SDS100/SDS200: P25 Programming on the SDS200

[Studebaker1955]

Good Morning.

I have been listening to scanners since 1974.

Starting with my first one the Electra Bearcat IV 8 Channel crystal radio in1974.
Then my first programmable was a Uniden Bearcat 210XLT .
And now the BCD436HP,SDS100 and the SDS200.


I am new to P25 systems and need help with its programming.

One of my favorites lists is for the Montana Highway Patrol with a modulation set to NFM.I want to put a new Montana Highway Patrol P25 Trunk system into that favorites list. Would I have to create a new P25 system within that favorites list. And where can I find the frequencies for that P25 system?

System - Montana Public Safety Communications System - P25 Trunk
Department- Highway Patrol District 1 Missoula
Channel- Dispatch Missoula -
TGID 819

Thanks

Operations - District 1 - Missoula

Operations - District 1 - Missoula

The first system is Conventiona

l

 

[Enforcer52]

Use Sentinel or ProScan to import the towers and TGIDs of the districts you want to monitor.

Montana Public Safety Communications System Trunking System, Statewide, Montana

Montana Public Safety Communications System Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

 

[Studebaker1955]

Thanks for getting back to me.
Like I said I am new to P25 and how do I know what towers and TGIDs that I need?

 

[jtwalker]

Thanks for getting back to me.
Like I said I am new to P25 and how do I know what towers and TGIDs that I need?

Site(s) nearest to your location (within 30 miles).

Talkgroups that aren’t encrypted and that you want to monitor.

 

[Enforcer52]

What city are you closest to and in what county? Do you at least have Sentinel installed on a PC or are you attempted to manually program scanner?

Look at the link I sent, towers are listed by county and have an name identifier. As @jtwalker said, pick the tower(s) you are within 30 miles of.

TGIDs are listed by type and what district/area they cover.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Thanks for getting back to me.
Like I said I am new to P25 and how do I know what towers and TGIDs that I need?

Usually locally focused questions are better addressed in your state discussion forum but being located nowhere near you & having a look at the database the site below is the only site listed on Montana Public Safety Communications System for Missoula County so I'd program that one in

1 (1)

055 (37)

Point Six 800

Missoula

852.1125c

852.425c

852.7125

853.1375

 

[Studebaker1955]

Dispatch Missoula

-

819

Any

Law Dispatch

2sec

Off

Off

0

None

Off

System - Montana Public Safety Communications System - P25 Trunk
Department - Highway Patrol District 1 Missoula
TGID - 819
Sites- How to know which one to use?

Also there are no frequencies associated with this.

 

[Studebaker1955]

Usually locally focused questions are better addressed in your state discussion forum but being located nowhere near you & having a look at the database the site below is the only site listed on Montana Public Safety Communications System for Missoula County so I'd program that one in

1 (1)

055 (37)

Point Six 800

Missoula

852.1125c

852.425c

852.7125

853.1375

Thanks this so new to me

 

[Enforcer52]

Frequencies are listed by the Tower Sites, you only need the frequencies with a 'c' at the end. In your case 852.1125 and 852.425

Programming would look something like the below pic (pic from ProScan)

 

[Studebaker1955]

What city are you closest to and in what county? Do you at least have Sentinel installed on a PC or are you attempted to manually program scanner?

Look at the link I sent, towers are listed by county and have an name identifier. As @jtwalker said, pick the tower(s) you are within 30 miles of.

TGIDs are listed by type and what district/area they cover.

I live in Ravalli county Montana and the town is called Stevensville.
The next town over is in Missoula County and the town is called Missoula and is about 20 miles away.

 

[Enforcer52]

No towers listed for Ravalli county so they must use the Missoula Point Six 800 tower, and are a part of District 1.

 

[dmfalk]

Firs, install Sentinel, connect the 200 to the computer, update firmware, update database.....

Check to see if the system is already in the statewide, then under appropriate counties. Select and copy, then create new Favorites List, then paste.

Chances are, you don't need to edit from scratch.

Next, get to know your scanner, with this:

Easier to Read SDS100/200 Digital Scanner Manual

And for Sentinel, this:

SDS Sentinel Software Manual

Welcome to the world of database based scanning!

 

[Studebaker1955]

Firs, install Sentinel, connect the 200 to the computer, update firmware, update database.....

Check to see if the system is already in the statewide, then under appropriate counties. Select and copy, then create new Favorites List, then paste.

Chances are, you don't need to edit from scratch.

Next, get to know your scanner, with this:

Easier to Read SDS100/200 Digital Scanner Manual

And for Sentinel, this:

SDS Sentinel Software Manual

Welcome to the world of database based scanning!

As my

 

[Studebaker1955]

As my

As my Grandma used to say: "You've had your learn of the day."

That information is a big help.

 

[dmfalk]

You're
Welcome.
🙃

 

[tvengr]

You should create only one instance of the Montana Public Safety Communications System. Any talkgroups on that system, such as State Police, should be grouped together in different departments on the same P25 trunked system. Likewise, each site should be used only once. If you create multiple instances of the system in the same or different favorites lists, you will end up scanning the same site or sites multiple times which results in missed transmissions.

 

[ofd8001]

If it was me, I'd use Sentinel to import this system into an existing Favorites List, or better yet, as its own Favorites List.

Then I'd edit the Favorites List in Sentinel, go to the right pane in the Options tab and set Use Location Control to Yes. I'd then write to the scanner.

Lastly I'd confirm I have correctly entered my zip code and set the Range on the Scanner to 0 (though I might be tempted to experiment with different values).

This way the scanner will use your location, determine which sites are close enough to receive along with what other "stuff" should be activated. You'll be taking advantage of how the scanner was designed to be used and let it do the heavy thinking for you.