Looking for hands on Help!

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Feb 10, 2010
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Fergus Ontario.
I've Done lots and lots of homework on my new 996xt and I still cant figure it out, im Located in Fergus and theres an OPP station right down the road from me and I cant here anything that they are talking about. Radio world programed it and 99% of what im hearing is Kitchener/waterloo. Im confused with the programing process I desperate to get this figured out, im hoping that this thread will put me closer to meeting someone in my area to help. Thanks.
 

motomeso

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Dec 19, 2002
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Ontario
I've Done lots and lots of homework on my new 996xt and I still cant figure it out, im Located in Fergus and theres an OPP station right down the road from me and I cant here anything that they are talking about. Radio world programed it and 99% of what im hearing is Kitchener/waterloo. Im confused with the programing process I desperate to get this figured out, im hoping that this thread will put me closer to meeting someone in my area to help. Thanks.

Your area will be covered by the Wellington OPP Talkgroup which is 8416 and the Woodlawn Tower will most likely be your best bet for coverage.
 

Gator596

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Sep 4, 2009
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482
Location
Niagara Region - Canada
Fergus -
Welcome to Radio Reference!
The type of scanner you have is one of the best in the world, but it can be very confusing at first. I was desperate like you once too!
It took me quite a while to figure mine out, but by checking out the Uniden forum and the Wiki (both on this site) I was able to get it working. You will also want to link your scanner to your computer and use it to program new frequencies and setting changes. I suggest you use the Freescan program available at ScanNow.org - The Home of FreeSCAN!. It is easy to use and is FREE.
Don't dispair!
 
Joined
Feb 10, 2010
Messages
9
Location
Fergus Ontario.
I am appreciative of any and all help, I am listing out all the names that come up on the display screen.OPP CEADERWOODS, OPP GUELPH WEST, EMS GUELPH WEST, EMS CAMBRIDGE, FD KW, PD KW, OPP DURHAM, FD WELLINGTON. Do you think Fergus could be broadcasted from the Ballinfad Tower? And I know its a little to early in the learning curve of this process but im really interested in the GPS mode that the trunk tracker offers, I travel to and from Toronto everyday, and soon to be making regular runs to and from Owen Sound as well as Barrie,I just dont want to get to far ahead of myself (if thats possible) in programming if the GPS is set up differently, Is P25 Bell fleetnet or Mot?
 

derevs

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Dec 4, 2001
Messages
152
I believe what you asking is how come you don't hear your local detachment on your radio.
I am not familiar with your area but the answer to what you are asking is simple.

OPP do not identify specific detachments over the radio, only car numbers.
So if you receiving traffic on Kitchener/Waterloo tower then you are most likely hearing radio traffic in your area.
You may actually be hearing detachment activity but it will only be identified by street names or places in Fergus. To identify what you want, make note of the cruisers serving the area and then listen for those numbers over the air.
 

kevingemmell

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Jan 6, 2010
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Wellington OPP cruisers use the word "Tango" IE: 6 Tango 105 when talking to dispatch are you hearing this at all.
 
Joined
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Messages
9
Location
Fergus Ontario.
Two, things from todays posts, thank you both. I did go and get the car #'s about 3 weeks ago and have not heard any mention of them at all. Kevin I did know about the "Tango" word and the same thing I have not heard it mentioned at all, for both these reasons here i do not believe that im picking up there conversations, I am listening harder today (more like studying) and the same thing its a Kitchener/waterloo. Thats why I was asking about the Ballinafad Tower, and I just realized that Guelph has two Towers according to "Index of phoenix/wap/fleetnet" however accurate the web page is, i've just been adding evreything I see to my "Favorites" that has anything to do with the areas that I would like to listen to.
 

torontokris

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Its possible they didn't add Wellington but normally it's just a dump from radio reference database.

Try to hit HOLD then scroll to the right past the freq to see the talkgroups listed... Or menu program system select system edit groups..

Guelps 2 towers are basically 1 for fleetnet and one for city of Guelph police (in short).
 
Joined
Feb 10, 2010
Messages
9
Location
Fergus Ontario.
Sorry a quick note, I put a base antenna on the roof of my house called Wideband Discone Scanner, as well as I have on my car a 50/144MHZ 49" Mag Mount Antenna 300W, and today I just picked up a Hustler MRM-B for the car as well, Radio world said the Large antenna for OPP and the one today for regional.
 
Joined
Feb 10, 2010
Messages
9
Location
Fergus Ontario.
Torontokris, The talk groups are "OPP Ceaderwoods" =Interagency
OPP Wide Area
OPP Southwest
OPP Tactical. For
"OPP West"=Interagency
OPP Wide Area
OPP Southwest
OPP Tactical
"EMS Guelph"=MOH Interop
MOH Cambridge
"EMS Cambridge"= MOH Interop
MOH Cambridge CA
"FD KW"=Fire
Inter Agency
"PD KW"=Police
"OPP Durham"=Interagency/comm
OPP Southwestern
OPP Tactical
OPP Wide Area
"FD Wellington"=CenterWellington
Fire/CountyWide
MOH
Minto
 
Joined
Feb 10, 2010
Messages
9
Location
Fergus Ontario.
Well I thought I would get some more Info over the weekend or at least today but maybe im typing the wrong things or beceuse im not asking the right questions. So here goes again. Im Still looking for hands on help but what im getting on here is working too. Over the weekend I toyed with the scanner so much I think I made it worse, however I did find some interesting features I was sitting at tim,s having a coffee and found the search mode , I found the drive thru & a Baby monitor in the 30-40's and then a break through TANGO calls Exactly what i've been looking for on freq #142.5750 very in and out, broken up and not very clear but they were there, im finally starting to get somewhere. I don't want anybody to think im wasting there time with me, im doing everything I can to self teach myself using RR, the disk, the scanner came with and pushing buttons. Im heading out of town thursday afternoon but will check the thread before I leave. Can someone that has a 996xt please tell me how to program the Ballinafad tower into my scanner? using the data page on this site, from there I should be able to get more info into doing it myself. Thank you.
 

mciupa

Canadian DB Admin
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Try this, using the 396 instructions,if you want to try by hand:

If you already have systems entered in you will use the scroll knob (located on the top of the scanner) to select the New System menu entry. One turn counter clockwise should do it. Press "E".

You will now be at the Select Sys Type menu. Here you will rotate the scroll knob and select MOT and press "E".

Scroll to the VHF band entry and press "E".

Your scanner will ask you to confirm the entry by pressing "E". Your scanner should show Processing Wait, Please while it creates the system.

The scanner will give your system a name of System XX with an M on the far right of the display which denotes Motorola trunking. If you wish to change the System Name, use the Edit Name option..

Scroll to the Edit Sys Option menu item and press "E".

Scroll to the Edit Band Plan menu item and press "E".

Your scanner should be sitting on Band Plan 1. The following steps will enter the 3 frequency ranges used by Fleetnet. This will allow your scanner to convert the channel numbers sent over the control channel to actual frequencies.

Currently only 1 site is using a transmit channel outside of Band Plan 1. However, since programming in all 3 band plans only takes a few minutes, you might as well take the time now and you'll be ready if they implement channels in Band Plans 2 and 3 later on at the site you have chosen.

Press "E" to start entering in the base, spacing and offset for Band Plan 1.

Press "141.015E" to enter the base frequency for Band Plan 1.
Scroll to the 15.0 kHz entry and press "E" to enter the channel spacing for Band Plan 1.
Press "E" to select the default Offset of 380 for Band Plan 1.

Your scanner will now be sitting on Band Plan 2. Press "E" to start.

Press "151.730E" to enter the base frequency for Band Plan 2.
Scroll to the 15.0 kHz entry and press "E" to enter the channel spacing for Band Plan 2.
Press "579E" to enter the Offset of 579 for Band Plan 2.

Your scanner will now be sitting on Band Plan 3. Press "E" to start.

Press "154.320E" to enter the base frequency for Band Plan 3.
Scroll to the 15.0 kHz entry and press "E" to enter the channel spacing for Band Plan 3.
Press "632E" to enter the Offset of 632 for Band Plan 3.

This concludes the Band Plan programming.
Hit the Menu button to escape back to the main System Menu.

Now we need to tell the scanner what the control channels are for the site you want to listen to.

Scroll to Set Frequencies and press "E".

Press "E" again to enter a New Frequency for Ballinifad.

Punch in 142.245and press "E". The scanner should say Processing Wait, Please. This tells the scanner what the primary control channel for the site is.

Press Menu to escape back to the Sel Frequency menu.

Scroll to New Frequency and press "E".

Punch in 142.605and press "E". The scanner should say Processing Wait, Please. This tells the scanner what the secondary control channel for the site is.

Only one control channel at a time is active on a site. If the primary fails, the site will switch over to the secondary.

Press Menu twice to escape back to the main System Menu.

Now we'll set the system modulation.

Scroll to Set Modulation and press "E". Scroll to NFM and press "E".

At this point you should be able to press "Scan" and the scanner will start scanning. You should see the scanner briefly stop on the System and display ID Search. One of the control channel frequencies should show on the 3rd line. If there's any activity then the scanner should stop and display the talkgroup id (in decimal) on the 2nd line.

If you are having problems, you can manually go to the control channel frequency and check the signal strength.

Press "Hold" to stop your scanner from scanning. Hold down the Func button on the side of the scanner and press "7" (rcl). Use the scroll knob to select the system you just entered. Press "E" to select it, "E" again to select the system frequency and "E" again to select the channel. At this point you should be sitting on the red control channel frequency.

You should be able to hear control channel noise. The display will show Hold on line 1, SID:782Dh-0002** on line 2 and the red frequency on Line 3 alternating with any active talkgroup id's

**Note: replace 782D with the System ID of the appropriate system. 782D for Zone 1, 822F for Zone 2 and 8230 for Zone 3. Replace 0002 with the Site number of the site you are listening to. For example, somebody listening to Site 3 of Zone 2 would see SID:822Fh-0003.



 

EJB

20 + year membership
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Oct 29, 2002
Messages
3,771
Location
Downtown Hamilton
Fergus is in a wierd location to pick up Fleetnet.
Besides Cedarwoods and both Guelphs you might want to try the Listowel tower. I used to drive thru your town and before the Woodlawn tower in Guelph went online it was hard to keep abreast of the action.
B-fad was choppy north of Guelph and both Guelphs towers are ok at best in your area.

I cant remember if the Durham tower makes it down that far, it does have IMO opinion great coverage though, cant hurt to try it.

Maybe Primrose also?
 

Infinitig37x

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
37
Location
oakville
I was up there in st jacobs and was pulling in the fonthill tower!! 3 bars with a mag mount i think ya need to reprogram that 996 with out the shops program and make your own it really isnt that hard
just make sure you dont lump a bunch of towers in one talk group space them out

i do them all one by one and take out the stuff you dont wana here id send you a file but not running the 996xt

fonthill tower
then ill just highlight all the opp chs and add talkgroup
do it again
woodlawn etc

you can do the same for adding ambulance
jeff

make sure you give each one a Chanel # so you can hit it or turn it off

ps doing by hand is very hard use arc 996xt or freescan
 
Last edited:

EJB

20 + year membership
Joined
Oct 29, 2002
Messages
3,771
Location
Downtown Hamilton
I was up there in st jacobs and was pulling in the fonthill tower!! 3 bars with a mag mount i think ya need to reprogram that 996 with out the shops program and make your own it really isnt that hard
just make sure you dont lump a bunch of towers in one talk group space them out

i do them all one by one and take out the stuff you dont wana here id send you a file but not running the 996xt

fonthill tower
then ill just highlight all the opp chs and add talkgroup
do it again
woodlawn etc

you can do the same for adding ambulance
jeff


.
make sure you give each one a Chanel # so you can hit it or turn it off

ps doing by hand is very hard use arc 996xt or freescan

There is no way you pulled in Fonthill from St.Jacobs, Listowel and Fonthill share the same C/C and you likely picked up that tower. As mentioned before, Listowel is a good alternate for that area and Fergus.
 
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