KS BCD996T User

[rick521]

From another post

"Richard MICT / NREMT-P BCD996T (Setting it up, but so far disappointed...) BC780XLT Pro-2096 Pro-2040 Pro-43"

I was curious when I saw the part about being disappointed, can you tell us what that is about?

 

[compubandit]

Rick,

I have my Pro-2096 on the KASIS P25 system right beside the 996T. The 2096 would pick up the signal and transmit voice well before the 996T. The scan time on each site seems very slow. I changed the hold time to zero but that only helped a little.

For as much hype that was given on the new unit I figured it would scan at least like the old 780XLT I have... but it doesn't nor does it come close to the 2096.

 

[rick521]

Thanks

Rick,

I have my Pro-2096 on the KASIS P25 system right beside the 996T. The 2096 would pick up the signal and transmit voice well before the 996T. The scan time on each site seems very slow. I changed the hold time to zero but that only helped a little.

For as much hype that was given on the new unit I figured it would scan at least like the old 780XLT I have... but it doesn't nor does it come close to the 2096.

Thanks for the information. Hope you keep us posted after you have had a little more time with the new scanner.

 

[compubandit]

I have noticed that the 996T seems to hold on the sites with control channels that are active and that are close to where I am. It takes it about about 12 seconds to can the system while the 2096 scans the whole system in about 1.5 seconds.

I have the Wichita/Sedgwick County system programmed along with the Joplin 800. Not being in those areas the 996T scans them quickly now. I am going to Joplin this weekend and will see if it slows down when it picks up the control channel.

The volume on the 996T is loud at first and then the auto control will take over and try to handle it. There is one trooper in the area whose voice seems to get louder and then returns to normal. The voice leveler has a hard time keeping up with him. Otherwise the voice on the 996T is cleaner than the 2096.

Will keep you posted on what I learn. It's my weekend off so will be playing with it a lot!

 

[UPMan]

If it is taking 12 seconds w/no traffic of interest (i.e. programmed channel activity) on the system, then you have something programmed oddly. With no traffic of interest, the 996 should sit on the control channel for about 1.5 seconds, then move on.

Check site hold time.
Have you entered multiple sites? If so, it will check every enabled site on the system (if you have, for example, 8 receivable sites entered, enabled, and unlocked, it is going to take 12 seconds...1.5 per site).

If all else fails, post the "usd" file of the system that the scanner is sitting on for so long and I'll take a look at it.

 

[compubandit]

Paul,

I wonder if I have the squelch set to low. Would that make a difference?

There are a total of 18 sites on the system. I have only 7 sites in the system due to the rest being duplicates excluding Hutch/Reno County that has an additional channel. In the area that I live, I can only get a P25 signal from 3 of the sites. I am not sure if all of the towers are up and running but I believe that they are.

I had set the site hold time to zero. Is that a bad thing? Why does the unit hold on the system for 1.5 seconds? Is there any way to adjust that or would it not pick up the transmissions at all if this time were decreased?

Thanks for any help!

Richard

 

[UPMan]

If the squelch is set too low, then the scanner is going to "dwell" on every frequency you entered, trying to start CC decode. You can tell that the squelch is set too low by pressing HOLD, then scrolling to the site frequencies. If you hear the hissing of open squelch, properly adjust the squelch to eliminate the hissing. The "usd" file does not capture the squelch setting, so I cannot check that remotely (that setting is saved in the configuration "usc" file).

When the scanner finds a control channel, it has to wait for the beginning of a data frame. Then, it needs to capture at least one entire data frame to see which channels are active on the system. On average, this is going to take a little over 1 second.

If the scanner can receive multiple sites from your location, it is going to do this for every receivable site on the system. Note that, in general, this behavior is no different than the way the PRO-96 and PRO-2096 (and any other trunking scanner) behaves.

The KASIS file you posted looks fine...but of course I cannot tell from here which sites are actually within your receive range. If you know that a particular site is preferred from where you are, you can try locking out the others (or putting the others on their own quick key or put in the sites' GPS coordinates and connecting up a GPS so that the non-optimal sites are automatically locked out).

 

[rick521]

If the squelch is set too low, then the scanner is going to "dwell" on every frequency you entered, trying to start CC decode. You can tell that the squelch is set too low by pressing HOLD, then scrolling to the site frequencies. If you hear the hissing of open squelch, properly adjust the squelch to eliminate the hissing. The "usd" file does not capture the squelch setting, so I cannot check that remotely (that setting is saved in the configuration "usc" file).

When the scanner finds a control channel, it has to wait for the beginning of a data frame. Then, it needs to capture at least one entire data frame to see which channels are active on the system. On average, this is going to take a little over 1 second.

If the scanner can receive multiple sites from your location, it is going to do this for every receivable site on the system. Note that, in general, this behavior is no different than the way the PRO-96 and PRO-2096 (and any other trunking scanner) behaves.

The KASIS file you posted looks fine...but of course I cannot tell from here which sites are actually within your receive range. If you know that a particular site is preferred from where you are, you can try locking out the others (or putting the others on their own quick key or put in the sites' GPS coordinates and connecting up a GPS so that the non-optimal sites are automatically locked out).

Hey, thanks for the input and help.

 

[mancow]

Paul,

I wonder if I have the squelch set to low. Would that make a difference?

There are a total of 18 sites on the system. I have only 7 sites in the system due to the rest being duplicates excluding Hutch/Reno County that has an additional channel. In the area that I live, I can only get a P25 signal from 3 of the sites. I am not sure if all of the towers are up and running but I believe that they are.

I had set the site hold time to zero. Is that a bad thing? Why does the unit hold on the system for 1.5 seconds? Is there any way to adjust that or would it not pick up the transmissions at all if this time were decreased?

Thanks for any help!

Richard

Hey, Richard I'm in Frankin County and I get the Miami, Wavery, and Lynn towers. What County are you in and what systems do you hear?

 

[compubandit]

I am in Erie, Neosho County. So far I have been able to get Xenia, West Mineral, and Buffalo towers. Depending on where I am here in town, Xenia comes in better at work while Buffalo comes in better at home. I am hoping to head towards Wichita one of these weekends to see how the Sedan, Severy, and Virgil towers come in. I think if I head down to Parsons I should be able to put up the Independence tower.

 

[compubandit]

The KASIS file you posted looks fine...but of course I cannot tell from here which sites are actually within your receive range. If you know that a particular site is preferred from where you are, you can try locking out the others (or putting the others on their own quick key or put in the sites' GPS coordinates and connecting up a GPS so that the non-optimal sites are automatically locked out).

Paul,

Thanks for the insight. I love the organization of the 996T. Will "Optimizing the P25 Performance" help any with the scan time or does it mainly help with the decoding threshold? I have played with it a little but there isn't much traffic on the system this weekend. Also, is there a new handheld going to be released in the near future? I am looking at the 396 but thought I would wait if a new model would be coming out sometime soon. The price of the 396 is still high so I figure it will hold the market for a while longer... Thanks for any help.

 

[compubandit]

Update

Went to Parsons Saturday evening and was able to pick up 1 to 2 bars on the Independence tower. Thought it would come in better than it did. But I also thought I would pick up the West Mineral tower better. I don't have much for an antenna right now.

Went to Joplin on Sunday and started picking up their system on the South edge of Pittsburg. The scan of their system seemed faster than the KASIS P25 system. It didn't hold on the control channel like the 996T does on the KASIS system.

Put a RS 20-011 antenna on the van while in Joplin and it improved the reception considerably. Was able to get the Joplin system most of the way to Parsons and the West Mineral tower was 4 to 5 bars. Wasn't able to pick up the Independence tower though...

 

[RISC777]

1.5 per site

If it is taking 12 seconds w/no traffic of interest (i.e. programmed channel activity) on the system, then you have something programmed oddly. With no traffic of interest, the 996 should sit on the control channel for about 1.5 seconds, then move on.

Check site hold time.
Have you entered multiple sites? If so, it will check every enabled site on the system (if you have, for example, 8 receivable sites entered, enabled, and unlocked, it is going to take 12 seconds...1.5 per site).

If all else fails, post the "usd" file of the system that the scanner is sitting on for so long and I'll take a look at it.

Mine is taking 3 seconds per site. Test was two sites on my state's TRS (P25). Each with one CCh and one fall-back alternatice CCh in event the 'primary' goes out of use. No search, no primaries, no alerts, etc.