setting up scanner.....im totally confused

[ebxgsxr]

ok, im totally new to all this. i bought a PRO 97 scanner off ebay & im trying to get this set up to listen to the local police agency so i can hear of things going on in my area. well, i was reading around & bought the data cable & i purchased the WIN97, since i heard it made things easier. but i really still dont know what im doing. i was trying to enter in frequencies, but some said invalid. i used the list of numbers from the search on this site. can someone point me in the right direction since im totally lost. thanks.

 

[n2mdk]

It would help to know exactly what system your talking about. At least State, County, Locality, or the link to the system.

 

[ebxgsxr]

im not sure what system the county police use. i was trying get to listen to baltimore county. everytime i try & search, it says that it's a trunked system. but im not really sure what that means.

 

[ebxgsxr]

ok, i thought i was making some headway. but im not sure what im doing. i installed the CD that came with the cable onto my computer. i was able to get some info in reference to the county police frequencies suing the WIN97. but when i try to "upload" to scanner on the menu, it says unable to open port then com1 does not exist??? can anyone help?

 

[Highpockets]

ok, i thought i was making some headway. but im not sure what im doing. i installed the CD that came with the cable onto my computer. i was able to get some info in reference to the county police frequencies suing the WIN97. but when i try to "upload" to scanner on the menu, it says unable to open port then com1 does not exist??? can anyone help?

Go into your device manager and see what com port was assigned to the cable. Then enter that in win97 com port setting.

 

[ebxgsxr]

sweet. got it. now i have to figure out how to get it so it stays in one precint area. right now it just keeps jumping to whatever it picks up.

 

[Highpockets]

sweet. got it. now i have to figure out how to get it so it stays in one precint area. right now it just keeps jumping to whatever it picks up.

It must be running in open mode, enter what talk groups you want to listen to, and set it to closed mode.

 

[ebxgsxr]

that is done through the scanner, right? sorry that im so stupid with this.

 

[Highpockets]

that is done through the scanner, right? sorry that im so stupid with this.

You can do it within the software, enter the talk groups you want to listen to and set that system to closed mode, it's a little box you check.

 

[n2mdk]

It can be done through the scanner http://myweb.cableone.net/marksscanners/97/97.html#open_closed
or with the software.
There is a mistake in the online manual it says
(2) all IDs in MO and ED modes, even if they are locked out in the ID list.
Locked out IDs are locked out even in open mode.

 

[ebxgsxr]

hmm, i guess im going to have to play with it. i can't get it to stay on one precint's channel unless i hit the PSE button. i basically copied the attached pic for the precints/channels i wanted to listen to.

 

[hfxChris]

i can't get it to stay on one precint's channel unless i hit the PSE button.

By the sounds of it, your scanner is working perfectly. Scanners are designed to scan through everything you've programmed, hence why it's scanned a scanner. You use the Pause (PSE) button to pause it on a channel you want to listen to and stop it from scanning.

 

[ebxgsxr]

oh ok. i thought it would be able to switch from certain channels that the precinct was using. but if this is right, then that's cool. thanks to everyone for the points/help.

 

[kc4jgc]

hmm, i guess im going to have to play with it. i can't get it to stay on one precint's channel unless i hit the PSE button. i basically copied the attached pic for the precints/channels i wanted to listen to.

The problem with using the pause button on a trunked system is that your precinct's transmissions will CHANGE FREQUENCY each time a repeater drops. That is there will be activity on your precinct's talk group. Once the exchanges stop, the repeater stops transmitting, the talk group goes back into the system controller's shuffle until someone in that talk group keys up. The controller automatically ties everyone in that group to another frequency.

For that reason, if you want to listen to a specific talk group, you must press and hold the TRUNK key until you see "ID HOLD" on your screen. If you press the pause (PSE) button, it will send the scanner to the system control channel. This is assuming you have everything programmed correctly. It is if:

- you have at least all control channels entered in your scanner.
- you have the bank AND all system channels in Motorola (MOT) mode, not FM.
- you have you precinct(s) talk group(s) entered. The talk group listing for Baltimore County is in the RRDB, the info you need to enter is in the column labeled "DEC" . For example, If you want to listen to Parkville Dispatch, you need to enter "1840" in your TG list.
- to ensure you only hear what you want to hear, close the bank. If there are any TG's you only want to hear on an occaisional basis, enter the TG as you would. If there's a time you don't want to hear that TG, you can lock it out.

did you get a manual with the unit? If not you can see/download the manual here:

http://rsk.imageg.net/graphics/uc/rsk/Support/ProductManuals/2000527_PM_EN.pdf

Hope this clears things up for you.

 

[N8IAA]

For that reason, if you want to listen to a specific talk group, you must press and hold the TRUNK key until you see "ID HOLD" on your screen. If you press the pause (PSE) button, it will send the scanner to the system control channel. This is assuming you have everything programmed correctly.

Using the PSE key works, ID HOLD comes up on the screen. Used it extensively yesterday on my 97 and 96 following police action in my county. The trunk key also works, but you have to hold it longer than pressing PSE.
Larry

 

[n2mdk]

PSE and holding the T do the exact same thing. The only problem with using those is if the control channel changers while the radio is on ID Hold it will fail to track the new control channel.

 

[N8IAA]

PSE and holding the T do the exact same thing. The only problem with using those is if the control channel changers while the radio is on ID Hold it will fail to track the new control channel.

This is only an issue if the control channel the system uses rolls continuously. My county rolls the control channel once or twice a week. The most you are going to pause on an ID is for a short time. There are some trunked systems that never roll their CC's. The worst that happens, is you have to hit PSE again. Not a big deal.
Larry