I recently purchased a uniden BCD996XT digital scanner and programmed it for the Saratoga County digital system using the radio reference import option via freescan software. I cannot pick up any signals on the system. I've searched high and low and have seen others with this problem but no answer as to what the problem is, can anyone help? I paid way too much for the scanner for it not to work.
Saratoga County P25 with Uniden BCD996XT Help
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lafd55
Member
Why don't you use the SEARCH function and find the post about Saratoga's TRS....
First of all, do you hear *anything* at all?
If not, then you might not be receiving at all, and not just having simulcast distortion issues.
Simulcast distortion has nothing to do with DVSI licensing - it has to do with the design of the receiver. Actual p25 radios have different types of receivers (better)!than scanners.
There is a wiki entry article on it.
Some people (around the country, not in Saratoga specifically) seem to report the new Uniden x36 series does a better job on simulcast p25
If not, then you might not be receiving at all, and not just having simulcast distortion issues.
Simulcast distortion has nothing to do with DVSI licensing - it has to do with the design of the receiver. Actual p25 radios have different types of receivers (better)!than scanners.
There is a wiki entry article on it.
Some people (around the country, not in Saratoga specifically) seem to report the new Uniden x36 series does a better job on simulcast p25
lafd55
Member
Also in a Nutshell, Saratoga's TRS is difficult to scan, you either hear it or you don't. It's not like Colonie's where you can hear it fine in Mechanicville.
Saratoga is something like 7 simulcast sites and Colonie is only 2, so the simulcast overlap is probably a lot less severe with Colonie.
chrismol1
P25 TruCking!
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as you've said before scanners are not patented commercial public safety radios. Saratoga county is operating the motorola brand. anyone can build a digital transceiver including boafeng.
Uniden & other scanner manufactures continuing their forward progress resolving this and many more issues as updates are released. This is the bottom line to all the saratoga county p25 questions as asked. The answer is the near future. Theres plenty more threads discussing mostly the same thing. yes use search
Uniden & other scanner manufactures continuing their forward progress resolving this and many more issues as updates are released. This is the bottom line to all the saratoga county p25 questions as asked. The answer is the near future. Theres plenty more threads discussing mostly the same thing. yes use search
bws, just curious where you are located and what your antenna setup is.
I can't offer you a ton of technical expertise bws. I'd bet 95% of the people in this forum forgot more about p25 systems before breakfast this morning than I know. I can only share my personal experiences.
I'm in Schenectady in an apartment. I use my HP-1 to listen to the Saratoga system. I've also listened to it on my Pro-197 but have actually had better results with the HP-1. I've tried a Radio Shack mobile antenna grounded in my apartment. I've tried a Radio Shack 20-176 ground plane hanging from the ceiling. I've tried a few other antennas including the Radio Shack 800mhz duck and that is the only antenna that will reliably pick up the system from where I am. Believe it or not, I have the RS 800 hanging from the ceiling and I ran a short line of coax to my scanner. I used the system analyzer on the HP and found basically the one spot in my apartment that I can mount the antenna and actually pick it up. I'm getting a weak signal on the south simulcast but most of the time I can pick up a lot of activity. I really had to play with it to get it to work here.
I can also tell you that I've listened to it at my parent's house in Charlton and my sister's in Milton and seem to get better results at my parents.
I'm not that familiar with the antenna you mention nor how it operates on 800mhz. The one thing that I have learned about the Saratoga system is not to assume you can just plug in your scanner and listen. Sorry I can't offer anything more technical than that.
I'm in Schenectady in an apartment. I use my HP-1 to listen to the Saratoga system. I've also listened to it on my Pro-197 but have actually had better results with the HP-1. I've tried a Radio Shack mobile antenna grounded in my apartment. I've tried a Radio Shack 20-176 ground plane hanging from the ceiling. I've tried a few other antennas including the Radio Shack 800mhz duck and that is the only antenna that will reliably pick up the system from where I am. Believe it or not, I have the RS 800 hanging from the ceiling and I ran a short line of coax to my scanner. I used the system analyzer on the HP and found basically the one spot in my apartment that I can mount the antenna and actually pick it up. I'm getting a weak signal on the south simulcast but most of the time I can pick up a lot of activity. I really had to play with it to get it to work here.
I can also tell you that I've listened to it at my parent's house in Charlton and my sister's in Milton and seem to get better results at my parents.
I'm not that familiar with the antenna you mention nor how it operates on 800mhz. The one thing that I have learned about the Saratoga system is not to assume you can just plug in your scanner and listen. Sorry I can't offer anything more technical than that.
Cool application of the system analyzer on the HomePatrol to determine best antenna location. Had not thought of that.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Yup. In my case there really is only one spot in my apartment that I have found that will allow me to get the Saratoga County System. The HP is a nice scanner that seems to get a bad rap but that is going off topic.
Anyone with one of the new 436's or 536's have a chance to monitor this system yet? Any improvement? Mine should be here shortly...
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