I am trying to program a scanner for my father who had a stroke and is unable to do so himself. Me being new into the scanner world, I am getting a crash course on how trunking systems operate. I live in, and am trying to receive, Mills County, Iowa. I have tried using Proscan and Freescan to import the P25 system from the RadioReference website. I have set quick keys for the groups that I imported, but still am not able to receive transmissions. Can anyone point me in the right direction on what my next step would be, or if I have done anything wrong to prevent me from receiving anything on the scanner? Thanks in advance for your patience and help.
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MStep
Member
I would forget about the quick keys for now and just program in the systems and conventional channels and make sure they are working first. For a beginner, quick keys are complex and confusing additions to a system configuration that should really be attempted by someone already highly knowledgeable about scanner functions.
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
It would help to know precisely what you are programming - here is the db entry for your county
If you are trying to hear your statewide system, some of those sites are simulcasted - the 325P2 may have issues (and even going silent is possible) because of this. Your county's site is one such site. It is very geo-dependent - one person down the block might have fine reception, but move away from that and you might get nothing.
Mike
Mills County, Iowa (IA) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference
Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference for Mills County, Iowa (IA)
www.radioreference.com
If you are trying to hear your statewide system, some of those sites are simulcasted - the 325P2 may have issues (and even going silent is possible) because of this. Your county's site is one such site. It is very geo-dependent - one person down the block might have fine reception, but move away from that and you might get nothing.
Mike
Hi & welcome to the RR forums:
Have a read here about simulcast distortion, it's one of the most discussed issues here. This could very well be the reason why your 996P2 can't receive transmissions on this system. I guarantee you if you were to monitor using an SDS100 or 200 you'd be able to pick up the system just fine
Have a read here about simulcast distortion, it's one of the most discussed issues here. This could very well be the reason why your 996P2 can't receive transmissions on this system. I guarantee you if you were to monitor using an SDS100 or 200 you'd be able to pick up the system just fine
Press menu , program system , choose conventional, scroll to "edit group" press "E"niter , put in frequency, one after another in "group 1" , press "scan"
doctordialtone
Member
Quick Keys are merely used to toggle things on and off. They also help to display the scanning status on the various systems in the scanner.
The "Easier to Read" manual explains how to set up and use them.
Good luck!
tvengr
Well Known Member
Here is a FreeSCAN file for Mills County. Save the attached zipped file to your computer and extract. Open the extracted file with FreeSCAN and Upload Programming. Highlight Erase All Systems & Settings and click on Start Upload. System quick key is 1. Group quick keys as follows:
| 1. Mills Co EMA |
| 2. Mills Co Fire |
| 3. Mills Co Law |
| 4. IA State Patrol |
Thank you for the reply. When watching videos online one of them said that it was important to assign quick keys for the system to work. I was just going off of what they said. I won't worry so much about them then.
I am trying to program the trunking system for Mills County Iowa. This includes the Sheriff, Fire, and Rescue along with a few other groups. I am wondering if the simulcast is what is messing things up. I have the BCD996P2.It would help to know precisely what you are programming - here is the db entry for your county
Mills County, Iowa (IA) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference
Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference for Mills County, Iowa (IA)www.radioreference.com
If you are trying to hear your statewide system, some of those sites are simulcasted - the 325P2 may have issues (and even going silent is possible) because of this. Your county's site is one such site. It is very geo-dependent - one person down the block might have fine reception, but move away from that and you might get nothing.
Mike
Thank you for uploading. Just did this step by step. It sounds like a slow afternoon on the online scanner feed today. Will continue to monitor the two to see if this fixes it.
tvengr
Well Known Member
Look back at post #7. There is a file for you to program your scanner. The trunking system is set up on system quick key 1. Pressing 1 on the keypad will toggle the system on and off. While scanning the system, pressing the FUNC knob and then a group quick key number on the keypad will toggle the group on and off.
You should try first before having your father pay $700.00 for a new scanner he might not need.. It's possible your BCD996P2 will be able to do what you want. I have two 996P2 monitoring Michigan's simucast system with no problems. As they say in real estate, location, location, location. Bottom line it cost nothing to try!
Yeah, that's why I figured I would post on here and see if there were any solutions on getting things to work before upgrading needlessly. Again, its been a crash course to say the least.
Ok, after following post#7, I am picking up IA State Patrol almost flawlessly. I am getting intermittent transmissions for Mills County Law Dispatch, so I am now beginning to think that in Whiskey3JMC's post with the link about antenna, and iMONITOR's post with Location are my weak points now. Thank you for your help with everything. I am going to have to go back through my old system, and your system that you uploaded to figure out what I had different with the settings.
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