South Zone Trunk Frequency and Offset CH

[jack10562 414]

I'm trying to confirm the correct parameters on the Westchester trunked system south-zone.

In particular, I need the Base configuration-2 frequency and offsetCH settings values, since there are different settings floating around, from different places.

I've seen:

475.750 MHz, Step = 12.5 kHz, Channel = 500

476.075 MHz, Step = 12.5 kHz, Channel = 526 (RR)

and then CH of 520 or even 570, depending on where you looked.

Does anyone have the actual frequency and offsetCH numbers needed for this zone, that works?

Thanks!

Jack

[DR104 141]

I do not. But i do have a ? on the trunk frequence. I have an Uniden Bearcat 800 Mhz 50 ch handheld, its about 6 years old. Will the trunking fq work on this scanner? Getting some kind of taxi or car service on 476.075.

[jack10562 414]

Any scanner that can pick up UHF (high band) can "listen" on any of the trunked system frequencies (except for the control channel, unless...you LIKE the sound of a diesel engine running;-).

However it's somewhere between difficult, to impossible, to follow a talk-group conversation since the frequency assigned to a talk-group can change every single time someone keys up.

[DOC22 1]

Any scanner that can pick up UHF (high band) can "listen" on any of the trunked system frequencies (except for the control channel, unless...you LIKE the sound of a diesel engine running;-).

However it's somewhere between difficult, to impossible, to follow a talk-group conversation since the frequency assigned to a talk-group can change every single time someone keys up.

Not nwcessarily true, jack. I have the North Zone in my Rad Sahck PRO 97, and I do hear everything, It will hold for a second or 2 after conversation stops, but if the conversation does pick a different frequency, it will catch it in due time. As for the South Zone, I downloaded the data feom RR.com, and North wroks fine, but South Zone, I get nothing. In fact, it takes longer for the scanner to go thru 0 bank (North) than 1 bank (South). Also with the PRO 97, you cannot put both Zones in the same bank---per the guy at R/S that I bought it from. I'll keep putzing with my South bank and see if I can get it to work. Once I do I'll post the right numbers here.

[jack10562 414]

Hi Doc,

I've been working on this for a little while now, and today confirmed the South Zone trunk settings that do work.

A "regular scanner" is okay for when the trunked system is not that busy, and so far, it really isn't.

I bet the bee line busses use it more than Fire and EMS combined!

Anyway, here is what I've come up with that I know works:

North Zone:

System Type: Motorola Type 2 UHF

Base Config-1= 470.0000 MHz, Step = 12.5 kHz, Offset Channel = 380

Freq's:

470.3250

470.3500

470.3750

470.5250

470.5500

470.5750**(Control Channel)

South Zone:

System Type: Motorola Type 2 UHF

Base Config-1 = 469.5250 MHz, Step = 12.5 kHz, Offset Channel = 380

Base Config-2 = 475.7500 MHz, Step = 12.5 kHz, Offset Channel = 500

Freq's:

470.0750

470.1000

470.2000

476.0750

476.1125

476.2125

476.2375**(Control Channel)

[DOC22 1]

Hi Doc,

I've been working on this for a little while now, and today confirmed the South Zone trunk settings that do work.

A "regular scanner" is okay for when the trunked system is not that busy, and so far, it really isn't.

I bet the bee line busses use it more than Fire and EMS combined!

Anyway, here is what I've come up with that I know works:

North Zone:

System Type: Motorola Type 2 UHF

Base Config-1= 470.0000 MHz, Step = 12.5 kHz, Offset Channel = 380

Freq's:

470.3250

470.3500

470.3750

470.5250

470.5500

470.5750**(Control Channel)

South Zone:

System Type: Motorola Type 2 UHF

Base Config-1 = 469.5250 MHz, Step = 12.5 kHz, Offset Channel = 380

Base Config-2 = 475.7500 MHz, Step = 12.5 kHz, Offset Channel = 500

Freq's:

470.0750

470.1000

470.2000

476.0750

476.1125

476.2125

476.2375**(Control Channel)

Thanks, Jack! I'll set my South Zone accordingly. Living where I do I hear the North Zone perfectly, as well as all of the UHF links to 46.26, so I don't miss much. LOL

[jack10562 414]

Regarding the effort to get the South zone working, I was more concerned about my going around the lower county with a portable scanner. Plus, I hope this helps people "down-south" to get their trunking scanners to work properly.

I get the North zone at home like they're sitting in the room, and yeah, there are plenty of lo-band repeaters.

My scanner only polls the North zone while at home, even though both are active, but on separate banks.

I have it set for control channel only, so I'm guessing it "reads" the strongest signal.

When I went out before, the scanner only displayed South, when I got down to around Valhalla.

[SteveOFD 176]

For MUCH better reception get the Diamond RH77CA Antenna. I've got it on my Pro97 and it is like night and day. The antenna the scanner comes with is multiband for all the bands the scanner receives. The RH77CA is specifically designed for best reception on VHF & UHF. I couldn't believe the improvement in reception. Well worth the $25 price. NOTE - this antenna is about fifteen inches long, but again well worth it.

Jack10562, you might want to check your settings, Control Channel Mode is only for 800MHz Systems. The reason we need to program the Base/Spacing/Offset settings is because scanners can't track VHF/UHF systems in Control Channel Mode. The reason for this is that the 800MHz frequencies are all assigned a channel number. In Control Channel Mode, when the Control Channel sends out an Outbound Signaling Word(the data all the radios in that Talkgroup need to know what channel to go to) this OSW signal tells the radio what 800MHz channel to go to. The VHF/UHF frequencies are not assigned numbers. The VHF/UHF frequencies in any system do have numbers assigned to them, but these numbers are not standard anywhere except the individual system. The Base/Spacing/Offset settings tell your scanner which channel to go to for the individual system.

DOC22, if you manually go to 476.2375MHz (the South Zone Control Channel) you will hear the Control Channel datastream, like Jack mentioned above. If you do not hear this then you are out of range of the South Zone, and you will not be able to follow any transmissions associated with South Zone only transmissions. This does not mean you will not be able to hear transmissions form down South, because, as mentioned in previous posts, if a unit (Chief, Portable, Apparatus) from a South Zone agency is in the North Zone, that transmission will be retransmitted on both the South and North Zone towers.

Edited January 27, 2008 by SteveOFD

[TR54 239]

For MUCH better reception get the Diamond RH77CA Antenna. I've got it on my Pro97 and it is like night and day. The antenna the scanner comes with is multiband for all the bands the scanner receives. The RH77CA is specifically designed for best reception on VHF & UHF. I couldn't believe the improvement in reception. Well worth the $25 price. NOTE - this antenna is about fifteen inches long, but again well worth it.

SteveOFD I just ordered one from Universal Radio for my hand held scanner.

[jack10562 414]

Me too!

Dang.... got an email 2/2, the antenna is back-ordered, till the end of the month.

[DOC22 1]

Yup, so did I!

[ladderthebuilding 2]

For MUCH better reception get the Diamond RH77CA Antenna. I've got it on my Pro97 and it is like night and day. The antenna the scanner comes with is multiband for all the bands the scanner receives. The RH77CA is specifically designed for best reception on VHF & UHF. I couldn't believe the improvement in reception. Well worth the $25 price. NOTE - this antenna is about fifteen inches long, but again well worth it.

Jack10562, you might want to check your settings, Control Channel Mode is only for 800MHz Systems. The reason we need to program the Base/Spacing/Offset settings is because scanners can't track VHF/UHF systems in Control Channel Mode. The reason for this is that the 800MHz frequencies are all assigned a channel number. In Control Channel Mode, when the Control Channel sends out an Outbound Signaling Word(the data all the radios in that Talkgroup need to know what channel to go to) this OSW signal tells the radio what 800MHz channel to go to. The VHF/UHF frequencies are not assigned numbers. The VHF/UHF frequencies in any system do have numbers assigned to them, but these numbers are not standard anywhere except the individual system. The Base/Spacing/Offset settings tell your scanner which channel to go to for the individual system.

DOC22, if you manually go to 476.2375MHz (the South Zone Control Channel) you will hear the Control Channel datastream, like Jack mentioned above. If you do not hear this then you are out of range of the South Zone, and you will not be able to follow any transmissions associated with South Zone only transmissions. This does not mean you will not be able to hear transmissions form down South, because, as mentioned in previous posts, if a unit (Chief, Portable, Apparatus) from a South Zone agency is in the North Zone, that transmission will be retransmitted on both the South and North Zone towers.

How come I hear the county bee line bus? Any way i can get rid of that?

[SteveOFD 176]

How come I hear the county bee line bus? Any way i can get rid of that?

You have got to go to closed (or ID scan) mode. Right now you are in open (or ID search) mode in which will hear all talkgroups on the system. In closed (or ID scan) mode you will hear only the talkgroups you have programmed in.