Need help with a BCD325P2

[Goldeagle222]

Only difference is it will spike up to full bars but still says finding control channel. But i have yet to hear anything when comparing to an scanner app.

 

[hiegtx]

Only difference is it will spike up to full bars but still says finding control channel. But i have yet to hear anything when comparing to an scanner app.

That's with the last file?

 

[Goldeagle222]

Yes sir. I have just been overwriting each time you send a new one.

 

[hiegtx]

Yes sir. I have just been overwriting each time you send a new one.

OK.

If it is still not finding the control channel (whether that is actually Mecklenburg, or the other site you had (Stanley), then it's either an out of range issue, or there is incorect data on the site frequencies.

Try this:
Press the Hold key, preferably while it is 'finding control channel' On the Charlotte system.
Now, with the display showing Hold, press the Function key.
Use the scroll knob to check each of the frequencies on the CharlotteUASIReg. There are two sites in there, the Mecklenburg Simulcast, and Stanley Simulcast. Step through each frequency, stopping on each for a second or two. If you do not hear the control channel (which will sound roughly like an idling diesel engine) on any of the frequencies, it's a range issue. You might have better results in a different part of the house, I see that in my house because it has aluminum siding, which blocks some of the signals coming in, Some of the more distant systems either do not work in the house, or only work in specific areas, but work fine when I go outside.

Also make sure your squelch is not up too high. Try a lower setting. Past that, if you still are not getting a good signal, then the only other option would be to try a better antenna. I use one of the 800MHz antennas on my portables, except for a couple that have only Vhf-high & Uhf systems on them.

Also, if you get a chance, like maybe over the weekend, take a short drive into (or at least towards) Mecklenburg County & see if you can hear it there.

 

[Goldeagle222]

I can say the Stanley Simulcast doesn't even show a signal or anything just shows control channel, but I will try driving into Charlotte. I tried the Hold option and I heard nothing and saw the same so if I get readings while in Charlotte then it's just my antenna I guess. I don't live that far from Uptown Charlotte so I don't know how I wouldn't be able to hear the chatter. So maybe all of this is wrong data on the site frequencies. Whats the best way to check and i will do it.

 

[hiegtx]

I can say the Stanley Simulcast doesn't even show a signal or anything just shows control channel, but I will try driving into Charlotte. I tried the Hold option and I heard nothing and saw the same so if I get readings while in Charlotte then it's just my antenna I guess. I don't live that far from Uptown Charlotte so I don't know how I wouldn't be able to hear the chatter. So maybe all of this is wrong data on the site frequencies. Whats the best way to check and i will do it.

I'm wondering if the Mecklenburg site is similar to a couple in my area.

Before they moved to a P25 system, Grand Prairie, a suburb of Dallas just to my west, came in just fine on my scanners, even the portables. However, when they upgraded the system to P25 Phase II, they also reconfigured the antenna system. The antennas were lowered on the towers, and the angles were changed to concentrate the signal in their jurisdictional area. Even though their city limit is maybe 5 or 6 miles west of me, I can no longer hear them on the handhelds. I have to drive almost to the city limits to get a signal. There are some other local (to me) systems that are set up in a similar fashion.

Since none of the talkgroups that you had entered are in Stanley County, you could simply delete that site. For Charlotte/Mecklenburg, if you drive closer, and the system works fine there, then that is a signal strength issue, not a 'missing frequency'. One of the 800MHz antennas would be better than the stock antenna, that could possibly solve the issue (unless it causes an overload from the Caburrus Simulcast).

 

[Goldeagle222]

What do you mean by overload? Do you mean I'd heard radio traffic in Cabarrus while trying to listen to Charlotte? I guess all that's left to do is drive into Charlotte. I will let you know what my results are. Thanks for your help.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

 

[hiegtx]

What do you mean by overload? Do you mean I'd heard radio traffic in Cabarrus while trying to listen to Charlotte? I guess all that's left to do is drive into Charlotte. I will let you know what my results are. Thanks for your help.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

By "overload", I am referring to the scanner being overwhelmed by signals from other sources, whether that is from multiple cell towers, or a strong and/or close transmitter from another system.

What I was getting at is that, based on your comments, Caburrus is apparently working. But Charlotte/Mecklenburg is not. From your descriptions, it appears that the signal strength is too low for good reception. If you were to use one of the 800MHz antennas (see the links in this earlier post), that would improve your chances of hearing Charlotte. The downside is that if it brings in too much signal from your nearby Caburrus sites, it can overload the scanner & cause it to 'desense'.

I see that pattern on my GRE & Whistler scanners. When I first received my PSR-500 10+ years ago, I already had a Uniden 396T. On the 396, I used the R/S 800MHz antenna, to receive the local trunked systems. But when I used the same antenna on the 500, I was receiving less than the 396, even when they were side by side. The GRE scanners, as well as the Whistler scanners, have a more sensitive receiver, but one that is prone to get overwhelmed by too much signal, meaning reception suffers. Switching the 500 back to it's stock antenna solved the issue, and I was getting the systems that I could already hear on the 396. My house is centered in a literal forest of cell towers. Even though the 500 was not set to receive anything in that band (which is blocked anyway by FCC rules), those signals, with a stronger gain antenna, made reception worse on the PSR-500.

I still would recommend that you take a drive toward Charlotte/Mecklenburg County, and see if you get reliable reception from a closer location. If you so, then that would indicate that at home, it's a signal strength problem, versus one or more missing frequencies. If you find that the scanner handles Charlotte from a closer location, then you could try an 800MHz antenna, to see if it brings in that site, without degrading performance on your home county.

 

[Goldeagle222]

So after a small drive into Charlotte I found I got full bars and could hear the traffic much clearer (still kinda broken up) but it would still say finding control channel. So I think my best option is to buy the 800MHz which is fine because it's only 20$ on Amazon. Would there be any way to lessen the signal on Cabarrus if it got overloaded. I doubt there would be but I figured i'd ask.

 

[hiegtx]

So after a small drive into Charlotte I found I got full bars and could hear the traffic much clearer (still kinda broken up) but it would still say finding control channel. So I think my best option is to buy the 800MHz which is fine because it's only 20$ on Amazon. Would there be any way to lessen the signal on Cabarrus if it got overloaded. I doubt there would be but I figured i'd ask.

I bet the "finding control channel" is probably because of the Stanly site. As you mentioned that when stepping through the frequencies as I suggested before that you got no sign of a signal on that site, I'd suggest that you simply either delete it, or lock it out. Since you said that you were receiving Charlotte area activity when closer to that county, the scanner obviously had found that control channel. And, as Caburrus is working, that channel is also "found". The only other site in the file is the Concord site for Viper, which I doubt is a problem to receive. The "still broken up" on Charlotte activity could be a distortion from the simulcast site being used. The farther away you are (if the antenna change brings it into range at home) the less you have to deal with distortion.

Get the 800MHz antenna & give it a try from your home area. If needed, one thing you could do on Caburrus (if the antenna causes a problem) is to turn on attenuation for the site. Might help. In any event, if Caburrus still works, and you start hearing Charlotte/Mecklenburg, then you are much better off.

 

[GRUMP]

I need help! I turned on the Special search on my BCD325p2 not knowing how I did it. Now I cannot turn it off. I've looked in the manual and cannot find.Hope someone can help me.

 

[hiegtx]

I need help! I turned on the Special search on my BCD325p2 not knowing how I did it. Now I cannot turn it off. I've looked in the manual and cannot find.Hope someone can help me.

When it goes into one of the Special Search routines, press Function plus the L/O (lockout key) to lock out permanently.

 

[UPMan]

F+L/O, L/O (twice) for permanent. Otherwise, only once is temporary.

 

[GRUMP]

BCD325p2 problem with Service Search

Thanks hiegtx and Upman for your help'

Grump