Programming New BCD996P2 for ARMER

[scrapper]

Hello,

I have been trying hard to wrap my brain around how exactly to program my scanner for what I need with the ARMER system. I was looking here for some advice. Here is the scoop so far.

I am no stranger to scanners and I know how to program them including this one. My issue is the proper configuration of systems, sites, groups, and channels. I plan on taking a road trip up north and I want to properly program everything on my route using GPS scanning.

What I have come up with is this
Systems - 1 for every county I will travel through or near
Sites - 1 for every tower or simulcast system (ex: Site 1 is 340 Goodhue, Site 2 is 103 Dakota, etc.) Each sites is assigned a Quick Key
Groups - 1 for fire, 1 for police, 1 for EMS, etc.

I have programmed some statewide channels and channels that can be heard over multiple sites. I programmed a group and copied the same group to every site. Is this the only way to do this for statewide stuff. The instructions tell me I only need to program one set of TGIDs and all the systems will see the same list. I don't see that happening in FreeScan.

Anybody have advice or comments? I've done 2 days of internet searching on this so far so trust me, I've googled it also.

 

[kc0rzw]

If you are using location based scanning (GPS), just program all control channels and talkgroups into one system with one quick key, the gps will turn what is needed on and off automatically. My 436 I have a minnesota system with armer and a few other things, when I travel around I just plug in the gps, turn on my minnesota system, and drive.

edit: you may have to enable location based scanning somehow. In sentinel the system has to have it enabled, I never used gps with my 396 so I am unsure how it works with freescan.

 

[ofd8001]

The ARMER system is a complex and massive system. It will take some time to program this in your scanner. Unfortunately you are up against some Absolute Limits with your scanner which programming the ARMER system in its entirety with exceed.

You may wish to program the scanner by regions, depending on where you'll travel. See the links below:

https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ecn/pr.../Armer Site Map/ARMER Site Map 2016-06-01.pdf

https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ecn/pr...0-23 -- ARMER Participation by County map.pdf

Unforunately the RR database and Freescan are not friendly to the x96 scanners. (Its more geared toward the Home Patrol line which has greater memory limits) Freescan brings in more groups than allowed by the scanner. But there is a way around this.

What I'd do is do a CSV download of the ARMER talkgroups. Then I'd sort them by Tag (Service Type) and Category which is more or less by county.

Then I'd go the FreeScan and do a download of the applicable ARMER sites. Following that I'd create my groups based on Tag (Service Type) to stay in that 20 group limit. From there I'd copy from the CSV file and paste into FreeScan. You may have to repeat this for each region/system you create.

I'd definitely put all the Interoperability (xTAC) channels in for all the systems you create. Chances are pretty good that if something "big" is going on, the comms will be carried on a TAC channel.

Your question about not seeing the correlation on sites and talkgroups isn't a worry. I may not be explaining this the best, but here goes. There are two distinct operations going on in your scanner on multi site systems.

One is that it listens to each site for control channel activity. It will note any channel grants and what the TGID is for the "granted" communication.

The second operation is to look in your list of programmed talkgroups. If it sees that the "granted" TGID is in your list, then the scanner will do its thing on hearing the conversation.

Its all in the "magic" of the scanner.

 

[scrapper]

Ok thanks for the help. I think after reading what you guys have written and testing some things I have it mostly figured out. It also helped to actually take a drive to see what the scanner would do when it switched locations. I was under the impression that it would actually turn on and off site quick keys which is why I initially programmed every site under a different quick key (81 to be exact). I'm glad to see that I don't have to do that.

I think I will program all the sites under just one system and a couple of quick keys for when I travel the state and program my two favorite and most used sites separately for when I want more control over what I am listening to.

Thanks again for the help

 

[ofd8001]

That's correct. The GPS device will cause a Temporary Lockout for any sites that are out of range. When sites come in range, then the GPS changes that Temporary Lockout to Unlocked. It doesn't make any changes to a System Quick Key (sites) status.

For the GPS to function "properly" a site must not be Locked Out. Also if a site or sites are associated with System Quick Keys, those System Quick Keys must be Enabled. (The same is true for any Groups and Group Quick Keys).

I'm guessing the thinking is this: If you have taken an affirmative step to not monitor a site either by locking out the site or by disabling the site's quick key, the GPS isn't going to over-ride what you have deliberately done.

Lastly, in reference to you second paragraph: Just because you turn a System Quick Key On, it doesn't mean the given site(s) will be on if you have a GPS connected. You'll have to be in range too.

 

[scrapper]

Ok I think I got it. I'll post more if I run into any issues

Thanks again