New Scanner in PA (BCD996P2) - Looking For Some Feedback

[thisguyneedsabeer]

Hello all,

Loooong time lurker, first time subscriber and now that I finally purchased a full scanner instead of using my XTS 2500 I can really get into the thick of it. I programmed in a couple of counties using Freescan and RadioReference's import feature, but I'm curious about a few things in terms of programming.

Currently, living in Easton with just my base station antenna I can generally hit Northampton and Lehigh County with ease, as well as Monroe County and NJSP off of the Easton repeater (if I understand correctly, that repeater will also broadcast all NJSP traffic regardless of location, example: I can listen to Atlantic City PD through there or am I horribly inaccurate on that - new to P25/digital etc..), but the problem is that I can't seem to hear anything from the city of Bethlehem.

I was wondering if I attached my FreeScan layout if someone would mind taking a look at it even to make sure I have things set up properly and logically, I'm really not sure what the best way to break banks down is (ex: should Northampton County be a bank as a whole or should NC PD and NC Fire/EMS be their own bank?)

Any feedback will be welcomed - I ultimately want to be able to host streams so I'd love to get this right.

Thanks!

 

[ka3aaa]

the 996p2 doesnt use banks, they are a thing of the past.
also here is a piece of advice, read the manual and play with the scanner at the same time that way you will learn how to use it and program it.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Hi there & welcome to the RR forums!

that repeater will also broadcast all NJSP traffic regardless of location, example: I can listen to Atlantic City PD through there or am I horribly inaccurate on that - new to P25/digital etc..)

Atlantic City PD operates here (not NJICS nor the Mot Type-II State Police system) & they are fully encrypted so you won't be able to listen to them with a scanner at all.

I'm really not sure what the best way to break banks down is (ex: should Northampton County be a bank as a whole or should NC PD and NC Fire/EMS be their own bank?)

That's really up to you. If the moment comes when you want to hear fire/EMS without hearing PD, then by all means program them separate. The 996P2 uses dynamic memory allocation (System/Site/Group) structure rather than memory banks.
Here is the easier to read manual for your scanner, I'd suggest giving it a read so you can familiarize yourself with how it operates, particularly the section explaining dynamic memory

Best of 73's to you!

 

[doctordialtone]

I'm curious about a few things in terms of programming.

Read up on "Quick Keys".

Easier to Read BCD996P2/XT Digital Scanner Manual

They are used to enable/disable Systems, Groups , etc.

 

[thisguyneedsabeer]

the 996p2 doesnt use banks, they are a thing of the past.
also here is a piece of advice, read the manual and play with the scanner at the same time that way you will learn how to use it and program it.

I think I used the wrong terminology. I do have groups and zones, with a logical breakdown. Thank you for clarifying. I try to play with this thing as much as possible - I do agree with a lot of the reviews I naively read, it's not a great beginner scanner.

Hi there & welcome to the RR forums!

Atlantic City PD operates here (not NJICS nor the Mot Type-II State Police system) & they are fully encrypted so you won't be able to listen to them with a scanner at all.

Thanks for the welcome! I just used them as an example (a poor one as I do see they are Encrypted). I was more referring to picking up out-of-state from NJ over the local Easton repeater (if all NJ traffic will flow through there).

I did attach my FreeScan (in case anyone cares to critique it), but specifically to see if I programmed NJ correctly or if I am completely misunderstanding how Trunking works with control frequencies (in terms of distance).

 

[thisguyneedsabeer]

Had myself a beer and came up with the following answers to some of my questions:

• Turns out I did program Bethlehem correctly, it helps to be within range and unobstructed.
• Reading on trunked sites, control frequencies are run on repeaters just like a conventional channel, you need to be in range to pick up the data going in and out of it. So if I wanted more of PA covered as I travel, add control frequencies throughout various counties
• The easier scanner manual is awesome, and I have a much better understanding of Quick Keys (thanks @doctordialtone)

I guess my next investment is a vehicle antenna as well as a home antenna so I can just unplug this guy and throw it in the car for the time being.

I really do appreciate everyone's replies, direction, and support.

 

[doctordialtone]

I did attach my FreeScan (in case anyone cares to critique it), but specifically to see if I programmed NJ correctly or if I am completely misunderstanding how Trunking works

I took a quick look and if the frequencies are correct it looks good!

 

[hundeesport412]

Also You Tube has a ton of good information on various topics .

 

[thisguyneedsabeer]

I took a quick look and if the frequencies are correct it looks good!

Thanks @doctordialtone - much appreciated! I honestly don't know what I was too worried about. I really sat down and read, and re-read the information and feel much more confident in trunked systems/sites/and groups now. Hell, my original question reminds me of a 2 year old trying to talk about calculus, very poorly formatted and worded.

Also You Tube has a ton of good information on various topics .

I get pretty gun-shy about YouTube when just learning about something as there can be a ton of misinformation. I saw in other threads one member recommending a channel I believe it was "Ham Radio 2.0" or something like that, and it was met with replies that the information was wildly inaccurate (this may be a very hyperbolic recollection) but I think you get what I'm saying. Nevertheless, do you have any preferred resources in the YT world?