Need assistance w/ Harford county

[KB3BRI]

Hello all,

just recently picked up a secondhand digital scanner (RadioShack Pro 96) and got it programmed last night with some help ….. I’ve got Baltimore county, Baltimore city, AAco and Howard all working well, but Harford isn’t. I have two programs downloaded (one from butel and win96)…. My brief search leads me to believe its possible simulcast distortion could be interfering here…. Any thoughts?

 

[atlong]

Couple of things to check and to know:

-The Pro96 scanner has a few issues: It has problems "motorboating" before digital transmissions. It can get annoying. Sometimes it just motorboats and doesn't decode digital transmissions at all. Also, as you mentioned it does suffer from some front end overload and simulcast distortion. Change your location, try different antennas, etc.
-Make sure you've programmed in the CMARC system - Harford County Simulcast Site. AFAIK, the Baltimore/AA and Howard/Carroll sites do not broadcast the Harford County talkgroups. (I could be wrong on this).
-You may want to double check the Pro96 specs (Pro-96 - The RadioReference Wiki) ... it does not officially support the 700mhz band. I think it starts at 806 Mhz, BUT I believe it will allow you to program them in. The Harford County CMARC site includes multiple 700Mhz band frequencies and uses them for control channels. Just remember that the radio might accept the frequencies via programming, but may not receive well on them (IIRC).
-The Pro96 only decodes APCO P25 Type 1 systems...but you should be okay there for now.
-Check you're on the latest firmware, etc. I believe the wiki link above references that and provides a download link if you need them. Not sure if they're still available, though.
-If you're receiving all the TG's you wish to monitor on the Balto Co/City systems, etc...it sounds like your programming is probably good, but best to double check what's in the scanner, plus what I've mentioned.
-Note: I own a Pro-2096, and possibly still might own a Pro-96. They're the same radio inside, just one's handheld and one's mobile/base. I just haven't actually used them in a looong time. If I were to use them again, it would be for listening to anything that's not digital or digital trunked systems.
-I still have the programming sw for these radios if you feel the need to upload your programming file, I could take a look if you're still stuck.

 

[KB3BRI]

Thanks for your reply…. I foolishly left my laptop at home so don’t have access to the programming right now. I’ll have to recheck to make sure I didn’t overlook something. Idk about antenna and location in my case, because as I type this I am physically dispatching one of the channels I’m trying to scan and getting nothing…. I might’ve missed something… I’m going to try to reprogram Harford into a separate bank when I get home and see…. I know radios/scanners work best the closer to the jurisdiction you are, but I thought it was weird that I didn’t hear anything from Harford at my home last night…. But tonight, sitting in the parking lot I’m picking up Baltimore county and even AACO with ease..

 

[hill]

PRO-96 won't work on this system. It doesn't trunk track with 700 Mhz frequencies.

 

[KB3BRI]

PRO-96 won't work on this system. It doesn't trunk track with 700 Mhz frequencies.

So it won’t receive on any of those at all ?

 

[hiegtx]

So it won’t receive on any of those at all ?

Technically speaking, if you activated the extended frequencies, the scanner might be able to receive the 700MHz frequencies if programmed as conventional channels. But these are part of a trunked system, and as already noted, the Pro-96, as well as it's sibling the Pro-2096, cannot trunk track a site that uses 700MHz frequencies. The Harford simulcast site on the CMARK system has some 800Mz frequencies in addition to other 700MHz channels. But the control channels for the Harford site are 700MHz, so that leaves the Pro-96 on the outside, looking in.

 

[tvengr]

So it won’t receive on any of those at all ?

It is possible to program 700 MHz frequencies using software, but the PRO-96 will not trunk track 700 MHz frequencies. That band was not available when the radio was manufactured. I have programmed scanners for a lot of Harford County firefighters. You can take my word that the PRO-96 will not work. Harford County originally had nine 866, 867, and 868 MHz frequencies on a Motorola Type II system. When they were rebanded to 851, 852, and 853 MHz, I had to load the custom rebanded 800 MHz band plan into all of the scanners. When Harford County joined the CMARC system, they switched to P25 and the 700 MHz frequencies were added. The PRO-96 worked fine prior to the additional 700 MHz. frequencies. Only the Harford Simulcast site is needed for Harford County. Incidentally, the Uniden BC296D and BC796D will not work on that system either. Neither supports 700 MHz frequencies at all. They cannot be entered. Harford County is simulcast. The only radios that will receive the Harford and Baltimore County systems at my location are the Uniden SDS100 handheld and SDS200 base/mobile scanners, and the Unication G4 and G5 pagers. You most likely will be very disappointed using anything else. I have ARC96 software also.

 

[KB3BRI]

Thanks for explaining that to me… I live in balt co and work in Harford so I guess this’ll have to do for now until I get something else.

 

[tvengr]

What part of Baltimore County? I may be able to help with the programming. I have the scanners programmed just like the Harford County fire radios. I received a template from Harford County Fire Communications for setting up the scanners. The same is also true for my Baltimore County programming.

 

[KB3BRI]

I’m in Halethorpe. I’ve got all the Baltimore county/city and surrounding counties programmed no problem, but as I work in Harford I wanted them too, mostly the sheriffs office.

 

[tvengr]

Please let me know if you should get a SDS100 or SDS200. I'd be happy to share the files with you.

 

[KB3BRI]

Please let me know if you should get a SDS100 or SDS200. I'd be happy to share the files with you.

I appreciate that. Most likely won’t be for awhile unless I find a good deal on a secondhand one but I’ll let you know.

 

[KB3BRI]

So, just as an update (kinda a long story) but I was able to snag a new SDS100 that should be arriving today …. Thanks everyone for your help and recommendations.

 

[tvengr]

So, just as an update (kinda a long story) but I was able to snag a new SDS100 that should be arriving today

Here are hpe favorites list files for Baltimore and Harford Counties. You will need to install Uniden Sentinel programming software: http://info.uniden.com/UnidenMan4/BCDx36HPSentinel Go to the Tools tab in Sentinel and set Target Model to SDS100. Save the 2 attached zipped files to your computer and extract. Go to the File tab in Sentinel and Click on Import from hpe file (Favorites List). Select New Favorites List and name it Baltimore Co MD Click on OK. In the Downloads folder, open the extracted file (Baltimore Co MD.hpe). It will appear as a favorites list in Sentinel. Go to the File tab in Sentinel and Click on Import from hpe file (Favorites List). Select New Favorites List and name it Harford Co MD Click on OK. In the Downloads folder, open the extracted file (Harford Co MD.hpe). It will appear as a favorites list in Sentinel. I will be in touch a little later with quick key info for selecting exactly what you want to scan.

 

[KB3BRI]

I’ve already got sentinel downloaded. Am I understanding you recommend making a “favorites” list for each county?

 

[tvengr]

That is correct! You can easily turn each county on and off by pressing its favorites list quick key number followed by E on the keypad. I have all of my local counties on separate favorites lists.

 

[KB3BRI]

That is correct! You can easily turn each county on and off by pressing its favorites list quick key number followed by E on the keypad. I have all of my local counties on separate favorites lists.

Any limit on how many favorites?

 

[tvengr]

There is a max of 100 favorites lists (0-99). All of our local oounties use standalone p25 systems, so units will not affiliate with sites in an adjacent county. If doing mutual aid, the radios have the capability to operate on the adjacent county's system. Some counties, such as Cecil, are on the FIRST statewide system.

 

[KB3BRI]

There is a max of 100 favorites lists (0-99). All of our local oounties use standalone p25 systems, so units will not affiliate with sites in an adjacent county. If doing mutual aid, the radios have the capability to operate on the adjacent county's system. Some counties, such as Cecil, are on the FIRST statewide system.

I like the way you have this set up! Need to try and do that for the city/aaco/Howard/York pa

 

[KB3BRI]

Sds100 is in hand…. Ups misrouted it and put it on the wrong truck so I ran up to the local hub just in time..