Uniden Scanner BCD325 P2

[davidmiller1961]

I am trying to use my new scanner. I live in Maryland in Anne Arundel County. I can't seem to get 2 surrounding counties Balto. Co. and Balto.City. I just have the duckie antenna that came with it. Do I need a better duckie antenna or an outdoor type? I had it programmed by Hobby Radio Stop which is where it was purchased from. I believe it was programmed with smart scan. I would appreciate any tips from anyone especially scanner users from Maryland. David Miller.

 

[maus92]

I am trying to use my new scanner. I live in Maryland in Anne Arundel County. I can't seem to get 2 surrounding counties Balto. Co. and Balto.City. I just have the duckie antenna that came with it. Do I need a better duckie antenna or an outdoor type? I had it programmed by Hobby Radio Stop which is where it was purchased from. I believe it was programmed with smart scan. I would appreciate any tips from anyone especially scanner users from Maryland. David Miller.

It will have a lot to do with exactly where you live, AND the unfortunate fact that your scanner is not optimized for P25 simulcast reception. Both Baltimore City and Baltimore County use P25 simulcast systems, so you are already at a disadvantage. And compounding the situation, Anne Arundel County is migrating to a P25 simulcast system shortly, perhaps in early January.

 

[tvengr]

I am trying to use my new scanner. I live in Maryland in Anne Arundel County. I can't seem to get 2 surrounding counties Balto. Co. and Balto.City.

Is it ProScan or FreeSCAN software? I have never heard of Smart Scan.

 

[davidmiller1961]

It will have a lot to do with exactly where you live, AND the unfortunate fact that your scanner is not optimized for P25 simulcast reception. Both Baltimore City and Baltimore County use P25 simulcast systems, so you are already at a disadvantage. And compounding the situation, Anne Arundel County is migrating to a P25 simulcast system shortly, perhaps in early January.

Pardon my lack of knowledge can it be optimized for simulcast and if so how?

 

[tvengr]

Pardon my lack of knowledge can it be optimized for simulcast and if so how?

The only scanners designed to receive simulcast sites are the Uniden SDS100 handheld and SDS200 base/mobile. Other scanners do not have the necessary hardware. Unication G4 & G5 pagers are excellent at receiving simulcast but you are limited to one system and one site at a time. They are not capable of receiving the present Anne Arundel County Motorola trunked system. They will be able to receive the new Anne Arundel P25 system (whatever is not encrypted). The pagers are limited to 64 talkgroups per system.

 

[RaleighGuy]

Pardon my lack of knowledge can it be optimized for simulcast and if so how?

There are many tricks out there, some claiming they work, many claiming they don't. There is no sure fire fix, it depends mainly on location and signals.

In my situation, I have a TRX-1 and WS 10xx scanners, they work great at my house with no tweaks, on the county simulcast P25 system. But if I take them a half a mile away they suddenly go silent.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Pardon my lack of knowledge can it be optimized for simulcast and if so how?

There are a number of simulcast/multipath mitigation methods mentioned in the wiki linked below you can try. May or may not work

2.1 Multipath Mitigation for Scanners

 

[davidmiller1961]

The only scanners designed to receive simulcast sites are the Uniden SDS100 handheld and SDS200 base/mobile. Other scanners do not have the necessary hardware. Unication G4 & G5 pagers are excellent at receiving simulcast but you are limited to one system and one site at a time. They are not capable of receiving the present Anne Arundel County Motorola trunked system. They will be able to receive the new Anne Arundel P25 system (whatever is not encrypted). The pagers are limited to 64 talkgroups per system.

Can the necessary hardware be installed? Will DMR, Pro Voice or NDXN installation help?

 

[wtp]

no. no.

 

[maus92]

Can the necessary hardware be installed? Will DMR, Pro Voice or NDXN installation help?

Nope, the hardware is not upgradable. The additional protocols have nothing to do with simulcast.

 

[freqhopping]

"Simulcast" isn't the problem. Simulcast is just identical freqs used simultaneously from more than one site. Most systems in the area operate like this. The problem is the type of digital modulation used with the simulcast.


Fairfax Co = Problems 8K70D1W P25 Linear Simulcast Modulation
Bandwidth: 8.70 kHz
Modulation Type: [D] Carrier is amplitude and angle modulated
Modulation Nature: [1] Digital, on-off or quantized, no modulation
Information Type: [W] Multiple Formats of Data Transmitted
Emissions Designator Notes: 8K70D1W P25 Linear Simulcast Modulation ASTRO (9.6 kbps in 12.5 kHz channelspace)

I could RX the Fairfax simulcast perfectly fine prior to the change to LSM. Now at home it's nothing 99% of the time, working at the most random times/places. While moving within the county it's OK.


Frederick Co, MD = Problems
8K70D1W- P25 Linear Simulcast Modulation
8K10F1E- P25 Phase I C4FM voice
8K10F1D- P25 Phase I C4FM data

Can't RX at home due to topography. Seems to work OK when I've been passing through. Have had issues while stationary in some locations.

Loudoun County = No problem
9K80D7W- P25 2-slot TDMA (Harmonized Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keyed modulation - H-DQPSK)
8K10F1E- P25 Phase I C4FM voice
8K10F1W- P25 Phase II subscriber units (Harmonized Continuous Phase Modulation - H-CPM)


Baltimore Co
16K0F9W- Modulated wave using Composite, one or more digital channel, one or more analog signal. This signal transmits at a 16.0 kHz [16K0] maximum bandwidth.
15K0F2D- Modulated wave using Digital, with modulation signal. This signal transmits at a 15.0 kHz [15K0] maximum bandwidth.
16K0F3E-Modulated wave using Single analog channel signal. This signal transmits at a 16.0 kHz [16K0] maximum bandwidth. 4 kHz deviation FM analog voice (NPSPAC)

I've never had any problems receiving the Baltimore Co system when in the area.

Balt City
20K0F3E Frequency modulated (FM) analog voice, 5 kHz deviation; "wideband 25 kHz".

Seems they did not put the correct emission designations in the new license. So I don't know what they are actually using. I don't think I had any RX issues the few times I've listened.


Anne Arundel P25, just like Loudoun Co and shouldn't be an issue.
9K80D7W- P25 Phase II fixed-end 2-slot TDMA (Harmonized Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keyed modulation – H-DQPSK), per Motorola literature
8K10F1D- P25 Phase I C4FM data
8K10F1E- P25 Phase I C4FM voice (P25 mode in RadioReference.com Database)

Montgomery Co is also 9K80D7W and I don't think I've had any issues so long as I've had signal.

 

[maus92]

Simulcast when implemented in a P25 network is most definitely the issue as LSM doesn’t play well with the 325. P25 conventional / C4FM or an ASR site is doable.

 

[maus92]

I checked the FCC database this morning, and Baltimore County also uses 8K70D1W (which is LSM) typically used in P25 Phase 1 simulcast systems. Anne Arundel is using H-DQPSK for its talk-out channels, which is essentially a development of LSM that allows for a bit more latitude in signal timing and site spacing. Both 8K70D1W and H-DQPSK require linear RF transmitters. Anne Arundel's new P25 system has more sites thus tighter site spacing, increasing the possibility of a scanner radio recieving signalling from multiple sites at slightly different timings, which will likely result in garbled or missed transmissions on non-optimized receivers. Actual subscriber units are designed to recieve signalling from multip[le sites, which helps them maintain connectivity in challenging enviroments.

Baltimore City is behind in keeping the FCC license data current. What is on file now is likely the same data they used when the system was inagurated way back when, and does not reflect what is on the air today.

 

[davidmiller1961]

Thank you for all the advice. Unfortunatly I am as tech savvy as some of you are. How do I do that stuff?