PSR 500

[milton6994]

I am a newbie with the PSR 500. I apologize if this is covered on another thread.

I ordered my unit last year with local programming from Scannermaster (Katy/Fort Bend County).

The unit works fine on conventional channels, but I am not getting the trunked systems at all.

I ordered the programming cable and read up on trunking systems, but the info is quite overwhelming.

When I look at the data for the TSYS objects (there are four) the frequencies are common to all four objects. There are four frequencies in each object. I can't seem to relate them to the frequencies in the RR TxWarn frequency table.

I am guessing I need to reprogram the frequencies, but I don't know which ones to use.

I have not called Scannermaster yet.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[jimg]

I am a newbie with the PSR 500. I apologize if this is covered on another thread.

I ordered my unit last year with local programming from Scannermaster (Katy/Fort Bend County).

The unit works fine on conventional channels, but I am not getting the trunked systems at all.

I ordered the programming cable and read up on trunking systems, but the info is quite overwhelming.

When I look at the data for the TSYS objects (there are four) the frequencies are common to all four objects. There are four frequencies in each object. I can't seem to relate them to the frequencies in the RR TxWarn frequency table.

I am guessing I need to reprogram the frequencies, but I don't know which ones to use.

I have not called Scannermaster yet.

Any help would be appreciated.

In which State are you located?

 

[milton6994]

I am in Texas (Fort Bend County).

 

[hiegtx]

I am a newbie with the PSR 500. I apologize if this is covered on another thread.

I ordered my unit last year with local programming from Scannermaster (Katy/Fort Bend County).

The unit works fine on conventional channels, but I am not getting the trunked systems at all.

I ordered the programming cable and read up on trunking systems, but the info is quite overwhelming.

When I look at the data for the TSYS objects (there are four) the frequencies are common to all four objects. There are four frequencies in each object. I can't seem to relate them to the frequencies in the RR TxWarn frequency table.

I am guessing I need to reprogram the frequencies, but I don't know which ones to use.

I have not called Scannermaster yet.

Any help would be appreciated.

I am in Texas (Fort Bend County).

Milton,

If you're trying to monitor the analog TxWARN system (this one: Texas Wide Area Radio Network (TxWARN) Motorola Trunking System, Metro Houston area, Texas - Scanner Frequencies), as opposed to the digital one (Texas Wide Area Radio Network (TxWARN) Project 25 Trunking System, Various, Texas - Scanner Frequencies), then you'd need to enter the new frequencies, as well as set the custom band plan for rebanding. The sites on the analog system have changed to new frequencies since you bought your scanner.

More on the rebanding process can be found here. Information on making the required changes via programming software can be found in this Wiki article. If you're not going to use software, see the rebanding instructions at the bottom of this page. You would need to update the frequencies to match those of the towers near you. You only need the control channel frequencies. Those are tagged with a "c" and shown in red, and an "a" and shown in blue.

For the cost of shipping the scanner back to ScannerMaster, or another dealer, for re-programming (ScannerMaster is $70, plus another $15 for return shipping, plus your cost to send it in), you'd come out much better just buying one of the software programs to do it yourself. Win500 & PSREdit500 each have a $35.00 license fee, and ARC500 is $39.95 for the basic version. You're already a Premium subscriber, so using software, you could just import the updated information.

 

[wingmaker]

If you cant get it let me know, I will help you so you can learn manually to program it, not saying software is a bad thing makes things easier. Programming it manually isnt hard once you figure it out, its actually quite easy. All the above from hiegtx is good info, but if you cant figure it out let me or others know and we will help you out I see you got 2 tower sites in your county for the Clodine site the freqs are 853.925 primary control and 852.9625 as the alternate. For Missouri City the freqs are 852.675...857.9625...860.9625 as the Primary Control and 853.175 as the alternate. LOVE AND BLESSINGS

 

[milton6994]

Thanks!

Thanks hiegtx and wingmaker for all the good information.

I did purchase the ARC500 software when I purchased the cable and have used it to make some programming changes.

Wingmaker, you mentioned the control channels for two towers in my area. Do they all go into the same table? Will I need a different TSYS object for digital and analog?

Hiegtx, I would like to be able to monitor both the analog and digital Txwarn systems as it appears that there isn't much overlap in the agencies that use them, i.e. KATY PD is on one but not the other, and the Harris County Sheriff's Dept. appears to be on both.

Since I currently have 4 TSYS objects that apparently are not functional should I delete them and start from scratch?

 

[SquierStrat]

I am a newbie with the PSR 500. I apologize if this is covered on another thread.

I ordered my unit last year with local programming from Scannermaster (Katy/Fort Bend County).

The unit works fine on conventional channels, but I am not getting the trunked systems at all.

I ordered the programming cable and read up on trunking systems, but the info is quite overwhelming.

When I look at the data for the TSYS objects (there are four) the frequencies are common to all four objects. There are four frequencies in each object. I can't seem to relate them to the frequencies in the RR TxWarn frequency table.

I am guessing I need to reprogram the frequencies, but I don't know which ones to use.

I have not called Scannermaster yet.

Any help would be appreciated.

So you bought the psr 500 from scannermaster, and you had to buy a programming cable separately?? if so, they ripped you off. That scanner is supposed to come with the programming cable in the box...

 

[hiegtx]

Thanks hiegtx and wingmaker for all the good information.

I did purchase the ARC500 software when I purchased the cable and have used it to make some programming changes.

Wingmaker, you mentioned the control channels for two towers in my area. Do they all go into the same table? Will I need a different TSYS object for digital and analog?

Hiegtx, I would like to be able to monitor both the analog and digital Txwarn systems as it appears that there isn't much overlap in the agencies that use them, i.e. KATY PD is on one but not the other, and the Harris County Sheriff's Dept. appears to be on both.

Since I currently have 4 TSYS objects that apparently are not functional should I delete them and start from scratch?

Milton,

The analog system and the digital version of TxWARN would need to be on separate TSYS objects, as the system types are different. However, for the analog system, you can put the frequencies for more than one tower in on TSYS object. Each TSYS can have up to 32 frequencies, and a given tower would have no more than 4 control channels (primary and alternates combined). You do not need to have a separate TSYS object for each tower site. Instead, put the frequencies into one TSYS, along with the talkgroups that interest you. You can use the multi-site feature so that the scanner will check the control channels from the different towers. See this section of the "Easier to Read" online manual.

For the digital TxWARN P25 system, it appears that Fort Bend County has a simulcast site, which is several tower sites, all using the same frequencies. Create a new TSYS object for it (if you haven't already). You can also add the frequencies, for additional sites in areas close to you, or where you frequently go, such as one or more of the Harris County sites. And, of course, add (or import) your talkgroups of interest on the digital system.

As far as your "extra" TSYS objects, if you're not using them, then you could delete them, since you can import the correct information, for both systems, in two separate objects.

 

[milton6994]

Awesome, heigtx! That gives me quite a bit with which to work.

I'll let you know how it goes.