OFFICIAL NYSEG P25 System Thread

[PJH]

Simple question....(and I am not sure if this applies to your model) but did you turn on the trunked option on the scanner? I know 780 and I think others you had to press the trunked button so that the scanner actually scans trunked systems, otherwise everything is scanned conventionally. Usually "Trunk" appears on the display somewhere.

 

[rbm]

my friends 996 still wont pick it up in the trunking system. i want to download the new update for him and try it.

If you have the BCD996T in front of you, it's easy to manually program it for a NYSEG site 'Control Channel Only 'if you know which of the Control Channels you can hear. (You can refer to the list I posted above.)

Menu
- Program System
-- New System
--- MOT Type 2/P25
---- Confirm 'Yes' (hit the 'E' key
-----Edit Site
------New Site
-------P25
------- Set Frequencies
-------- New Frequency
--------- Key in the Control Channel Frequency Then press 'E' to enter it
Then hit Scan and you're trunking. If you hit HOLD, it will display the site number. In the SID:0269h-01xx format.

Also, if he has the free (with the BCD996T) Uniden UASD program, you can use the attached .usd file. It includes all of the NYSEG CC's that I'm aware of. It will lock on the first active one it finds.

Rich

 

[razorbak412]

well so far it looks cool on the computer . i downloaded the file. now i got to wait for some one to talk. oh man its working on the bc996. is there a way to lock in on one talk group . in my case elmira line ? now im getting some where. thank you-- thank you --thank you.

 

[rbm]

is there a way to lock in on one talk group . in my case elmira line ?

You can press HOLD when you hear someone on that Talk Group. But that will make your scanner into a one channel only receiver. You wouldn't hear Police, Fire, EMS or anything else you have programmed...

I created another .usd file for you that will scan ONLY the Elmira Line talk group. You'll lose a little capability if you only SCAN that file. If there's a major storm or other disruption in your area and they bring trucks in from other areas, they'll more than likely be on different Talk Groups and you wouldn't hear them.

You could then hit Function 'Scan/Search' to go to IDSearch mode so you hear everything. (Function 'Scan/Search' to go back to IDScan to only hear Elmira Line again.)
or:
You could program both of the files (48 & 49) and LOCKOUT system 48 until you need it.

Rich

 

[DaveNF2G]

My 996 is fairly deaf compared to my other digital scanners, so that could affect your coverage, too.

 

[pro92b]

My 996 is fairly deaf compared to my other digital scanners, so that could affect your coverage, too.

That's not normal and in fact the opposite should be true based on my test bench measurements and experience in actual usage. I'm assuming some of your other digital scanners are GRE.

There may be something wrong with your 996. Without a signal generator it could be hard to tell for sure.

The antenna feed may be bad. If you use a multicoupler, try swapping some of the output feedlines or bypass the multicoupler and connect the antenna directly to the 996.

The 996 might be getting overloaded by a signal that doesn't affect the other radio(s). This would be unusual but is not impossible.

 

[razorbak412]

thanks again RMB. i got a lot to do now.

 

[DaveNF2G]

The antenna feed may be bad. If you use a multicoupler, try swapping some of the output feedlines or bypass the multicoupler and connect the antenna directly to the 996.

I've done that. The 996 misses about 25% of 800 MHz comms detected by the GREs and the 396s.

[edit] It just occurred to me that we haven't been (or shouldn't have been) discussing 800 MHz reception anyway. The NYSEG system is on VHF. My bad.

 

[rja1]

Best way to program NYSEG in a 396T

Just got a used 396T. Would like opinions on the best way to program NYSEG so I can listen to them anywhere in NYS without having to deal with turning on / off groups / systems.

Been into scanning since the original Bearcat, but having one helluva time getting my brain wrapped around Uniden's DMA. Ok guys, how is it programmed in your 396T ??

Thanks,
bob

 

[razorbak412]

my buddies 996 is up and running perfect. the 796 still wont work rite. he is even so happy he is gonna buy another one for his garage and camp. i told him to wait until i did some digging and maybe i will buy one and save us shipping. my question is i think i read some where that there was a model comming out that could read the unique radio ID (truck number) if there is such a scanner does any one know what model that is and if its come out on the market yet.

 

[PJH]

The scanner should show the radio ID, but thats not always the actual truck/car/person. Typically they are accurate for the first year or so, then when radios or trucks go in for service / swapouts / whatever, ID's tend not to start matching. Just depends on how much the radio shop can keep up with stuff moving all around..and its a rather large system.

My offer still stands...I'll program it up for you (also only because I want to check something on the system with it, which I can't do with my current setup). I was actually up your way last weekend.

 

[razorbak412]

ok you can program it. i set up my friends with elmira line on a quick key. and all nyseg on another quick key. can yon do something like that ? if not just elmira line on one bank . if your any were west of waverly to corning and pa state line north to watkins glen thats my area and i could drop it off and show you a radio in the truck. they have a lot of weird features like special op and talk group 1 thru 5. 3 of our trucks have some kind of a mini repeater that if you are in the woods with a HT it sends signal to truck and retransmits it out on the line channel.

 

[razorbak412]

i just saw were you are . i go to brewster in storms but i think i should send it out i guess.

 

[rbm]

they have a lot of weird features like special op and talk group 1 thru 5. 3 of our trucks have some kind of a mini repeater that if you are in the woods with a HT it sends signal to truck and retransmits it out on the line channel.

razorbak,

I checked my log files from an ice storm in the Delaware/Chenango County area back around Oct 29, 2008.

Normally, Oneonta Line is talk group 221.

After the ice storm, 'most' (maybe all) of the trucks were using talk group 224.

That may fit in with your Talk Group 1 thru 5 comment above.

It would follow then that 144 (and 145?) may be an active Elmira talk group during storm cleanup. You should add that to your list of Elmira Talk Group ID's.

Normally the talk groups are one of the three (xx1, xx2, xx3). However, I sometimes hear odd talk groups show up.

A common one in the Binghamton area is used by the radio techs. (Talk Group 65530) Which just happens to be active at this very time.

Rich

 

[razorbak412]

i think you are rite . i got my (BC796D) to work . i will add those talk groups and switch to special ops on our radios and key the mike. i will let you know . i think i got our truck 2 truck freq but a was close to radio when i keyed the mike and you know how that goes. hey another thing im not sure about . i pick up ithaca line on a different frequency but my scanner is haning out on 152.0975. is that how there sapose to do because its the strongest signal ? if i go into ithaca terratory will the scanner lock on to there site if it has a stronger signal

 

[razorbak412]

i hate to bug people but on my scanner the new york state conservation frequencys are so close to our nyseg ones i pick up NYSEG on my D.E.C. bank. is it possiable the D.E.C. changed frenquencys ?

 

[rbm]

hey another thing im not sure about . i pick up ithaca line on a different frequency but my scanner is haning out on 152.0975. is that how there sapose to do because its the strongest signal ? if i go into ithaca terratory will the scanner lock on to there site if it has a stronger signal

When you have more than one Control Channel programmed, the radio will lock on the FIRST active CC frequency it finds. It doesn't do anything smart to determine which of many frequencies may be the strongest.

As you travel, you 'may' travel out of the area of coverage for that site. Once the radio no longer receives that frequency, it will resume scanning the programmed CC frequencies until it finds an active one. Then it will stay on that site until the signal is lost again.

(On the BCD996T for example, you could also turn the dial to cause it to scan the other frequencies.)

As far as the D.E.C. frequencies go, it doesn't surprise me that you would hear NYSEG on them. Especially if you have the radio in the truck with you. You would very easily get into the front end of the radio. I'm not aware of any NY DEC changes.

Rich

Edit: I forgot to mention that I believe 152.0975 MHz is NYSEG Site 0105. I can receive that one when I'm in the Owego area.
Also:
You can go to this Wikipedia site for some basic information about how a trunking system works:
Trunked radio system
The controller sends a digital signal to all radios monitoring that talkgroup, instructing the radios to automatically switch to the frequency indicated by the system to monitor the transmission. After the user is done speaking, the users' radios return to monitoring the control channel for additional transmissions.
Trunked radio system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[PJH]

Trying to find the freq by using the truck radio may not result in good results.

Scanners have wide front ends, so it will open up on very strong signals, even if its not on freq (ie, your 45watt radio 5 feet away will kill the scanner).

In addition, being a trunked system, your truck radio will tx on the control channel a couple of time and then will look for the channel grant and then move to the freq(s) that the controller will assign to the radio/talkgroup at that moment.

In short, not a real accurate way of figuring things out. As the scanner is listening to the system, the freq's will always change as the trunking controller does its thing. Thats just how it works.

 

[razorbak412]

good info glad i did not try it out yet.

 

[rja1]

Lots of idle chit-chat on t/g 65530

Heard a lot of idle chatter on the local CC here in Putman county today. Two guys following their GPS's to a tower site. They came down Route 17 & crossed over the Bear Mountain Bridge, over the Goat Trail, past Camp Smith, then took the traffic circle & headed north on Route 9. The tower was located on Barger Hill Road. I don't know if these guys were NYSEG employees or worked for a installation / repair contractor. Fron the chit-chat, I gathered that they were not from this area. They were complaning about NY drivers. Amazingly, they gave out the combination to the lock at the gate of the tower site!

Looks like one of their tower sites is in western Putnam county, so now I have doubts about another site on Mt. Ninham. I don't think they would put two sites so close together.

Will keep you posted on any other tid-bits.

Regards,
Bob
N2OAM