BC780XLT Monitor mode

[joepaigejr]

I was trying to put my 780 into monitor mode so that it would always find the control channel in a 460 MHz TRS (Washington, DC MPD). However, I cannot always enter it like I can with other systems (the other systems are 800 MHz and using Control Channel mode). It seems to be hit and miss when I follow the steps in the manual. Any suggestions? (I am using it with Trunker.)

 

[JoeyC]

Never heard of monitor mode until you mentioned it, so I looked in the book. Sounds to me like a rather worthless feature, unless you just want to watch the screen for talkgroups and listen to the control channel only. I don't see how it has anything to do with finding the control channel though, perhaps I am missing something. What is it again that you are trying to do in this mode??

 

[joepaigejr]

I do want to listen to the control channel only :lol:. I use this scanner as input to mtrunker. Mtrunker uses the control channel data to do its thing .

Control channels can change as often as daily, so being able to always "listen" to the control channel is a good thing when using mtrunker.

 

[JoeyC]

I missed the trunker part. I get into that mode by sitting on the channel in MAN mode, then press TRUNK

 

[loumaag]

Try just programming the possible CC's in conventional mode, put only the possible CC's in a single bank and then scan conventionally with the sound turned down. Every time the current CC goes "dark" the radio automatically scans until if finds an active frequency. In short order it will be sitting on the next CC.

 

[joepaigejr]

Lou, that's what I had been doing until my Fairfax County, VA Public Safety System "monitoring" started to not find the next CC. I have it programmed as Channel Mode Only with the 4 channels for the TRS. In conventiional mode the scanner had begun staying on the dark CC. (There remained a slight noice on the dark CC and no squelch setting got rid of it.) This is what prompted me to find a "different" way, resulting in me stumbling onto Monitor Mode.

 

[loumaag]

...In conventiional mode the scanner had begun staying on the dark CC. (There remained a slight noice on the dark CC and no squelch setting got rid of it.)

Well the question then becomes, does the CC ever go back to that channel with the noise on it? If not, lock the thing out, they may have a problem at the system with a "runaway" transmitter.

 

[joepaigejr]

Thanks, Lou. That explains the noise. I did as Joeyc suggested (MAN, then TRUNK) and it seems to be working fine. Thanks to both of you.