APX APX8000 Scanlist programming question

[CACO46]

Hi, I am the slowly-being-self-taught radio programmer for the law enforcement agency I work for. I have not (yet!) bricked any radios, so that's been great. I am looking to simplify scanning for our patrol staff.

Here's what we currently have working:
Priority scan 1 and 2 are fixed on our in-agency frequencies. Non-priority is "operator select" from what other agencies they can scan depending on their patrol beat. What ends up happening is they don't remove other agencies that may be irrelevant that day, ie. they're still scanning Police Dept 1 and Police Dept 2, when their patrol assignment that day is in the jurisdiction of Police Dept. 3 and 4.

Is there a way to create multiple scanlists labelled "District 1", "District 2", "District 3" That would be preprogrammed with the applicable town PD and FD, and from the radio screen switch between those three scanlists?

Example: "District 1" scans PD 1 and 2, and FD 1 and 2
"District 2" scans PD 3 and 4 and FD 3 and 4
"District 3" scans PD 5 and 6 and FD 5 and 6

...and just have those three districts as the selectable options? no individual PDs or FD?

Thanks!

 

[TJX400]

There's no way make an alias for a scan list that will be visible to the subscriber. The names you assign to the scan lists in CPS are for reference by the user of CPS only. They'll just have to select what they want to listen to at the beginning of each shift. Editing scan lists on the APX series is hugely simplified for end users compared to the Astro series. You'll just have to explain to them how to select/remove channels they do or do not wish to monitor, unfortunately.

 

[K2NEC]

I think I understand what you are trying to do. Scan lists are assigned by channel, so if someone is on PD 1 it would scan the PD 1 scan list. If they then switch to PD 3, it would switch scan lists to the PD 3 scan list. This is not user selectable, the channels inside that are operator select however, are.

 

[TJX400]

Alternatively, you could make trunking personalities that correspond to each scan list, and assign the District 1, District 2, etc. scan lists to those personalities, so when the subscriber enables scan, it will utilize the proper scan list.

 

[GTR8000]

Scan lists are assigned to personalities, and channels in the zones are assigned to those personalities. When you tune to a particular channel, it calls up the associated scan list. There is no way to manually select a scan list via the radio's interface.

What you can do is create multiple personalities so that each channel in the zone is unique as far as personality/scan list, then you can map out whatever scan list you want to each channel. It won't be user-selectable, but it should get you to where you want to be as far as having a customized scan list depending on which channel the radio is on.

 

[CACO46]

There's no way make an alias for a scan list that will be visible to the subscriber. The names you assign to the scan lists in CPS are for reference by the user of CPS only. They'll just have to select what they want to listen to at the beginning of each shift. Editing scan lists on the APX series is hugely simplified for end users compared to the Astro series. You'll just have to explain to them how to select/remove channels they do or do not wish to monitor, unfortunately.

Okay, I think that answers it. I was basically trying to make scan groupings for lack of a better term, for the end users, instead of them having to select each PD and FD separately. Doesn't look like that's possible. I was imagining I could create three "Scan lists", and allow them to switch between these three scanlists. I think that describes what I'm trying to do...

 

[HM1529]

It would be nice if you could create several scanlists and then have an option for an end user to select from the different preset scan lists. But, this seems like it's just a pipe dream for now.

I also program radios that are used by personnel covering large areas across multiple jurisdictions. Trying to teach people how to manually edit a scan list to match where they may be working in a given week is challenging. The average user has no interest in getting down in the weeds with this stuff, they just want the magic to happen when you hand them the equipment.

 

[jeepsandradios]

Okay, I think that answers it. I was basically trying to make scan groupings for lack of a better term, for the end users, instead of them having to select each PD and FD separately. Doesn't look like that's possible. I was imagining I could create three "Scan lists", and allow them to switch between these three scanlists. I think that describes what I'm trying to do...

What GTR explained will do what you want. We have our 8000's setup that way. If we go to a certain channel that scan list is default to xyz and still has selectable to add something needed. Its all done at the personality level.

 

[ktark03]

Yeah this is annoying. I wish they would do an update to the APX and make the scan lists work like the XPR radios. Even better would be to make a dual band XPR radio, or at least make a control head that will control two separate XPR radios. In the XPR you can have several scan lists and the user can select them as they please. In the APX if you want different scan lists you have to build a new personality for each bank of channels that you want to scan, assign the scan list make a new zone and assign the correct channels to that zone. It works fine but you may have a lot of duplicate channels across personalities. I was building mine to be regional across 4 states I frequently drive through but ran out of personalities. Who knew there is a limit to how many personality's you can put in the radio. The other option is to constantly edit the scan list as you move but isn't very practical to do while driving.