TK3180 feature programming questions (re: Lamp and Scanning)

[SCANdal]

Gentlemen,

I'm trying my hand at programming a TK3180 (with a TK2180 coming up next). I have two issues that I'm unable to resolve and hope someone here might know the tricks...

Issue 1:
When the button I selected for Lamp is pressed the lamp turns on and then then it turns itself off on it's own - no matter what is being done to the dials/keypad. The customer wants that lamp to be turned on and for it to stay on until he turns it off himself. Is that possible?

Issue 2:
All 512 channels are programmed into the radio. Needless to say, that creates a scanning nightmare. Is there a way to establish scan lists based on the channel - or, at the very least, based on the zone that the radio is in? The customer is looking for four scan lists dependent on what his assignment at the time.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

SCANdal

[pachanga22]

You can build lists based on zone I think...click in the scan type box and hit F1 for help on "list"

[MTS2000des]

Originally Posted by SCANdal

Gentlemen,

I'm trying my hand at programming a TK3180 (with a TK2180 coming up next). I have two issues that I'm unable to resolve and hope someone here might know the tricks...

Issue 1:
When the button I selected for Lamp is pressed the lamp turns on and then then it turns itself off on it's own - no matter what is being done to the dials/keypad. The customer wants that lamp to be turned on and for it to stay on until he turns it off himself. Is that possible?

Issue 2:
All 512 channels are programmed into the radio. Needless to say, that creates a scanning nightmare. Is there a way to establish scan lists based on the channel - or, at the very least, based on the zone that the radio is in? The customer is looking for four scan lists dependent on what his assignment at the time.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

SCANdal

In the Zone Edit field you can select ADD/DEL the particular zone from the radio scan list. If you assign a key for ADD/DEL, if you press and hold that key it will add/delete that zone from the scan list versus the channel/talkgroup itself.

[ambdrvr]

Hello,

Question #1: This radio will not allow you to have a "constant" backlight on; however you can set the backlight feature to "auto backlight" in the options menu on common page 1. Hope that helps answer that question.

Question #2: I would agree with MTS2000des that all zones be added to the scan list and educate the end user how to add/delete using the zone add/delete feature on the radio by holding down the add/delete button assuming that the customer already has that feature enabled.

Hope this helps.

Ambdrvr

[Alarmguy]

No the Radio's backlight unfortunately does not work like Vertex. That's the one thing I miss in my TK2180/3180 that was in my Vertex VX800. Be nice if Kenwood made a firmware update that allowed the backlight to be toggled or turn on with squelch breaking.

I have my scan lists setup by zones. Zone 1 is all the 2meter stuff which I have an amateur license for. Zone 2 is all local public safety in receive only. Zone 3 is next nearest area public safety in receive only. Each one scans only the group its in. There is a list table under zone edit in KPG-89D. If Scan is checked it will scan that group you are in only. However if you click on table it will allow you to check off other Zones to be added, so that when you are scanning that particular group you can also have other groups like say Anytown PD freq plan is in Zone 1 and Anytown EMS plan is Zone 2 you could have it also scan both Anytown PD and Anytown EMS while the radio is on Zone 1. I have found the best key assignment is S for scan and A for add/delete (channel from scan) and C and D for zone change.

If he needs MDC-1200 it can be added with the latest firmware V1.19. You will need KPG-89D V1.60 to program MDC-1200. It allows MDC aliases and emergency decode and stun and radio check.

[SCANdal]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your guidence in this matter.

I ended up selecting the "auto back light" feature - despite my personal displeasure with that option in general as it's so wasteful of battery life when the lights come on during the daytime...but anyway...

I also found the feature and established scan lists based on the zones. The end user has been instructed as to how to turn zones and channels on and off as needed and - so far - seems to be pleased.

Thank you once again for the advice...

SCANdal