Simplified usage for elderly newbie

[mmbridges]

Hi All,

I would like to get a scanner for my father-in-law who is not technically savvy, has poor eyesight, limited mobility but who would enjoy tremendously being able to "get out of the house" by listening to a scanner.

Do people have preferred programming configurations and usage suggestions for elderly newbies of this type?

I would prefer to start him off with something simple but he lives in Southampton Co, VA and that area is already on a STARS APCO P25 trunked system and hosting the agencies he would enjoy listening to the most. Consequently I am looking at a GRE PSR-600 but I don't want to overwhelm him.

I am very tech savvy although new to scanning. I was hoping I could program it for him and then show him a basic usage process that he could quickly master.

The goal for now would be to have him have to press as few buttons and remember as few sequences as possible while at the same time allowing him to get the most enjoyment he can from such a simplified process. I eventually think he will grow into more advanced usage if we can overcome his sight limitations (with magnifying stand) and potential difficulty manipulating the small controls. I believe he would be quite motivated but at the same time I don't want him to be frustrated.

I live about 4 hrs away so reprogramming opportunities would probably be on the occasional holiday. Is this possible? Am I taking the right approach? Have any of you folks done the same thing? Thanks in advance.

Mike

[FLRAILMAN]

Mike, since he is a total newbie & you are a scanner newbie, the GRE PSR-600 is a serious piece of hardware for anybody, not just beginners, why don't you start him off with a basic scanner with service search & let him get his feet wet by listening to railroad, aviation, marine, gmr-frs & so on, If he gets hooked & believe me you will know it, then grab the PSR-600, program it for him & include a basic "Get me by" cheat sheet & see where it goes from there. Who knows, next Christmas he might be ready to upgrade to the Icom IC-R9500, either that or buy him a car for $15,000.00

You can download the PSR-600 owners manual here:
www.greamerica.com/PSR-600.html

Universal Radio sells it:
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...ners/2534.html

Icom IC-R9500
www.icomamerica.com

Universal Radio sells it:
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0095.html

FLRAILMAN

[DPD1]

Maybe if you lockout most of the non essential stuff and just write good instructions for him? If he just stops it on stuff he wants and starts it again... You really don't need a whole lot more than that for basic listening. Maybe know how to spin through the memories? It's kind of all up to him really.

[gd9704]

I think the PSR-600 would work fine if you are able to program it for him.

If you simply program the system and talkgroups for his particular location and interests, it should be a "set it and forget it" situation. Set up a few scanlists to organize talkgroups into fire, police, etc. I would teach him how the scanlists work, and perhaps how to lockout talkgroups he no longer wants to listen to.

Some scanner sellers will program the scanner for you, for a small fee.

My mother in law is 69 and loves listening to the scanner, though she has no clue how to do much more than turn it on and adjust the volume!

[N8IAA]

PSR-600 is an easy scanner to use once it is programmed. I have a RS Pro-106 which is the handheld version of the 600. I found that programming it with Win500 makes it very easy to use. The scanner has 20 scanlists, (read as 20 banks). You have 1800+ slots to put frequencies in. STARS should fit in one scanlist. Any of the conventional frequencies should fit into whatever scanlists you use. One of the quick ways is to become a premium subscriber here on RR and import the frequencies directly into the software. If you have more questions, feel free to PM me
Larry

[mmbridges]

Thanks everyone for your comments. So I downloaded the PSR-600 manual and read through it. After reading it I became convinced I could program it so I purchased the PSR-600, downloaded the 30day trial version of WIN500 and signed up for a premium RR subscription.

So my plan was to practice organizing scanlists using talkgroups and conventional channels in my area so when I take the unit down to my father-in-law I would be ready to set him up. In fact I wanted to pre-program a number of V-Scanners with as much stuff as possible while I have Internet access up here in MD and then once I get down to southern VA, fine tune/prune and rearrange to get an optimal set of lists for him to get started with.

What I have learned so far is that this hobby is extremely addicting!

The difficulty I am having is with the things you can't read in a manual or learn without years of listening to a scanner. I believe most experienced scanner enthusiasts

1.) know exactly what they want to hear,
2.) know what it is when they hear it
3.) know what is out there
4.) know how they would like it organized.

So let me start with two questions:

1.) Is it better to have lots of lists with few talkgroups/channels in each or fewer lists with more items in each?

2.) Since I will be trying to create an initial set of lists without being in the area where the unit will ultimately be used I can't listen in and try to identify the various talkgroups/channels to determine what my-father-in-law might most like to listen to. Consequently, I need to decipher the alpha tags and descriptions in the RR database. Are there additional resources for helping me decipher these tags/descriptions?

Thanks!

[NW0U]

Originally Posted by mmbridges

1.) Is it better to have lots of lists with few talkgroups/channels in each or fewer lists with more items in each?

2.) Since I will be trying to create an initial set of lists without being in the area where the unit will ultimately be used I can't listen in and try to identify the various talkgroups/channels to determine what my-father-in-law might most like to listen to. Consequently, I need to decipher the alpha tags and descriptions in the RR database. Are there additional resources for helping me decipher these tags/descriptions?

Thanks!

This is very cool. I hope he appreciates it.

The radio supports lots of lists but depending on your Dad's ability to comprehend Funct-1 as being the same as 11 .... you might only have 10 scanlists to work with (in addition to Favorites).
He might have a preference for organizing by service (PD, FD) or by govt unit (Town, County, State).
You might want to build a Vscanner for each approach so you can change it for him easily if requested.

Read the RR webpage for the area before or concurrent with programming. If you're just going by what's presented in Win500 during web import you don't have all the info available and might not understand the abbreviations.

I write myself an easily-read 5x7" card with what each scan list contains for each Vscanner entry so I can pick and choose easily. He'll need something similar.

Fun project!

[UPMan]

I have been successful doing this for my Dad (in his 70's), my aunt (70) and my sister, some nieces and nephews. Of course, I used the Uniden DMA models and not GRE.

After I programmed, I made a chart showing which system goes with which quick key (Uniden DMA models have 100, so a 10x10 chart). Then, made about 8 or 9 "quick tips" for how to turn systems on/off, how to understand the display indications, etc. None of them have asked me for any followup "how to's" and I know they still use them.

[dkemple1]

I think that is an excellent idea. It is very nice of you to think of your elderly family members. I think they will really enjoy it. I do, and I can imagine sitting around and listening to one all day and all night. I mostly just get to listen to mine at night.

[N8IAA]

Mmbridges, my suggestion is to go to the state forums further down the page and ask specific questions of the scannists in the state where you are programming the scanner to be used. Lots of good answers will help you in deciding what to program. Also, ask the person what they want to hear on the scanner. It will make your choice a bunch easier.
HTH,
Larry

[Astrak]

Also, I don't know if this would work in your situation, the GRE PSR600 can be controlled remotely via an internet connection and having the scanner connected to a computer, using WIN500.

[mmbridges]

Originally Posted by NW0U

This is very cool. I hope he appreciates it.

The radio supports lots of lists but depending on your Dad's ability to comprehend Funct-1 as being the same as 11 .... you might only have 10 scanlists to work with (in addition to Favorites).
He might have a preference for organizing by service (PD, FD) or by govt unit (Town, County, State).
You might want to build a Vscanner for each approach so you can change it for him easily if requested.

Read the RR webpage for the area before or concurrent with programming. If you're just going by what's presented in Win500 during web import you don't have all the info available and might not understand the abbreviations.

I write myself an easily-read 5x7" card with what each scan list contains for each Vscanner entry so I can pick and choose easily. He'll need something similar.

Fun project!

Thanks NW0U!

I heard that the func+1= 11 concept can be a bit tricky. As far as gathering area specific info I am already blowing up the VA STARS forums!

Since his eyesight is poor I plan on following your and others suggestions by making a "cheat sheet" that I can print out in a large font so he can read it easily.

I'm trying to get a feel for a scanner usage flow that will works best for him. I think initially he will be just listening with the occasional pause. How do you and others use your scanners and what is a typical work/listening flow?

As the number of items in a list increases does that affect the ability to follow specific events? Does it increase or decrease the need to do lots of toggling of lists on and off?

I think I might be able to get some ideas after hearing your and others preferences.

Mike

[mmbridges]

Originally Posted by Astrak

Also, I don't know if this would work in your situation, the GRE PSR600 can be controlled remotely via an internet connection and having the scanner connected to a computer, using WIN500.

I thought about that but unfortunately he doesn't have internet access or a computer so I will be programming lots of V-scanners with various configurations ahead of time so I can prune/optimize based on his preferences once I get there.

How do you organize your lists?

[mmbridges]

Originally Posted by N8IAA

Mmbridges, my suggestion is to go to the state forums further down the page and ask specific questions of the scannists in the state where you are programming the scanner to be used. Lots of good answers will help you in deciding what to program. Also, ask the person what they want to hear on the scanner. It will make your choice a bunch easier.
HTH,
Larry

Thanks N8IAA!

I have just started hitting the VA forums pretty heavily trying to get a better idea of what is available and what to program. In terms of determining how to organize lists and come up with a decent listening/work flow for my father-in-law, that is a more general question. For instance do you find there is a trade off between items/list and the ability to follow single events. It would seem to me the more items in a list the greater the probability that the scanner will move on to other activity in between dead air during an event. Or is this mitigated by just choosing a longer dwell time?

How do you organize your lists and what is your preferred listening/work flow?

Mike

[mmbridges]

Originally Posted by dkemple1

I think that is an excellent idea. It is very nice of you to think of your elderly family members. I think they will really enjoy it. I do, and I can imagine sitting around and listening to one all day and all night. I mostly just get to listen to mine at night.

I'm sure he will.

How do you use/listen to your scanner? How do you manage following single events when they occur when you might be scanning a large number of channels? Do you have a lot of interaction with your scanner (i.e. do you toggle pause alot or do you listen more passively?)

Thanks!

Mike

[mmbridges]

Originally Posted by UPMan

I have been successful doing this for my Dad (in his 70's), my aunt (70) and my sister, some nieces and nephews. Of course, I used the Uniden DMA models and not GRE.

After I programmed, I made a chart showing which system goes with which quick key (Uniden DMA models have 100, so a 10x10 chart). Then, made about 8 or 9 "quick tips" for how to turn systems on/off, how to understand the display indications, etc. None of them have asked me for any followup "how to's" and I know they still use them.

Hi UPMan,
I plan on following your advice regarding "quick tips" and a channel/quick key "index" (scanlist index in my case). How do your elders interact with their scanners? Do they do a lot of pausing and toggling lists/banks/channels on and off or do they listen more passively where if an ongoing event gets interrupted by the next active channel then oh well, they will just wait until it comes around again?

Do you find particular programming organization schemes work better for an elderly scannist's listening/work flow?

Thanks!

Mike

[mmbridges]

Originally Posted by DPD1

Maybe if you lockout most of the non essential stuff and just write good instructions for him? If he just stops it on stuff he wants and starts it again... You really don't need a whole lot more than that for basic listening. Maybe know how to spin through the memories? It's kind of all up to him really.

Hi Dave,

I was trying to think through how he would actually use it and thought he would probably listen passively at first with an increasing use of pausing as he gets more familiar with the unit. Have you found a particular list organizational setup (i.e. dense vs sparse lists) that works better for different types of listening? What types of listening style and scanner list organizational structures require more pausing/toggling of lists?

How do you listen and interact with your scanner?

Thanks!

Mike

P.S. My use of "list" is of course GRE/Object Oriented centric.

[mmbridges]

Originally Posted by gd9704

I think the PSR-600 would work fine if you are able to program it for him.

If you simply program the system and talkgroups for his particular location and interests, it should be a "set it and forget it" situation. Set up a few scanlists to organize talkgroups into fire, police, etc. I would teach him how the scanlists work, and perhaps how to lockout talkgroups he no longer wants to listen to.

Some scanner sellers will program the scanner for you, for a small fee.

My mother in law is 69 and loves listening to the scanner, though she has no clue how to do much more than turn it on and adjust the volume!

Hi gd9704,

I think my father-in-law will probably start out like you mother-in-law and listen very passively. Do you find any tradeoffs between toggling scanlists on and off versus locking out specific talkgroup ID's? It seems one goal for a newbie would be to make it as easy to follow single events uninterrupted when they occur while at the same time giving him lots of stuff to listen to without requiring much scanner interaction. Are these conflicting goals?

Typically how do you use your scanner?

Mike

[mmbridges]

Originally Posted by FLRAILMAN

Mike, since he is a total newbie & you are a scanner newbie, the GRE PSR-600 is a serious piece of hardware for anybody, not just beginners, why don't you start him off with a basic scanner with service search & let him get his feet wet by listening to railroad, aviation, marine, gmr-frs & so on, If he gets hooked & believe me you will know it, then grab the PSR-600, program it for him & include a basic "Get me by" cheat sheet & see where it goes from there. Who knows, next Christmas he might be ready to upgrade to the Icom IC-R9500, either that or buy him a car for $15,000.00

You can download the PSR-600 owners manual here:
GRE America, Inc. - grecom scanner receiver, lcd modules, spread spectrum radio, wireless bridge, scanner antenna, scanner pre-amps.

Universal Radio sells it:
GRE PSR-600 Scanner Radio Receiver, PSR600

Icom IC-R9500
Home - Icom America

Universal Radio sells it:
ICOM R9500 Wideband Receiver IC-R9500

FLRAILMAN

Hi FLRAILMAN,
Thanks for the link to the PSR-600 manual. I liked what I read and ended up getting the PSR-600 anyway. In my efforts to program it I have started playing around with the channels/talkgroups in my area and think I ended up getting hooked myself! If my-father-in law ends up losing interests I will happily take it back for my own use.

I'm in the process of figuring out an optimal scanlist structure and afterwards will work up a "cheat sheet" for him like you suggested.

How do you use/interact with your scanner? Is there an optimal scanlist structure (many lists with few objects in each vs fewer lists with lots of objects in each) for different types of listeners (passive vs. active)?


Thanks!

Mike

[UPMan]

In answer to your earlier questions to me, my parents travel between home and where their camper is parked in east Texas. So, he just toggles off the DFW stuff and toggles on the east TX stuff. He might hold on channels sometimes, but I think it is just mostly scanning the channel set I put in.