STARS Template?

[Chris45]

Recently I saw a STARS template for the Pro-96. This one template listed all of the primary and secondary control channels, and other frequencies together, that are assigned to Richmond, Petersburg, Louisa, Warsaw, Rumford, Thornburg, Fork Mountain, Hampton, Williamsburg, Chesapeake, Franklin, Burgess, South Hill, Cumberland, and Leigh Mountain. Some of the other frequencies were current conventional frequencies, so there was a programmed mix of FM and MOT frequencies together. The extended tables, while not marked VHF, 3600, or 9600, reflected the custom tables for the Pro-96/2006 in the current STARS database.

I did not realize that this trunked system could be programmed this way, but to my amazement, it seems to work at least for Thornburg. I live in Spotsylvania, so the Thornburg signals come in good. I am hoping to verify this template configuration is the best one to use. For example receiving both trunked and conventional radio traffic, and with the custom tables lacking a baud assignment. Can such a grouping of frequencies and control channels work this way in the Pro-96?

Thanks in advance.

 

[fmon]

This attached Win96 template will work for all of active the towers.

Edit: Sheee, I just noticed my alt for Leigh Mountain is the Dummy frequency. :lol: Gotta fix that!!

 

[Stick0413]

Recently I saw a STARS template for the Pro-96. This one template listed all of the primary and secondary control channels, and other frequencies together, that are assigned to Richmond, Petersburg, Louisa, Warsaw, Rumford, Thornburg, Fork Mountain, Hampton, Williamsburg, Chesapeake, Franklin, Burgess, South Hill, Cumberland, and Leigh Mountain. Some of the other frequencies were current conventional frequencies, so there was a programmed mix of FM and MOT frequencies together. The extended tables, while not marked VHF, 3600, or 9600, reflected the custom tables for the Pro-96/2006 in the current STARS database.

I did not realize that this trunked system could be programmed this way, but to my amazement, it seems to work at least for Thornburg. I live in Spotsylvania, so the Thornburg signals come in good. I am hoping to verify this template configuration is the best one to use. For example receiving both trunked and conventional radio traffic, and with the custom tables lacking a baud assignment. Can such a grouping of frequencies and control channels work this way in the Pro-96?

Thanks in advance.

Yeah I have mine set up like that. Just have all of the STARS sites along with the VSP conventional channels programed in a bank. I've seen it pick up on every site that I have been halfway close to.

 

[n4jri]

So far, it sounds just fine. If this is a Win96 file, just upload it here. We have plenty of PRO-96 users who can examine it.

There should be no problem having all the control channels in one bank, unless you have marginal reception on one of them and it keeps you from receiving a strong one. This is generally characterized by having the offending CC flash the name of the TG on and off but you hear no audio. If you experience this kind of behavior, simply lock out whatever CC that does this. If you press 'manual' during the flashing, the radio will stop on the offending CC.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[shumadine]

Hey FMON

I noticed your step rate is 6.50 on the Pro 96/2096 and it is showing as 6.25 in the RR database. Does it matter, or is one better than the other ?

 

[fmon]

Hey FMON

I noticed your step rate is 6.50 on the Pro 96/2096 and it is showing as 6.25 in the RR database. Does it matter, or is one better than the other ?

Only the three with 2.5 step are used. The last three tables are window dressing - unused. Why they are in the database is beyond me because any value in any of blocks other then the first three tables are ignored by the scanner.

This is the Extended Table Identifier data which the CC spits out while running PRO96COM.

00,851.00625,0.00625,-45.00000,"Confirmed",0.00625
01,762.00625,0.00625, 30.00000,"Confirmed",0.00625
02,136.00000,0.00250,  4.50000,"Confirmed",0.01250
03,146.00000,0.00250,  4.50000,"Confirmed",0.01250
04,156.00000,0.00250, -4.50000,"Confirmed",0.01250
05,166.00000,0.00625, -1.80000,"Confirmed",0.01250
06,136.00000,0.00625,  1.80000,"Confirmed",0.01250
07,161.59375,0.00625, -1.80000,"Confirmed",0.01250

The first two are unused also.

 

[shumadine]

Thanks Frank. I've never seen Pro96com, but I bet that has been helpful to everyone who has been trying to figure out STARS over the last year or so.....

 

[fmon]

Some background - we are indebted to Mike Vander Veer and his great Pro96Com, Rick Mobile and Pro96Dump and certainly Don Starr and Win96, these 2 GRE scanners would be useless here as well as Alaska, Montana, Wyoming and I see WV now has two tables listed. Plus many Military and Federal systems would be unavailable without Win96.

The unique problem we had with STARS is the two GRE scanners will not provide a SysID when monitored manually on any of the CC's. With the earlier version of PRO96COM, it was imposable for the program to collect data as the program required the ID to get a true lock. Rick made the Dump program so we could produce a SysID and Mike went to work modifying PRO96COM to function without the SysID based on data from the Dump.

Then when we started producing the Identifier tables, we found neither the scanner or Win96 would handle step size 2.50. Mike got Don to jump in for help (we were doing this in Pro96Com Yahoo group). It was a Friday and Don said he would work on it over the weekend and get back to us on Monday.

Sunday evening he announced a new Win96 version 1.53 (still current). Apparently, this version *fools* the scanner. Anyway, we like to call it the VA STARS version. I see Wyoming's WyoLink is also step 2.5, but it is newer then STARS.

BTW, an avid scannist in Alaska called keito provided an enormous amount of assistance because he worked on building that statewide systems tables for the 96. Though he was fortunate the system has a step of 12.5. I think Wayne H out in CA also provided help, plus some Division 1 Virginia scannist as they were the first to hear the Controls. One lucky morning when skip was running, I set in my back yard and logged data from 5 towers up north. A couple of minutes on each identified tower numbers, and all had the 8 matching identifiers posted previously.

 

[gcgrotz]

Hi frank:

I remember reading a lot of that back then, and the contribution from keito was huge. I wonder how much of that early thread is still available here and should it be made a sticky under VA?

Now if we could just get the 396/996 to work a little better on STARS....

 

[Chris45]

The 396/996

First, as is customary with me, I wish to thank everyone here for the help and useful information. Frank, the template works great. I have improved reception on the 396 by using the "Pro-96" antenna. Go figure? On the Pro-96, it indicates occasional hits from the Fork Mountain site. That seems a little strange considering the distance from Spotsylvania Co. Seems like the Pro-96 is better suited for monitoring STARS. I am wondering if the 1.53, Win96 with the extended table data is more precise than the 396 P-25 programming? Occasionally on the 396 I receive a frequency reading of 151.0475 with a STARS broadcast. Can't figure it since that frequency was not programmed in. Any thoughts?

Thanks

 

[n4jri]

151.0475 is probably a voice frequency. All you need to have programmed are the control channels.

As for Fork Mountain, I'll go you one better. I get clear reception from Fork Mountain in NW Chesterfield County just before going down the hill to the Powhatan County line. I'm sure that there are plenty Fork Mtn hotspots outside its prime coverage area.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[gcgrotz]

151.0475 is probably a voice frequency. All you need to have programmed are the control channels.

As for Fork Mountain, I'll go you one better. I get clear reception from Fork Mountain in NW Chesterfield County just before going down the hill to the Powhatan County line. I'm sure that there are plenty Fork Mtn hotspots outside its prime coverage area.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

I can believe that Allen, I used to live out that way just down the road from W4DR. That area just past 288 is called Pea Ridge and is one of the highest spots east of the Blue Ridge. That's why the TV and FM guys put towers out there.

 

[tglendye]

Custom Tables for STARS

Is there an advantage to using custom tables with the PSR500 for monitoring STARS? I have a bank that has it and a bank that doesn't and I don't think there is any difference.

Also, my scanner will stop on a talkgroup at times, but there is no audio. I have read others are experiencing this on different systems. Does anyone know why this is? I wasn't sure if it had to do with the tables or control channel reception, maybe?

Thanks

 

[fmon]

In Win500 STARS compare P25 Auto tables with P25 Manual tables -- they should be the same.

You didn't state which scanlist, manual or auto that you get the problem with no voice at times.

 

[tglendye]

... You didn't state which scanlist, manual or auto that you get the problem with no voice at times.

In going back to look @ what I have, I have the scanlist selected as P25 Auto, and Custom Tables. Is this a problem? I'm also having the lack of audio problem at times with Charlottesville/ Albemarle TRS, but I am guessing that since I am across the mountain it may copy the data on the CC, but unable to decode the voice traffic??? But it's happening on STARS even when I have a good decode rate.

 

[tglendye]

I think PSR Edit had fixed the Auto/ Custom problem. I worked with it a little earlier today and I guess it changed my selection so that if it was in P25 Auto, it would automatically default to the default tables. I'll have to see if I notice the audio problem anymore.

Still a lot to learn about digital and programming this radio... and so little time!:lol:

 

[n4jri]

Is there an advantage to using custom tables with the PSR500 for monitoring STARS? I have a bank that has it and a bank that doesn't and I don't think there is any difference.

Also, my scanner will stop on a talkgroup at times, but there is no audio. I have read others are experiencing this on different systems. Does anyone know why this is? I wasn't sure if it had to do with the tables or control channel reception, maybe?

Thanks

There may have been an advantage in the past. There were some P25 auto issues prior to GRE's 1.2 CPU/DSP upgrade, but these appear to have been solved. I just use P25 Auto and let the tables populate automatically and haven't had any problems.

I have also had the radio stop on silent TG's once in a while, but not just on STARS. Haven't found a cause so far.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[tglendye]

Thanks guys. I made the change a couple of hours ago and haven't noticed the problem anymore. There have also been times when I've noticed a lack of activity from Richmond Division for periods of time that seemed odd... but it seems pretty active now. Nothing to compare it to though really, as I can't get the Legacy Ch 1 or 2 from here.