newbie - bcd396xt programming problems

[anomaly13]

hey all,
not sure if i should post this here or the uniden forum, but mods, feel free to move this....

recently had some money burning a hole in my pocket...picked up a uniden...this is my first scanner....i've spent hours and hours reading through posts, the easy to read manual, the wiki, and scouring google....earlier, i was so frustrated that if you had slit my throat, you would have been hit in the eye with boiling blood ha.....i've cooled down a bit since then and have decided to ask you guys as i don't know anyone else with a scanner....

i seem to know just enough to get into trouble....so this is where i'm stuck....

location/trunking info: Austin, Travis county, TX - Greater Austin/Travis Regional Radio System (GATRRS)

i've updated the firmware to 1.10.00 with no issues

i've downloaded freescan...downloaded the info from the database on this site...checked freescan again and it showed the primary and alternate control channels...uploaded to the scanner with no issues (wiping the memory with whatever came from the factory just in case)

the main screen says ID SCAN....when i hit hold and scroll to each talk group, i can see them all, but i hear nothing from the scanner from any of the those groups.....nada...zip...zilch....and when i leave it on a talk group, it eventually says Finding CTRLChan

the pics attached can clarify...

no doubt this is an idiot error, but it's irritating nonetheless....

my eyes are too crossed to go back over the easy to read manual at this hour

any help would be greatly appreciated .....

 

[W8RMH]

Welcome to RR. If you see "Finding CTRLChan" the scanner is not receiving the CC.

Go to the database page Greater Austin/Travis Regional Radio System (GATRRS) Trunking System, Austin, Texas - Scanner Frequencies and verify the control channels for the site you are trying to receive.

When holing on a talk group you will see the name because that is what is programmed in. Look for the signal strength bars.

Make sure none of the frequencies or groups are locked out.

 

[SCPD]

There are no numbers in the S0 and GRP lines on the display. You have no quick keys activated....besides the control channel issue.

 

[anomaly13]

ok so....
1. i've verified on freescan and on the scanner that the control channels are present and correct...
2. I do not see any signal strength bars on any of the channels
3. i checked to see that none of the frequencies or groups are locked out
4. i added quick keys in freescan and i now see numbers in the S0/GRP lines

BUT, still nada....

 

[Highpockets]

ok so....
1. i've verified on freescan and on the scanner that the control channels are present and correct...
2. I do not see any signal strength bars on any of the channels
3. i checked to see that none of the frequencies or groups are locked out
4. i added quick keys in freescan and i now see numbers in the S0/GRP lines

BUT, still nada....

What site are you using, with no signal strength are you sure your using the closest site to you?

 

[hiegtx]

What site are you using, with no signal strength are you sure your using the closest site to you?

As Steve is noting, you need to enter the frequencies for the tower site (or sites) closest to you. Take a look at the system in the database.
Just above the listing of the transmit tower sites is a link for RR Locations.
Click that link to bring up a map of the tower locations for the system. Zoom in on Travis County, then click on the 'balloons' that appear to be closest to your location. That will give you the names of the sites you should be using.

ok so....
1. i've verified on freescan and on the scanner that the control channels are present and correct...
2. I do not see any signal strength bars on any of the channels
3. i checked to see that none of the frequencies or groups are locked out
4. i added quick keys in freescan and i now see numbers in the S0/GRP lines BUT, still nada....

You may not have the correct sites programmed (see above), or may not be getting a good signal.

Try the attached file that I created with some quick imports. This is zipped (compressed). Save it to your pc, then extract the FreeSCAN file in it (Austin area.996). For most newer versions of Windows, such as Vista & Windows 7, you can right click on the file, & use the 'extract' option from the pop-up menu.
Or, you can download & use a free file compression utility such as 7Zip.

Since I have no idea exactly where in Austin/Travis County you are, I went ahead & imported all of the sites for the county, giving each a separate Site Quick Key. You'll hear most all of the traffic on Simulcast 1 or Simulcast 2 (based on what I've seen posted in the Texas Forum). Most all of the other sites are Intellirepeaters; you'll only hear traffic for units in that general area (not all system traffic).

Once you determine which site (or sites) give you the best reception, then you can lock out, or delete, the others if you so desire. If you still have trouble getting a strong enough signal (no 'bars'), then you may want to consider the Radio Shack 800MHz antenna. Note that you would need to use the SMA -> BNC adapter that came with the 396XT. I use this antenna on the 396XT that I carry with me when I leave the house.

 

[RoninJoliet]

Steve has it correct, u have NO signal from the freqy thats a Control Channel, therefore "nada"...One of those freqys u must hear a "buzzing " sound to feed the system info to your scanner....Too far away?.....Also while its scanning press Func + scan to put it into "search and walk around outside or in house maybe to see some "signal bars and search any TG's active.....

 

[anomaly13]

ok, first off, thank you everyone for your replies....been looking into what each person said....learning as i go

hiegtx, thank you for taking the time to throw that file together....it works perfectly...now it's a matter of looking at what you threw together and what i had thrown together and trying to figure where i went wrong....time to chug a red bull and get comfy in front of this laptop.....thanks again everyone....

 

[hiegtx]

ok, first off, thank you everyone for your replies....been looking into what each person said....learning as i go

hiegtx, thank you for taking the time to throw that file together....it works perfectly...now it's a matter of looking at what you threw together and what i had thrown together and trying to figure where i went wrong....time to chug a red bull and get comfy in front of this laptop.....thanks again everyone....

As you compare the two, then you can also tweak what talkgroups are in the file I created, deleting or locking out those that don't interest you, or adding others that I did not include. I did include Tx DPS & Medevacs systems, and also the S.A.M.E. codes for your area in the weather tab (under scanner setup).

I suspect that maybe you did not have the correct tower site imported. Not knowing your location, I just used all of them, feeling it more important to try & get something working if at all possible.

Besides posting questions here, there's a lot of information in the Wiki.You can start here, for example. For more Austin area specific information, visit the Texas Forum farther down the page. You might also check out this Yahoo group that covers your area.

 

[anomaly13]

As you compare the two, then you can also tweak what talkgroups are in the file I created, deleting or locking out those that don't interest you, or adding others that I did not include. I did include Tx DPS & Medevacs systems, and also the S.A.M.E. codes for your area in the weather tab (under scanner setup).

I suspect that maybe you did not have the correct tower site imported. Not knowing your location, I just used all of them, feeling it more important to try & get something working if at all possible.

Besides posting questions here, there's a lot of information in the Wiki.You can start here, for example. For more Austin area specific information, visit the Texas Forum farther down the page. You might also check out this Yahoo group that covers your area.

thanks for the local links....going to check them out right now....