.

have a nice night.

I paid $460 for it, had it for 2 1/2 weeks, bought a usb cable for it. let it got for $400.00

I am out. It's useless. In two months nothing will work around here. Most are already testing p25 so I know they will be moving soon.

I think I am done posting here.

 

[n9mxq]

Sorry to see you go.. But glad I could stop you from tossing more money away.. It's kinda hard to come by.. Wish I had a spare $400 laying around, I'd love to have that 996...

 

[Hexmaster]

$350

Sorry to see you go.. But glad I could stop you from tossing more money away.. It's kinda hard to come by.. Wish I had a spare $400 laying around, I'd love to have that 996...

Montgomery, il

Yours tonight, Take the pro 106 also. I need to pay off "Bill me later' I'll get into something else.

That is a steal

 

[gewecke]

Montgomery, il

Yours tonight, Take the pro 106 also. I need to pay off "Bill me later' I'll get into something else.

That is a steal

You're already a premium subscriber, so put your 106 here on the the RR classifieds and save paying fleabay their fees?
Sorry everything up there is encrypted!

73,
n9zas

 

[n9mxq]

I agree with N9ZAS, list them here, they'll definitely go to a good home.. I can't afford to invest in anymore gear right now..

 

[Hexmaster]

what can i do. all i can do is wash my hand of it. I really don't know if i want to get rid of it. I like it on my computer desk but what else can I listen to? I am at a point of melt down and just need to leave it off and think right now. this was a B-Day present, happy encryption! wish I did my home work first. I always jump into things before research. Alarms should have gone off when the pro 106 was only $119 and all other scanners where sold out. I know scanners are not that cheap and that thought went though my mind but I had the money and grabbed it. There is going to be allot of pissed off people soon. The 106 get's it's own data updates and it shows you the library size every time it updates.about twice a week it gets one and the library is getting smaller and smaller.

I have to think about the Uniden. I want my Ham license. So maybe it's time to study. Where can I listen to you guys. what freq's. I am gonna forget police. There is so much more I just don't know what to tune to.

 

[n9mxq]

If the 996XT has it, use SERVICE SEARCH, on my 396T I can scan all the FM ham bands (10, 6, 2, 220, 440) with that..

 

[Hexmaster]

Yes I can pick bands and search them, am, fm and so forth. I guess tomorrow I'll start over. Still have to think about this thing tonight. Thanks again guys. Yes It does scan bands with keypad.

enough for now.