G5 Multiple Sites on Same Knob Position??

[robert8450]

I'd like to have a "Monitor Channel" or "knob position 1" to listen to all P25 traffic In Kent County... We have 3 sites here around the area with the following control channels, but I can't figure out how to list to multiple sites at the same time.

In other words, how can I (or is it possible) to setup all 3 sites on the same knob position?

Cedar Springs
control: 853.9375
alternate: 853.4375

Grand Rapids
control: 853.1375
alt: 852.7625

Ada
control: 853.8625
alt: 852.8625
alt: 853.250

I am currently north of Grand Rapids and my G5 can't seem to reach the ADA site so I don't have that one on a knob position as it doesn't come in well, but all I can figure out is that all 3 sites have to be on different knob positions... Or is there a way to monitor all of these at once?

Currently I have 2 of these sites setup for their own knob position and on the "monitor" setting (not scan) and when on one knob position, I can get some TGs but not the others, and then on the other knob position or site, I can get different TGs - very strange.

I've tried to to just enter the TGs and set the know position 1 to Scan, but then it doesn't receive certain TGs in that site, unless I switch to another site (knob position) and then it will... Quite frustrating to have to switch back and forth between 2 knob positions for TGs withing a 25 mile radius on different sites.

I guess I don't understand the system and setup well enough to understand why I can't monitor or scan all TGs and have to setup each site on its on knob position...

Any thoughts?

 

[troymail]

You can create a "system" with multiple sites and their frequencies and put that system into monitor mode on a single knob position. However, the G5 will lock onto and hold on the first "good" control channel for any of the 3 sites that it finds.

If you want to try to selectively monitor multiple sites, you need to create 1 "system" per site and assign each to a different knob position.

 

[robert8450]

Ok, thanks for the quick reply. I guess I'm not exactly sure how to do that, because I do have 2 systems created:

D > tab 2> P25 Trunking System Settings

and both sites are set up properly there. But when I get to D > tab 5 > knob position 1 settings, I can only choose one of the P25 systems or the other,.

what am I missing?

 

[DewAddict]

Ok, thanks for the quick reply. I guess I'm not exactly sure how to do that, because I do have 2 systems created:

D > tab 2> P25 Trunking System Settings

and both sites are set up properly there. But when I get to D > tab 5 > knob position 1 settings, I can only choose one of the P25 systems or the other,.

what am I missing?

You can only select one P25 system at a time per knob position so you need all the tower frequencies (of the towers you want to monitor) in the "Control Channels" area under P25 trunking for that system. Then in the same area add all the site info such as the "RFSS ID" and the "Site ID" of all the towers you want to monitor. This will allow you to sort of "follow" the system as you travel around as long as it stay connected to the nearest tower. Sometimes the G4/G5 will hold onto a site for longer than it should.

For example I monitor the Michigan MPSCS and have the tower control channel frequencies for three sites, Northville, Wayne County Simulcast and Washetenaw County Simulcast in the "control channel" area and then the three "RFSS" and "Site ID" numbers in the "Site" section for those same towers. This allows me to use one P25 system for three sites.

If you set the knob to "monitor" instead of "scan" you will hear all the talkgroups that are bouncing off of the tower sites you have in the programming. So the reason you are hearing different talkgroups is that not all radios are bouncing off the same tower site if that makes sense? You may have some units closer to the Grand Rapids tower that are affiliating off of that tower but not the Ada tower and visa versa. Because the G5 doesn't affiliate with the tower like a real radio, it won't "follow" a talkgroup from tower to tower unless the radio that is transmitting is bouncing off the tower your G5 is currently listening to. If you have 2 tower sites 25 miles in different diections of your location, that is a 50 miles difference between the sites and some radios will be affiliated with one site and not the other based on their locations so that would explain you hearing different talkgroups on different knob positions.

Here is another example.. Sometimes I hear a Livingston County unit bouncing off of the Northville tower (which I monitor) but as they move closer to Livingston County their actual radio switches to the Howell tower and I no longer hear them, they just disappear becuase their real radio moved to another tower that I am not monitoring.

If you do decide to put all three tower sites into one P25 system and use "monitor" mode it's going to get real busy and will be hard to follow what's going on. Instead you could get creative with the programming and create multiple systems like you have done and assign one system per knob position. That way as you get closer to one site you can just turn the knob and you'll force the G5 to use the new tower site.

Sorry for the long answer, but I hope I've explained it well enough, if not I can post some screen shots.

 

[troymail]

Ok, thanks for the quick reply. I guess I'm not exactly sure how to do that, because I do have 2 systems created:

D > tab 2> P25 Trunking System Settings

and both sites are set up properly there. But when I get to D > tab 5 > knob position 1 settings, I can only choose one of the P25 systems or the other,.

what am I missing?

Unzip , load up and check out the attached profile....

 

[robert8450]

Holy Smokes!! You guys are awesome, Thank You Both!

Thank you DewAddict for the excellent explanation. I had previously and unintentionally created 3 different "systems" (that I didn't know how to merge), which was why I could only select one per knob position (which was fine, but I could not figure out how to monitor all at once) and your explanation was the answer - thanks..

Thank you Troy, as his answer was starting to make sense, I still wasn't quite clear on how to do it specifically and so I did import and install your example and that all make perfect sense now !!

So thanks guys for the great instructions and example to try, this definitely solved my issues...
Now I have to figure out how to organize the knobs .

..(always learning lol )
thanks again guys,