Programming Trunk information

[sigmachihuey]

I will have a bc246T on Thurs of this week. I bought the software and have a key. Conventional programming freqs seem straight forward. Cut and paste them off of this site and call them St. Charles police or Lambert Airport (I am in St. Louis if you did not guess that). The thing I have not grasped from the pdf manual on the software is where do I find fleet maps and Offsets etc for Trunked systems. The Database shows the freqs and the manual says to cut and paste them, but don't you have to associate all the fleet maps with those freqs? Where does all the hex and dec data get loaded in also? if it does. I am completely confused. I will do groups that are conventional first to get up and running, then tackle the Trunked stuff. Hopefully someone out here can give me a hand. Thanks in advance.

Don

 

[ka3jjz]

Let's start here - the first link is for trunking - read the overview section (anything underlined or in blue is a link - there are a couple of articles linked in that section). The second is the 'Easier to Read' manual for the 246.

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Trunking

http://myweb.cableone.net/marksscanners/246/246.html

Since you mention copying/pasting, I'm assuming you are using the UASD. Since you are already a premium subscriber, there are 2 freeware programs that support the 246 and can download data from the web service - BCTool and FreeScan. We host FreeScan's user manual in our wiki.

http://www.bctool.org/
The beta for BCTool is very stable - it does have a few issues but is generally very good...

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/FreeScan_User_Guide
The very first line of the manual has a link to the FreeScan website

Ignore all hex codes. You can't use them. In addition, fleet maps and offsets are only used for certain kinds of trunking. Be more specific about what trunk system you are trying to program. Since you've looked in the database, supply the URL for the system. That way the answer can be tailored to your needs

73 Mike

 

[sigmachihuey]

Hi Mike,

I have purchased ARC246T software and license, and was planning on using that, since I paid for it. I will download the freeware software also. In ref to using ARC246 software. Conventional programming seemed straight forward. I created a new system call St. Louis Conv and several groups within that system. One of them was call Air to monitor Lambert Int'l Airport. I went to the database followed the link to the airport data for St. Louis Mo, highlighted the data by clicking the left mouse button and dragging over the data to highlight, hit CTRL-C and then went back to the ARC software and hit EDIT Paste Special (I chose that since the manual says to choose Paste Frequencies but that option in my version of the software is non-existant). The Frequencies appear to be pasted in the group call "Air". My problem is, if I go under a St. Louis Public Safety link and scroll to the bottom of the page, it shows all the Trunked Freqs in the St. Louis area. If I highlight and CNTL-C those frequences and all other data in the chart and paste them in a trunked group, only the Frequencies are pasted into the ARC software. No ID Tags for display or anything. It is still confusing on where to find the talk group id and fleet maps, offset, step range etc. to enter into the software. I believe I read that the freeware will import all the trunk system frequencies and put them into a system automatically through the database page, once you tell the software what to import. Sorry for being so dense, but I have read about trunking and what it requires to hear the system and still can not figure out from the manual how to get that data into the ARC software to upload into the scanner. Also it appears I have to manually type in tags to be displayed on the scanner. Is this true?

Thank you very much for your continued help.

Don
WD0CNZ

 

[ka3jjz]

Don stop making it so hard on yourself! Use the RadioReference web import to pull in the data you need. I don't have ARC246 so I can't tell you where in the menu to set up the import, but I assure you it makes working with the data a lot easier than typing it in by hand, or using copy/paste.
ARC246 is compatible with the web service, I'm sure of that.

Before you go off on a tangent, read my request again - WHAT SYSTEM are you trying to program? All you need to do is go to the database (which you already have, it seems), pull up the system you want to program, and supply the URL (at the top of the screen).

Is this the one you are trying to use (there seems to be a LOT of systems in St. Louis county...)

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=629

Assuming it is, what exactly is confusing you? This system requires no fleetmaps, no offsets, ect. It appears to be a standard Moto 800 system.

73 Mike

 

[captclint]

Don stop making it so hard on yourself! Use the RadioReference web import to pull in the data you need. I don't have ARC246 so I can't tell you where in the menu to set up the import,

....and it will generally set up those pesky parameters you are worried about, if they are needed. Click on Internet, RR, Trunked. Fill in your RR user name and PW, and then the State and county. Like Mike says, You'll like it.

 

[sigmachihuey]

Hi Mike,

I guess my confusion is with the software ARC246T which was recommend by the site to program the BC246T. The manual is not very clear on the steps to get the data into the software in prep for uploading into the scanner. If all I have to do in the software is copy the the URL from the address line in internet explorer and past it in the "general" section of the software where you set up the system name and groups etc. I will try that. My big confusion was really with the software on where to put in talk group ids etc. Copying Freqs was pretty straight forward. I am just confused with the software I guess. But if the ARC246T software is designed to pull the info in for you by just supplying the URL, the great. I will work with it tonight when the scanner arrives. Thanks to all and I will shut up now and work with things more.

Don
WD0CNZ

 

[Butelsoftware]

Open the ARC246 software manual and follow the instructions in chapter 8.

Gommert
www.butelsoftware.com

 

[sigmachihuey]

Thanks to all who helped

Well....dense as mud Don finally figured it out. I am now a master of the FreeScan software and have filled my BC246T with 53% memory used. I am now listening to St. Louis's finest and other agencies. I even edited stuff out that I did not need and uploaded all the new systems and group sucessfully. Thanks to all who were patient and helped out. I am having a ball listening. Talk at you all later. Now I am going to buy software for my new Yeasu FT60 2m/70cm dual band hand held that arrived the day before the scanner. Software is the way to go. I could not imagine having to put all these systems and groups in manually after reading the 246T manual. Ouch !!! Thanks again.

Don
WD0CNZ

 

[ka3jjz]

Don, since you are using FreeScan, we host that software's user manual in our wiki (note that like here, anything in blue and/or underlined is a link)...

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/FreeScan_User_Guide

It's about 70% done or so, and I'm working on getting it cleaned up with the changes for version .7a. Not quite there yet, but almost. There's more than enough detail there to keep you going, and remember that there's a dedicated forum on the FreeScan website to ask questions about the software if you get stuck or find a bug. 73 Mike

 

[tony6868]

I'm having a "time loop" issue with arc246 I think. The program shuts down after about 2 minutes. I also can't find how to post a new message here.