Totally lost with new BCD996.. please help

[ls2gto]

If someone could help me I would really appreciate it. I just got a BCD996 and have never used a scanner before. lol. I have BCtool installed, BUT, when importing the local frequencies to me, I noticed it is set up for analog, when they are really APCO-25 currently. Is this list updated?

All i would really like to do is tune into my local police station. It is APCO-25 and the frequency is 500.5125. How do I tune to this on my scanner in simplest format and hold it there?

Thanks!!

 

[n2mdk]

What system are you talking about? That info would help us help you.

 

[ls2gto]

Its a Motorola Type 2 pretty sure. Apco-25 full time, wouldnt that be Motorola II?

On the frequency page, it says

Type: RM

Tone: 293 NAC

Mode: FM

Frequency: 500.51250

Description: Police Operations APCO-25

Does that help at all? Thanks

 

[Highpockets]

Its a Motorola Type 2 pretty sure. Apco-25 full time, wouldnt that be Motorola II?
On the frequency page, it says
Type: RM
Tone: 293 NAC
Mode: FM
Frequency: 500.51250
Description: Police Operations APCO-25
Does that help at all? Thanks

I think what Jerri means, What department, state, county, town?

 

[n2mdk]

This is one of my pet peeves why it is so hard to simply copy and paste the link to the system in the database. It's not a secret but people do that all the time.
People stop being cryptic post the darn link to the system :lol:

 

[Viper43]

Its a Motorola Type 2 pretty sure. Apco-25 full time, wouldnt that be Motorola II?

On the frequency page, it says

Type: RM

Tone: 293 NAC

Mode: FM

Frequency: 500.51250

Description: Police Operations APCO-25

Does that help at all? Thanks

City/town/state????? We need to know exactly WHAT sytem(s) your working with in order to help you.
Also, for simpler cut & paste of systems FREESCAN is the easiest using the EZGRAB function.

V

 

[ls2gto]

I'm sorry...well currently I am in West Chester, PA. west chester Boro police department is what i am trying to scan

 

[Viper43]

So this is what your looking at:
Frequency Input License Type Tone Alpha Tag Description Mode Tag
500.41250 503.41250 KWQ485 RM 293 NAC F-1 Police Dispatch APCO-25 FM
500.41250 KWQ485 R F-2 Unit-to-Unit APCO-25 FM
500.51250 503.51250 KWQ485 RM 293 NAC F-3 Police Operations APCO-25 FM
500.51250 KWQ485 R F-4 Unit-to-Unit/Special Events APCO-25 FM
48.40000 WNMA859 BM 156.7 PL Sanitation trucks FM
463.66250 624 DPL Parking Enf Parking Enforcement FM Public Works


Easy enough! Not much here so you could get some programing ptacrice and learn to do it by hand.
Since it isn't a trunked system simply enter the frequencies as a conventional frequency and for modulation select Digital instead of NFM. When you get the hang of that try the county trunked system and see what you come up with. You don't need the NAC # as the present scanner can't decode that...yet, who knows, it may be a future update.

 

[ls2gto]

Thanks, but here is what I see under "Set Modulation" for the frequency "Police Operations"....

You have:
Auto
AM
FM
WFM
WFM (Broadcast)

No digital there...am i missing something? Thanks!!

 

[Viper43]

Thanks, but here is what I see under "Set Modulation" for the frequency "Police Operations"....

You have:
Auto
AM
FM
WFM
WFM (Broadcast)

No digital there...am i missing something? Thanks!!

I thought they had a digital selection, maybe it's hiding, if not set it to NFM, it should automatically decode the digital, the 396 does. in the meantime I'll look again at the manual.

V

 

[JRM5204]

I beleive they wen't back to analog for the time being, I would leave it on both. Manually go to the freq and hit enter go to whatever is above modulation hit function it will give you a choice of search (it will pick up analog or digital) hit enter, you can also hit analog and it will let you program the CTCSS/DCS codes, or Digital and it will not pick up any analog transmissions. If mine wasn't serving as a $519.00 paper weight I could give you exact directions. You will know if there transmitting P25 because P25 will come up when they transmit.

 

[Viper43]

Ok, set modulation to AUTO and set AUDIO to Digital Only..... I knew there was a digital setting
Make sure there is no PL tone of any kind as that will keep digital transmissions from working!

If you set it to digital it will only pick up digital!

V

 

[JRM5204]

I would put the audio on search/auto because they may be still on analog they had problems with the P25 not to long ago.

 

[Viper43]

I would put the audio on search because they may be still on analog they had problems with the P25 not to long ago.

note my edit....

 

[ls2gto]

Set it to NFM and still nothing. lol. Anything else I can try? Thanks!

 

[Viper43]

Ok, have you checked to see if they are on the county system or another system? Sounds like maybe they might have bailed on the digital and went elsewhere, but I'm not in that area to check it out.

 

[JRM5204]

As far as I know they still have there own radio system. They are probally still using analog, they were using P25 but they had problems and switched back to analog. You can ask in the PA Forum.

If you follow theese steps you should hear them if you are in range of there system:

<Select new system>, <select conventional>, <enter freqs> you don't have to do anything else the rest of the settings will be in auto and you will hear the transmissions wether they are analog or digital.

 

[rescue161]

Did you change the system from "Motorola Type II" to "conventional"?

Once you make a system and it's wrong, you pretty much have to make another one that is right. At least I haven't found a way to change the system from one type to another.

 

[ls2gto]

Actually I didnt make any systems myself..I used the BCtool software and used my premium subscription here to import directly to the scanner. lol.

But actually it just started working! I have it set to "NFM" and I dont believe I changed it to conventional...but i will have to check. If it was digital wouldnt it say "P25" somewhere? So I guess it might be analog then...

So if I am trying to scan any digital systems, I should always set it to NFM then? Is that for digital channels? Thanks so much everyone, esp viper.

 

[Viper43]

The scanner will automatically use analog or digital if you have NFM selected and no ctcss/dpl tones selected. If you have any tones set it will automaticaly default to analog only.
Your display should show Dig or DG for digital transmissions.

No problem, anytime!