Priority Channel on 996P2

[Lwolf1313]

Am I missing something? I can't seem to set priority channels on a trunked system. I enable it under settings and than do the same where the talkgroup that I want to make the priorty. When I hit the PRI key on the scanner it says "Priority Scan No Channel". I should mention I am using Freescan for programming.

 

[Ronaldski]

To me that's a design flaw in Unidens. That PRI button pertains to analog frequencies that are set to priority, but does not pertain to priority on trunked systems.
Just so you know setting talkgroups to priority in order for it to work it must be set as a priority talkgroup on the actual radio system.
Generally police-fire main dispatches are set as priority.
To find if the talkgroups are priority, set em as such, then when you know they are using that talkgroup, press HOLD then turn the silver knob to another talkgroup and if the the 996p2 switches to the other talkgroup... its a priority.

 

[ofd8001]

I wouldn't call it a design flaw. Rather priority scanning is different with conventional frequences (analog and digital) than for trunked systems.

With conventional systems, you have to establish at least one frequency as a Priority channel. Then pressing the PRI button causes the scanner to go into Priority scanning. The scanner will then interupt an on-going non-priority frequency transmission to check a priority frequency for activity.

With trunked systems, other than for Motorola systems, the scanner has to be "listening" (monitoring) to the control channel for trunked priority to do anything. It will not interupt/pre-empt an on-going trunked system transmission to check a prioritized talkgroup for activity.

("True" Motorola systems are even different. The scanner could pre-empt an on-going non-priority transmission to check for activity on a priority talkgroup under certain conditions. One is the radio system itself has to have the given talkgroup set as a priority talkgroup and you also have to program your scanner for the given talkgroup to be a priority talkgroup.)