Trouble setting up my RS pro 97 for morris county mirs

[Roveer]

Let me start by saying I'm new to trunking. My previous scanner experience was putting 39.020 into a channel and then listening...

I'm trying to set up my RS Pro-97 trunking scanner for the Morris County Mirs system to receive Mendham Fire and Police.

I've got all the freq's from the database.

I start with my scanner freshly initialized (totally erased)

I follow the "easy to read" manual for for the pro-97 which tells me to put the freq's in to channels in a bank, set them to MOT

So I put all the channels from the database for my "zone" on mirs into a bank starting with bank0 and filling channels 0-8 (9 channels total) I set them all to MOT:none

I don't do anything for fleet groups. I've read that it's S0 and the scanner defaults to S0. Problem here?

I notice in the database that there are listings for base frequency, offset, and space so I put those in following the guide.

I've put it TG's following the guide

When I hit scan. I NEVER hear any transmissions. I know I've got control channels because if I manually scan to them I see the data % go to 99, I hear the data etc.

The only thing that breaks the squelch is occasionally I hear a data burst on one of the VC's

What the heck am I doing wrong?

I'll admit, this is quite a bit different than the old days, but I'm following all the instructions and I've yet to hear a voice.

Ideas? Am I too old? Should I work on getting the VCR to stop flashing 12:00?

Roveer

 

[DannB]

Did you remember to input the upper base freq. Also ??
is this what you used for the custom band plan

Band Plan 1=Lower Base 471.0000 Upper base 472.7375 spacing 12.5 offset 380
Band Plan 2=Lower Base 476.0000 Upper base 478.9875 spacing 12.5 offset 520

and are you programming this into a digital capable scanner??

 

[Highpockets]

If you have the Pro97 or do you mean the Pro197, if it's the Pro97 you'll miss most of the transmissions on the Morris County System, most of the system is digital.

 

[Roveer]

I did put in the base freq - spacing & offset.

I think we may have uncovered our problem.

I do have a pro-97 not a 197. I'm guessing this is analog only? So I'd miss everything that's digital?

If this is the case. Suggestions on a portable digital scanner? A pro-197 perhaps? Didn't I see a post about RS having a scanner sale this month or next?

I guess the pro-97 will make a good weather radio?

I do here what might be transmissions, but they sound like data. Guess that's MIRS in digital form?

 

[Highpockets]

I did put in the base freq - spacing & offset.

I think we may have uncovered our problem.

I do have a pro-97 not a 197. I'm guessing this is analog only? So I'd miss everything that's digital?

If this is the case. Suggestions on a portable digital scanner? A pro-197 perhaps? Didn't I see a post about RS having a scanner sale this month or next?

I guess the pro-97 will make a good weather radio?

I do here what might be transmissions, but they sound like data. Guess that's MIRS in digital form?

I believe there is a sale on right now from Radio Shack, the handheld version of that scanner is the Pro106, and if your going to purchase one, I would pick up the programming cable. I've read you may get the cable for half price if you get it the same time you buy the scanner. The cable is needed for future updates for the scanner and easier programming using software. Also if your a Premium Subscriber to RadioReference you can use the import feature using the software and get the data right from the RR database for uploading to your scanner.

Myself, I like this software (30 Day Free Trail):

Win500: PSR-500, PSR-600, PRO-106, PRO-197, PSR-310, PSR-410 Scanner Software for Data Management, Monitoring, and Control

And here is a guide that will help you understand the software:

WIN500 - UtahRadio