Official Bucks County 700Mhz Phase II Radio System Thread

[n3ouc]

Hi Mike,
Thanks for getting back to me. When I put the scanner on hold on a particular Bucks County Control Frequency I see the frequency and also the letter NFM. The software I am using is ARC-XT Basic. If you would be kind enough to send me your file for Bucks County it would appreciate that.

I followed the directions with ARC-XT where I logged into Radioreference and checked what I wanted and maybe for the P2 networks something needs to be done different from what I did. I am at work, so I won't get to this until tonight. I will give you an update. Thanks Again! Mark Griffin, KB3Z

Hi mark, Sorry I was away for work a couple of days. Attached please find the Bucks ARC-XT file. Just take the .txt off the file name and give it a whirl. I don't think there is anything wrong with what you are seeing now but maybe this file will help.

 

[pastormg2]

Mike,
Thanks for the file. I was able to bring it into ARC-XT. I see that the Simulcast Frequencies are checked with control channel only. But, I upload the system to my scanner and then get out of ARC-XT. I get back into ARC-XT and have it download the systems that I have installed. When I check Bucks County Simulcast the channels that were checked control channel only are not now. I don't understand why? Is there a secret to doing this? It seems when you put the scanner on hold and bring up that particular frequency there is no menu item to allow you to change that it is a control channel only. They have every other option, but not that. Any advice/help that you can give me would be very much appreciated. Mark Griffin, KB3Z

 

[n3ouc]

Mike,
Thanks for the file. I was able to bring it into ARC-XT. I see that the Simulcast Frequencies are checked with control channel only. But, I upload the system to my scanner and then get out of ARC-XT. I get back into ARC-XT and have it download the systems that I have installed. When I check Bucks County Simulcast the channels that were checked control channel only are not now. I don't understand why? Is there a secret to doing this? It seems when you put the scanner on hold and bring up that particular frequency there is no menu item to allow you to change that it is a control channel only. They have every other option, but not that. Any advice/help that you can give me would be very much appreciated. Mark Griffin, KB3Z

Mark,
I am really confused by your question. You do not have to tell the scanner what the control channel is. The scanner will automatically pick out the control channel from the file that is uploaded with the system information. As long as all the frequencies are in the file, the scanner will take it from there. All you need to do is upload the file I sent you and if you can pick up the Bucks System from your location, then the scanner will play. Bucks is a simulcast system and is very difficult for scanners to work with. It took me a week of playing with my 14dbd yagi to find just the right spot to pick it up satisfactorily. I am located in Lehigh County southwest of Allentown so maybe 12 air miles from the closest transmitter. I don't know where you are located but if you are more than 12 miles from any of the Bucks transmitters I am not sure that you will get anything at all from Bucks..

Mike

 

[policefreak]

Agreed with all the above. In fact, you may not receive it from even closer to a transmitter site if you have a cell tower nearby that causes interference. I have mine programmed manually, but it works fine on Bucks County. I have heard it in parts of New Jersey. It is about location, location and this sysystem is hard to pick up outside of the intended coverage area.

 

[pastormg2]

I live in Collegeville. Now how far that is from Bucks County I'm not sure. I guess I was too spoiled when I could pick up the 500 MHZ system with a plug in the back antenna on my Homepatrol 1. My confusion was that when I looked at the file you sent me for the Simulcast it had control channel only checked. But after installing into my BCD996P2 and then getting out of ARC-XT and then going back in and downloading the systems in my scanner the Simulcast frequencies did not have the control channel only checked. Perhaps I didn't explain things fully. Mark Griffin, KB3Z

 

[n3ouc]

I live in Collegeville. Now how far that is from Bucks County I'm not sure. I guess I was too spoiled when I could pick up the 500 MHZ system with a plug in the back antenna on my Homepatrol 1. My confusion was that when I looked at the file you sent me for the Simulcast it had control channel only checked. But after installing into my BCD996P2 and then getting out of ARC-XT and then going back in and downloading the systems in my scanner the Simulcast frequencies did not have the control channel only checked. Perhaps I didn't explain things fully. Mark Griffin, KB3Z

Mark,
The control channels do not have to be checked within the file nor in the scanner. The scanner finds the control channel on its own from within the set of frequencies uploaded and will momentarily stop on a control channel to scan it if it can hear it. We all were spoiled by the 500mhz system for sure but this new PII system is a totally different animal especially since it is a simulcast system. Do a search on simulcast systems here in RR and you will see the plethora of issues with scanning simulcast systems and Bucks is no different. It took me purchasing a very good Yagi and tons of patience to get the system so I could monitor it and I am only 12 miles away from the closest site. Even those that live within the county have had major issues with this system. I wish I had better news, but this is the reality with the simulcast systems and the inability of the scanners made today to decode these systems properly.

Mike

 

[trap5858]

Collegeville is a good distance from the nearest site in Bucks County. I frequently drive into Central Montgomery County with my 436 connected to an external antenna on my car and can still pick up Bucks County near 363 and 73 and the Skippack area. I am not sure where you are in relation to those areas. I pulled my programming right off the data base using ARC536 software.

 

[whsbuss]

Mark,
I wish I had better news, but this is the reality with the simulcast systems and the inability of the scanners made today to decode these systems properly.

Mike

This is so true. Somehow if scanner listening of simulcast systems is to survive, manufacturers need to design their radio for it. Its why I don't grab a new scanner.

 

[bearcatman56]

with this new bucks system are all the police transmissions encrypted?and if I downloaded it from sentinel to my bc436 and 536 do I automatically have the system in correctly?

 

[bearcatman56]

are all the police encrypted on the new bucks system?and if I downloaded the system from sentinel to my bc436 and 536 do I have it in there correctly?

 

[Septa3371CSX1]

Not sure why the double posts but routine police traffic is in the clear on this system. Only a few special talkgroups are encrypted.

 

[n3ouc]

if I downloaded the system from sentinel to my bc436 and 536 do I have it in there correctly?

Yes, if you downloaded the information from the RR database using Sentinel, that is all you need to do. If it can hear the CC, it will stop briefly to scan the CC for information.. If the scanner does not pause very briefly at all while scanning the system, then it cannot hear it.

Mike

 

[bearcatman56]

n3ouc ijust got it from sentinel from unidens site not RR database why wont it work?

 

[n3ouc]

n3ouc ijust got it from sentinel from unidens site not RR database why wont it work?

If you pulled it from Sentinel, there could be many reasons that you are not able to receive it. Either too far away from a transmit site, not a good enough antenna, or too close to a site. There are many possible reasons. Could you provide more information as to where you are located, what equipment you are using, and what you antenna setup may be? That may help us figure this out.

Mike

 

[bearcatman56]

I live in Trenton, right across the bridge,i have a bc436 and a 536, I am using the antennas that came with the radios , for the past 4 hours I heard 2 transmissons and that's it

 

[trap5858]

Do you have the service types correctly set? If it is the Phase 2 system that you have downloaded you should be able to hear it. Subscribe to the RR database and get it for certain.

 

[BillVette]

The system you want is now called Bucks County Public Safety Radio Network. If you are using the old system, Bucks County you won't get anything.

 

[bearcatman56]

all my service types are on ,I have the bucks county public safety radio network on it and it still wont work

 

[bearcatman56]

what service types am I suppose to have in the bcd436 and 536?

 

[n3ouc]

what service types am I suppose to have in the bcd436 and 536?

The following are all the service types that are currently used on the Bucks system:
Multi-tac
Public Works
Fire Dispatch
Ems-Tac
Fire-Tac
Emergency-Ops
Law Talk
Corrections
Law-Tac
Security
Law-Dispatch

As has been stated many times in this thread, simulcast systems such as the new bucks system are very difficult for todays scanners to decode. Even if the old 500mhz system came in perfectly as it did for most of us, this new system is tough. I had to purchase and setup a yagi antenna and spent a week of moving it around to finally receive the new system at all with my 536 and I received the old 500mhz system perfectly.

The only other thing I could suggest in lieu of getting a different antenna is moving around the house with the radio and see if you can find that perfect spot. Sometimes even an inch or two can make a big difference.

Mike