Question on setting up FTL system

[cbrookhart]

I attempted to setup the FTL radio system in my scanner (bc250D). I currently have the primary system frequencies setup as a type 2 800 using plan 2 control channel mode only. In another bank, I have the site 3 frequencies (Hollywood) setup the same way. I put in the system frequencies for FTL and then referring to the BC250D user manual, I thought that based on how the last three digits of the frequencies were, that I should again use plan 2 control channel only mode.

I proceeded to setup the talkgroups and then get everything programmed into the scanner. When the scanner stopped on an active talkgroup, all I was hearing was just static and not voice.

Did I not setup the radio system correctly? Am I not hearing anything because I am too far away from the transmitting source?

 

[Bote]

Is the "static" that you are hearing actually Hollywood's digital voice transmission?

The Fort Lauderdale system is all analog, although I am told that they have a handful of repeaters that are capable of digital voice.

If you want to cut directly to a working scanner, just bang in all the system frequencies and you won't have to figure out the bandplan. That's what I did on my BC780.

Bote

 

[cbrookhart]

Initially, I had the primary site frequencies programmed into bank 7 of my scanner (site 1). In bank 8, I programmed in the primary frequencies for site 3. I went back and programmed in the primary frequencies for site 4 - Ft. Lauderdale system.

With that setup, the scanner would periodically stop on a frequency and when I looked at the bank label, it was either the Ft. Lauderdale frequency or the Hollywood Frequency where there would be static. I have to press the scan button again to get it off the static.

I never did hear any transmissions so I don't know if it was due to the fact that I was too far away to hear anything for Ft. Lauderdale or because of the fact that I used the control channel only, type 2 plan. I took out the Ft. Lauderdale frequencies for the time being, but now the scanner periodically stops on a Hollywood frequency and there is just static.

 

[Bote]

They are nothing more than analog repeaters. Program each frequency in the system into a bank as conventional frequencies. You should definitely hear voice activity that way, in order to verify that you can receive the desired system.

Once you are sure that you can hear it, then program the 4 control channels and see how that goes.

Dismiss the perception that Broward County has one big, happy system. It does not, despite what the database indicates. Fort Lauderdale is effectively one system unto itself, as are Hollywood and Deerfield Beach. Yeah, yeah, they share talkgroups and a zone controller, but treat them as separate systems as you are doing and your life will be simpler.

It is likely that you will be able to hear the FTL system and not Hollywood, or vice versa depending on where you are located.

Also, the fact that you say you hear noise until you hit Scan tells me that you have your squelch open; when the scanner gets a channel grant and computes the incorrect channel it sits there listening to a bunch of nothing. You might want to close your squelch so that it scans for active control channels quicker. Of course, once you get the correct channel plan or program all the frequencies for the desired system this problem will vanish.

 

[Bote]

Also, with the screwy control channel plan scheme of the BC780 I found that if I had chosen the incorrect plan, tuning the scanner to the control channel would NOT display proper talkgroup activity. Instead it would occasionally display bogus individual call ids.

Once I programmed the correct plan it displayed the current activity while sitting on the control channel, and received everything as expected.

You might consider this while getting control channel mode working.