boatbod
Member
Talbot and Caroline are indeed rebanded 800 for the time being. Talbot is scheduled to switch to FiRST next month and Caroline is too, but no date has been proposed yet.
Queen Anne frequencies
- Thread starter nohomepatrol
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If i was you I would get the Uniden BCD996P2. If you get the Whistler 1095 you will be forced to use EZ Scan for programming the the Whistler unit only. With a Uniden you have a choice of what software programming you want to use. Also with the Whistler you will have trouble getting your computer to recognize the unit even after you install the driver for it. It can be programmed by zip codes as well which I hate because I might want to enter a system not right next door to my zip code. I even had to have a tech call me from Whistler about programming issues and still not happy with the unit. The Uniden BCD996P2 will receive the same as the Whistler but is cheaper also. Never again will I use a Whistler its that bad!
easternshore
Member
Thanks for responding motorcoachdog.. i have already ordered the 1095.. it will be here tomorrow sat.. i have done alot of research on the 1095.. seems like alot of the problem is people are plugging the scanner in first turning it on before downloading ezscan programming firmware and updates then problems begin... another problem people with windows 10 are having troubles also with whistlers..believe me. The undens also are having there share of problems.. all you have to do is look at the uniden forums..will update the forum if i have a problem with it...thanks again
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
Actually, for the 1095, it appears you want to install the scanner's driver FIRST, then the cable, then EZ-Scan
You can get the driver, if you don't have it, from the Whistler support page...
https://whistlergroup.com/collections/scanner-downloads
As you suggest, following the correct sequence of steps is vital to getting everything talking. Do that before you think about firmware and programming, and it appears that you'll be good to go...Mike
You can get the driver, if you don't have it, from the Whistler support page...
https://whistlergroup.com/collections/scanner-downloads
As you suggest, following the correct sequence of steps is vital to getting everything talking. Do that before you think about firmware and programming, and it appears that you'll be good to go...Mike
easternshore
Member
1095
thanks for the quick reply mike, are you thinking like me and uninstalling the ez scan that I have already down loaded to my pc, and start over by installing driver first then cable then downloading ez scan again or no?
thanks for the quick reply mike, are you thinking like me and uninstalling the ez scan that I have already down loaded to my pc, and start over by installing driver first then cable then downloading ez scan again or no?
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
I would, and I would let a utility like CCleaner do it...Mike
easternshore
Member
Do i have to use cc cleaner?
baybum
Member
No, you don't have to do anything that drastic to your whole PC. You can remove/uninstall the driver via "device manager".
I think the OP is asking should he uninstall EZ-Scan that he downloaded, and then used cc cleaner to tidy things up. I'd be careful about cc cleaner or similar programs; they generally are not necessary anymore, at least with software from reputable companies. cc Cleaner et al can do some unintended things, and leave weird artifacts and orphans scattered about.
What I would do is leave EZ-Scan installed (but not running,) then install the driver, then plug in the scanner to see if the com port is recognized and the proper driver is associated with it with Device Manager. If it is, then run EZ-Scan and configure it to the proper com port. Then you can update the scanner's firmware(s) if needed. But there's nothing wrong with uninstalling EZ-Scan, it just might not be necessary.
What I would do is leave EZ-Scan installed (but not running,) then install the driver, then plug in the scanner to see if the com port is recognized and the proper driver is associated with it with Device Manager. If it is, then run EZ-Scan and configure it to the proper com port. Then you can update the scanner's firmware(s) if needed. But there's nothing wrong with uninstalling EZ-Scan, it just might not be necessary.
easternshore
Member
sound good, I will get back tomorrow after giving it a whirl at setting it up, hopefully will have some luck with it...
easternshore
Member
Got the 1095 today.. went ahead and put driver in then ezscan.. did not plug power cord in until i was done with ezscan.. then pluged cord in.. from there used zip code and then state and county and so on..went very smooth.. also updated firmware that has drm now.. as long as my area dosent go to pro voice should be good.. I want to thank the people who got back to me on this forum which is great... ps, whistler needs to put in the box a detailed start up guide. For dummys like me...
Is anyone monitoring the Queen Anne's county activity, specifically MSP -S (Centreville) Barrack? It seems so sporadic. I hear normal routine dialog for a few hours, then I hear a few hours of nothing. I know they don't take coffee breaks that long. =-) I'll see activity on the highway before arriving home, with no evidence (recorded) transmissions for that period of time. What might be going on when I hear nothing for hours on end, and I've touched nothing on the unit? Every once in a while (hours) I'll hear someone say they've arrived on scene and others are arriving. Yet, no dispatch was ever heard on my end beforehand. I have a full 4 or 5 bars on the scan and see the scanning between local sites. Maybe I'm missing something on the newer Phase 2 system.
Where are you monitoring it from? Is MSP Centreville is still up on the old UMESC system? If so, you could compare both systems
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troymail
Silent Key
I drove through the area yesterday - last night specifically (4-5pm) - Centreville was incredibly busy doing traffic stops on 301 - one after another. Half the barrack must have been on duty and it sounded like they must have stopped every other vehicle..... I have to look back at my recordings but I suspect most of the activity was on the FiRST Queen Anne's site.
Earlier in the day, I was hearing MSP Berlin the Dorchester site. As I got east of Salisbury, I heard traffic stops in Worcester County that I came across on Rt 50 a bit later.
To contrast, when I drove down I-95 a few weeks ago, Virginia State Police were stopping vehicles and I never heard anything (I think they do more on their in vehicle terminals vs. calling out over the radio - and people are worried about encryption....)
Make sure your radio is receiving the Queen Anne's site (and not stuck on some other site - i.e. Talbot). And again, keep in mind that while the UES system was generally "live" and carried traffic for all three counties (all of the time?) and could be heard from at least 1 more county (or more) in all directions, traffic on FiRST will only be heard on sites where a real user radio is affiliated with that site and switched to that talkgroup (generally) and with only some exceptions, only in the footprint of coverage intended for that site.
Also, keep in mind that the way "patches" between systems are set up these days, you probably won't hear activity on the old system too much unless there is a real user radio actually on that talkgroup. It was a holiday and slow but I heard little to nothing on UES yesterday - and most of what I heard was Talbot County.
Most of the activity is/should be on FiRST since that is their primary system now - essentially from the Baltimore Beltway to Anne Arundel County and everything east. Unless units are passing through from out of the shore area, given everything over there (Kent, QA, Caroline and soon Talbot - next month?), it should be nearly 100% on FiRST soon.
Earlier in the day, I was hearing MSP Berlin the Dorchester site. As I got east of Salisbury, I heard traffic stops in Worcester County that I came across on Rt 50 a bit later.
To contrast, when I drove down I-95 a few weeks ago, Virginia State Police were stopping vehicles and I never heard anything (I think they do more on their in vehicle terminals vs. calling out over the radio - and people are worried about encryption....)
Make sure your radio is receiving the Queen Anne's site (and not stuck on some other site - i.e. Talbot). And again, keep in mind that while the UES system was generally "live" and carried traffic for all three counties (all of the time?) and could be heard from at least 1 more county (or more) in all directions, traffic on FiRST will only be heard on sites where a real user radio is affiliated with that site and switched to that talkgroup (generally) and with only some exceptions, only in the footprint of coverage intended for that site.
Also, keep in mind that the way "patches" between systems are set up these days, you probably won't hear activity on the old system too much unless there is a real user radio actually on that talkgroup. It was a holiday and slow but I heard little to nothing on UES yesterday - and most of what I heard was Talbot County.
Most of the activity is/should be on FiRST since that is their primary system now - essentially from the Baltimore Beltway to Anne Arundel County and everything east. Unless units are passing through from out of the shore area, given everything over there (Kent, QA, Caroline and soon Talbot - next month?), it should be nearly 100% on FiRST soon.
The MSP-S radio traffic that I heard was pretty heavy Monday morning, but the afternoon was nearly dead. I see this often, and sporadically, which is why I was wondering if I'm doing something wrong on my end. I am near the Rt 50/301 split, around Wye Island. I am less than 10 miles from Talbot and St. Michaels, the way the crow files.
I am a newbie to Phase 2 scanning. Perhaps I have set this up incorrectly, since I had seen earlier posts that mentioned hearing QA Co sheriff on Greenbury Pt or AA county sites, for example. So, I made sure I have the sites that are local to this area included. Specifically Queen Anne, Greenbury Pt, Talbot, and Matapeake. For some reason, I thought a transmission near Rt 404/50, for example, might be triggered on the Talbot site; similarly with radio traffic occurring near the Bay Bridge being triggered on Matapeake and Greenbury Pt, being the ones in that proximity.
If I correctly interpret some of the comments above, I should only have that Queen Anne site scanned for QA Co sheriff and MSP-Centreville? If so, that leaves me wondering what the close sites, such as Matapeake and Greenbury Pt (about 4 miles west of that) are for. They shouldn't be scanned as "back-ups" to ensure no radio traffic is missed?
I appreciate the guidance.
I am a newbie to Phase 2 scanning. Perhaps I have set this up incorrectly, since I had seen earlier posts that mentioned hearing QA Co sheriff on Greenbury Pt or AA county sites, for example. So, I made sure I have the sites that are local to this area included. Specifically Queen Anne, Greenbury Pt, Talbot, and Matapeake. For some reason, I thought a transmission near Rt 404/50, for example, might be triggered on the Talbot site; similarly with radio traffic occurring near the Bay Bridge being triggered on Matapeake and Greenbury Pt, being the ones in that proximity.
If I correctly interpret some of the comments above, I should only have that Queen Anne site scanned for QA Co sheriff and MSP-Centreville? If so, that leaves me wondering what the close sites, such as Matapeake and Greenbury Pt (about 4 miles west of that) are for. They shouldn't be scanned as "back-ups" to ensure no radio traffic is missed?
I appreciate the guidance.
troymail
Silent Key
It's not so much a Phase 2 thing - more the fact that the FiRST system is split up into "cells" - most of which map to a county. UES was a single "site" 3 county system which meant you could hear everything on the system anywhere you could receive the system.
Most talkgroups on new systems like FiRST will depend on where units are and which site their radio "affilates" with (with some exceptions).
I've often believed that as people started monitoring these newer systems, they would start thinking their radio is broken because we're used to hearing everything everywhere. Those days are gone for the most part. Reception of certain talkgroups will "come and go" on sites "around" the normal area. For example, we can hear Queen Anne's fire and police as well as Caroline many times on the Anne Arundel site. It could be that these talkgroups are being "forced" onto the Anne Arundel site for a while to allow techs to monitor usage since it's still new. It could also be that some units are affiliating (at lesat in the Queen Anne's case) with the Anne Arundel site. QA EMS transports to Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis all the time so their radios will "light up" the AA site (even if the activity isn't being forced).
Early on, reception near 50/301 was spotty - at least for scanners. Since Centreville covers Queen Anne and Kent, you should be able to hear Centreville on the Queen Anne's site nearly full time. Most likely, the Kent site should carry Centreville nearly full time as well. I suspect, with the possible exception (maybe) of Matapeake, all other sites will be hit and miss depending upon user radio affiliation with other sites (or system managers forcing the talkgroup to be active on any given site).
Which radio are you using?
Most talkgroups on new systems like FiRST will depend on where units are and which site their radio "affilates" with (with some exceptions).
I've often believed that as people started monitoring these newer systems, they would start thinking their radio is broken because we're used to hearing everything everywhere. Those days are gone for the most part. Reception of certain talkgroups will "come and go" on sites "around" the normal area. For example, we can hear Queen Anne's fire and police as well as Caroline many times on the Anne Arundel site. It could be that these talkgroups are being "forced" onto the Anne Arundel site for a while to allow techs to monitor usage since it's still new. It could also be that some units are affiliating (at lesat in the Queen Anne's case) with the Anne Arundel site. QA EMS transports to Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis all the time so their radios will "light up" the AA site (even if the activity isn't being forced).
Early on, reception near 50/301 was spotty - at least for scanners. Since Centreville covers Queen Anne and Kent, you should be able to hear Centreville on the Queen Anne's site nearly full time. Most likely, the Kent site should carry Centreville nearly full time as well. I suspect, with the possible exception (maybe) of Matapeake, all other sites will be hit and miss depending upon user radio affiliation with other sites (or system managers forcing the talkgroup to be active on any given site).
Which radio are you using?
troymail
Silent Key
I just looked back through the thread - HP-2, right?
Assuming it's like the x36 as far as programming, there are various options for configuration using quick keys. You can probably create either separate favorites lists for each site and/or assign quick keys to each site. What I would do is probably start with programming such that ONLY the Queen Anne's site is active and being scanned. I'd want to see pretty solid indication that the control channel is being processed well (on my x36 radios that means I see "DAT" when no one is talking). It's fairly normal for this to blink on and off. To ensure I'm getting SOLID reception, I would set the HOLD time from the default ZERO to it's max - probably 255. Once you do that, the "DAT" symbol (on the x36) should be SOLID and not blink at all. If it's blinking, you're not getting good reception. If you're using the stock or other portable antenna, you'll need to move it around and find a good spot. P25 - even more so with Phase 2 - and simulcast make it much more difficult to receive FiRST than UES.
Assuming it's like the x36 as far as programming, there are various options for configuration using quick keys. You can probably create either separate favorites lists for each site and/or assign quick keys to each site. What I would do is probably start with programming such that ONLY the Queen Anne's site is active and being scanned. I'd want to see pretty solid indication that the control channel is being processed well (on my x36 radios that means I see "DAT" when no one is talking). It's fairly normal for this to blink on and off. To ensure I'm getting SOLID reception, I would set the HOLD time from the default ZERO to it's max - probably 255. Once you do that, the "DAT" symbol (on the x36) should be SOLID and not blink at all. If it's blinking, you're not getting good reception. If you're using the stock or other portable antenna, you'll need to move it around and find a good spot. P25 - even more so with Phase 2 - and simulcast make it much more difficult to receive FiRST than UES.
Thanks! I sure miss the old system; easy to hear what I wanted with fairly great clarity. I'm using BCD436HP's...2 of them. To simplify things and eliminate unwanted scannings, I've actually loaded the entire FIRST system in Sentinel, then removed everything except those sites I mentioned, and set only 7328 as the single MSP ID to scan. I set everything as QK1 at the system level. Then I do the same thing, but set only 11313 as QA Co sheriff, setting everything as QK 2. (I know, what a waste of 2 radios). I do this with both radios to experiment, turning off QK 1 on one unit, and QK 2 on the other.
Then I reverse the QK activations to see if the radios act differently. It should be easy to scan the single TGID across the sites. I've even placed the channel on hold during the middle of a transmission, thinking I've got it locked in, only to be amazed at the hours of silence. In fact, I'm doing that at this very moment to confirm.
I just put the channel on hold during a transmission. I see NFM steadily, DAT appearing steadily on with a very short blink off, and Matapeake appearing in the second window. PT0 or PT1 appears next to NFM during transmissions. BTW, I have used the stock antenna and the RS-800, with similar results.
Anyway, I will try your suggestion and scan only the Queen Anne site to see if that works. I'm now back to single ID scanning and interestingly Matapeake is the hit I am currently seeing as it scans, followed by Talbot. This is all very new to me and quite interesting. Thanks for your input; it's helps me understand this better.
Then I reverse the QK activations to see if the radios act differently. It should be easy to scan the single TGID across the sites. I've even placed the channel on hold during the middle of a transmission, thinking I've got it locked in, only to be amazed at the hours of silence. In fact, I'm doing that at this very moment to confirm.
I just put the channel on hold during a transmission. I see NFM steadily, DAT appearing steadily on with a very short blink off, and Matapeake appearing in the second window. PT0 or PT1 appears next to NFM during transmissions. BTW, I have used the stock antenna and the RS-800, with similar results.
Anyway, I will try your suggestion and scan only the Queen Anne site to see if that works. I'm now back to single ID scanning and interestingly Matapeake is the hit I am currently seeing as it scans, followed by Talbot. This is all very new to me and quite interesting. Thanks for your input; it's helps me understand this better.
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