ARCXT for BCD996P2 - Quick Keys Question

[rvacs]

Hello All.
Ok sorry a little confused.
(Used to how quick keys on the SDS Sentinel work).

Look at this screenshot:


Do all the Systems (Austin Police / Wilco Fire / Wilco Police) get their own quick key? And then do I assign a quick key to the Site (Simulcast 1) ? And then do I assign a quick key to each group (Austin PD Disp / Austin PD Tac)? If I assign a Quick Key to each group can they be the same quick key as used in another system? Haven't gotten by BCD9965p2 yet but trying to get a head start.

In the SDS100/200 Sentinel you would program like: 01.01.01 (where it was System/Site/Group) is it the same - seems like it may be different as I can see a place to assign the System Quick Key.

 

[ofd8001]

The Quick Key scheme is different between the SDS/x36 models compared to the x96 line. The SDS/x36 has an additional layer/container to which quick keys can be assigned.

For the x96 line, on trunked systems, the System Quick Key is assigned at the Site level. Thus you are in effect turning on sites, rather than systems. I'm guessing the reasoning behind that is to have a means of turning some sites on or off for systems having multiple sites.

For conventional systems, System Quick Keys are assigned at the System level.

Sort of learning how to drive in the United States, then moving to England where they drive on the "other" side of the road.

 

[tvengr]

Quick keys assigned to sites are system quick keys. Each system has its own group of 10 group quick keys (1-0). When you click on a group, you will be given the option of entering a group alpha tag and group quick key. You can assign quick keys as desired. I use ARC-XT and will be happy to answer any questions for you. When using multiple sites in a system, you enter the groups and talkgroups only once. They are shared across all sites on the system.

 

[rvacs]

Thanks @ofd8001 and @tvengr
People like you that really make this hobby more fun.

Ok so follow up...Understand Quick Keys are assigned at Site Level and then what about the Groups (only 1-9...swore I saw a lot more quick keys some where).

So look at my screen now...System: Austin PD / I see I have Site: Simulcast 1 (Q0) / Groups: Austin PD Disp (Q1) and Austin PD Disp (Q2)
Then on System: Williamson_Co / Site: Williamson Simul (Q1) and Groups: RR FD (Q1) etc. but run out of Quick Keys at Q9?

Lastly on the Scanner let's Say I want to listen to Williamson Simulcast(Q1) Group: Hutto FD (Q4) - would I key in 01.04 ?



So sorry to ask so many questions...if I can just get this down... THANKS !!

 

[ofd8001]

Unfortunately Quick Keys (System and Group) are a little more complicated in the x96 line of scanners.

You can have 20 Groups, but are only allowed 10 Group Quick Keys. So there has to be some sharing or no Group Quick Keys assigned. I know on the surface it doesn't make much sense. The only thought I come up with is that Groups can be set for location control and things fall into place that way.

To toggle a Group Quick Key, the scanner has to be actively monitoring the system, then you press Function plus the Group Quick Key. So for example, the scanner has to be listening to the Austin Police Simulcast for you to toggle the Austin PD Tac group. (While monitoring Austin simulcast site, you could NOT toggle the Georgetown FD group. )

A quirk with these scanners - do not toggle all Group Quick Keys off at the same time. You have to do some manual programming to get them turned back on. It is a problem.

Typically what I'll do is have one group with no Group Quick Key with one "phantom" channel, such as TGID 999 where that number does not exist. That way I can never lock out all the groups.

The sequence of keying in SQK.GQK came in later model scanners. I think Uniden discovered a better way of dealing with Quick Keys in later model scanners.

 

[tvengr]

(only 1-9...swore I saw a lot more quick keys some where).

You are probably thinking about the BCD436HP, BCD536HP, SDS100, and SDS200. In those scanners, a department is the equivalent of a group. There are 100 department quick keys per system in those scanners.

 

[tvengr]

A quirk with these scanners - do not toggle all Group Quick Keys off at the same time. You have to do some manual programming to get them turned back on. It is a problem.

I believe you are thinking about the 436/536 and SDS100/200 scanners. On those, you have to make sure that the favorites lists and systems have quick keys. You will have to go into the menu to get the scanner working if all of the systems, departments, or sites are turned off. I can turn off all group quick keys on my 996P2 and it still shows ID Scan. I can turn them back on again by pressing the FUNC knob and the group quick key numbers.

 

[rvacs]

Thanks guys - do either of you mind sharing a screenshot of maybe how your setup is in ARC XT (like what I did above). That way maybe I can see how others have setup.

 

[rvacs]

Actually does this look like this would work? Unique Quick Keys for the Systems and then Groups under those?

 

[bayrunner87]

I am having the same problem understanding sites vs group keys .
I have had my 996p2 for over a year and I still cannot program the MD FIRST properly.
When I try to load a system , it wont switch what I think are groups, I know its me not the machine
it must be my handling of sites.

 

[rvacs]

I am having the same problem understanding sites vs group keys .
I have had my 996p2 for over a year and I still cannot program the MD FIRST properly.
When I try to load a system , it wont switch what I think are groups, I know its me not the machine
it must be my handling of sites.

I did find this you tube and it seems to help.

 

[tvengr]

Sites are the locations with the transmitters and receivers. You enter the frequencies into the sites. I see that you are in Cecil Co. With the 996P2, a quick key you assign to a site is a system quick key. Let's say you want to use the FIRST sites in Cecil and Harford Counties. You set up a trunking system with 2 sites. You can assign a system quick key of 1 to the Cecil Co site and a system quick key of 2 to the Harford Co site. Pressing 1 on the keypad will toggle the Cecil Co site on and off and pressing 2 will toggle the Harford Co site on and off. You can select either site or both using quick keys. If both are on, you will scan between both the Cecil and Harford Co sites. On the next to the bottom line on the scanner screen, you will see a S at the left. That shows which system quick keys are active. If it says S0, the numbers to the right are 1 thru 0. If it says S1, the numbers are 11 thru 10 and so on. The bottom line shows the 10 active group quick keys for each system. Groups are filled with related talkgroups. For example, group 1 could be MD State Police talkgroups, group 2 MDTA police talkgroups, group 3, MTA Police talkgroups, group 4 DNR talkgroups, etc. The group quick keys control what you listen to. For instance, you can turn off group quick keys 3 & 4 and monitor only State Police and MDTA Police. The same groups are used in a system, across all of the sites in that system. To toggle a group quick key on and off, press the FUNC knob and then the group quick key number. To sum it up, the system quick keys control which sites you monitor and group quick keys control which talkgroups you listen to. In a conventional system where there no sites, the system quick key is assigned to the system. You can also place conventional frequencies in groups in a conventional system to control which frequencies you monitor.

 

[hiegtx]

Actually does this look like this would work? Unique Quick Keys for the Systems and then Groups under those?
View attachment 85215

That should work.

What I find easier to do, on my 325P2, is to press & hold the HOLD key when on the system. That puts the scanner on System Hold scanning only that system. Say you went into System Hold on your Williams County system, which has a number of groups. While in System Hold, then hit the Function key first, then immediately after that, hit the Group QK number that you want to toggle on or off. Don't hit a number before hitting Function, as that would toggle a system QK, not a group in your current system. Also, if you hit Function, and wait too long (the F in the upper left corner shows that Function is active; it goes away after a couple of seconds), then you end up toggling a System QK, not a group.

Note that on my 325P2, if I press and hold the function key down for 3 to 4 seconds, that puts the 325 into Function Hold, and, in effect, into hold on the system it was scanning. That allows you to toggle various Group QKs in that system on or off as desired, without having to hit Function again before hitting the group QK number. That does not work on my x36HP scanners, nor on the SDS200 or SDS100.

You might look into Number Tags, and see if that does what you want.

 

[rvacs]

That should work.

What I find easier to do, on my 325P2, is to press & hold the HOLD key when on the system. That puts the scanner on System Hold scanning only that system. Say you went into System Hold on your Williams County system, which has a number of groups. While in System Hold, then hit the Function key first, then immediately after that, hit the Group QK number that you want to toggle on or off. Don't hit a number before hitting Function, as that would toggle a system QK, not a group in your current system. Also, if you hit Function, and wait too long (the F in the upper left corner shows that Function is active; it goes away after a couple of seconds), then you end up toggling a System QK, not a group.

Note that on my 325P2, if I press and hold the function key down for 3 to 4 seconds, that puts the 325 into Function Hold, and, in effect, into hold on the system it was scanning. That allows you to toggle various Group QKs in that system on or off as desired, without having to hit Function again before hitting the group QK number. That does not work on my x36HP scanners, nor on the SDS200 or SDS100.

You might look into Number Tags, and see if that does what you want.

Thanks Steve !!