Using Priority?

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jim49

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I'm not sure I am using priority correctly. I have a psr-600 and in a scanlist I have one motorola trunked police agency flagged(all its talkgroups) for P(lD) priority. I also have FUNC PRI activated and shows PRI while its scanning. When the scanner stops on a transmission other that the flagged priority talkgroups it don't seem to be checking or catching traffic on the PRI talkgroups during the transmission.

I can confirm there is traffic on the priority channels with a second scanner but it don't appear the psr-600 is catching them in priority mode.

Am I doing something incorrectly?
 

wnjl

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From what I've read it only interrupts convos on Motorola Analog systems which have the priority feature enabled on the certain talkgroups you have selected as priority. In all other systems in my experience, convos are not interrupted for priority, but once the current convo is finished, before moving onto the next system on the scan list, it will check your priority talkgroups and go to one if it has activity.
 

n4jri

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wnjl said:
From what I've read it only interrupts convos on Motorola Analog systems which have the priority feature enabled on the certain talkgroups you have selected as priority. In all other systems in my experience, convos are not interrupted for priority, but once the current convo is finished, before moving onto the next system on the scan list, it will check your priority talkgroups and go to one if it has activity.

And with other systems, it puts your priority talkgroups at the head of the line when checking that particular TSYS. But so far as I know, it only checks them first--it won't interrupt a received transmission to switch to priority TG's except in the case that you mentioned above.

Jim, you're probably doing nothing wrong. No TG can get priority except when the scanner is scanning its particular TSYS.

73/Allen (N4JRI)
 

rdale

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n4jri said:
But so far as I know, it only checks them first--it won't interrupt a received transmission to switch to priority TG's except in the case that you mentioned above.

Incorrect... The PSR500/600 will use the low-speed data carrier to look for priority talkgroups and switch in the middle of a transmission if a match comes up on Mot Type II systems.
 

jim49

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Thanks for your help everyone. The priority system is a Motorola Type II SmartZone. I think I'll see what GRE has to say about it.
 

DonS

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jim49 said:
Thanks for your help everyone. The priority system is a Motorola Type II SmartZone. I think I'll see what GRE has to say about it.
Whether it works on a given Mot system or not is pretty much up to the people who set up the system, since it's a configurable feature on the system itself (IIRC, Mot calls it "Priority Scan", or something similar). In effect, the low-speed data on a VC may or may not contain information about talkgroups other than the current talkgroup and, even if it's enabled, won't necessarily list every other active talkgroup - only those that have been defined by the system as "priority".

For example, my local Mot system doesn't appear to use the feature at all. The low-speed data only contains the current talkgroup. I've never seen it dump any other active talkgroups.

You can see what your system includes in the low-speed data by:
1. PGM FUNC GLOB, scroll to end, enable "CCDump" feature
2. Connect USB programming cable to PC and scanner
3. On the PC, run a terminal program (e.g. Hyperterm), setting it to 115200 bps, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit
4. When a voice call on the system is active, look at what is dumped to the terminal program

The low-speed dump to the terminal program should contain lines of the form:
M36:Txxxx:tm:yyyyy:Sa:zzz

<xxxx> is the object ID of the TSYS
<yyyyy> seems to be a time stamp
<zzz> is a talk group ID, divided by 16. For example, TGID 112 would be listed as Sa:007

If you only see <zzz> values that correspond to the TGID that's on the current VC, even though other TGIDs are active on the system, then your Mot system may not support the feature, or those other active TGIDs haven't been configured as "priority" in the system, so they don't appear in the low-speed data.
 

DonS

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The TGRP Priority feature also works on LTR. It's independent of system "configuration", but how it works is a little more convoluted...
1. LTR has no control channel
2. Every HR is sending a list of all active talkgroups "homed" to that repeater
3. Every HR is also sending the ID of the talkgroup active on that repeater, in case it's "homed" to a different repeater

For example, if you're listening to TGID 0-02-123 on HR 02, the low-speed data will contain 0-02-123, as well as any other active TGIDs that match "a-02-ggg". If you have a TGRP object set as priority that matches one of those other active TGIDs, the scanner will switch to it, interrupting 0-02-123. However, if you have TGID 0-03-112 programmed as priority, that one won't interrupt 0-02-123, since 0-03-112 won't appear in the low-speed data on HR 02. Now, if you had been monitoring 0-02-123 on HR 03 (i.e. when 0-02-123 went active HR 02 was busy, so the call was on HR 03 instead), then 0-03-112 could interrupt 0-02-123.
 

jim49

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DonS said:
Whether it works on a given Mot system or not is pretty much up to the people who set up the system, since it's a configurable feature on the system itself (IIRC, Mot calls it "Priority Scan", or something similar). In effect, the low-speed data on a VC may or may not contain information about talkgroups other than the current talkgroup and, even if it's enabled, won't necessarily list every other active talkgroup - only those that have been defined by the system as "priority".

For example, my local Mot system doesn't appear to use the feature at all. The low-speed data only contains the current talkgroup. I've never seen it dump any other active talkgroups.

You can see what your system includes in the low-speed data by:
1. PGM FUNC GLOB, scroll to end, enable "CCDump" feature
2. Connect USB programming cable to PC and scanner
3. On the PC, run a terminal program (e.g. Hyperterm), setting it to 115200 bps, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit
4. When a voice call on the system is active, look at what is dumped to the terminal program

The low-speed dump to the terminal program should contain lines of the form:
M36:Txxxx:tm:yyyyy:Sa:zzz

<xxxx> is the object ID of the TSYS
<yyyyy> seems to be a time stamp
<zzz> is a talk group ID, divided by 16. For example, TGID 112 would be listed as Sa:007

If you only see <zzz> values that correspond to the TGID that's on the current VC, even though other TGIDs are active on the system, then your Mot system may not support the feature, or those other active TGIDs haven't been configured as "priority" in the system, so they don't appear in the low-speed data.

Thanks for the information DonS. I'm going to try this procedure.
 

kikito

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jim49 said:
I'm not sure I am using priority correctly. I have a psr-600 and in a scanlist I have one motorola trunked police agency flagged(all its talkgroups) for P(lD) priority. I also have FUNC PRI activated and shows PRI while its scanning. When the scanner stops on a transmission other that the flagged priority talkgroups it don't seem to be checking or catching traffic on the PRI talkgroups during the transmission.

The scanner's built-in Priority function (NOT related to the system dependent Motorola low-speed data priority) checks for TGs set as priority when it first locks on to a CC and in between the pause delay of other TGs being monitored. I see mine changing to TGs I designated as PRI all the time during that pause in conversation on other TGs. But like others have said and you found out, it doesn't switch while you're currently monitoring the voice of another TG.

Just thought I reiterate that....
 

wlmr

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DonS said:
Whether it works on a given Mot system or not is pretty much up to the people who set up the system, since it's a configurable feature on the system itself (IIRC, Mot calls it "Priority Scan", or something similar). In effect, the low-speed data on a VC may or may not contain information about talkgroups other than the current talkgroup and, even if it's enabled, won't necessarily list every other active talkgroup - only those that have been defined by the system as "priority".

I'm understanding the GRE "will" go immediately to a talkgroup the system is broadcasting as being a priority talkgoup.

DonS said:
The low-speed dump to the terminal program should contain lines of the form:
M36:Txxxx:tm:yyyyy:Sa:zzz

<xxxx> is the object ID of the TSYS
<yyyyy> seems to be a time stamp
<zzz> is a talk group ID, divided by 16. For example, TGID 112 would be listed as Sa:007

Your example is indicating this works with 3600 Mot systems. Earlier threads indicated that the scanner couldn't do this with the 9600 P25 Mot systems. Any idea when/if this may be implemented?
 

DonS

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Unknown if a similar feature will ever be available for P25 systems. However, given GRE's track record with this radio so far, I certainly wouldn't bet against it.
 

jim49

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Ok, I sent GRE tech email and here is there reply regarding using Priorty:

"The scanner only supports talkgroup priority interrupt when scanning analog Motorola voice calls. For other trunking call types (including Motorola and P25 digital), the scanner will check for activity on the priority talkgroup whenever it can, but does not interrupt a talkgroup call in progress for priority traffic."
 

DonS

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jim49 said:
Ok, I sent GRE tech email and here is there reply regarding using Priorty:

"The scanner only supports talkgroup priority interrupt when scanning analog Motorola voice calls. For other trunking call types (including Motorola and P25 digital), the scanner will check for activity on the priority talkgroup whenever it can, but does not interrupt a talkgroup call in progress for priority traffic."
I'm pretty sure it also works on LTR, subject to the conditions I described above.
 

kikito

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jim49 said:
Ok, I sent GRE tech email and here is there reply regarding using Priorty:

"The scanner only supports talkgroup priority interrupt when scanning analog Motorola voice calls. For other trunking call types (including Motorola and P25 digital), the scanner will check for activity on the priority talkgroup whenever it can, but does not interrupt a talkgroup call in progress for priority traffic."
That's "odd", sounds just like what I said and what the manual states in pages 69-70. ;)
 

rdale

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kikito said:
it doesn't switch while you're currently monitoring the voice of another TG.

Did you read the reply from GRE, and Don, and me?

It WILL switch while monitoring another TG, given the right setup.
 

scanbc780

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rdale said:
Did you read the reply from GRE, and Don, and me?

It WILL switch while monitoring another TG, given the right setup.


Which I have witnessed, The screen will VERY briefly display something along the lines of Talkgroup Interrupt. I have only caught it 2 or 3 times out of the corner of my eye.

EDIT: Crazy enough I just watched it jump from an Analog TG to a Priority TG. It displays
**PRIORITY**
**INTERRUPT**



Brian
 
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wlmr

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jim49 said:
Ok, I sent GRE tech email and here is there reply regarding using Priorty:

"The scanner only supports talkgroup priority interrupt when scanning analog Motorola voice calls. For other trunking call types (including Motorola and P25 digital), the scanner will check for activity on the priority talkgroup whenever it can, but does not interrupt a talkgroup call in progress for priority traffic."

Is GRE aware of the fact that a priority talkgroup stream is part of the data on the digital voice channel that they're decoding the voice portion of in a Mot P-25 system?

Not sure if that sentence completely makes sense but does everyone understand what I'm asking?
 

rdale

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wlmr said:
Is GRE aware of the fact that a priority talkgroup stream is part of the data on the digital voice channel that they're decoding the voice portion of in a Mot P-25 system?

Not sure if that sentence completely makes sense but does everyone understand what I'm asking?

I understand what you are saying, and it's safe to say they are aware of that fact...
 

kikito

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rdale said:
Did you read the reply from GRE, and Don, and me?

It WILL switch while monitoring another TG, given the right setup.
Yeah, I read what you, Don, GRE and others have said. Did you read mine?

Are you guys saying that the built-in, user configurable Priority function of the PSR-500 also interrupts the currently active TG to switch to a TG set by the *scanner user* as priority?

My understanding was that the Motorola system-dependent feature only lists TGs set as priority by the *system administrator* and those are the only talkgroups the scanner will automatically interrupt and switch to. I think Don confirmed that in the following excerpt:

"...then your Mot system may not support the feature, or those other active TGIDs haven't been configured as "priority" in the system, so they don't appear in the low-speed data."

That's what I was trying to explain and differentiate the two kinds of priority features and behavior because it sounded like from what the OP was seeing and mentioning on the first post of this thread, he was expecting it to always work like Motorola system-dependent priority.
 

rdale

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kikito said:
Are you guys saying that the built-in, user configurable Priority function of the PSR-500 also interrupts the currently active TG to switch to a TG set by the *scanner user* as priority?

YES.

scanbc780 said:
Which I have witnessed, The screen will VERY briefly display something along the lines of Talkgroup Interrupt. I have only caught it 2 or 3 times out of the corner of my eye.

EDIT: Crazy enough I just watched it jump from an Analog TG to a Priority TG. It displays
**PRIORITY**
**INTERRUPT**

If the user sets priority on a talkgroup that the Motorola Type II system administrator also designated as priority, the PSR500/600 will leave a talkgroup transmission in progress for a prioritized talkgroup.
 
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