Starcom/BCD996t Programming issue

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ERICMYERS

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Jul 8, 2007
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Plainfield, IL
Hi, all.
I'm monitoring Illinois Starcom21, specifically trying listen to Plainfield PD Talkgroups 1001-1006. I'm having a little success, but it seems that I'm missing a lot of traffic, and what I get is garbled. Sadly, I can hear a bunch of tollway traffic and other talkgroups real clean and clear, but I dont care about those talkgroups.

Right now I have the correct towers (Will 113, CookSo`02, Dupage101) and have set the modulation to FM and threshold to 6 or 8 depending on the site.

My current theory is that the full detail of the frequency isn't getting into the BCD996T.
Example:
Radioreference shows the first Control Channel for Will County 113 to be 774.30625, but my BCD and ARC996 software are only taking in 774.3062. I can type the last digit in, but it gets truncated by the software.

Queston is: does this matter adn is it the source of my poor reception?
Thanks all,
Eric
 

RoninJoliet

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ILL
Actually answered your question on the yahoo 996 board however, my GRE500 does include the "5" at the end of the freqy and the reception on PLFD is the same because of what i explained...The GRE500 in my estimation does the digital on Starcom better than the 396 here in my location....
 

ERICMYERS

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Location
Plainfield, IL
So is PPD as annoyed using Starcom as we are scanning it then?

I do still hear 100's on the analog frequencies, so I'm monitoring both at the same time on 2 different scanners.

Thanks again for all the help you have given me (and you didn't even know it ;-)) Some day I'll try to return the favor, Ron.
Eric
 

N9JIG

Sheriff
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Dec 14, 2001
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The last digit "5" does not matter in programming the 396, it is automatic.

You can download the UASD and ARC996 StarCom21 files from the CARMA Profiles Page.

We all have had issues with the digital scanners and StarCom21 simulcast towers, it seems slightly improved lately but still not what it really should be.

You can also try REDUCING your antenna resources. This way the scanner only hears a single tower and is less prone to multipath interference.

ERICMYERS said:
Hi, all.
I'm monitoring Illinois Starcom21, specifically trying listen to Plainfield PD Talkgroups 1001-1006. I'm having a little success, but it seems that I'm missing a lot of traffic, and what I get is garbled. Sadly, I can hear a bunch of tollway traffic and other talkgroups real clean and clear, but I dont care about those talkgroups.

Right now I have the correct towers (Will 113, CookSo`02, Dupage101) and have set the modulation to FM and threshold to 6 or 8 depending on the site.

My current theory is that the full detail of the frequency isn't getting into the BCD996T.
Example:
Radioreference shows the first Control Channel for Will County 113 to be 774.30625, but my BCD and ARC996 software are only taking in 774.3062. I can type the last digit in, but it gets truncated by the software.

Queston is: does this matter adn is it the source of my poor reception?
Thanks all,
Eric
 

ERICMYERS

Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2007
Messages
248
Location
Plainfield, IL
Rich,
thanks for the reply. I actually am using the ARC files that I got from CARMA as the basis of my systems and profile for Starcom and RR as direct import source for the rest of the systems. What a huge benefit! Good to know that I'm not the only one experiencing the issues with Starcom.

Very few locals are on Starcom...does anyone know why Plainfield decided to do it?

As I experiment, if any breakthroughs come, I'll share for sure.
Eric
 
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