Organizing RWC and other systems effectively in scanner

[jwalton512]

Having a hard time organizing system(s) (bcd396xt)

I am having a hard time wrapping my head around organizing system(s) in my scanner.

I tried just importing my local system directly using FreeScan. It works, but I find it difficult to hear specifically what I want when I want.

Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC) Trunking System, Phoenix, Arizona - Scanner Frequencies

Are there any organization techniques I can employ. I would like to be able to listen to public safety for specific cities, for example.

 

[avdrummerboy]

I have the base/ mobile version of that scanner but the workings are pretty much the same.

The memory setup (for trunking) basically goes system --> site --> group

You can do it how you want but I would suggest placing all North sites to a site quick key, all South sites to a quick key, East and West as well. Then you just need to place all the various cities into groups and assign group keys if you like.

For example, mine is set up (I'm lucky and have only one site per system) but I put the System and site on the same quick key, then each group has it's own quick key, I have it split into LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE/EMS, and COUNTY SERVICES. That way I can turn off say county if I don't want to hear the Animal control folks argue about where to eat lunch.

So, for you it would be the same thing, just having to separate out the North, South, East and West areas and groups.

 

[jwalton512]

Thank you for the response.

In your example, how many "Systems" would exist?

 

[avdrummerboy]

My example is my scanner setup, I have 12 systems, 9 of which are trunked systems each with only 1 site, the other three are conventional systems with 2 groups.

 

[teufler]

File

see if this file will work. Probably too much but with quick keys you can shut off what is not needed.

 

[jwalton512]

Thanks. The thing I don't understand, which I've seen in other files that have been shared, is why some of the sites/groups exist in multiple systems and have different quick keys.

 

[Voyager]

Likely because someone wanted to monitor more than 500 IDs (TGs + UIDs), so a second duplicate System must be created for the "next 500 IDs". I had to do this until the x36 series.

 

[teufler]

i HAD TO CREATE multiple systems because one of the sytems had more than 20 groups, so I created one with 20 then another with the balance. Phoenix pd ws an example of this programming. So some quick keys were different but number tag asignments takes care of this.

 

[jwalton512]

Thank you. Trying to wrap my head around this. So if you need to duplicate a system because it has many groups, you also have to include all the sites for that system each time?

I guess I don't have a clear understanding of what Sites are within these Systems.

 

[jwalton512]

I read the article below and now have a understanding of how the sites relate to the systems and more importantly to the talkgroups within those systems

Uniden Multi-Site Trunking - The RadioReference Wiki

 

[rwier]

I read the article below and now have a understanding of how the sites relate to the systems and more importantly to the talkgroups within those systems

Uniden Multi-Site Trunking - The RadioReference Wiki

Hi j,

If you don't get the results you are looking for, you might want to start a new thread in the AZ Forum. Should be a slew of locals who have faced the same problems you are mulling over.

 

[jwalton512]

Hi j,

If you don't get the results you are looking for, you might want to start a new thread in the AZ Forum. Should be a slew of locals who have faced the same problems you are mulling over.

Thanks. I think I need to get more familiar with using quick keys to get to what I want at a given time.

 

[ecps92]

Why start a new thread. Use the and ask for the current thread to be moved to a more appropriate forum , and suggest the State of AZ

Hi j,

If you don't get the results you are looking for, you might want to start a new thread in the AZ Forum. Should be a slew of locals who have faced the same problems you are mulling over.

 

[teufler]

You don't have to necessaily put all the sites in two or more times, depending on the groups. In a perfect world, if you know what sites are in proximity to your groups, include only those that match up. You will have multiple systems created but sites will not be duplicated.

 

[jwalton512]

I'm starting to understand scanning somewhat. I was a bit confused by trunking/multi-site trunking, but am starting to understand it a little now.

My major issue now is that I can't seem to be able to hear what I want to hear when I want to hear it. For example, if traffic is backed up on the I10 (like it was on Thursday ironically) I'd like to be able to scan DPS channels (or the ADOT channel although I'm not sure if that one really works). If I hear about a fire in Phoenix, I'd like to listen to Phoenix FD.

I guess tuning to something specific is counterintuitive to "scanning" but are my expectations unrealistic?

How do you all manage through this?

 

[marksmith]

Once you get more familiar with the systems you are scanning, this is exactly the kind of usable information you will be able to pull from your scanner.

In other words, you are just beginning to understand what this hobby is about and what you need to do to enjoy or utilize your scanner more effectively.

So.. you are not wrong in thinking that the reason to scan is to be able to narrow in on what specifically you want to listen to.

Now that you are at this point, getting more familiar with what is on your systems and what activity takes place on each talkgroup is your goal. Followed by organizing the way your scanner is set up so you can quickly get to the stuff that's important to you.

You are getting there... the more you listen the faster this will come together.

Mark
536HP/HP1e/HP2e/996P2/996XT
996T/396XT(2)/PSR800/PRO668

 

[ofd8001]

Thank you. Trying to wrap my head around this. So if you need to duplicate a system because it has many groups, you also have to include all the sites for that system each time?

Yes you would.

An option may be to consolidate groups to reduce the overall number of groups. For example you could have a "Police" talkgroup that includes Peoria, Phoenix, Maricopa . . . as one talkgroup. Alternatively, as long as you don't exceed to 20 group limitation, you could consolidate by locality. This way you'd have all of Peoria in one group, all of Phoenix in another, etc.

If I was doing this system, I'd probably download the system as a spreadsheet file. Then do some sorting so I can cluster the talkgroups. Following that I'd copy and paste into my programming software.

 

[jwalton512]

Once you get more familiar with the systems you are scanning, this is exactly the kind of usable information you will be able to pull from your scanner.

In other words, you are just beginning to understand what this hobby is about and what you need to do to enjoy or utilize your scanner more effectively.

So.. you are not wrong in thinking that the reason to scan is to be able to narrow in on what specifically you want to listen to.

Now that you are at this point, getting more familiar with what is on your systems and what activity takes place on each talkgroup is your goal. Followed by organizing the way your scanner is set up so you can quickly get to the stuff that's important to you.

You are getting there... the more you listen the faster this will come together.

Mark
536HP/HP1e/HP2e/996P2/996XT
996T/396XT(2)/PSR800/PRO668

Thanks for the response. I feel like slowly but surely it's starting to make more sense to me.

 

[Voyager]

There is also the 500 ID limit which is what I ran into more than the Group Limit.

 

[ofd8001]

On the system noted in the first post, there are 18 sites and about 457 talkgroups. Looks like about 159 are encrypted, so there is no need to program them. So programing this system as a single system, rather than breaking it up, is "do-able".