Do you use your scanner's priority features?

[Boomeranger]

Do you use your scanner's priority features?

Andy
Scannist

 

[marionmckenna]

My understanding of the priority use for the 996T is that it will only work on Conventional freqs and the one I want to use for priority is on a P25 System.
So it is useless for me!

 

[boatbod]

In my area, the local Fire/EMS pager tones & voice go out on a VHF channel, so I set that as the priority channel on my PRO-96. As soon as a unit responds, all comm takes place on the 800Mhz trunked system along with a lot of other clutter. Hearing the tone-out reminds me to listen up, usually just in time to catch the start of most of the "interesting" calls.

 

[Grog]

Never have, if I really need to monitor something important, I just take out one of my other radios and park it on that CH....

 

[mciupa]

During active weather I do.

 

[KevinTheMule]

I really don't...but I live in a fairly rural area, and have some radio options that allow me to park on things in the event of bad weather/terrorist attack.

Bad weather doesn't "sneak up on us" like it does in other areas, so I usually don't need to be systematically reminded of a tornado when I'm listening to a suspected chicken thief at the local Bike, Bait and Mower shop. :twisted:

 

[maalox]

no i do not that 2 second delay is very annoying.

 

[Audiodave1]

I'll usually dial up a 2nd radio.

If mobile with a single radio and there is action of 2 channels I'll park on 1 and set PRI to the other and basically scan just the 2 channels.

 

[trooperdude]

Useless in an urban environment.

 

[fredclausen]

Never have, if I really need to monitor something important, I just take out one of my other radios and park it on that CH....

Ditto.

 

[BaLa]

I don't usually.....
during Svr Wx I sometimes do..

 

[ibagli]

I almost always have mine on so I always hear fire dispatches. My Pro-2052 has multiple priority channels, so I have them arranged so that I hear the more important (closer) dispatches over the farther away.

 

[scanfan03]

Does Wx priority count? If it does than I will have to change my poll answer. I only use the Wx priority on my pro-95 though, the delay isn't too long, also it doesn't check while talking on a trunked system. I never use any priority (Wx, scan, or Close Call) on my BC246T, the delay is way too long and very annoying. If I use Close Call (which is a lot), I put it on close call only.

 

[DiGiTaLD]

Nope

I never use priority nor weather alert. My scanners are listening to one site of the statewide MOT SmartZone Omnilink system most of the time, except when I'm at work, then the 2096 is being used for audio logging of our primary operations channel, and the 96 is with me listening to the statewide system and the city/county Smartnet system.

 

[Turbo68]

I have never used priority on my radios after 32 years of listenning but i do love using a 2/4 second delay.

Regards Lino.

 

[brandon]

I do not use them. I think its a wasteful feature but I'm sure somebody will disagree

 

[Pimpala03]

Never have, if I really need to monitor something important, I just take out one of my other radios and park it on that CH....

w0rd.

 

[Boomeranger]

The 396T has a unique "priority plus" feature that I use. I prioritize my most important freqs (conventional).

When something local really rocks, I turn on "priority plus" and the 396T will just scan the priority channels. Beats having to turn off all the other systems. It's only two menu screens away.

A great unsung feature, imho.

Andy

 

[Don_Burke]

Never have, if I really need to monitor something important, I just take out one of my other radios and park it on that CH....

Yep, priority is too disruptive. A second (or third) radio works so much better.

The good news is that the channel monitored is usually non-trunked analog, so an older radio will do fine.

 

[n5usr]

I don't find it disruptive or useless in my urban environment. I have my local PD as priority. While I like hearing other things, I *really* want to hear what's going on locally. And perhaps I'm just used to it after many many years of scanning with it on, but I don't really even notice the "blip" as it checks.

Now, if something significant does happen, I'll turn on a separate radio or stop scanning and leave it on a particular frequency. I just don't have another radio I leave on 24/7 like I do the scanner.

I can see the priority function becoming less and less useful (just about useless now, at times) because as others point out the scanner won't check the priority channel while in a trunked system. And my local DPS / highway patrol / every-little-town-around system stays B-U-S-Y.