Trunking n00b Needs Help Programming

[mkewman]

I'm clueless when it comes to programming my pro95 for trunking. i've read the manual, and i read the shortcut on the wiki, but i just cannot figure this out. maybe it's because i'm stupid, or new to this, or i'm forgetting something, or whatever... but it's not working.

can someone help?

 

[Al42]

First - get Win95 (www.starrsoft.com) and a programming cable (RS 20-289 or equivalent). The program is free.

Then just program in the frequencies you need (control channels for Motorola, all channels for others), program in the talk groups (and text tags) and upload the data to the scanner.

Just running Win95 (without connecting it to the scanner) makes it look more logical.

 

[mkewman]

i did that today, i think i did it right...

for channel 00 of the bank i'm using for trunking, i put in one of the four control channels (it's a motorola II smartnet) for channel 01 i put the second control channel. for channel 03 i put the third control channel, etc.

i put in all the talk group ids, and uploaded it to my scanner.

problem is, the scanner says (when a control channel is manually selected by hitting manual-> XXX (the channel number for the control channel) MOT: none

did i still do it right?

i have no trunking systems nearby my house to test this with so i'll have to wait until i go to town, but it'll be nice to know if i did it right.

thanks for putting up with my stupidity.

 

[KE5BCP]

Hi Mark,

It sounds like that the channel you think is a control channel may not be. There are systems out there that change their control channel on a regular basis.
Also, make sure you have each channel as well as the bank set to MOT.

 

[mkewman]

well, i set it right after all! i drove to a hill that can recieve the trunking system i programmed, and it works great.

thanks for your help!

 

[nexus]

yeah if it says MOT: NONE that means it's not hearing a control channel signal. As soon as you're in range of a control channel which is programmed it'll say MOT: CTRL. And as long as you leave the bank in OPEN (+) mode you'll end up hearing every talkgroup that keys up. Sounds like you were just out of range of the signal. BTW I bought the radio shack 800mhz antenna for my PRO95 and it does a WAY better job than the standard antenna. So if you're using the one that came with it, compared to the 800mhz antenna its crap.

 

[Chitownfyrfiter]

HELP! Another trunking NOOB

I am having the same problem, But I have a RS Pro-94 will the software work in my situation.

 

[Al42]

I am having the same problem, But I have a RS Pro-94 will the software work in my situation.

There's no Starrsoft program for the 94.

 

[rescue1017]

What about the BC235XLT

 

[Navycop]

Speacking of trunking. Will I only hear the programmed talkgroups in "closed" mode or "open"?
I read the manuel but am still confused. Also does the bank/channel need to be in MOT or FM mode for the channel? If you can run through this step by step (I have WIN-93).
I programmed in the police TG but still hear the bus drivers and sanitation workers...

 

[Buckskinner33]

Speacking of trunking. Will I only hear the programmed talkgroups in "closed" mode or "open"?
I read the manuel but am still confused. Also does the bank/channel need to be in MOT or FM mode for the channel? If you can run through this step by step (I have WIN-93).
I programmed in the police TG but still hear the bus drivers and sanitation workers...

Once you have the talk groups listed in the bank you want "Like, say, PD" you want the radio in Closed mode so you wont hear the other talk groups. Open mode just leave your scanner "OPEN" for all the talk groups. This is ok if your lookin for TG that are not listed.

 

[Buckskinner33]

well, i set it right after all! i drove to a hill that can recieve the trunking system i programmed, and it works great.

thanks for your help!

Mark: Arnt you in Colorado Springs? Isnt that area Digital?

 

[nexus]

Speacking of trunking. Will I only hear the programmed talkgroups in "closed" mode or "open"?
I read the manuel but am still confused. Also does the bank/channel need to be in MOT or FM mode for the channel? If you can run through this step by step (I have WIN-93).
I programmed in the police TG but still hear the bus drivers and sanitation workers...

In CLOSED mode you'll only hear talkgroups which have been programmed into the scanner in the bank you're scanning. In OPEN mode you'll hear EVERY talkgroup that comes on the air, regardless if it's analog or digital or if you have it already programmed in your scanner or not.

Each frequency that you program into a channel in the scanner will need to have the mode set to MOT. That is if it's a Motorola Trunked system you're trying to program for. ED for EDACS, AM if it's something like the civil or mil aviation band, and FM for pretty much everything else that isn't trunking or aircraft. I know in some software you can set the entire bank to a specific mode, but that doesn't matter.

If you try to scan a trunk system and you have some of the trunked channels loaded in with the mode FM or AM the scanner will IGNORE them and you'll miss traffic. So it's important to manually make sure each channel that is meant to be trunked is set to MOT or ED. Ignore the rest.

If you're hearing bus drivers and sanitation, set the bank to CLOSED mode. (F+5) If you have a police talkgroup already stored in the scanner then when it becomes active you'll only hear those unless you locked them out with the L/O button.

 

[mkewman]

Mark: Arnt you in Colorado Springs? Isnt that area Digital?

negitory, i'm in sacramento.

 

[W4KRR]

What about the BC235XLT

The BC235XLT is a first generation Trunk Tracking scanner, it isn't computer programmable.

 

[RUSTY_SHACKAFORD]

I would do as I have done and program in all of the listed Control and Voice frequencies in a bank. The reason why are - 1: Just because a list somewhere stating what is a Control and Voice frequencies does not make it 100% reliable. 2: In my area one county's system a Control frequency will change over to a Voice frequency at 12:00am every day and vice versa. Another county's system just the Control Frequencies change in order every day, Both Countys useing Motorola Type II Smartnet. 3: Some of the Frequencies on a list may not be active until a emergency or a overload on the system and then these frequencies may become a Voice or Control frequency.

In Open Mode you will hear everything thats comes across that Control frequency, Everything from Fire, Police to Dog Catcher to your local Sewer Worker will be heard, This is where it is nice to have a Scanner with the Open Mode Lock Out feature so you can block out that Sewer Worker and find new Talk Group IDs.