So new to a Unity. I'm wondering - I'm doing non affiliate trunking. I've entered all the control channels. Can I leave Site ID blank, will it scan all sites? I don't have the radio with, but I did remove Site ID in the programming, and it seemed to have 'taken', but not sure if the radio will be happy and actually 'program' it.
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Scan all sites on Unity?
- Thread starter phirephoto
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No suggestions? Is this not possible? Or am I not using the right wording?
I did try leaving site ID blank, and not receiving anything, so looks like that won't work.
I did try leaving site ID blank, and not receiving anything, so looks like that won't work.
Are you trying to roam? Or just trying to scan TGs from multiple sites?
If you are trying to roam, then enhanced CC is what you want. When you select that, the RFSS and Site ID fields grey out and it scans for sites in that SYSID. (Basically, it's actually a lot more complex).
If you are trying to scan multiple sites to hear site specific TGs (like a scanner), I'm not sure that is possible. Other than maybe setting the roaming thresholds so low it roams even on a strong signal, but that might just lock the radio into constant roaming with no audio.
If you are trying to roam, then enhanced CC is what you want. When you select that, the RFSS and Site ID fields grey out and it scans for sites in that SYSID. (Basically, it's actually a lot more complex).
If you are trying to scan multiple sites to hear site specific TGs (like a scanner), I'm not sure that is possible. Other than maybe setting the roaming thresholds so low it roams even on a strong signal, but that might just lock the radio into constant roaming with no audio.
Coverage from most sites is pretty good, but there are some tg's that may not go over all sites.. But at that time, it may not be in the coverage area anyway (usually those are smaller sites and area specific TG's...)
Ok, I'll try enhanced CC scan. Thanks
So it seems to not receive anything now with enhanced CC scan - my guess is it's picking a site that's not carrying the traffic? Maybe I just need to find the best site that will generally carry the traffic I want to hear and use that...
Radios were programmed up with Fixed ProScan - what's the difference between that and Dynamic ProScan?
Hatch25
Member
In Fixed ProScan the radio only scans systems defined in the system scan list. Each scan list is unique to each trunked system.
In Dynamic ProScan the radio builds its scan list from adjacency messages received over the air.
Enhanced CC was developed specifically to P25 and uses multiple factors and algorithms (some modifiable) to get you to roam to specific sites.
kb4cvn
Silent Key
Additional info on Dynamic ProScan
I would add to what Hatch25 said, that when running DYNAMIC ProScan, it the Adjacency Table (which is transmitted on the Control Channel every 26 seconds giving the data on surrounding sites) is not transmitted for any reason (database updates, maintenance, etc.), the radio will revert the the FIXED ProScan table as a backup.
A lot of people forget this tidbit, and fail to populate the fixed list in the radio programming.
I would add to what Hatch25 said, that when running DYNAMIC ProScan, it the Adjacency Table (which is transmitted on the Control Channel every 26 seconds giving the data on surrounding sites) is not transmitted for any reason (database updates, maintenance, etc.), the radio will revert the the FIXED ProScan table as a backup.
A lot of people forget this tidbit, and fail to populate the fixed list in the radio programming.
So if I understand, my best bet is Enhanced Control Channel? Will this work for Non Affiliate trunking? It should then find all control channels and find the best / strongest signal?
Having no luck with Enhanced Control Channel... Do I need to fill in the Prefered Systems Table?
So what I did is put all control channels in Trunked Sets, and set Enhanced Control Channel. There's a few talkgroups I'm missing. I believe the problem is that this talkgroup isn't broadcast over all sites - only certain sites, and that site may not be the strongest signal. So should the Unity look on all sites for that talkgroup?
Anyone have any input?
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By design, the radio will not do what you are wanting it to do.
A public safety radio is not meant to be used as a scan-all-the-things radio. It is meant to sit on a channel and wait for a call, and scan a FEW channels in the background in the event someone calls on a secondary channel. Also, the radio will only hear the calls on the site it is monitoring. It does not care what other sites are transmitting, it will drag the channel you are sitting on to the site you are on if needed (if login/affiliation is enabled). Otherwise, in this "passive" mode, the radio is at the mercy of whatever the site happens to be transmitting. There could be a hot call on the town over with lots of chatter but your site doesn't have any radios affiliated to that group, so none of it makes it there. The radio will not look for the group elsewhere, its priority is to find the site with the best signal (these are designed with life-preservation in mind, i.e. needs to be able to get out all the time), and just bring the group with it. Popular channels that are regularly scanned by end users can be forced to all the sites in a region (e.g. a car-car or "chit chat" channel). That way, a user that primarily sits on the main dispatch channel will still hear the supervisor call for them without the need for dispatch to tell them to switch over.
Your best bet is to either A. accept that hearing everything everywhere is just not possible. or B. compromise and set the radio up to be site-selectable, that way you can at least lock the radio onto the site with the most traffic instead of letting it roam where it wants.
A public safety radio is not meant to be used as a scan-all-the-things radio. It is meant to sit on a channel and wait for a call, and scan a FEW channels in the background in the event someone calls on a secondary channel. Also, the radio will only hear the calls on the site it is monitoring. It does not care what other sites are transmitting, it will drag the channel you are sitting on to the site you are on if needed (if login/affiliation is enabled). Otherwise, in this "passive" mode, the radio is at the mercy of whatever the site happens to be transmitting. There could be a hot call on the town over with lots of chatter but your site doesn't have any radios affiliated to that group, so none of it makes it there. The radio will not look for the group elsewhere, its priority is to find the site with the best signal (these are designed with life-preservation in mind, i.e. needs to be able to get out all the time), and just bring the group with it. Popular channels that are regularly scanned by end users can be forced to all the sites in a region (e.g. a car-car or "chit chat" channel). That way, a user that primarily sits on the main dispatch channel will still hear the supervisor call for them without the need for dispatch to tell them to switch over.
Your best bet is to either A. accept that hearing everything everywhere is just not possible. or B. compromise and set the radio up to be site-selectable, that way you can at least lock the radio onto the site with the most traffic instead of letting it roam where it wants.
Well, if I can find out what site is being used for that channel, is it possible. to use enhanced control channel and set that one site as preffered? Or would I then miss other traffic if it doesn't come from that site?
I didn't see any way to set a specific talkgroup as say 'slaved' to a certain site..?
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Yes you can set a site to be preferred with the EnhCC option, but its a LOT easier to configure it the right way using Fixed ProScan and just set all the system and site parameters to the site you need to monitor.
You can set that up using the "Preferred Sys Table" button. But that's the catch, its "preferred" not forced. It will use the ProScan/ProSound options menu to determine what a priority/non priority system is. So if the site you are on isn't within the priority specs, it will still roam off to another site. Best practice for this use case would be to create a system in the radio for each site you want to monitor, sharing the same group set between them.
You can set that up using the "Preferred Sys Table" button. But that's the catch, its "preferred" not forced. It will use the ProScan/ProSound options menu to determine what a priority/non priority system is. So if the site you are on isn't within the priority specs, it will still roam off to another site. Best practice for this use case would be to create a system in the radio for each site you want to monitor, sharing the same group set between them.
So... I ran the system on my Uniden Scanner. Found the talkgroups I want. Looked at the data from Proscan. I could see what (voice?) channel is being used. Tied that to the control channel that freq is on. Got the site. I set the Unity to Fixed ProScan and set the RFFS/ Site ID of that site.
I get absolutely no signal on the Unity. It sits at scanning control channel. But I receive it on my base scanner with a crappy inside whip antenna on the back of the scanner. I could put the control channel in as an analog frequency and see if I hear it on the Unity?
I get absolutely no signal on the Unity. It sits at scanning control channel. But I receive it on my base scanner with a crappy inside whip antenna on the back of the scanner. I could put the control channel in as an analog frequency and see if I hear it on the Unity?
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I would say that you have something not programmed right into the Unity. I'm not real familiar with the output of those scanners but maybe it is in decimal and needs to be converted? There are also some systems that use a NAC (system access) code that is not the same as the SID. Might be a good place to start.
Well - I'm programming the TG exactly the same as the other TG's....
There should be no NAC. I had this programmed into a XTL5000 in my car, and received the talkgroup when I was driving around (have since re-programmed the radio).. But maybe I have something wrong, since if I select another site, it works, just doesn't receive that talkgroup.
gesucks
Member
NAC has everything to do with it. If you are on a Moto system where the NAC at the site is not the same as the SYS ID, and you do not enter the correct NAC under SYSTEM NAC in RPM, ProScan and Dymanic ProScan will never work.
So could the NAC only apply to certain TG's?
ProScan and Dynamic Scan work for other TG's, but not these few I'm trying to monitor. So could it still be a NAC issue
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