TRX-2: A few Questions

[mandcaff]

Im considering buying a Whistler TRX-2 Base/Mobile DMR Capable Digital Scanner and trying to do a little research on it first. First off, do I need a computer in order for this unit to work? or is the pc basically used for upgrading the updates,firmware,ect? Also after viewing a few videos on youtube, it appears to have a slow scan speed,so Im wondering how many channels scanned in X amount of time, or if there is a turbo scan function on it? I have also seen mention of having a sd card reader on the computer, is this a necessity? Another thing im wondering is, would I be able to lockout certain talkgroups, and or prioritize a certain talkgroup? i would primarily be using this scanner for analog/digital (trunking). I know this is alot of questions, and probably find the answers, but really dont want to spend hours looking for them online. Any help would be grateful , thanks in advance.

 

[Ensnared]

DMR Tracking

Im considering buying a Whistler TRX-2 Base/Mobile DMR Capable Digital Scanner and trying to do a little research on it first. First off, do I need a computer in order for this unit to work? or is the pc basically used for upgrading the updates,firmware,ect? Also after viewing a few videos on youtube, it appears to have a slow scan speed,so Im wondering how many channels scanned in X amount of time, or if there is a turbo scan function on it? I have also seen mention of having a sd card reader on the computer, is this a necessity? Another thing im wondering is, would I be able to lockout certain talkgroups, and or prioritize a certain talkgroup? i would primarily be using this scanner for analog/digital (trunking). I know this is alot of questions, and probably find the answers, but really dont want to spend hours looking for them online. Any help would be grateful , thanks in advance.

I nearly bought one of these little beasts. From the reviews I've read, I don't believe that this radio follows DMR transmissions like the Uniden scanners capable of receiving DMR. I have heard good and bad about these new Whistler models. Hence, I bought a 2nd 436HP. Furthermore, this radio has difficulties with linear simulcast distortion with very little improvement in this function over the GRE digital scanners. Although LSD is a problem for most scanners, I believe the Unidens do a much better job, overall.

 

[buddrousa]

The scanner will work stand alone but as you stated the PC is needed to update the database , the scanner firmware and to program the scanner in an easier way until you learn the add from the built in library that is on the SD card in the scanner.

 

[Ubbe]

First off, do I need a computer in order for this unit to work?

No, it doesn't come preprogrammed with systems or channels but you can add those manually. (Oh, maybe it did but my SD card was faulty out of the box)

or is the pc basically used for upgrading the updates,firmware,ect?

Updates of database and firmware needs a computer and an internet connection.

it appears to have a slow scan speed,so Im wondering how many channels scanned in X amount of time

It scans 100 conventional channels in different bands within 1.7 sec, that equals to 60ch/sec.

or if there is a turbo scan function on it?

Turbo only applies to search in a range using very small steps. Don't know if TRX-2 has that.

I have also seen mention of having a sd card reader on the computer, is this a necessity?

Yes. The SD card easily gets corrupted files and the TRX-2 refuses to scan when it notices any error with the card. One easy way to fix it is to let Windows automaticly handle that. If you get several cards as backups you'll have no way of copying them without a computer at hand.

would I be able to lockout certain talkgroups

Yes.

and or prioritize a certain talkgroup?

No. You can only prioritize analog channels that will interupt the audio with 2 sec intervals.

/Ubbe

 

[mandcaff]

thank you for the answers

 

[Anderegg]

Wait, you can not have priority talkgroups? Why is there a selection for each talkgroup to set it as a priority one?

I've never been able to get priority to work on any GRE or Whistler scanner...when a priority talkgroup talks, the other talkgroups just drop and the scanner scans on to the next system...FTW...

Paul

 

[Bill1426]

No. You can only prioritize analog channels that will interupt the audio with 2 sec intervals./Ubbe

Based on the EZScan software, you CAN prioritize talkgroups.. See attached pic.
And you can change the interval time(defaulted to 2 seconds) in the General Settings section.

 

[Ed6698]

You most certainly can prioritize talk groups. IMO it works very well on 2 of the P25 systems I monitor. I have 1 priority TG on each system I monitor and priority works perfectly.

Also to the other person, if you are corrupting SD cards so easily all the time, I would look into another brand or class card. I have noticed in the past some of the newer class 10 and newer ultra fast SD cards are junk when used in these scanners, best not to use these new cards.

 

[yeg_scan]

You most certainly can prioritize talk groups. IMO it works very well on 2 of the P25 systems I monitor. I have 1 priority TG on each system I monitor and priority works perfectly.

Also to the other person, if you are corrupting SD cards so easily all the time, I would look into another brand or class card. I have noticed in the past some of the newer class 10 and newer ultra fast SD cards are junk when used in these scanners, best not to use these new cards.

Great advice .. these scanners do not need fast cards, in fact they are often more stable with the slower ones in fact I am using class 4 cards more successfully than the class 10 cards, which may actually cause the scanner to freeze using the same programming.

 

[Ubbe]

Priority on talkgroups are not guaranteed and works more or less on chance. Whistler scanners usually trunktrack without using the control channel and low speed data depends solely of what the system operator conciders are prio TGs and should be transmitted in the low speed data.

EZScan:"If the channel is a talkgroup or radio ID, the priority check is done as a part of the decode of the control channel data and in some cases low speed data transmitted on the voice channel."

/Ubbe