Need Help Programming rebanded 800MHz Trunked System

[anonymouse]

I am very new to scanners. I received my new BCD396XT handheld just 2 days ago.

I have been reading up on it and I am becoming familiar with it.

I live in an area where I can receive the following Trunked system:

Fayette County GA Trunking System, Fayette County, Georgia - Scanner Frequencies

From what I am reading, my scanner should be able to pick this up, however I cannot seem to be able to program it properly into my scanner. I have tried both methods, through FreeSCAN and by manually entering it into the scanner. No Go.

I have tried selecting Motorola Type I and Type II for the system. I dont know what to select for site. It is at this point that I get confused. Also, should I program all trunk frequencies or just the control channel?

I was hoping to get some help with some exact settings that I should set on FreeSCAN in order to be able to hear this system.

I am able to hear the control channel loud noise but somehow no voice.

Thanks in advance

 

[ka3jjz]

If you download the system from the database, FS should set all the tables and other things up for you. You need a premium subscription to do this.

However you can do this manually, although it's a bit sloppy. If you use EZ Grab you will be able to copy directly from the database, then paste it into the editor. You will need to set the tables up manually.

How to use EZ Grab is defined in the user guide, which you can access from FS using Help/Online Help. The guide is hosted in our wiki, and can also be accessed here...

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/FreeScan_User_Guide

See the sections on using EZ Grab and Create Site for more information. Rebanding support is described at the bottom of the site page

best regards..Mike

 

[anonymouse]

Thanks for your pointers Mike.

The problem I am really facing though, is understanding how this particular trunked system works so I dont know how to select the options.

I have attached 2 screenshots from FreeSCAN. One where I configure the system (currently selected Motorola Type I) and one where I configure the Site (Currently selected MOT Custom/Reband)

With those configurations, the scanner is still not picking up any voice.

BTW, I have already added all the TGIDs under one group just to test and see if this would work.

Any ideas as to what I might be missing?

Thanks again.

 

[hiegtx]

I am very new to scanners. I received my new BCD396XT handheld just 2 days ago.

I have been reading up on it and I am becoming familiar with it.

I live in an area where I can receive the following Trunked system:

Fayette County GA Trunking System, Fayette County, Georgia - Scanner Frequencies

From what I am reading, my scanner should be able to pick this up, however I cannot seem to be able to program it properly into my scanner. I have tried both methods, through FreeSCAN and by manually entering it into the scanner. No Go.

I have tried selecting Motorola Type I and Type II for the system. I dont know what to select for site. It is at this point that I get confused. Also, should I program all trunk frequencies or just the control channel?

I was hoping to get some help with some exact settings that I should set on FreeSCAN in order to be able to hear this system.

I am able to hear the control channel loud noise but somehow no voice.

Thanks in advance

That is a rebanded system. You need to set the system type up, in FreeScan, as "Mot Custom/Reband Type II", and also enter the custom tables, for it to work.

I did a quick import on the system, using the database info.
In order to attach it, I had to name it Fayette.996.txt' (without the quotes).
To use the attached file, follow these steps:
Save the file to your pc- desktop, download folder, or better yet, wherever you have your FreeScan files.
Now, using Windows Explorer, open the folder with the file, and right click on the file, & select rename, then change the name to just 'Fayette.996' (again, leave off the quotes). Of course, you can also click once on the file to highlight it, then click once more, which opens up the name for editing if you're comfortable with Windows. Or, you could also just save the file initially as Fayette.996 when downloading. (That eliminates the need to rename it.) Whichever way you find easiest.

Bottom line, is the name for the file needs to end up as Fayette.996.

Once you have that done, if you have it in your FreeScan folder, you're almost there. You can open the file, with FreeScan, and then edit it if desired, tweaking the talkgroups and groups, modifying the quick keys for the groups, assigning the site a quick key, display color settings, whatever. Once you have those to your liking, then you can load just that file to the scanner without changing your other programming.
Just choose "Upload to scanner"
then select the option "add only, do not overwrite".

Save the file as you've edited it, then open your existing program file.
Select File->Import->Import from FreeScan
Click Browse, and then click on to select Fayette.996 file
You'll follow through to import that system (it's the only one in that specific file) into your existing program file.

 

[anonymouse]

Hi Steve

Thanks for attaching the file for me. I programmed it into my scanner (even did a full erase before programming just this) but unfortunately no voice.

The screen displays "Fayette County" on the first line and scrolling "ID SEARCH" on the second line.

I waited over an hour after programming to see if it was just quiet but no juice.

Not sure what the problem is. I have tried so many things already.

 

[ka3jjz]

Only one small problem - 'add only' will add the system in addition to the evidently wrong one that already exists. If you make the name between the one you were given and the one you've been editing the same and select replace in the options issue, you will not have that issue.

It's a common enough mistake - after a while, if you constantly do 'add', you're going to wonder why your scanner is beginning to run short of resources. This is one way this can occur.

best regards...Mike

 

[hiegtx]

Only one small problem - 'add only' will add the system in addition to the evidently wrong one that already exists. If you make the name between the one you were given and the one you've been editing the same and select replace in the options issue, you will not have that issue.

It's a common enough mistake - after a while, if you constantly do 'add', you're going to wonder why your scanner is beginning to run short of resources. This is one way this can occur.

best regards...Mike

true enough.....
but I have no way to no what name he called his in his scanner

 

[loumaag]

Going back up to your attached images.

If you can't get the file sent to you to work, go back to those and note the following. The type of system to choose is "Mot Type II/P25" (again, thanks scanner manufacturers for associating two types of systems that have nothing to do with each other). I can't open my FS software at the moment but the site type should be something like "Mot rebanded". But again, as Mike pointed out above, if you import through FS, it should come in just fine with one exception, you should rename the site (which probably comes in as "Simulcast") to whatever you called (or imported) as the system name. Remember FS considers sites and systems to be separate objects since that is how the majority of the radios it programs work (including yours); however, we humans tend to consider a single site (which this one being simulcast is) as one and the same as the system. Since you are brand new at this, and until you get comfortable, please have the software erase the scanner on the upload so that it goes in "clean."

 

[ka3jjz]

Lou is correct re the system setting being 'Mot Type II/P25' - the site type should be 'Mot Custom/Reband Type II' . It's the only rebanding type evidently allowed under this system setting. By the way, I'm using FS 2.08

As for erasing everything before uploading, there's an option on the upload screen marked 'Erase all Systems and Settings'. That should clear the erroneous entries and replace it with the good one.

best regards..Mike

 

[anonymouse]

Guys, thanks for all the replies. I guess there was a bit of out of sync responses since I'm a new member and my posts need approval.

The reason it wasn't working, as I found out later, was because the signal is weak where my computer is. As soon as I went outside, it started working (with the file attached from Steve).

Since then, I have subscribed to RR and downloaded a bunch of files. This is all kinds of fun. Now all that's left to do is figure out how to quickly enable/disable scanning of different systems/groups. After that this baby is ready for a road trip.

 

[ka3jjz]

To enable and disable systems, sites and groups from scanning, you need to understand the use of quick keys. These are like 'switches' that turn the associated subject on or off. For the XT models, there are a couple of basic rules;

a. Conventional programming uses Systems and Groups; therefore you have system quick keys and group quick keys;

b. Trunked programming uses Sites and groups; therefore you have site and group quick keys.

c. You may gather multiple types of systems under one key - doing this is informally referred to (and not used in the Uniden terminology) as a 'superkey'. However with this kind of power, is a restriction - keep in mind that anything defined under that superkey shares its characteristics. So if you turn off a superkey, anything defined under it is also turned off.

d. Now comes another new concept - location based scanning. This is the process that allows you to use a GPS to turn various systems on/off. To me, this is a no brainer from a safety perspective - you don't need to lean over and try to fumble with a keyboard while you're driving.

The Uniden TWiki is very poor in many respects, but it does have an excellent description of location based scanning. And the Easier to Read manual for the 396XT would be the place I would go for learning how to activate/deactivate keys. Both of these have links in our DMA FAQ;

Uniden DMA FAQ - The RadioReference Wiki

Now as for FreeScan - there is a tool that you can use to summarize what key(s) you have defined and to what systems or sites. You would get to that via Tools/System Quick Key Manager. It is very important that you define and enable at least 1 quick key for every group and site (trunking), or for conventional systems, group and system. The System Quick Key Manager will allow you to see at a glance what systems and sites are defined to a specific key. Keep in mind that due to the nature of DMA, you could potentially have more than one system or site assigned to the same key as a superkey. I would encourage you to read up in the resources I mentioned earlier; it will help you decide how you wish to lay things out for your use. In addition the System Quick Key Manager is defined in the FS user guide under the 'Freescan Tools Functions'. Be sure to hit the Auto Select button at the bottom of the manager first before using it to insure that the quick key scan is accurate.

HTH best regards..Mike

 

[mk331231]

Question-Does Hillsborough County Fl use EDACS SCAT or EDACS standard?

 

[anonymouse]

Again thanks Mike. I have been playing with this and I think I got the hang of it. I can do everything I want to do. There are features that im not using yet (lockout being the main one ) but in due time. The community here is very helpful getting newbies up and running.
Thanks again

 

[ka3jjz]

Question-Does Hillsborough County Fl use EDACS SCAT or EDACS standard?

It's considered impolite to hijack a thread. Please go to the Florida forum and ask...best regards..Mike