Vermillion County and the Uniden996P2

[Kenneth977]

I just got the Uniden996P2 on Friday. Bought the DMR key on the Uniden website. I live in Vermilion county-by Potomac, IL. I added the sheriff DMR channel and a bunch of FMN channels. I am not using the antenna that it came with. I purchased the 830B Remtronix and it can reach up to 30 miles. I am not really getting anything right now and I am getting 2 bars for signal strength in Hoopeston. What are your recommendations for a longer range? I keep seeing the D130NJ Diamond Antenna Super Discone Antenna. Should I get that or would I be wasting money? Any channels suggestions that I would be able to get from out here?

 

[cubn]

Unfortunately Danville, Hoopeston and County PDs are all Encrypted DMR so you're not going to be able to monitor them.

You can listen to Fire and IL State Police.

 

[Kenneth977]

Unfortunately Danville, Hoopeston and County PDs are all Encrypted DMR so you're not going to be able to monitor them.

You can listen to Fire and IL State Police.

There is only one DMR frequency on the Vermilion county sheriff department. Sometimes I get 4 bars for signal strength. Are you saying the DMR the one I provided is also a DMRE as well? I did ride alongs with ISP and they mainly have STARCOM and they are all encrypted, but I did find the FMN on the troop 7 list. There were only 3. Thank you for the suggestion, I appreciate it.

 

[cubn]

There are multiple DMR listings for 154.755 and 151.0175. I don't know which is correct but I wouldn't trust any that show DMR non-encrypted or analog.

I've focused on county and Danville fire when I have driven thru since I can still hear those (DMR non encrypted).

 

[Kenneth977]

On the website it shows 154.755 (DMR-Non encrypted) and 151.0175 is DMRE (encrypted). I clicked on the license for 154.755 and saw the other frequencies on there and added the ones with FB on it. I added the channels for FMN for Vermilion county Sheriff off department like Hoopeston, etc. I added the EMS on there as well. I, added the P25 listings for ISP for both East Lynn and Danville. I have full signal strength for both. I feel like the Uniden996P2 is easy to use and I don’t understand a lot of the comments on Amazon got bad reviews and some people paid other people to program it. Thanks again for the help. I am using my tv antenna plus signal booster and I am getting a lot of chatter now.

 

[VASCAR2]

Kenneth977 I have a BCD996XT and have helped many people program their BCD996P2. I have basically the hand held version of that scanner which the BCD325P2. I have programmed these scanners for NXDN and DMR. I’m familiar with Danville/Vermillion County but live to far away to receive them.

If Vermillion County or Danville are using simulcast transmitters on the same frequency your scanner might struggle to receive these transmission (Simulcast Distortion). Your scanner should work good on Starcom 21 and you should be able to hear some traffic on the Indiana trunked Safe-T system.

I’m retired and have the time if you need help figuring out the different systems. Let me know if I can be of assistance.

 

[Starcom21]

I haven't been up that way in years myself, but I caught them when they first moved to DMR. There was some encrypted, some not encrypted. Even some comms on the same frequency with different color codes. Months later than changed more and more and I think it all went encrypted, as far as I could tell. Then for a while, I didn't hear them on anything (I was monitoring for talkgroups and RIDs with DSD+) even though it was encrypted. Since this time, no one else has really been around there to tell us what is exactly going on. Just a little bit of info here and there.
With the drugs and crimes in that area, it's probably 100% encrypted. Just hasn't been confirmed lately.
I'm sorry you purchased a DMR scanner that can't be used to for what you want.

 

[RTmed519]

I just got the Uniden996P2 on Friday. Bought the DMR key on the Uniden website. I live in Vermilion county-by Potomac, IL. I added the sheriff DMR channel and a bunch of FMN channels. I am not using the antenna that it came with. I purchased the 830B Remtronix and it can reach up to 30 miles. I am not really getting anything right now and I am getting 2 bars for signal strength in Hoopeston. What are your recommendations for a longer range? I keep seeing the D130NJ Diamond Antenna Super Discone Antenna. Should I get that or would I be wasting money? Any channels suggestions that I would be able to get from out here?

I'll try not to repeat what everyone else said, but here are a handful of options you can probably hear in Potomac:

1. Arrow & AMT Ambulance (via Danville EMS - Analog)
   1. This is paging from Danville communications, units respond here
2. Danville Fire (DMR)
3. Vermilion County Fire Dispatch (Analog)
4. Vermilion Co. Fire Ops 1 (DMR)
5. Arrow & AMT Ambulance (Via Starcom21 P25 trunked)
   1. These are their own dispatch channels
6. IL State Police Troop 7 (Via Starcom21 P25 trunked)

I listen to all of these on a regular basis when I'm in Vermilion County, all of them are very active. I pick up quite a few of them from Champaign and Douglas County depending on the radio/scanner I'm using.