Who can help me with my BC346XT ?

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suriname

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Hi guys, I just got my second scanner, the BC346XT.
I managed to "program" and listen to some trunked public services, because I knew their frequencies.
Who can help met get "Basic" scanning-instructions ? I know I hear control-channels (they sound like old dial-up modems...), but how do I know what type of trunked-system they are ? What about the ID's and talk groups ? I'm really a n00b !
I have tried the "Easier to read" manual, but fro what I read, I need to know more about the systems I want to listen to... e.g. the type etc...(?)
I have no problem listening to "conventional" freqs, like ATC and Approach-controls at airports, however I could use some help setting up the scanner to "scan"... (currently I just go to the freq. I got from the net, and keep it on "hold"... lol !!)

Help is VERY much appreciated.
Regards...
 

DickH

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I hope someone who has a BC346XT will answer and help you.

The manual I found seems very complicated, but try to work your way through it.
First try it as a Motorola system. That is the most common. I did not see the final step anyplace, but after all your data has been entered, hit SCAN or SEARCH.
SEARCH mode lets you hear all active talk groups.
SCAN lets you hear only the Talk Groups you have entered.
http://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/MotorolaTrunkedSystems

Also, try this free program. http://www.sixspotsoftware.com/downloads
 
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frazpo

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Hi guys, I just got my second scanner, the BC346XT.
I managed to "program" and listen to some trunked public services, because I knew their frequencies.
Who can help met get "Basic" scanning-instructions ? I know I hear control-channels (they sound like old dial-up modems...), but how do I know what type of trunked-system they are ? What about the ID's and talk groups ? I'm really a n00b !
I have tried the "Easier to read" manual, but fro what I read, I need to know more about the systems I want to listen to... e.g. the type etc...(?)
I have no problem listening to "conventional" freqs, like ATC and Approach-controls at airports, however I could use some help setting up the scanner to "scan"... (currently I just go to the freq. I got from the net, and keep it on "hold"... lol !!)

Are you unable to find the systems in the RR database? This will tell you the type. The other reply is right, If you do not know about a trunked system just scan in "ID SEARCH" mode as opposed to "ID SCAN" mode. This will stop on all talk groups.

If you manually program a trunk system in your scanner with the control channel then you will need to figure out all the TG's (talkgroups) on your own. This is why most large trunked systems are programmed with the use of software and the RR database. If you choose to manually program a system then simply log your TG id's and cross reference them with the database to ID the TG's

Help any?
 

suriname

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I'm in South-America and travel in the Caribbean, very thin populated areas...
In Suriname I managed to get "on to" the police analog trunking freq. because I saw the freq. on someone's scanner.
I'm currently in the Caribbean, is there a way to distinguish the analog- from the digital trunking systems, by their sound ?
 

suriname

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It took long days and long nights but I managed to find some Moto Type II Trunking systems...
My question is, does the BC346XT also scan for the ID's or do I have to find a way to "find" them ?
 

captclint

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suriname

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Awesome !
I had also found that out and my scanner now also reads ID Search.

The reason why I had asked, is because sometimes it seems I hear replies to a message, for which I had not hear the initial message.

I do see about 4 IDs when there are conversations, so I know the "ID Search" is working.


I see the different frequencies when there are conversations, they all differ 1 MHz from each other. When there are no conversations, I mostly see it on one frequency, but sometimes also on a few others (I programmed them also in the SITE (each frequency I see when they talk, is this good/bad ?)
Now, do the Type II control-chanels also *jump* to different frequencies ? And will the scanner also track these jumps to the other frequencies ?

I begin to understand the manuals from Uniden and Mark, but sometimes I still get dizzy...
Tnx again, really appreciate the help.
 

DickH

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Your scanner has two trunking modes; SCAN and SEARCH (OPEN and CLOSED in some scanners).
SEARCH lets you hear all active Talk Groups.
SCAN lets you hear only the Talk Groups you enter into the scanner.

This may help you understand trunking.

Motorola Trunking:
The object of trunking is to allow many users to share a relatively few frequencies.
A trunking system is controlled by a computer. Information (data) is exchanged between the system radios and the computer on a control channel, sometimes called a data channel. It sounds like a strong buzz.
A large system can have up to 28 freqs., 4 of which may be used as control channels. The control channel may be changed once a day or as often as the programmer decides. Some scanners need only the control channels to track an entire system. Just put in the 4 Control Channels.

Each group of users (Fire, Police, etc.) is assigned TALK GROUPS. In a Motorola Type II system, the most common type, TGs are usually in 32 number steps starting with 16 and going up to 65536; 16, 48, 80 --- 4656, 4688, 4720 --- 28944, 28976, etc. System radios can have more than 100 TGs programmed into them.

After all the freqs. have been entered and it is "trunking", the Banks become SCAN LISTS where you enter the Talk Groups you want to hear.
Use the Talk Group numbers in the DEC column, not in the HEX column.

When a user pushes the talk button on his radio, data is sent to the computer. The computer chooses an unused freq. and sends that data to all the radios using the TG of the originating unit. This all happens in a fraction of a second and it happens EVERY TIME a radio is used.

EXAMPLE:
Fire Dispatch calling Engine 4 (TG 4528 on 856.7125)
Engine 4 answering Dispatch (TG 4528 on 852.2625)
Respond to 73 Elm Street (TG 4528 on 855.9625)
Engine 4 responding (TG 4528 on 851.6375)

If you have entered TG 4528 into your scanner, it will decode the control channel data and change your scanner freqs. to follow the conversation on TG 4528.
 

suriname

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TG = ID ?
Now that you mention it, TGs are making more sense now.
I often see 3216, 3248, 3200 etc... on my Uniden. Always 4 digits. Also some 16xx and 24xx IDs.
I'm seeing this, since I'm using the ID Search.

Is there a way to find out how many control-channels are used by the system ?

Once again, thanks for your feedback !
 

DickH

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TG = ID ?
Is there a way to find out how many control-channels are used by the system ?

Yes, ID = Talk Group.
To find the active CC, put it on MANUAL and step through the freqs. The one with the strong buzz is the CC.
 

suriname

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Ok, so far so good, no problem listening to different ID's/Groups from that dispatch.

However, I now found something else (in the 467.850 MHz area), the Control-Channel has the exact same sound as the one I got working earlier, only this time, the sound does not stay on constantly... it's there only a few seconds, then off, and then on again etc...
(It's the same on a different radio I tried).

So is this a different trunking system ? I tried programming the in my BC346XT the exact same way I managed to get the previous (Motorola Trunking) working, but this time it would just say "ID SEARCH" and below that it says "nfm", but no freq shows up.

Please educate me ! :)
 
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suriname

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it does sound most like one of the Motorola-systems, but I will have to listen more closely.
btw, do Motorola voice Trunking systems work in de 467.850MHz area ?
 

DickH

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it does sound most like one of the Motorola-systems, but I will have to listen more closely.
btw, do Motorola voice Trunking systems work in de 467.850MHz area ?

Yes, but the control channel is constant.
 

suriname

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Ok, I won't waste my time identifying that channel anymore, as it is does not have a constant output !
I finally feel I'm able to operate the scanner, I'm having more control over it.
My current pc's (1HP and 3 MACS) don't have serial-ports, so I did all my programming on the radio itself. It was a HELL to learn, but it seems I can almost program the BC346XT without even looking ! It's not the best UI, but I manage so far !
I like the Quick-Keys and Group Quick Keys (I would have designed it much better tho !)...
Same goes for the priority settings.

Getting to know the radio better, I seem to also better understand the (once Greek) manuals for this scanner, hahaha...!

If anyone still has some tips for me, not covered (in non-Greek) in the Uniden Wiki or Mark's Manual, like real-life DO's and DON'Ts !! please, feel free to share it with me !
 
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