Hi all, I just bought a Uniden BCD996P2 and I am trying to scan the Cobb Regional Radio System, a Phase II system that uses TDMA primarily and sometimes will use FDMA. I have an RTLSDR dongle and use SDRTrunk to listen in on this system and works perfectly however when trying to listen to it on my scanner with the same settings I can't seem to hear anything other than a few words that cut out here and there from various groups. Does anyone have any idea on how to troubleshoot this issue? I am running the latest firmware on my device 1.10.xx and using ProScan to program it by importing it from RR within the program.
BCD325P2/BCD996P2: Phase II reception issues
- Thread starter dudegt
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What same settings are you running on the scanner that you are running on the dongles? Just curious
System is also simulcast and believe that radio might not handle simulcast that well.
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What antenna are the dongles using and what antenna is the radio using? Try a lesser gain ant on the scanner or even a paper clip.
System is also simulcast and believe that radio might not handle simulcast that well.
"Simulcast" issues with Uniden BCD996P2 radio
I was planning on finally getting a digital scanner till I read elsewhere on here about possible issues with simulcasts and this particular radio. I also don't know anyone else with a scanner. Would there be anyone here who would know how this radio handles simulcasts? I am not familiar with...
What antenna are the dongles using and what antenna is the radio using? Try a lesser gain ant on the scanner or even a paper clip.
wtp
Member
it looks like most systems there are simulcast. that is probably the problem.
you have described the problem perfectly.
my county is on 700 and simulcast.
my 325P2 is the handheld version of your 996P2 and does the same thing.
you have described the problem perfectly.
my county is on 700 and simulcast.
my 325P2 is the handheld version of your 996P2 and does the same thing.
Using the settings within SDRTrunk I verified that the system properties and the frequencies were correct, I am using the same antenna for each setup which is a DPD Omni X, I believe it must be an issue with the fact that its a simulcast system and is there any way around it? Or am I SOL for this systemWhat same settings are you running on the scanner that you are running on the dongles? Just curious
System is also simulcast and believe that radio might not handle simulcast that well.
"Simulcast" issues with Uniden BCD996P2 radio
I was planning on finally getting a digital scanner till I read elsewhere on here about possible issues with simulcasts and this particular radio. I also don't know anyone else with a scanner. Would there be anyone here who would know how this radio handles simulcasts? I am not familiar with...
What antenna are the dongles using and what antenna is the radio using? Try a lesser gain ant on the scanner or even a paper clip.
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Someone correct me if....
Isn't SDRTrunk only capable of phase I?
And, you need FastLane to decode phase II?
No with the current version of SDRTrunk v0.5.0 beta 3 it is capable of Phase II reception
DSDPlus and Sdrtrunk both do phase 1 and 2. Have for a while now.
Sounds like your problem is indeed Simulcast. The 996P2 (and it's handheld sibling the 325P2) does not handle simulcast well. The x36HP series scanners are marginally better, but if your problems are severe, you'd need to get one of the SDS series scanners, or a Unication pager, or the Blue Tail P25RX-II if you want a more portable solution than your PC (or laptop) with the dongle.
Look at the map for the Cobb Simulcast:
Cobb Regional Radio System Site: Cobb County Simulcast
Cobb Regional Radio System Site: Cobb County Simulcast Details
www.radioreference.com
All those sub sites (transmit towers) at varying distances from you transmit the same radio traffic (voice frequency & talkgroup) at the same time. As those towers are at varying distances from you, their signals arrive at your scanner just enough out of sync to cause problems.
For use at a fixed location (such as at home), there are a few work-arounds to try, such as using 'less' antenna' (even to the point of using a paper clip), a directional antenna, aimed at one specific tower that is not in the same direction as others, or in a few cases, using attenuation. While you might be able to kludge together something that helps, as long as you're dealing with one static location, if you go out mobile in the area, those tactics won't help. More on Simulcast: Simulcast Distortion - The RadioReference Wiki
And by attenuation you mean getting some attenuation module and plugging it into my scanner, also would a 536hp work better than what I have now or should I just go all the way and get the sds200?Sounds like your problem is indeed Simulcast. The 996P2 (and it's handheld sibling the 325P2) does not handle simulcast well. The x36HP series scanners are marginally better, but if your problems are severe, you'd need to get one of the SDS series scanners, or a Unication pager, or the Blue Tail P25RX-II if you want a more portable solution than your PC (or laptop) with the dongle.
Look at the map for the Cobb Simulcast:
View attachment 126878Cobb Regional Radio System Site: Cobb County Simulcast
Cobb Regional Radio System Site: Cobb County Simulcast Detailswww.radioreference.com
All those sub sites (transmit towers) at varying distances from you transmit the same radio traffic (voice frequency & talkgroup) at the same time. As those towers are at varying distances from you, their signals arrive at your scanner just enough out of sync to cause problems.
For use at a fixed location (such as at home), there are a few work-arounds to try, such as using 'less' antenna' (even to the point of using a paper clip), a directional antenna, aimed at one specific tower that is not in the same direction as others, or in a few cases, using attenuation. While you might be able to kludge together something that helps, as long as you're dealing with one static location, if you go out mobile in the area, those tactics won't help. More on Simulcast: Simulcast Distortion - The RadioReference Wiki
You can set attenuation (for the P2 scanners, 325P2 or 996P2) in either a specific site (trunked systems), or per channel (individual conventional frequencies).
Attenuation might help to block some of the weaker signals, from the more distant transmit towers in the simulcast system. In this case, you would set it at the site level. Occasionally, though rarely, it might help receiving the simulcast site. Doesn't cost you more than a few minutes of your time to try it. While for some locations, it may work, or maybe not. The 'does not help' responses seen in posts confirms this may be a long shot. If it works for you, great. If not, then try something different.
For the database scanners (x36HP and SDS series), you can also set attenuation globally, meaning all sites & conventional channels are attenuated, so it takes a stringer signal for the scanner to hear any of the sites & channels. Attenuating everything also would likely preclude your receiving some of your more distant systems.
You could buy a 536HP, but purchase it from a vendor that does not heavily penalize you with restock fees if you need to return it because it did not do what you needed. ScannerMaster is one possibility, as is Amazon, and (I think) Bearcat Warehouse. That way, if the 536HP struggles as well on the simulcast, then you won't take a large restock fee or other penalty if you have to return it.
Keep an eye on the Uniden Prospective Owners forum. If you skim through that, you'll see several threads about Main Trading having a good price on one of the SDS scanners, even to the point of getting the cost down not much more than the 436HP or 536HP. Right now, he dos not list either the SDS100 or SDS200 , so he may be put of stock at the moment. I've never purchased from him (he's in Texas, so I would get whacked with an 8.25% sales tax), but there have been a number of posts from members that did purchase from him, and were very pleased.
If you intend to scan from home (or another fixed location), it's possible that a 536HP, paired with a directional antenna (like a yagi) might work. Or maybe not. One downside of that is that you would likely miss some of the other systems you want that are in a different direction from where you have the antenna pointed.
The thing to remember is that simulcast is extremely location related. If you were very close (like a quarter mile) from one of the transmit sites, you might have no issues at all. (I doubt this is the case for you, since your 996P2 is struggling.) In some cases, moving the antenna a few feet in one direction or another may help. In other cases, something metallic (whether metal siding on your house, or foil backed insulation in your walls) may help if you can find a 'sweet spot'. I have seen some cases where using a metal baking pan, or cookie sheet, placed to one side of the scanner (presuming, of course, that you are using the antenna on the back of the set, not an external on your roof) can make the scanner work. There's no 'one thing does all' solution. There are things you can try, and if you're lucky, might work. But the only definite things that will work is one of the SDS scanners, a Unication pager, the P25RX-II receiver, or using one of the SDR dongles along with software that can be downloaded and installed on your PC. The Unication & P25RX-II are not true scanners, They do handle simulcast, but are not scanners in that you can program from the keypad & get just about all of the systems in your area.
SDRT is superior software - it will outperform most scanners - including the SDS series. The BCD 996P2 is not designed for simulcast reception, thus is your problem.
The SDS is the best scanner for reliable simulcast reception, particularly in the 700 / 800 public safety services.
Simulcast is one of the most discussed topics, if not the most discussed topic, on the RadioReference forums. These days, it's imperative that the existence or lack of simulcast in one's area be part of the research done before purchasing a new scanner. Even if simulcast isn't in your area but you plan on traveling with your scanner, it needs to be a factor in the decision. The SDS 100/200, Unication pagers, certain SDR software programs, and commercial two-way radios are built to be compatible with digital simulcast. Other scanners are not guaranteed to work with simulcast.
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
All of the 17D zones are CQPSK-LSM, Cobb, Cherokee, Bartow, Forsyth, Douglas, and Polk- as is every single Motorola 700/800 system in this region including the one I manage. You can dicker around with settings all day long, but at th end of the day, an SDS series scanner, or BlueTail Technologies, or Unication is the way to go.
To add to @MTS2000des dont forget the BK KNG and KNG2 series radios. They also have the option to RX only in their programming software.
Now I am gonna guess Fulton PS P25 and NFRRSA are gonna be the same story...
Those two are simulcast. The Atlanta Public Safety P25 system is also simulcast. If you managed to find a workaround (antennas, attenuation, or moving the scanner around the house to find a ‘sweet spot’), whatever works for one of the systems might not help on one or more of the other systems. If you were dealing with only one system it could be worth it to see if something other than switching to the SDS100 or SDS200 solves your problem. But dealing with multiple systems, you most likely need to cut to the finish with an SDS series scanner.
Okay figured I appreciate the insight into this and all of your help my main focus is the Cobb system, but it's not my priority I am mainly focused on Rail and Aviation freqs as well as local CTCSS freqs but getting CRRS would've been nice I will continue to try and find a way to get better reception Attenuation sadly did not work.
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