Pro 2096 and APCO-P25 VHF

[n4grt]

I have been trying to load the new Wayne County Emergency Services System frequencies in to the Pro 2096 and it just doesn't work. I live in North Carolina. The new frequencies or in the 150mhz range. When it stops on a talk qroup it is the wrong frequency. Usually in the 138mhz range or 174mhz range. Any help would be appreciated. I loaded the frequencies in with Win96.

 

[n4grt]

Additional Info

I am wondering if I had to add more inofrmation in the scanner to get it to trunk to the right frequency. Win96 has where you can put in EXTENDED TABLES. This table has where I can put in channel low, channel high, base frequency, offset, and steps. Just not sure what information to put here. Not sure this has anything to do with it but it is Simulcast.

 

[N8IAA]

You may want to post this in the NC forums further down the forums page. I looked at the system in question and didn't see any special tables. I just loaded it into my copy of Win96 and it looked normal. Again, post in the NC forum. Lots of helpful people there
Larry

Edit: You may want to download Pro96com. It is a free utility that allows you to see the trunking tables and how the system works. Get it here: www.psredit.com
Larry

 

[n4grt]

Thanks for your reponse. I will give your suggestions a try. I did ask some questions on the NC forum but so far no response. It may be that no one is using the 2096. I guess I should bite the bullet and buy the new scanner while it is on sell. Right now I am using the Wayne Co. frequencies in the FM mode and receiving just fine. I have to lock out the CC so it will scan. Just doesn't trunk like that.

 

[n4grt]

Additional info

I am still having trouble with figuring this out. I run Pro96Com and got the follwing information. Still can't figure out how to enter this into Pro2096 with Win96 to get the scanner to trunk from the CC. I have tried a lot of different ways but haven't come up with anything. I noticed in running Pro96Com that it seems to be showing the right frequencies and TG's. Any help would be appreciated. I thank from this information that I should be able to figure out how to enter this into the scanner via Win96.


ID S Base Spacing TX Offset A/C Bandwidth
00 1 151,185000 0.00250 0.00000 C 0.01250

APCO-P25 VHF

CH Freqiencies
1, 151.19750
2, 151.43000
3. 154.04000
4. 154.78500
5. 154.87500
6. 155.58000
7. 155.67000
8. 155.72250C
9. 155.94000
10. 156.10500

 

[mciupa]

If you want to give it a go "by hand" try this:

Press PGM , then Trunk
Press FUNC then 2

Enter Base 151.18500
Enter Offset 0
Enter Space 12.5 KHz
Press FUNC , then 4
Choose Table for 9600 system

Enter the control channel, push SEARCH and see if the talkgroups pop up.

 

[KB1UAM]

in most scanners you should only program the control channel into a bank channel.and then set the setting such as VHF trunking for this situation, others for 800mhz should be programmed as MOT.

 

[n4grt]

Thanks for the suggestions. I tried both of the above and neither seem to work.

 

[mciupa]

Thanks for the suggestions. I tried both of the above and neither seem to work.

I'm suspicious of that offset of zero.
Try it with 380 and see if it works.

 

[dste]

ID S Base Spacing TX Offset A/C Bandwidth
00 1 151,185000 0.00250 0.00000 C 0.01250

APCO-P25 VHF

CH Freqiencies
1, 151.19750
2, 151.43000
3. 154.04000
4. 154.78500
5. 154.87500
6. 155.58000
7. 155.67000
8. 155.72250C
9. 155.94000
10. 156.10500

Enter 154.04, 154.875, and 155.7225 in the bank list as Type MO. They are the only CCs per the database.

Hit [PGM TRUNK] and verify this screen says MOT

The table [FUNC 2} will be

Base 151.185
Offset 0
Step 2.5

Set [Func 4} to "Table"

All of these things must be done while stopped in the bank you choose for this system.

Good Luck

 

[n4grt]

I tried it several times and it didn't track. I believe you met 25.0 instead of 2.5. It would not take 2.5. Not sure why it butch the frequency settings I put up there. Let me try it this way. This is what Pro95Com read off the scanner.

ID=00
S=1
Base =151.1850
Spacing= 0.00250
Tx Offset =0.0000
A/C= C
Band wdth=0.01250

Pro96Com reads the right frequencies and tracks the TG's. Don't know why I can't get the scanner to do the samething by itself. I believe I need to enter data in the extended frequencies part of Win96. Just don't know how to enter the correct information.

 

[dste]

I checked again and now agree that 2.5 khz is NOT available on my PRO-96. I thought it was. If you are using the latest Pro96Com and get .0025 Mhz (2.5 Khz) as the advertised step then you will never track this system. There are too many active VCs to table directly. Time for a newer scanner.

Sorry.

If you want to play with it more - try this.

Watch the channel grants on the 1st screen and pick the 6 most active.
Ignore the prior table since you can not step at 2.5
Use your software to make a custom 6 entry table of the most active VCs

Put the actual frequency at the Base
Make the offset for each entry equal to the xxxx as in 00-xxxx associated with each Base
Make the Step 25 or 12.5 or anything as it will never work.

Your scanner should come partially to life (by this brute force method) but you are always limited to the 6 tables.

Again, Sorry for the false hope.

 

[n4grt]

Thanks for your help. I will try that in the morning just to see if I can make it work. Right now I am using that one bank and scanning it with the frequencies in the FM mode with the CC locked out. It works pretty good like that. Times when it is busy it will not work so good. . I have been looking at buying one of the Pro 197 while they are on sell. I would like to make sure I won't have that same problem. I don't have but a few more days before they go off the sell price.

 

[dste]

FWIW I set my PSR-500 to 2.5 and it holds. I have no idea about the -197.

FM will work for the PRO-2096 but you will not trunk-track conversations. The brute force method I mentioned will trunk-track if you only have 6 active VCs. If you try the above - use xxxx as the :LO, HI and OFFSET. If you try this you may get a fairly usable scan unless they really use all 10 channels.

 

[n4grt]

Thanks dste for your help. I have loaded the 2096 the way you said and it is working. I did notice that under the multi table that it will except 2.5 steps but not sure what or if it will work that way. I left the frequencies that I could not put in the table under FM and it does pick them out on occasion so I not sure how much I might be missing. I still need to make a decision on the Pro 197 and soon.

 

[n4grt]

Just to let everyone who helped out that I got the pro 2096 working like it should. I used the extended table and put in this information.

Ch Lo 0
Ch Hi 4095
Base Freq 151.1850
Offset 0
Steps 2.5

Thanks again to all that helped out. You got me going in the right direction. I also ordered a Pro 197 and should arrive today. So the fun starts all over again. My wife loves to listen to the scanner. So I will keep one in my ham shack and the other in the house for her.

 

[mrhex]

I believe that I should point out that not even the venerable *new* PSR-800 supports 2.5 khz step sizes. Perhaps that is the problem here...?

As per the wiki for the PSR-800:
5, 6.25, 7.5, 12.5kHz steps

 

[fmon]

Pro-96/2096 supports step 2.5 only if using Win96. Don made the change in Version 1.53 2006.04.13 09:30 (GMT -0700) Removed the range limitation on Extended Table step sizes.

We were in development of VA STARS at the time which has 3 2.5 step tables.

The PSR-800 auto sets the 2.5 tables.

Just to let everyone who helped out that I got the pro 2096 working like it should. I used the extended table and put in this information.

Ch Lo 0
Ch Hi 4095
Base Freq 151.1850
Offset 0
Steps 2.5

Thanks again to all that helped out. You got me going in the right direction. I also ordered a Pro 197 and should arrive today. So the fun starts all over again. My wife loves to listen to the scanner. So I will keep one in my ham shack and the other in the house for her.

I believe that I should point out that not even the venerable *new* PSR-800 supports 2.5 khz step sizes. Perhaps that is the problem here...?

As per the wiki for the PSR-800:
5, 6.25, 7.5, 12.5kHz steps

 

[N8IAA]

I think that FMON has the solution. Upgrade to the latest version of Win96 and try loading the system again using the info posted. I see what you mean about the NC forum. You posted in the middle of April, and no one posted anything for two weeks. Marshall, or someone in your area should have noticed and given you some help.

Larry

 

[n4grt]

Yes I am glad to have the pro 2096 working with the VHF frequencies. I got the pro 197 in today and have been working on getting it loaded with frequencies. I want to use Win500 but I thank I am going to have to install new drivers for the cable to work. I used a different software for the time being to get it going. I will deal with the driver situation tomorrow. Looks complicated.......