Trunked Motorolla II basics

[nwiscan]

basic question (maybe):

I have a trunked motorolla 2 system I want to monitor, I am on the fringe and get spotty reception. I have put in the control channels and believe I have the setting correct for my radio. I do receive some chatter but even though I am on the fringe I fear not all I should.

Being new to trunked radio systems, I am unclear....

Do I have to insert DEX or HEX numbers into the settings to receive all the talkgroups on a motorolla II system? Or does the control frequencies automatically scan all the different talkgroups?

Thanks

 

[charlielinn]

Hope this helps, but my scaners are "old school" so you may have many more steps than I have to "get her goin". My radios look at the entire system and receive all of the "DEC" or "talkgroups" in the "search" mode. The database here in RR is great because ya can put the DEC or Talkgroup #s into the receiver allowing one to select the ones ya want to hear, such as police units, fire, public service, etc; But your comment about "spotty, fringe reception"sounds familiar. Here in the greater Sacramento area, spotty reception is the norm. Attention to your antenna ( the best one ya can afford)
is a great advantage, and may eliminate many of your reception problems. If I take my scanner just two blocks from my home...it just searches for the control channels and never locks on!! Even the police units can't communicate in my neighborhood some of the time. So..a good antenna and even its position adjusted ever so slightly can make a difference. Like I said, your radio may have programming issues that i can't even imagine, tho. My best trunking receiver is a Bearcat 895XLT oldie but goodie. i've tried three new models,and the old 895 puts 'em to shame! Good luck!! Just my 2 cents.

 

[W2PMX]

Most (all, I think) scanners can be set to listen to all talkgroups, so you just set it that way if you want to hear them all, or find out which ones are being used.

As far as being on the fringe, you probably need a better antenna. Even something as cheap as the Radio Shack 800 MHz antenna, or the Diamond RH77 might give you a big improvement, and an external antenna certainly would.

(Use the DEC [decimal] numbers, not the HEX [hexidecimal] numbers.)

 

[krokus]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.973 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

The information you have to put into the scanner depends, a bit, on which scanner. The differences are mostly formatting differences.

Newer scanners just need the control channels, and scan lists. The scan lists are made up of the DEC numbers for the talkgroups you are interested in. (Wildcards are available on the newer scanners, too.)

Older scanners need to have the talk channels typed in, too.

 

[GB1952]

a good antenna at least 30 ft in the air