KNG2 Questions

[DewAddict]

Hi All,

I have a few questions as BK radios are new to me.

1. How many talk groups/channels can you scan per zone scanlist? Is it one talk group per channel or can you have multiple talk groups scanning on each channel up to 16 channels being scanned at once like a Moto radio?

2. For RX only trunking it would appear you need to select "RX only" in the "Add options" area of the p25 system software as well as choose RX only for each talk group which will disable the PTT button as an extra safety measure. Are there any other options that need to be selected? I found a BK video on YouTube that states if you do these things "The radio will act like a scanner" as quoted in the video. Just wanted to make sure.

3. How is the reception as compared to an XTS/APX series radio? My coworker is an LEO and his Moto APX6000 receive destroys the Unication G4 I have so I'm wondering how the BK receives.

Thanks for the help.

 

[IAmSixNine]

1. Each system can have multiple scan lists. Each scan list is capable of scanning 16 talk groups. You assign scan lists on a per channel basis. So zone 1 channel 1 could have 1 scan list, Channel 2 another and so on.

2. I only needed to select RX Only in the system menu. Never needed to do it on a talkgroup level. And yes once RX only is selected it cant be unselected and it truly is RX onlly.

3. You may want to check the G4 for problems. I have an APX, G4, SDS100 and KNG2 and the KNG2 is on par with other commercial gear. If his APX destroys the G4 then the G4 has issues or he is transmitting next to it and its desensitizing the G4.

 

[DanRollman]

One of the biggest advantages of the BKRadio approach to P25 scanning as compared to the Motorola NAS/IP theft/hacker approach, in addition to being able to actually turn scan on and off (which you cannot do in the Motorola hacker strategy), is that no matter what you may do wrong in your programming, you absolutely cannot cause your radio to affiliate or transmit on a DTRS. You might mess up your programming and you might not hear anything until you fix it, but you simply don't have to worry about transmitting on the system at all.

To supplement my friend Tall Guy's answers to your other questions, you can also edit your per-channel scan list right from the keypad. You are capped at 16 talkgroups in a scan list, but you can decide on the fly which 16 you want, and even which ones you want to be priority.

I also agree that if an APX destroys the sound of a G4, there is something wrong with the G4. Very modestly better audio yes, due perhaps simply to a better speaker design or something, but it shouldn't be that obvious. I prefer my KNG and my KNG2 over my G5 for a number of reasons, but comparing my KNG/KNG2 to my brother's APX8000 (he's a fire battalion chief) leaves me indifferent between the sound and decoding performance of each. Which makes sense: although they aren't nearly as good at politics and sales and kickbacks as Motorola is, and so they aren't as big, BKRadio has made an actual public safety grade radio that is actually used by actual public safety professionals who have used APX radios too. There's still plenty to prefer in the APX over the KNG2 if you are a public safety professional, but not much if you are a hobbyist.

 

[DewAddict]

Thank you both for the info. I do not mess with Moto radios for trunking, I have only used them for HAM stuff. I have the G4 for scanning. It wasn’t so much the audio that was better on the APX, it was the signal reception. My G4 was going “out of range” in the same spot next to the APX that had a solid lock on the simulcast system signal.

Very informative and I have everything I need to get started except one final question…Should I complete my programming and then select RX Only right before I write to the radio or can I still edit programming details after I select the RX Only option? I’m assuming I can still edit details because that would make the most sense if things aren’t correct I may need to fix them and would need to be on RX Only before turning on the radio the first time. Just making sure I CYA kind of thing here.

Really appreciate the help. Great community here.

 

[IAmSixNine]

When i create a new system in my KNG2 RX only is one of the first things i select.

So your G4 is going out of range. Have you used an aftermarket antenna? Many reports of the center pin being dislodged when users tried to use Motorola antennas.
What system is this? If its a simulcast system in a big city they can often use layers. Whit different users on different sites.
Another issues i have noticed with my G4 units is being close to a cell tower that uses 700mhz low band signals. I think Verizon was the culprit with these. There is a Whataburger near me with a cell tower at the edge of their parking lot. My G4 will go out of service when i enter the parking lot. When i enter the building the out of range goes away. My KNG2 is also affected but not as much.

 

[maus92]

I'm curious what the audio power output of the KNG2 is. The G5 I own is a bit too quiet for the vehicles I find myself driving / riding in, and I was wondering if the KNG2 will have adequate audio output - or if there is a hi-power audio output that can be optioned?

 

[DewAddict]

When i create a new system in my KNG2 RX only is one of the first things i select.

So your G4 is going out of range. Have you used an aftermarket antenna? Many reports of the center pin being dislodged when users tried to use Motorola antennas.
What system is this? If its a simulcast system in a big city they can often use layers. Whit different users on different sites.
Another issues i have noticed with my G4 units is being close to a cell tower that uses 700mhz low band signals. I think Verizon was the culprit with these. There is a Whataburger near me with a cell tower at the edge of their parking lot. My G4 will go out of service when i enter the parking lot. When i enter the building the out of range goes away. My KNG2 is also affected but not as much.

All very good points that may be affecting my situation. I do not use an aftermarket antenna but I work in a corporate office building with tons of micro cells from AT&T and Verizon in our building to give us full cell signal. The system I listen to is in SE Michigan and is Phase I Simulcast P25 system near Detroit. So you may have found my issue between the small antenna and tons of cellular interference.

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.

 

[IAmSixNine]

If the P25 system you monitor is 800mhz you are less likely to have interference from the verizon low band 700mhz stuff.. but its still possible.
Most in building DAS systems for wireless carriers are much lower power than actual cell towers so not sure if that would cause interference. But its possible i suppose.

The audio on the KNG2 is excellent. The ONLY reason i put my APX audio as better is i can customize the audio leveling (treble, mid and bass) on it in profiles and tweak how i like the audio to sound.
But overall volume on the KNG2 is louder than the G4 and in my opinion i think the KNG2 sounds better than the G4 overall. (clarity and loudness)