No scan on radios?

[Thatsclear]

I was advised that some radios don't have the scan option because people were scanning and missing traffic on their assigned channel. Is this common?

Thank you

 

[krokus]

I was advised that some radios don't have the scan option because people were scanning and missing traffic on their assigned channel. Is this common?

Thank you

Are you talking about two-way radios used by a company or agency?

There are a number of reasons why there may be no scan programmed into a modern radio. For example:
- The license is only for one frequency, so they have nothing to scan.
- There is no other radio traffic of interest in the area.
- Maybe it is an importance of traffic issue, especially if there is any sort of life safety tied to the users.

 

[GlobalNorth]

I can speak from experience with a government agency. Some users were listening to the talk channel and not the primary channel as directed, even with scan enabled. The director had line employee level radios disabled so that scan was unavailable to them. As a supervisor, I had a scan enabled radio, but found it unneeded.

 

[mmckenna]

I've programmed a lot of LMR radios in my day, and never run across one that didn't have a scan function. (excluding the obvious).

Not having the scan function programmed? Yeah, totally, some people barely know which end of the radio to talk into, so giving them options like scan can be a really bad idea.

But, as other said, scan has to be used -very- carefully. Missing traffic on your primary dispatch channel because you are listening to an adjacent agency usually lands you a phone call from the dispatcher, or worse.
Using priority scan can address that, though, but again, it has to be used carefully and set up correctly.

 

[jhooten]

And some of us carried a scanner in the car. Shhh, don't tell the shift supervisor.

 

[GTR8000]

I would say that a policy of disallowing scanning is actually uncommon, at least from my experience. Frankly, I've really never personally come across an agency that has completely prohibited scanning. Most agencies simply make sure that priority is setup where appropriate to reduce the likelihood of missing important transmissions. I have seen a few specific instances where a particular channel or set of channels have no scan list assigned, but those are usually pretty specific examples such as law enforcement or hazmat entry teams. You may also find scan disabled on fireground channels, in particular for radios assigned to interior firefighters.

 

[wwhitby]

FWIW, I manage a small fleet of HTs (12 radios.) Since everyone using the radios isn't a comm person, I programmed the radios using the good old KISS principle. No scan, no monitor, nothing more than the basics. All they can do is to turn the radio on and off, adjust the volume, change the channels and push to talk / release to listen.

My thought process is the less they have, the less that can go wrong or get messed up!

 

[mmckenna]

FWIW, I manage a small fleet of HTs (12 radios.) Since everyone using the radios isn't a comm person, I programmed the radios using the good old KISS principle. No scan, no monitor, nothing more than the basics. All they can do is to turn the radio on and off, adjust the volume, change the channels and push to talk / release to listen.

My thought process is the less they have, the less that can go wrong or get messed up!

This is an excellent approach. I had some 2 channel HT-1000's I set up like that, and both channels were programmed the same. I've done the same thing at work, 16 channel radios, all 16 channels the same.

Sometimes on/off/volume is difficult. ("I guess I had the volume turned down all the way and missed your call….") I often set minimum volume on radios, too. Make it so it cannot get 'accidentally' turned down all the way.

 

[speedway_navigator]

I never saw a violation for this rule but always put monitor in and made it a long press to activate.
Most radios flash when receiving now or busy channel lockout is used so the monitor function is less important.

90.403(e): “Licensees shall take reasonable precautions to avoid
causing harmful interference. This includes monitoring the transmitting
frequency for communications in progress and such other measures as may
be necessary to minimize the potential for causing interference.

 

[buddrousa]

Yes but if I remember correct BUSY CHANNEL LOCKOUT did that.

 

[speedway_navigator]

I don't recall if busy lockout was an option when Radius came out way back when.
When I was doing radios for the Indy motor speedway we had a problem with that on the 900 MHz system Motorola sold USAC back in the late 80s.
The techs put the repeater in the race control booth, the exciter had enough power and cabinet leakage it blocked anyone in there from transmitting. Our short term fix was to have them remove the antenna from the portable.

 

[wwhitby]

Sometimes on/off/volume is difficult. ("I guess I had the volume turned down all the way and missed your call….") I often set minimum volume on radios, too. Make it so it cannot get 'accidentally' turned down all the way.

That's a great idea. I'll have to look into that.

The biggest problem I have had with radios is folks on the wrong channel, even though I tell them to do a radio check after they power up the radio.

 

[mmckenna]

That's a great idea. I'll have to look into that.

The biggest problem I have had with radios is folks on the wrong channel, even though I tell them to do a radio check after they power up the radio.

Keypad locks are handy.

 

[k7ng]

75% of the radio complaints in the fleet I do radio for are operator error. Of those, at least 90% relate to misusing or misunderstanding scan functions. I try and I try to explain. I give a "Radio-101" presentation annually...
I am required to enable scanning, so I guess the percentages aren't likely to change.

Ah, well, it keeps me busy.

 

[mmckenna]

I give a "Radio-101" presentation annually...

Yeah, that training is always fun. I have to do a couple of those a year. Usually I tell them to leave the scan function off. If they feel the need to use scan, don't.
And then there's the ones that want to know why my fancy radios "cannot even talk to the FRS radios they have…"

 

[sdu219]

I feel the problem with having scan is when someone is assigned a channel for an operation but, they want to scan what everyone else is doing. If its more important than the task at hand dispatch or IC will let them know. That is why most fire ground IC's carry 2 radios one on FG and the other on the main channel. I agree 90% or radio problems are operator errors. (wrong channel, wrong zone "I dont have that channel at position 7" wrong zone boob). I along with a captain I give a radio use class and explain that if your sent to a channel stay there until told to change as this will be the channel for the situation at hand,

 

[mmckenna]

I give a radio use class and explain that if your sent to a channel stay there until told to change as this will be the channel for the situation at hand,

Yeah, that's a good point. I've found fire fighters are pretty good at using radios, at least better than most law enforcement guys are.

Most of the chiefs around here have at least 2 mobiles in the vehicle so they don't have to scan.

 

[speedway_navigator]

I heard a FF today calling in a mayday during a training drill, he was on dispatch. Someone told him he was on the wrong channel, next thing I heard he was on a multi county mutual aid channel. They chased him off there too, never heard any more, I don't scan training TGs.
I've often wondered why a complete zone wasn't dedicated to training so the channel selection process would be the same or very similar to real life.

 

[speedway_navigator]

Just now the cops in the town east of me we trying to get in place to put down stop sticks for a pursuit from the county east of us. The pursuing cops must have been patched to our countywide TG because I heard one copy ask on their simplex VHF channel 'where's countywide?'

 

[krokus]

I heard a FF today calling in a mayday during a training drill, he was on dispatch. Someone told him he was on the wrong channel, next thing I heard he was on a multi county mutual aid channel. They chased him off there too, never heard any more, I don't scan training TGs.
I've often wondered why a complete zone wasn't dedicated to training so the channel selection process would be the same or very similar to real life.

My county did that, a couple years ago. Those two TG are not monitored by dispatch centers, and every public safety agency has access to them.