Programming with FreeSCAN

[pjstrand]

I am new to the FreeScan software and programming my scanner. I have recently subscribed and downloaded the frequencies for my area and uploaded them to my scanner. I attaching an image for reference. When it is scanning, it appears to be scanning the the ones with (MP25) in front of them and they work fine, but not the ones that have (GRP) in front of them. Can anyone help as to why this would be happening?

 

[hiegtx]

I am new to the FreeScan software and programming my scanner. I have recently subscribed and downloaded the frequencies for my area and uploaded them to my scanner. I attaching an image for reference. When it is scanning, it appears to be scanning the the ones with (MP25) in front of them and they work fine, but not the ones that have (GRP) in front of them. Can anyone help as to why this would be happening?View attachment 101895

Which scanner are you using? Unless you are using the older 396T or 996T, your system type should be "P25 Standard (Digital XT)"

The "MP25" notations you are seeing are the systems & sites you've programmed. The ones labeled as GRP are the collections of talkgroup IDs that you have programmed fro a specific agency, city, or county. You're not going to see the GRPs name unless it stops scanning and is receiving one of the TGIDs that you have entered. When the scanner stops and is receiving a talkgroup within one of the groups, the name on the 2nd line would be the Site's name, alternating with the name of the Group where that TGID is located.

If you'll post your programming file, then someone can take a look and see if something needs to be added or edited to make it work correctly.

Attaching a FreeSCAN file to a post:

FreeSCAN uses file extension *.996, which cannot be directly attached to a post. What you’ll need to do is this:
Find your programming file on your PC, and <right><click> on it.

You'll get a pop-up menu. One of the options is "Send To"
Select that, which will open another, shorter, menu.


Select the option for "Compressed (zipped) folder.

That will create a file with the *.zip extension, which can be attached to a post.

Also, what is your location? (City, or county, and state (if not Minnesota) is sufficient.)
Looking the locations on the Site Map, the sites you have programmed are scattered between the three counties (Grant, Pop, & Stearns). (Zoom in on the map to get a better look.) You may be trying to scan a site that is out of range. Each of those counties have more than one site in them. However, the radio traffic for a specific city might only be carried on the site in or near their area, not necessarily on every site in the county, nor the ones next to them.

 

[pjstrand]

Thank you for your response. I am using a BCD996XT scanner. I have had it for years, but had never updated or touched it since I first got it. I did change the background colors of some of the different locations. Even though I didn't see the groups being scanned, it did stop on the group channels throughout the day. I will keep tweeking on it, and hopefully get better scanning results. Thanks again for your response!

I am not quite sure what the quick keys are. As you may see, I have them all set to 1.

 

[hiegtx]

Thank you for your response. I am using a BCD996XT scanner. I have had it for years, but had never updated or touched it since I first got it. I did change the background colors of some of the different locations. Even though I didn't see the groups being scanned, it did stop on the group channels throughout the day. I will keep tweeking on it, and hopefully get better scanning results. Thanks again for your response!

I am not quite sure what the quick keys are. As you may see, I have them all set to 1.

See this for more details on Quick Keys

http://info.uniden.com/twiki/pub/publish/QuickKeys.html

Have you looked at the FreeSCAN User Guide in the Wiki?
FreeScan User Guide - The RadioReference Wiki

I still would suggest that you post a copy of your programming file. There may not be anything that needs to be modified, but it never hurts to have another set of eyes take a look. Instructions on how to do that are above, in post #2. Also, can you be more specific about your location? (Also asked in post 2). I ask about location to try & get an idea of what distances (to the sites) you are dealing with.

 

[tvengr]

I am not quite sure what the quick keys are. As you may see, I have them all set to 1.

There are 2 types of quick keys: system and group. On a conventional system, the system quick key is assigned to the system. On a trunked system the system quick key is assigned to the site. You can toggle a system on and off by pressing the quick key number on the keypad. If a system has multiple sites, you can select which site or sites you use by assigning a different system quick key to each site. If at least one site is enabled, the trunked system will scan. If all sites are disabled, the trunked system will not scan. There are 100 system quick keys available (0-99). For system quick keys with a 2 digit number, press the decimal point button first. There is a separate set of 10 group quick keys (1-0) available for each system. A group is where you place similar frequencies or talkgroups, such as Fire, EMS, Police, Public Works, etc. If you press the FUNC knob and then the group quick key number, you can toggle agencies on and off. The BCD996XT has 20 groups available. You can assign the same quick key number to multiple groups.

 

[hiegtx]

There are 2 types of quick keys: system and group. On a conventional system, the system quick key is assigned to the system. On a trunked system the system quick key is assigned to the site. You can toggle a system on and off by pressing the quick key number on the keypad. If a system has multiple sites, you can select which site or sites you use by assigning a different system quick key to each site. If at least one site is enabled, the trunked system will scan. If all sites are disabled, the trunked system will not scan. There are 100 system quick keys available (0-99). For system quick keys with a 2 digit number, press the decimal point button first. There is a separate set of 10 group quick keys (1-0) available for each system. A group is where you place similar frequencies or talkgroups, such as Fire, EMS, Police, Public Works, etc. If you press the FUNC knob and then the group quick key number, you can toggle agencies on and off. The BCD996XT has 20 groups available. You can assign the same quick key number to multiple groups.

Remember that for trunked systems, on the OPs 996XT, Site keys come into play. While you can set a system key, that forces all the site keys to match. If you then go back & reset the individual site keys, FreeSCAN flips the system key back to 'blank', with "(by site)' in the QK field for the system.

 

[tvengr]

Remember that for trunked systems, on the OPs 996XT, Site keys come into play. While you can set a system key, that forces all the site keys to match. If you then go back & reset the individual site keys, FreeSCAN flips the system key back to 'blank', with "(by site)' in the QK field for the system.

Thanks Steve!

 

[wscranston]

Thank you for your response. I am using a BCD996XT scanner. I have had it for years, but had never updated or touched it since I first got it. I did change the background colors of some of the different locations. Even though I didn't see the groups being scanned, it did stop on the group channels throughout the day. I will keep tweeking on it, and hopefully get better scanning results. Thanks again for your response!

I am not quite sure what the quick keys are. As you may see, I have them all set to 1.

Trunked system groups are not "scanned." The site frequencies are scanned. The groups are lists of talkgroups that you are interested in. It helps to think of them as "lookup lists." In (the somewhat misleadingly named) "ID Scan" mode, when the scanner sees a transmission on one of the sites you programmed, it checks if the talkgroup ID being used is in one of your groups, and only then opens squelch. So you won't see them being scanned like normal frequencies.