MSCommNet Project 25 TRS

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FVFD23

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Digital card for BC785D... Is it worth buying in Maine?

I have a uniden BC785D scanner. I do not have the digital card for it. If I bought one would it work with today's digital age like the State of Maine digital channels? The cards are hard to find but I don't want to purchase one if it won't work. I'd rather save up and buy a new digital scanner.
 

MarkWestin

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Caribou, Maine
Unfortunately, your 785D is not usable with the MSCommnet system, which is a "9600 Baud" P25 system. You would need a BC796D or newer scanner to properly receive this system. If your scanner had the digital card, it could be used to listen to the New Hampshire State Police system if you were in range, but might not be worth the cost. Any of the newer digital scanners made by Uniden or Whistler will work to listen to the new system. You can still use your current scanner (even without a card) if you program in the "Region Net" frequencies. Most of the transmitter sites also have a Region Net (analog) frequency so that local agencies can listen to them. Not all traffic on the system is available on the analog frequencies.

Mark
 

ecps92

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You will be able to listen to the Trunked Channels, in Conventional mode, but won't be able to follow along with the conversation by Talk-Group, when those channels get heavy use.

As already posted, best to invest in a newer Digital canner
I have a uniden BC785D scanner. I do not have the digital card for it. If I bought one would it work with today's digital age like the State of Maine digital channels? The cards are hard to find but I don't want to purchase one if it won't work. I'd rather save up and buy a new digital scanner.
 

fmulder13

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The last few times I've been in Maine I've noticed what seem like significant dead spots. I've had really patchy reception in the car on 95 south of the Whitten Hill site's coverage all the way through the state line. I'll get decent reception at times, but a lot of the journey has been with spotty/no coverage. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this a deficiency in the system, or is the Rx performance of commercial radio gear able to receive their system fine?
 

ME343

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make sure you have the alternate CC in the radio or scanner the system seems to switch them randomly

Eric Harjula
Maine/NH/VT RRDB Admin
 

fmulder13

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make sure you have the alternate CC in the radio or scanner the system seems to switch them randomly

Eric Harjula
Maine/NH/VT RRDB Admin

I'll double check my programming work, but I'm pretty sure I've got all CCs. I take it you've not had a similar problem?
 

ME343

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I haven't I have all possible CC programmed and get commnet fine

Eric Harjula
Maine/NH/VT RRDB Admin
 

fmulder13

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I'm using a portable scanner

Eric Harjula
Maine/NH/VT RRDB Admin

Just out of curiosity, what scanner are you using? I've had some strange behavior from my Uniden scanners on this system. My HP1 would show appear to receive the CC fine, but would never pass audio. My 436hp would do okay usually, but in one area would not pass audio for about 90% of transmissions-the other 10% were clear as day. Both used favorites lists from the full database. My psr-500, using multisite, would do perfectly until it looked like I was in a dead zone based on how little it received from the CC. Maybe there's something screwy in the programming of my GRE, but I could never explain the Uniden quirks.
 

ME343

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I'm using a ws1040 with multisite set on stat and check all cc set to yes

Eric Harjula
Maine/NH/VT RRDB Admin
 

Digger

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I have had similar issues with all 4 HP series Unidens even when locked onto one TG (711 for example) it still seems to scan other sites between transmissions and misses parts of the conversation. My 996 does not do this when locked onto the TG, locks onto the site as well. I use a GPS on my HP-1 in the car with an external antenna and have had the range set to the FCC ranges of the mobiles which gave me multiple overlapping sites at any given time. I am now trying to drop the ranges by 50-75% of normal to get only one site to come in at a time. First thing I noticed was a big gap in the Portland/Falmouth area which I have also heard MSP comment on the same issue.
 

fmulder13

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I have had similar issues with all 4 HP series Unidens even when locked onto one TG (711 for example) it still seems to scan other sites between transmissions and misses parts of the conversation. My 996 does not do this when locked onto the TG, locks onto the site as well. I use a GPS on my HP-1 in the car with an external antenna and have had the range set to the FCC ranges of the mobiles which gave me multiple overlapping sites at any given time. I am now trying to drop the ranges by 50-75% of normal to get only one site to come in at a time. First thing I noticed was a big gap in the Portland/Falmouth area which I have also heard MSP comment on the same issue.

The Portland/Falmouth area is one of the spots where I've had issues receiving MSCOMMNET from any scanner. I've experienced something similar to what you're describing with my 436. This happened last summer when I was monitoring the Cook Hill site. After receiving one transmission it the signal strength meter would drop, DAT would disappear from the display, and it would take a couple seconds for the scanner to receive the next transmission, while my GRE would receive everything. I never figured out why, but if I remember correctly, it only did that in one particular location, and might have even stopped doing that one day. I don't recall having that problem the last time I was in Maine, which was in January of this year.

I had the same thing happen to me this past weekend while I was monitoring WISCOMM in Wisconsin. That system is, as far as I understand, only partially in use, but I experienced the same thing monitoring an otherwise very strong site.
 

KD1OW

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Lisbon, Me.
I have recently encountered a problem with MSCOMMNET using my Radio Shack Pro 652. Every thing was fine but now when the scanner stops on a talkgroup, it will not resume scanning. This is the only net that hangs up and conventional frequencies work fine.

Any advice out there?
 

ME343

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it's doing that a lot. it happens to me also just hit scan than its back to normal

Eric Harjula
Maine/NH/VT RRDB Admin
 

mainetrunk

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I got word the other day that certain sites in KNOX county had changed their NAC's on each site.
So, I went up on a hill and checked out the CC's in York county..
Without going into detail, I will say this..
There were no 80E NAC's being displayed on my pro 106 when I TUNED every CC, and reviewed video evidence...As of 10-pm--E,S.T,
170.5125 has a NAC of 2BE--Mt. Aggie site
 

mainetrunk

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I am getting a NAC of 3DE from the Waterboro site.
Pleasant Mtn gave me a NAC of 43E
York D-O-T barn has a NAC of 57E
Spruce Mtn in Oxford has a NAC of 4DE
 

fmulder13

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Minneapolis, MN
Why would the tower NAC's be changing?

Also, I'm going over programming scenarios in my head, and, unless I'm wrong, tower NAC's don't matter when you're programming a Uniden or a GRE/Whistler, correct? What about a Moto or a Harris?
 
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