Need some direction on starnet. I would like to listen to fd/pd. I can not seem to figure out how to setup control channels and talkgroups in the trunked system onto my scanners. I have seen the starnet info on the database but no luck. I own several uniden bc785d with discone and yagi antennas on rooftop. Maybe, I have wrong radios or antennas for starnet, any help would be appreciated, thanks
Starnet Houston
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If you want to listen to HPD/HFD while in houston they arent on STARNET, they are on conventional frequencies in the 460 mhz range. Thier frequencies and Channel information can be found here http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&aid=15 ! The STARNET system connects Harris county Public saftey to other county public saftey entities, its a motorola type 2 SmartZone system , for me im a RadioShack PRO-97 user , and i couldnt directly tell you how to program this type of trunked system into the bc785d but for me when i am monitoring a control channel freq in Motorola mode i just store the talkgroup i.d's that pop up by pressing the TRunk button, go back later on and text tag them. The BC785D is Capabale of trunk tracking this type of system though , i suppose read your manuel for it or download the PDF version for it. Depending on your location "somewhere inside houston" You might be limited on what particular STARNET Sites Control Channel Freq's you can pick up. You should be able to pickup the DownTown Houston site though, i do beleave Harris County S.O operates on STARNET on that site Aswell as Constable's !
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mike_webb59
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On this site, the Wiki Pages provide a lot of help. Surf on over to http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Programming_Shortcut_BC785D for programming steps. STARNET is a MOT Type II 800Mhz, so I don't think that offset and fleet maps will be needed. Some scanners need the control channels only (the red and blue colored frequencies). Using the RR Database, program in a site that you can receive and add talkgroups if you want to monitor or filter by TGID. You may re-post on the Uniden Forum for more programming help.
If you have any specific BC785D questions, shoot me a PM. I have lived by the BC785D for two years up until my recent PRO-96 purchase. I have figured out just about every little trick and shortcut needed. A big time and memory saver is to program in only the control channels listed in red and blue on the RR Starnet page. Every tower in the Starnet System is a PLAN 2 for CONTROL CH ONLY scanning, with the two Walker County towers the exception as PLAN 1.
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While I am by no means an expert on any of this I will try and explain what I know and hope it helps instead of confusing you even more. Every talkgroup will work with every tower. For instance, when I key up my radio the closest tower to me is the Alvin/Dickinson tower. The system should send me to that one, unless its busy. If thats the case, it will send me to the Pearland tower and allow me to transmit from there. The only time this would not work, from what I understand, is if someones radio is not set up for Smart Zone. If it isint then it will only go to the tower its assigned to instead of searching for a tower.
I know talkgroups must be programmed in order, is it ok to skip unwanted ids and still go in order or must all ids be programmed for talkgroups? Should I program all the talkgroups to all the conrtrol channels, I would like to not have repeats, only if neccesary.
Typically from what i understand , you would just program in the DEC Value Talkgroup I.D # Not the HEX then text tag it if you desire. when i programmed the talkgroups in for the STARNET system , i didnt do it in any particular order , i entered them as they came or what i want to hear and then put the scanner in Closed mode so nothing else pops up i didnt enter, Seems to work fine for me
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Basically put, with the BC785D, you enter the control channels for a tower, or multiple towers within a system. It will lock in to only one, regardless of signal strength, and that will be the first one audible in channel order in a particular bank. You then program talkgroup IDs that you want in the 100 spaces given. You of course find these on RadioReference.com or KG5AI's freqzone. After entering this info, select the control channel only mode, and PLAN 2 for any site but Walker County's (PLAN 1). When you scan that bank, and you lock in to the control channel, ID SCAN will scan only the entered talkgroups. ID SEARCH will find any activity on the system, regardless of entry into the memory.
mike_webb59
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nerd79 said:
Yes, I believe. I do it all the time with other MOT-type trunks. There is some logic around grouping TGIDS if you can turn memory banks on and off.
HTH, Mike
scanfan03
Member
nerd79 said:
Yes, in the system, dispatch can patch two talkgroups together, so that either you hear traffic on both talkgroups at the same time, or you only hear one talkgroup with both PDs/FDs units on the same channel. In your scanner, you can program it however you want. Talkgroups don't have to be in any specific order in your scanner.
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