Programing BC246T

[mike48060]

I’m new to scanning and just received my Uniden BC246Tscanner. The directions are very confusing to a new person. I have been trying to manually program the Polk Co Florida Sheriff public safety channels. They have a Motorola type II trunking system and I am not sure what I need to enter into the radio.

Do I enter just the primary call channels (red) or do I enter all of them?
What do I enter for the talk groups? Not sure if I enter DEC or HEX or both?
I did download the “Easier to Read BC246T Trunking Scanner Manual” And it has helped me progress a little further, but still confused. I tried to fill in a Motorola System Worksheet but it could not understand it. If someone has a filled out one I could look at, it might make more sense to me.

Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.

Mike H



Site Description Freqs
001 Simulcast - Primary
866.07500 866.10000 866.18750 866.27500 866.32500 866.35000 866.60000 866.62500 866.77500
867.12500 867.27500 867.37500 867.57500 867.62500 867.77500 867.82500 867.87500 868.05000
868.15000 868.32500 868.40000 868.55000* 868.80000 868.85000*
002 Waverly - Fallback
866.10000 866.35000 867.27500 867.87500*
003 Frostproof - Fallback
866.18750 866.60000 868.15000 868.40000* 868.80000*
004 Lakeland - Fallback
866.27500 866.62500 867.12500* 867.37500 867.62500 867.77500* 867.82500 868.05000 868.32500
868.55000 868.85000
005 Indian Lakes - Fallback
866.07500 866.32500 866.77500* 867.57500




DEC HEX Mode Display Description
48 003 A County Sheriff Group1
208 00d A County Fire Group 2
336 015 A County EMS Group 3
368 017 A Animal Services Group 4
4784 12b A Ch. C1 Disaster 1
4816 12d A Ch. C2 Disaster 2
4848 12f A Ch. C3 Disaster 3
4880 131 A Ch. C4 Disaster 4
4912 133 A Ch. C5 Disaster 5
4944 135 A Ch. C6 Disaster 6
4976 137 A Ch. C7 Disaster 7
5008 139 A Ch. C8 Disaster 8
5040 13b A Ch. C9 Disaster 9
5072 13d A Ch. C10 Disaster 10
5104 13f A Ch. C11 Disaster 11
5136 141 A Ch. C12 Disaster 12
5168 143 A Ch. C13 Disaster 13
5200 145 A Ch. C14 Disaster 14
5232 147 A Ch. C15 Disaster 15
5264 149 A Ch. C16 Disaster 16
5296 14b A Ch. B11 Countywide Local Government Hail
5328 14d A Ch. B12 Countywide Local Government Tactical 1
5360 14f A Ch. B13 Countywide Local Government Tactical 2
5392 151 A Ch. B14 Countywide Local Government Tactical 3
5424 153 A Ch. B15 Countywide Local Government Tactical 4
5776 169 A CW LE-HAIL Countywide Law Enforcement Hail
5808 16b A CW LE-1 Countywide Law Enforcement Tactical 1
5840 16d A CW LE-2 Countywide Law Enforcement Tactical 2
5872 16f A CW LE-3 Countywide Law Enforcement Tactical 3
5904 171 A CW LE-4 Countywide Law Enforcement Tactical 4
6256 187 A Ch. B6 Countywide Public Safety Hail
6288 189 A CWPS TAC-1 Ch. B7 Countywide Public Safety Tactical 1
6320 18b A CWPS TAC-2 Ch. B8 Countywide Public Safety Tactical 2
6352 18d A CWPS TAC-3 Ch. B9 Countywide Public Safety Tactical 3
6384 18f A CWPS TAC-4 Ch. B10 Countywide Public Safety Tactical 4
6736 1a5 A Ch. B1 Countywide Fire Hail
6768 1a7 A Ch. B2 Countywide Fire Tactical 1
6800 1a9 A Ch. B3 Countywide Fire Tactical 2
6832 1ab A Ch. B4 Countywide Fire Tactical 3
6864 1ad A Ch. B5 Countywide Fire Tactical 4
65520 fff A Systemwide

 

[cubn]

Create a MOT 800 MHz Standard system and enter the red/blue frequencies for the site closest to you (868.55 and 868.85 would be good). Set the system to control channel only.

Then create groups and enter the Decimal talkgroup for the talkgroups that you want to hear. You could create a group called "Police" and then enter the talkgroups 48, 5776, etc. You could create another group called "Fire" and enter talkgroups 208, 6376, etc. If you set the system for ID-Search, you will hear all the talkgroups used on the system (not just the ones you programmed into the groups). If you set the system to ID-SCAN, you'll only hear activity on the talkgroups that you programmed into that system.

 

[DickH]

Create a MOT 800 MHz Standard system and enter the red/blue frequencies for the site closest to you (868.55 and 868.85 would be good). Set the system to control channel only.

I suggest you put in all 24 freqs. in the Simulcast site, for two reasons:
1) A Motorola system can have up to 4 Control Channels. If you put in just the two that are listed and they change to another freq., you will not hear anything. Some systems change often - even daily -, some almost never.
2) If you use the site nearest you, you will hear ONLY the radios that are affiliated to that site. The Simulcast site(s) have all the radios in the system.

 

[mike48060]

Band Plan info needed

OK, I have all my freqs in and now I hit a stumbling block. “Setting up the Band Plan”. I am not sure what data I need to input and I am unable to find a set up screen for “Edit Band Plan”. The closest screen I come up with is “Edit Fleet map”. It appears I made a wrong turn along the way. Any takers on giving help?

Mike H

 

[cubn]

Edit Band Plan is an option for VHF and UHF systems only. This option isn't available for 800 or 900 MHz systems.

Have you been able to hear any activity on the system? If you have the active control channel frequency entered and are in ID-Search mode you should start hearing some of the talkgroups that you listed pop up.

 

[mike48060]

What next

Yes I am picking up different transmissions. If I don't have to edit any othe system Options, I guess my next step is to start creating groups? Will the groups be the numbers listed under DEX? And will it look like: 48 - County sheriff , 6288 - Ch.B7 County wide Public Safty Tac 1, etc?

Thanks
Mike H