What mobile scanner do I need for MARCS

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k9gunner

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I am looking at the BC785 and the 796. Having trouble finding a used 796. Will the 785 work ok? I am told it only works on 3800 baud? What do I need?
 

k9gunner

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Thanks, looking at the 2096 now. Does it still require the APCO-25 card, or is all of that built in?
 

red8

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I have a 796 and it came with 9600 baud digital card already installed
and it and the Uniden both have the capability to scan with either
3800 or 9600 baud. The 9600 baud digital scanner is better because
you can hear both sides of the conversation .
red8
 

16b

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k9gunner said:
I am looking at the BC785 and the 796. Having trouble finding a used 796. Will the 785 work ok? I am told it only works on 3800 baud? What do I need?
A BC785 with the add on card will work on the MARCS, however if the system is ever upgraded to a full P25 system (9600bps control channel), you would have to get a new scanner. Thus, I would not recommend a BC785. It looks like, unless you want to drop the big bucks on the '996, your options are the BC796 and the PRO2096. I don't own either one, but I have used a BC796 and a PRO96 (the handheld version of the '2096). Both will involve a fairly steep learning curve to operate. As far as MARCS, I think that either scanner would work fine.
 

k9gunner

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If I do drop the money on the 996T, what are the options and benifits? Any chance the 996T will be a paperweight in short time? Also is there any such thing where I can operate the controls of the scanner though a laptop. It will be mounted in my police car, very far back in the console, almost under the armrest. I thought I saw a program one time that put the scanner display and controls on the laptop screen? Maybe I was dreaming?
 

16b

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- No, I don't see the 996 becoming a paperweight any time soon. It seems to be able to track all of the latest systems and I assume it has firmware upgradeability so you can keep it updated.
- Yes, there are programs that offer remote control of a scanner. I am not familiar with the '996 so I don't know if such a thing exists for it. As far as whether or not it would be too hard to use while mobile is a different matter :)
 

k9gunner

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Ok, I just ordered a 996T off Ebay, so hopefully it will be here soon. Next I will need programming help I am sure. It looks like it does not come with a programming CD like some of the others? Is everything manual input from the faceplate?
 

k9gunner

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UPMan, that link did not work? I have the scanner, and WOW am I lost. Programming this looks harder than my paramedic test and police academy final combined!
 

k9gunner

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Thanks, now I have to find the cable to connect it to my computer ( it was not included in the box for some reason ) so I am headed to RS, then will give it a shot. Thanks for the help guys.
 

UPMan

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RS won't have a cable for the front port. For the rear port, be sure you get a null-modem cable (or a straight cable and null-modem adapter).
 

k9gunner

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Ok, and the software I download from Uniden will not care if I am using front or rear port correct? Once I get the cable and install the software, and map out what I want where, is it fairly simple from there?
 

UPMan

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Correct (but you'll need to go into the scanner's menu and set the rear port to 115200 instead of 4800, which is the default for GPS).
 

red8

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The 996 has multi site trunking which is great because some systems
have more than one site to cover an area. In Louisiana the 800 system has multiple sights. That way the whole state is covered and
the 700Mh LATIE system also is a multi site system, and if you have
checked out the database for the STARNET system in Texas which
is incorporating 9 counties including Harris County Sheriff's Office, you will also find that the system is a multi site.
The 996 can scan those systems with ease.
red8
 

k9gunner

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Yes, but we have found that the 996 will not "auto-affiliate"( <-BigJimbo term) with a site. When you program in multi-site trunking, it pulls your control channel off your local site to search the rest of the state. The 396 however will scan a system, and hold the control channel to the closest site.
 
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mdulrich

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k9gunner said:
The 396 however will scan a system, and hold the control channel to the closest site.

The 396 will hold on the first control channel it finds, even if it is on a distant site. It won't find the closest site.

Mike
 

UPMan

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Affiliation is only possible with 2-way radios. You need to either manually enable the local site(s) and disable the remote site(s) or use the GPS feature to have the switching done automatically.
 
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