Multiple Site Setup Question for TxWARN System

[w5rah]

I have a PRO668 and PSR-800, both with the updated firmware loaded in them. I like the new features with the updates but have seen different strategies on how to set it up to monitor multiple sites. I like how I can lock out sites on the system, however, it's is my understanding the scanner will lock on the strongest site based on settings rather than scanning a couple of sites at one time. I'm trying to monitor the Harris County Texas TxWARN system and most of the talk groups are easily heard on the Northwest Simulcast site. However, if I want to monitor Waller County as well, which is just to the west of me, there are usually no units affiliated with a NW simulcast site, and only affiliated with the site in Hempstead. I have no problems hearing those units monitoring the Hempstead site, but can't do both.

I read where duplicating the system would be a way to do it or duplicating the system and making it a one site system with a dummy site so you can adjust levels etc. When duplicating a system, I'm guessing one needs to rename it to make it easier when working with scan lists. Also, when creating scan lists, one can have one set of talk groups affiliated with one system and then the same set repeated, but affiliated with a second (the duplicated) system. I tried it that way, but it did not seem to like them being in the same scan list. Once I removed the group affiliated with the original system, and left it with only the ones affiliated the duplicated system, it seemed to work fine. If I had it scan the scan list with two systems in it, it did not seem to like it at all and did not receive either system at all.

If there was an option to make it scan certain sites on a system or just look for the strongest site, that would be great. Any tips or suggestions on how to best set duplicate systems up? It seems like there are several strategies. It would be nice if I could just duplicate the entire system and scan lists. Then I could have one system where roaming several sites and the strongest site would always be monitored and the duplicate system set up to monitor one specific site. Is that something easily done? And would that work before I start on it to find it does not work. I really like these scanners, but sometimes their Uniden counterparts (396XT and 996P2) have an advantage in some areas like this.

 

[IAmSixNine]

I dont have a PSR-800 but i do have a Pro668.
If it were me i would set up 1 list called Waller, have it scan the site with Hemstead and scan the Waller County talk groups.
Set up another list called Harris, Use the NW simulcast site and program only the TG for Harris County.
Then set the scanner to scan both lists. Also under systems, Program Waller as its own system with that site and program Harris NW as its own system with its own site. Dont try to use the entire TxWarn system as the basis for scanning both.

 

[w5rah]

I have one v folder set up where I duplicated the system and a scan group for Waller County. I renamed the duplicate system TxWARN Hempstead and have just the one active site and one locked out dummy site. I noticed that the scan list for Waller County contained talk groups affiliated with the regular TxWARN system and the talk groups were duplicated, but listed as being affiliated with the TxWARN Hempstead system. I left them was such and put it in scan mode. It did not pick up hardly anything but my 996P2 was chattering away on both sites and scan lists. So I edited the scan list and deleted the Talk groups affiliated for the NW site and just left the TxWARN Hempstead items in the scan list. Let it scan again and then I was hearing traffic on the Hempstead site for the Waller County talk groups and the Harris County groups on the NW site, indicating it was scanning both sites. So in my scan groups, can I leave the duplicated talk groups, if they are affiliated with the second system, or do it need to make a separate new scan list for the second system? I thought they both could be in the same list.

 

[IAmSixNine]

TO make thinks less complicated set them up as 2 completely separate systems.

 

[w5rah]

I think I'm going to try that and a couple of other configurations. At least with the V-Folders, I can easily try different setups/ideas and see what works and doesn't work. I have both Uniden and Whistler/Radio Shack/GRE formats and they both have their good and not so good points. The Whistler variants seem easy to set up on the surface, but take a little time to dial in with the various settings. I like how one can turn off/on sites on a system with the Uniden and it actually scans more than one site, rather than pick the strongest site and lock on like Whistler. With that, being able to have the scanner lock on to the strongest site can be an advantage in some situations. Anyways, going to play a little more with it and see what I can come up with.