Logan Co KY NXDN

[kdb9904]

I'm needing some help. I have done the firmware update on the BDC436HP and purchased the NXDN upgrade key. I have programmed Logan Co KY's NXDN system using ARC536 (and I used the updated software which supports NXDN). But the scanner is not picking up anything. Has anyone else had any luck with it or have any suggestions on what I need to change?
Thanks in advance.

 

[mtindor]

It looks like a Kentucky admin has some work to do. The details set for each site on the system are different than what is posted in the text description for the system in the database.

If you click on each site in the DB:
Site 1 shows CH IDs 1 through 8 in use
Site 2 shows CH IDs 1 htrough 4 in use
Site 3 shows CH IDs 1 through 3 in use

But if you go to the database page, up at the top in the text description it says:

Channel Map for Site 1 - Russellville
01   453.43750 Mhz
02   453.63750 Mhz
03   453.78750 Mhz
04   460.05625 Mhz
05   460.16250 Mhz
06   460.28125 Mhz
07   460.38750 Mhz
08   460.45625 Mhz

Channel Map for Site 2 - Lewisburg
30   453.73750 Mhz
31   460.13125 Mhz
32   460.19375 Mhz
33   460.38175 Mhz 

Channel Map for Site 3 - Auburn
32   460.02500 Mhz
33   460.20625 Mhz
34   460.26875 Mhz
35   460.36250 Mhz

Now, either one of those sources is right and the other is wrong, or neither are right.

You just toss the frequencies into a Whistler scanner willy-nilly and it'll scan and produce some traffic. In a Uniden scanner you must know (a) the RAN and (b) the LCN (ch id / channel number) -- and those channel numbers have to be what the system announces and not what somebody makes up.

I would recommend this:

a. program RAN 1 for Site 1 frequencies
b. program RAN 2 for Site 2 frequencies
c. Program RAN 3 for Site 3 frequencies

d. Run LCN Finder on whatever site(s) on that system you want to figure out.

Let the LCN Finder run until it completes successfully, and then it will give you a choice to save the LCNs that it has found.

NOTE: you didn't say which site you were trying to monitor. All of them or just one or two? If not all of them, which ones? And, can you actually hear the ones that you want to monitor from your location?

It's all going to be a matter of missing/incorrect RANs and LCNs.

Site 1 information is the same in the text description as it is in the site configuration, so perhaps that one is correct. But since Site 2 and 3 have conflicting information on the text information page vs in the site details for sites 2 and 3, you're going to have to figure that out on your own.

Hopefully a KY admin reads this and considers making the text description jive with the site details.

NOTE 2: The database says Logan County Sheriff is encrypted, so you should not expect to hear that. Apparently you will only hear Fire / EMS on that, and if Fire/EMS aren't that busy, you may have everything programmed correctly but just aren't hearing anything because there is no Fire/EMS activity while you are listening.

 

[kdb9904]

Thanks for responding. I'm just now getting a chance to work on it again. I'm good on everything you said except about running the LCN finder. Is that something in the scanner or how do I run that? (Sorry I'm new to NXDN)

 

[mtindor]

Here is what i would do:

1. Add an NXDN trunked system
2. Add every site that you think you can reliably hear, omit the others
3. enable ID Search
4. Assign a quick key to that system
5. Make sure that quick key is enabled so that your scanner is actively scanning one or more sites on that system

Then use the LCN Finder:

Menu --> Analyze --> LCN Finder
- enter in first couple letters of the system name, push down on volume knob
- push down on volume knob again to see a list of sites
- push down on volume knob again to select that site for use with LCN Finder

A screen will then come up stating something like:

LCN Finder Searching...
Found LCN 1/x
System Name

Wait around for as long as it takes for LCN Finder to complete, or wait around until you are so bored and can't stand to wait any longer. Hopefully, within the period of time that you sit and monitor with LCN Finder (which may take considerable time if the site isn't very busy).

When done running LCN Finder, press FUNC then SCAN and it will prompt you to save any LCNs that it found.

Then you can navigate into your Favorites, into that system, into that site, and then finally into the site frequencies -- select each site frequency (as if you were going to edit it) and just push on the volume knob. You'll then get to the area where you either enter an LCN or read what LCN is stored in the scanner. You would want to read (not edit) the LCN for each frequency.

So basically you are running LCN Finder to find/verify LCNs. Once LCN finder finds some / most / all LCNs and you save those LCNs, then when you go back and review the frequencies/LCNs that are stored there will be non-zero LCNs for those LCNs that were found, and there will be 0 as the LCN for all LCNs that weren't found.

Make note of the found LCN numbers and see if that jives with what is in the DB. If that does jive, then the DB might be right. If it doesn't jive with what is in the DB, then the DB needs updated and you should submit the frequency<-->LCN pairings to the database for inclusion.

Mike