I'm not new to scanning but new to digital and trunking and stuff like that. Everything where i live has always just been regular freqs in the clear not digital. I just got a BCD996P2. it has way more everything than I'm used too. I really don't know how to program it or anything. I did download ProScan, but it seemed to have left me with more questions than answers. I live in a place, (Otero county New Mexico) that has P25 and military stuff going on but I really don't know much about it. Can someone point me in the direction of something to read or somehow give me some help in figuring this stuff out. I'm not stupid or illiterate or anything, this is just a long way from my eleven frequencies I'm used to dealing with. Thanks for any help you can give me and I dont need a bunch of people calling me dumb and talking **** so if your gonna do that **** Off in advance.
BCD325P2/BCD996P2: Newbie just trying to get started
- Thread starter bigster68
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OK.... let's start here.
Are you familiar with what trunking is?
If yes, great - if no, in order to understand P25, etc, it is essential to know how it works first.
Trunking Basics - The RadioReference Wiki
How does trunking work? | Tait Radio Academy
I just took a look at Otero Co, NM.
Otero County is still VHF conventional (not trunked, 150MHz), so fairly easy to program.
Note: Alamogordo you may be SOL.
It's also VHF conventional - and there is also VHF P25 (conventional) freqs listed as well.
But all the P25 is encrypted - you can't listen to it.
I'm not local, so I don't know if they use both, or have switched completely over to the P25E
Your State Police is on the New Mexico DTRS, which is P25II trunking.
There are 2 sites in Otero County.
New Mexico DTRS Trunking System, Various, New Mexico
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ve1sef
Member
There are some useful Youtube videos the may help you; The Scanner Guys, K4DPS, and Scanner Master to name a few.
There is a guide to getting started.....and it is here...
Everything else comes after reading that.....
“Everything where i live has always just been regular freqs in the clear not digital.”
Analogue or conventional and digital transmissions can all be in the clear, or encrypted. These are just different modes used to transmit. And both can be in-the-clear or encrypted. Radioreference lists in the mode column letters that designate digital, and encryption. If you click on the column heading it will show a pop-up that explains which each letter means. Give it a try, become familiar with the site. The BCD996P2 scanner does not have a software program offerred by Uniden. That’s because there is programming software already available such as FreeScan, ProScan and Butel ARC that does a good job. Or, you can manually program the scanner (you mentioned the agencies you used to listen to were few, and from what it read in the thread, they haven’t changed. So manually programming is a viable option. Check out the “easier to read” manual offerings also… they help. If you do try the manual method, don’t worry about “bricking” your scanner. There’s not much that you can do wrong, as the scanner is dumb, it just won’t accept your entries and you have to figure out what it is that you messed up on and try it again. Frustration plagues everyone at some point. I find when that happens to me I just put it away, wait a day, and hit it again. Learning curves are all measured on an individual basis. The curve may be steep for you but not for me, or vise versa. So, just know it’s becomminf familiar with your scanner that counts. There was a time I could throw the manual over my left shoulder… sorry to say that’s not the case these days. Stick with it.
Analogue or conventional and digital transmissions can all be in the clear, or encrypted. These are just different modes used to transmit. And both can be in-the-clear or encrypted. Radioreference lists in the mode column letters that designate digital, and encryption. If you click on the column heading it will show a pop-up that explains which each letter means. Give it a try, become familiar with the site. The BCD996P2 scanner does not have a software program offerred by Uniden. That’s because there is programming software already available such as FreeScan, ProScan and Butel ARC that does a good job. Or, you can manually program the scanner (you mentioned the agencies you used to listen to were few, and from what it read in the thread, they haven’t changed. So manually programming is a viable option. Check out the “easier to read” manual offerings also… they help. If you do try the manual method, don’t worry about “bricking” your scanner. There’s not much that you can do wrong, as the scanner is dumb, it just won’t accept your entries and you have to figure out what it is that you messed up on and try it again. Frustration plagues everyone at some point. I find when that happens to me I just put it away, wait a day, and hit it again. Learning curves are all measured on an individual basis. The curve may be steep for you but not for me, or vise versa. So, just know it’s becomminf familiar with your scanner that counts. There was a time I could throw the manual over my left shoulder… sorry to say that’s not the case these days. Stick with it.
@bigster68
Here is a local number you can call for help. (505) 591-1457
Here is a local number you can call for help. (505) 591-1457
Thank you so much for that useful information. God Bless the **** out of you.
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