Ohio Marcs , programming 996xt

[durango5550]

Ok guys I am no stranger to programming scanners. The one I am programming is for a friend and he wants it to be as simple to operate as possible.

Now, it is my understanding that you have to program each tower site in it's own bank , at least that is how I have done it for sometime now. I have heard that you can program the entire MARCS system into one bank and it will work just as well as programming into separate banks. I am having a hard time when I look at the data that I programmed that this will work right, When I did program it, it scanned through a few sites that it can't hear but when it got to the local tower it stopped and stayed on that tower ( with the data being broadcasted ). Am I supposed to put all the tower sites on CC only? if that is the case i'm golden but I still dont see how doing it this way can be efficient scanning, it would seem to me that it takes a long time to go through all the tower sites even the ones it can't hear.

Any help on this matter would be great!
Thanks
Dan

KC8ONR

PS im using BCtool to program the scanner

 

[Scannerhead1983]

Marcs programming

What I have done while programming scanners for people is to put all the system site frequencies in it that they are or would be in range of, I program all local data into one bank of the scanner, and program all the statewide and interop in a different one. That way they can choose to listen locally, statewide or both. I usually just program the primary and alternate control channels to save on having to put in every voice repeater, the scanner should pick everything up just fine using control channels only. The marcs system is a huge system with a lot of different channels. Also keep in mind that on some of the statewide channels you will only hear traffic if a subscriber's radio affiliates with a tower within range of you. Any other questions feel free to PM me. good Luck

 

[durango5550]

correct i know all that , I thank you for your input. He is a dump driver and travels the state of OHIO. I would suggest the GPS option but that is a whole new ball game to me.

I just need to know if putting the sites into one bank will work

Thanks
Dan

 

[Scannerhead1983]

Yes putting all the sites into one bank will work, And if you leave the bank open he will hear everything in range of him, If you close it that will keep him able to hear only what he wants to hear. Go ahead and program all the control channels in one bank, I know the scanner holds quite a few slots for the control channels to go into.

 

[durango5550]

Ok cool thank you very much , my long time of programming things the old way had me cornfused

Thanks again
Dan

 

[SCPD]

Actually there aren't any "banks" in a DMA BCD996XT scanner. It's a terminolgy thing as well as the way memory is used. But essentially what was said above is ok.

 

[durango5550]

Thanks Ed ,

It just didn't look right to me when I had everything programmed that long list of tower sites just had me thinking it wouldn't work