Question on PSR 500 Multi Roam Programing

[scannerfan3155]

I am a newbie to the PSR 500, have ordered and am waiting for the PSR 500 to come in the mail. In preperation for it's arrival I have downloaded the manual and read through it to try to understand the OOUI, and how that will impact how I think about grouping my items for the Illinois StarCom21

With that said the main question is my understading of how the Scanner works correct with respect to the two items listed below:

1. So am I understanding it correctly that If I create one TSYS object, with all the site control channel frequencies I want for my surrounding area contained there in it, then simply set multi-site to Roam on the TSYSobj, it will use the control tower with the best recption? I roam quite a bit throughout the state.

2. Assuming I use (P25 Auto) I should able to put all the 700 & 800MHZ Starcomm 21 frequencies into the Same TSYS object, with it set to roam. I should then be able to create seperate scan lists of my favorit talkgroups for northern IL, Cenral Il, and Southern Il, point it at the one TSYSobject I created, and as I move from area to area Northern IL, to central IL, it will autmatically adjust me to the towers that may be carrying traffic for a given scanlist? The provision being that if I was in Southern Il, I might not recieve transmissions on the Northn Il scanlist?

While I am not new to scanning I am new to the concepts introduced with the PSR 500 OOUI. If what I said above is correct, I think GRE did an excellent job studying and analyzing the usecases, to come up with this design.

Please provide guidance if and where I am off base on the items above.

Thanks in advance for helping a growing hobbiest....

[spooney]

I don't think you want to use the (P25 Auto) setting. Use MOT 800/900 for analog & digital reception. P25 Auto & Manual is special for systems that send channel table information over the control channel. (see pg. 103) or (pg. 106) Depending on which copy of the owners manual you are looking at.

[LEH]

Originally Posted by scannerfan3155

1. So am I understanding it correctly that If I create one TSYS object, with all the site control channel frequencies I want for my surrounding area contained there in it, then simply set multi-site to Roam on the TSYSobj, it will use the control tower with the best recption? I roam quite a bit throughout the state.

As long as the channels belong to the same system. Otherwise the scanner will lock onto the strongest control channel it finds. Or, if you want to monitor a city and a county system, each will need its own scan list. For a statewide system what you are saying will work.

Originally Posted by scannerfan3155

2. Assuming I use (P25 Auto) I should able to put all the 700 & 800MHZ Starcomm 21 frequencies into the Same TSYS object, with it set to roam. I should then be able to create seperate scan lists of my favorit talkgroups for northern IL, Cenral Il, and Southern Il, point it at the one TSYSobject I created, and as I move from area to area Northern IL, to central IL, it will autmatically adjust me to the towers that may be carrying traffic for a given scanlist? The provision being that if I was in Southern Il, I might not recieve transmissions on the Northn Il scanlist?

Not quite. You will have to associate the TSYS with each scanlist. You can do this by selecting the TSYS.

The second part of your questions is that depends on whether the system simulcasts across the entire system or there are geographical areas. For example, the Virginia statewide system is currently simulcasting for most of the state. Once the 'bugs' are worked out, they will associate to specific towers. There was a thread on this topic a couple of days ago.

Originally Posted by spooney

I don't think you want to use the (P25 Auto) setting. Use MOT 800/900 for analog & digital reception. P25 Auto & Manual is special for systems that send channel table information over the control channel. (see pg. 103) or (pg. 106) Depending on which copy of the owners manual you are looking at.

Looking at the Illinois DB for the statewide system, P25 auto should work.

Keep in mind, the PSR500 has a 32 frequency limit per TSYS. If you run out of room for control channel frequencies, then make a second TSYS for another geographical area and associate the scanlists for that area to that TSYS.

[RoninJoliet]

I have the GRE500 and live in the Chicago area, your choice of P25 AUTO is correct for Starcom...I have programmed towers 101-Dupage, 102-Cook Co South, 113-Dist5, 125-Grundy Co, 126-Kane Co, 115-CCNorth in different scanlists and with the new upgrade from GRE it works flawless....My buddie has put all those CC's in one scanlist and uses "multi-site-roam and it works great...There are a few revisions to the "roam" you may try to find on this site to skipping the first slot on the freqys when using that ....Make sure you watch where the "*" asterisk is when you program scanlists because that seperates them or you will have every thing in one list.....

[n4jri]

Originally Posted by LEH

You will have to associate the TSYS with each scanlist. You can do this by selecting the TSYS.

Keep in mind, the PSR500 has a 32 frequency limit per TSYS. If you run out of room for control channel frequencies, then make a second TSYS for another geographical area and associate the scanlists for that area to that TSYS.

I think you may be leaving a link out of the chain here, Lynn. A TSYS object would not be associated with a scanlist. Only TGRP objects would be associated with scanlists, and they in turn would be associated with the TSYS. And TGRP objects can be linked to any existing TSYS object no matter what scanlist they're in. Could you actually be referring to the Wildcard TGRP object?

73/Allen (N4JRI)

[RodStrong]

Originally Posted by RoninJoliet

I have programmed towers 101-Dupage, 102-Cook Co South, 113-Dist5, 125-Grundy Co, 126-Kane Co, 115-CCNorth in different scanlists.....it works flawless....My buddie has put all those CC's in one scanlist............

Help me out here. I don't understand how you can put "towers" in different scanlists. I assume you mean putting CCs of various towers in scanlists, but I don't know how you can do that. And your stating a friend puts several CCs in one scanlist. I do not understand this. How can you put a CC in a scanlist? I guess I am missing something. Thanks.

[RodStrong]

Originally Posted by scannerfan3155

If I create one TSYS object, with all the site control channel frequencies I want for my surrounding area contained there in it, then simply set multi-site to Roam on the TSYSobj, it will use the control tower with the best recption? I roam quite a bit throughout the state.

I am guessing you will want to experiment with the multi site settings. I am not by any means suggesting my way is the best. I think there are many ways to go. But I'll tell you how I have mine set up. I monitor a digital trunking system in Colorado by the way. I have basically 3 towers that saturate my home area. I have each tower set up as a TSYS, and name the TSYS whatever the tower is named (so I will know which of my home towers I am receiving info. on when the 500 stops on a TG). I have multi site set to "off", so when scanning the TSYS's, the 500 only looks for the one main CC I have programmed in for each of the 3 TSYS's. I have a wildcard also set up on each TSYS, so I will not miss any new TGs. ***When no activity is present, the radio flies through each TSYS and of course stops when any one has traffic.*** I don't believe this can be achieved if you have a TSYS with multiple towers (CC's) set to ROAM, and this is why I do not ever use ROAM. I'll explain why below.

I have a fourth TSYS that has 18 different CC's programmed in, and multi site set to STAT, not ROAM. These 18 CCs are from towers that are out of range of my home but surround the region I live in. When I am out of my home area but still in the surrounding region, the 500 is busting through the 18 CCs looking for any tower with a signal which has any transmissions on it, but keeps moving if nothing is found. In other words, when using a TSYS with multiple CCs, I prefer to use STAT mode, because the radio keeps moving amongst the programmed CC's instead of locking onto the strongest CC like ROAM does. If you are in range of lets say, 3 or 4 towers at the same time and on ROAM mode, you are only gonna hear traffic on the tower (strongest) that the 500 is locked onto. And if there is no traffic on that strongest tower, you ain't gonna hear anything. The problem is while locked onto the strongest tower, you are gonna miss the opportunity to catch traffic on the weaker but still receivable towers. So to me, ROAM inhibits one's ability to hear what's going on if you are in range of more than one tower.

Another way to look at ROAM is it's similar to an actual radio on the DTR system. The radio locks onto the best tower (which is great for transmitting and receiving), but not for SCANNING purposes, because it misses out on traffic that is on towers that the radio may be in range of, but is not affiliated to.

I hope this makes sense. It certainly works for me. Good luck.

[LEH]

Originally Posted by RodStrong

Another way to look at ROAM is it's similar to an actual radio on the DTR system. The radio locks onto the best tower (which is great for transmitting and receiving), but not for SCANNING purposes, because it misses out on traffic that is on towers that the radio may be in range of, but is not affiliated to.

I hope this makes sense. It certainly works for me. Good luck.

Rod is right for the system he is scanning. Roam would not be a good choice. For systems that broadcast the same information over the entire system (simulcast) but use different contorl channels on each site, then roam might be the better option for you.

Roam will find the strongest CC and stay on it, STAT will go through all the CCs looking for any active one, even if it is not the strongest.

A couple of examples (and I am using Virginia because that is where I live).

The county I live in has a multi tower system, and it simulcasts everything throughout the entire system. However, this system uses the same control channel on all the towers. No need for ROAM or STAT here.

The state of Virginia is installing a statewide system (STARS) that will eventurally be like Rod's in Colorado. Multiple towers, multiple control channels. When STARS is fully up and running, then radios will be associated to specific towers and then the STAT mode will be preferable. Right now, STARS is broadcasting the same information on all the towers, so ROAM is probably the better choice.

Hope that muddied (err, CLEARED) the water a bit.

Bottom line is you will need to decide your setting based on what you can hear, what you want to hear, and of course how the system is set up. It may be very simple decision, or it may come down to playing around to find what works best for you.