Redmond Scanning Issues

[JPFlash]

Hey,

I just recently got a Radio Shack PRO-528 scanner for my birthday. I took it down to the local Redmond Radio Shack and had the local frequencies programmed in for me. I just seem to be getting a whole lot of nothing coming up on the scanner. I was really hoping to get in on the police/fire action that goes on around here. It seems a little curious that a fleet of fire trucks will scream down the road nearby and I won't get so much as a peep from the scanner. I have checked the settings on my scanner and everything checks out and I get the occasional chatter. I would just guess that I don't have the best frequencies or talkgroups programmed in. Would anyone happen to know if the Redmond/Seattle area PD/FD has switched to digital? (Which would explain the lack of activity...) Or is it that I just don't have the best frequencies?

If anyone out there has a PRO-528, would you tell me how to program in the talkgroups/trunk frequencies? I have tried, but it asks what type (Motorola Type II 800MHz, Hybrid, EDACS, etc.) and I have no idea what those are and which to choose.

I appreciate any help or insight. Thanks for your time.

JPFlash

 

[Mick]

It appears that your county is only analog at:
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&sid=604

 

[Stavro35]

Hello and greetings from Bainbridge island. The Seattle King county trunked system is a motorola type II system . You need only program the control channel frequencies to monitor the system . And make sure you're radio is set for motorola trunking. Then you have to follow the steps to program in the talkgroups. I believe your radio isn't capable of montitoring conventional and trunked systems at the same time. .I urge you to upgrade to a Pro97 in the very near future. Until then,contact me via the private message system here.I'll help you if I can.

 

[lowboy654]

Hey,

I just recently got a Radio Shack PRO-528 scanner for my birthday. I took it down to the local Redmond Radio Shack and had the local frequencies programmed in for me. I just seem to be getting a whole lot of nothing coming up on the scanner. I was really hoping to get in on the police/fire action that goes on around here. It seems a little curious that a fleet of fire trucks will scream down the road nearby and I won't get so much as a peep from the scanner. I have checked the settings on my scanner and everything checks out and I get the occasional chatter. I would just guess that I don't have the best frequencies or talkgroups programmed in. Would anyone happen to know if the Redmond/Seattle area PD/FD has switched to digital? (Which would explain the lack of activity...) Or is it that I just don't have the best frequencies?

If anyone out there has a PRO-528, would you tell me how to program in the talkgroups/trunk frequencies? I have tried, but it asks what type (Motorola Type II 800MHz, Hybrid, EDACS, etc.) and I have no idea what those are and which to choose.

I appreciate any help or insight. Thanks for your time.

JPFlash

Happy birthday and welcome to the forum, I would not let radio shack program any thing for me they use scancat to program your scanner and now days they just want to sale cell phones and my best guess what they programed for you is all junk I live up in Stanwood and have been to just about every Radio shack from Everett to about 40 miles north of where I live, I have not used a pro-528 and if you are new to scanners I would think that a 97 or a 2055 would be a better beat for you. I will keep my eye here and see what kind of help that I can give you trunking scanners can be a pain in the butt and a lot of fun at the same time.

 

[JPFlash]

Upgrade

Ok, so I've noticed that not a whole lot of people have, or have used, the PRO-528. Also, it was recommended that I upgrade to the PRO-97. I went down to Radio Shack today and exchanged the 528 for the 97 and had it programmed (just to get it running). I will see what happens...

 

[JPFlash]

Oops, maybe?

So, getting the PRO-97 may have been jumping the gun a little. I should have done a little more reading beforehand. I didn't realize that there was a technology change underway. I guess the PRO-528 supported rebanding, but the PRO-97 does not. I must admit, I like the readouts on the PRO-97, but I don't want to get stuck with an expensive brick when the change happens.

So here's what I can determine: the PRO-528 is fitted for the future, but has less support (groups, users, etc). The PRO-97 does not seem as if it will last long (rebanding), but tons of people know it and use it (and can help me with it). I am just so torn now. All I want is something that works and will last. Any thoughts?

 

[SouthSoundScanner]

I'm gonna guesstimate 3 years before rebanding gets to our area.

Here is info on rebanding.... http://www.region43.org/

 

[lowboy654]

I'm gonna guesstimate 3 years before rebanding gets to our area.

Here is info on rebanding.... http://www.region43.org/

If not longer Canada will have to sign off for rebanding to even work in our area and thats a long way off.

 

[tmfok7]

JP.... I too just recently purchased a Pro-97 and with the info I have read prior, understood that the Pro-97 should be able to be upgraded to handle the re-banding.

So after reading your note in the thread, I went and did some looking elsewhere in the site. I found a thread discussion regarding some of the scanners that may or may not be able to handle the change. I found one from a user who had sent a note to radio shack and he posted the response. Basically their response is that they believe, at that time, the 97 can be up-graded to handle the re-band. I wish I would have cut the link to post it here but just do a search for "Pro-97 rebanding" in the search window on this site and it is from the GRE user group. Check it out and hope it helps you keep the faith that you didn't make the wrong choice. I know I'm hoping I didn't!

P.S. Which CC did you/they program in to listen to Redmond? I live in Issaquah and have Redmond programmed in my Pro-97 and BC-T15 as they come to Issaquah often to book their prisoners into the Issaquah jail.

tmf...

 

[lowboy654]

Here is the link to what radio shack has to say about rebanding and there scanners.
http://www.radioshack.com/uc/index.jsp?page=researchLibraryArticle&articleUrl=..%2Fgraphics%2Fuc%2Frsk%2FResearchLibrary%2FBuyersGuides%2Fresearch%2FScanners12.html

now the 97 will not trunk scan right in this area after rebanding and that is a simple fact, the only thing that will fix that is a CPU change and at this point radio shack has not said a word about offering a CPU change, the last time that they did a CPU change to the scanners that they sale was years ago and that was $ 50.00 plus shipping you send it to them and they send it back, and like I said until the people north of us get on board with rebanding it just will not happen in this area for years, the FCC makes the rules for us in the U.S.A. and Canada make there own rules as far as radio communication. so read what radio shack has posted on line and this has been said a 1000 times over untill rebanding happens in your area NO ONE KNOWS for sure what modifaction will have to be done to our scanners for them to work with the rebanding thing.

 

[tmfok7]

The post I read was from 2005. Guess I should have researched it further! If I would have known that for certain, I wouldn't have bought the 97!

 

[JPFlash]

I am just such a noob it is pathetic. I don't even know what CC means, Control Channel? If you are asking what frequency they put in for the Redmond PD, I have 460.0500. I don't seem to get any hits on it though. I just had Radio Shack use their ScanCat Lite program to get everything in. If you want, I can make a digital scan of the frequency list they gave me and I can post a link to it on here.

It is interesting though, for the frequencies named WSP (which I would assume means Washington State Patrol) all I ever pick up is loud static bursts. It's kind of a bummer, because if that is what it stands for, I wanna hear what's going on!

By the way, thanks to the both of you for all the info about rebanding. I just grew tired about worrying, so I stuck with the 97. I figure I will get the next best thing when the time comes (if I even need to). The 97 has all I will ever need and more, with tons of people who know how to help me with it!

Anyways, let me know if you want me to post that list. I should diff it with what is listed here and see what I get.

 

[tmfok7]

JP.... Apparently they haven't updated their frequency list or haven't heard that they moved from UHF to 800 Mhz! Read your manual on Trunking, and "yes" CC means Control Channel, and enter the frequency 851.8125. The talkgroups for Redmond are 18544-PD Primary, 18384- Tac 2, 18416-Tac/Car-Car, 18512- Traffic. I was just in Redmond this afternoon and that site works real well overthere. Another Control Channel you can try is 868.775. Enter one in the Channel 1 position and the other in the Channel 2 position and see which one works best for you!

Also... for WSP (State Patrol) they use 154.680 and 155.580 in the Seattle area with a CTCSS tone of 100.0. Those should be easy for you to hear as they are repeated also.

For more, go to the Database tab at the top and then click on "Washington". Once that opens, I'm sure you kind find more of what you might want from there!

 

[JPFlash]

Hey man, I really appreciate the info. Those frequencies are actually on the list, they are just labeled under the lists Eastside TNK and Valley TNK 1. I will just have to do a little bit of reading on how to get the most out of them and figure out the trunking and talkgroups. Thanks again!

 

[AtomicTaco]

Hi,
I'm having similar issues. I'd like to program my PRO-97 (also a birthday gift ) but I don't know where to start. I've seen the talkgroup IDs on this page along with some frequencies listed. I don't even know where to start. I've got the (severly overpriced) USB cable from Radio Shack and the trial version of Win97. The scanner communicates with the PC perfectly.

I'm in South King County Auburn/Federal Way area. I'm in unincorperated KingCo right now; I'm mostly interested in listening to: South King Fire, FedWy SD Transportation (the frequency isn't listed though), KingCo Sherrif, and many of the other agencies listed.

I guess I know how to program the frequencies in, but I don't know what I do with fleet IDs.

 

[AuntBee09]

I guess I know how to program the frequencies in, but I don't know what I do with fleet IDs.

i don't think you need to do anything with the fleet IDs (at least for king county emergency services).

 

[AtomicTaco]

I guess I know how to program the frequencies in, but I don't know what I do with fleet IDs.

i don't think you need to do anything with the fleet IDs (at least for king county emergency services).

I thought they were trunked.

 

[tmfok7]

They are trunked! You just don't have to do fleet id's. Just follow this to start your programming for the Pro 97. MAN, 000 for the channel and then MAN again. Then push the PGM button, a Control Channel frequency like 851.8125, then ENT. Depress the MODE button until you see MO appear in the upper left corner next to the channel number. It would look like this (P000MO) or say you pick 200, then it would be (P200MO) then press the SCAN button and you can listen to all the traffic on the system. Read your manual on Trunking for entering Talkgroups (and you can get those from the DATABASE section here at the top of this page) and how to OPEN and CLOSE the banks depending on whether you want to listen to everything or just the Talkgroups that you enter. If the 851.8125 frequency does not work well for you, and since you are in the south part of the county, you can also try 860.2625 or 860.7125. These are both Control Channels listed for McDonald Mt. down by Kangley. Good Luck and Happy Scanning!

 

[AtomicTaco]

They are trunked! You just don't have to do fleet id's. Just follow this to start your programming for the Pro 97. MAN, 000 for the channel and then MAN again. Then push the PGM button, a Control Channel frequency like 851.8125, then ENT. Depress the MODE button until you see MO appear in the upper left corner next to the channel number. It would look like this (P000MO) or say you pick 200, then it would be (P200MO) then press the SCAN button and you can listen to all the traffic on the system. Read your manual on Trunking for entering Talkgroups (and you can get those from the DATABASE section here at the top of this page) and how to OPEN and CLOSE the banks depending on whether you want to listen to everything or just the Talkgroups that you enter. If the 851.8125 frequency does not work well for you, and since you are in the south part of the county, you can also try 860.2625 or 860.7125. These are both Control Channels listed for McDonald Mt. down by Kangley. Good Luck and Happy Scanning!

I've got the control channels programmed in perfectly. 851.8125 is in Bank 0 Chanel 04. I've got it on Motorola Mode. The second bar says pri att DLY LO-/ and the fourth line says MOT: and rotates between Control xx%, Sys-3D1C xx%, and a 5 digit number (which I assume is a talkgroup). Regardless of the squelch level, I hear some sort of noise, but not the normal rush noise on a dead channel. I assume I've done everything correctly so far.
According to the manual I need to press [PGM] [TRUNK] (select a location if necessary) enter the ID, and press Enter. I punched in 30576 (as found here. Maybe I'm using the wrong ID? I tried 30672 from here but I get the same "noise." The top line says ID Bank 0-0 OFF so maybe the problem is that something is off? I don't know what's off or how I turn it on. Second line reads Motorola TGID #xx depending on which ID I'm on; third has the talk group ID I programmed in.
To return to the above screen I've found I need to press [FCN] [TRUNK] but the "noise" stays there no matter if I'm in this trunking(?) mode or not.

 

[SouthSoundScanner]

"I've got the control channels programmed in perfectly. 851.8125 is in Bank 0 Chanel 04. I've got it on Motorola Mode. The second bar says pri att DLY LO-/"

Looks like you have the channel Locked Out. Unlock it and aee what happens.