BCD436HP - Scanning Question

[payj]

Hey There,

So I figured out how to lock channels when you find something you want to hear, but after a little while (20 seconds ish) it will go blank. Surely their conversation is not over. It does not seem to be following?? Is there some feature I need to activate to get the trunking p25 features to work properly. I am new to this radio and have only had it for a few hours. I programed it by zip.

Also, about the zip, I set it for one mile but it still scans way beyond that. Why is that?

Thanks

 

[jonwienke]

What do you mean by "go blank"? Is the scanner display shutting off, or is the scanner going back to scanning?

The Range parameter adds to the service radius coded in the database. So if a department/site is coded with a 10-mile service radius, and you set a Range of 5 miles, you will hear it if you are within 15 miles.

If you're hearing stuff you don't want, you can Avoid systems or departments by pressing the System or Dept key and then pressing Avoid while the screen has the highlighting. Press Avoid once to temporarily avoid (useful if there is temporary local interference) or twice if you never want to hear it again.

 

[AC2OY]

Hey There,

So I figured out how to lock channels when you find something you want to hear, but after a little while (20 seconds ish) it will go blank. Surely their conversation is not over. It does not seem to be following?? Is there some feature I need to activate to get the trunking p25 features to work properly. I am new to this radio and have only had it for a few hours. I programed it by zip.

Also, about the zip, I set it for one mile but it still scans way beyond that. Why is that?

Thanks

Payj

I was told if you really want to narrow down the range set it for 0.5 miles ...it will probably scan a few town or systems but you cut the range back with that!

 

[payj]

Im mean when a capture a signal and hit hold, it holds on the channel, but the station is no longer active after a short period of time. Almost like the conversation skipped to another channel

Sent On The Fly

 

[JoeyC]

You need to compare TGs you find and hold on to their purpose in the RR database. Sometimes units will switch to secondary channels for the purposes of making short comments to each other and go back to their original when done to keep chit chat off the main channel they use.

Give specific examples and what system you are listening to.

 

[payj]

Ok will do later. When inhave the radio. At work atm.....also could you please explain what "tg" is and "rr"....sorry i am new to this, and am here to learn thank you

Sent On The Fly

 

[UPMan]

Basic questions: What are you scanning and how did you program it (or are you using the included database)?

It almost sounds as though you are conventionally scanning a trunked radio system.

 

[fxdscon]

Hey There,

Also, about the zip, I set it for one mile but it still scans way beyond that. Why is that?

Thanks

Check here:

How it Works: Location, Location, Location

also could you please explain what "tg" is and "rr"....sorry i am new to this, and am here to learn thank you

Sent On The Fly

TG = Talk Group
RR = Radio Reference (this site).

.

 

[payj]

Thank you for the quick replies......So from what I understand is the output of these further counties radios (ones I don't care about) is strong enough to enter my 1 mile radius, correct??

 

[UPMan]

While that is a true statement, it is not why they are being selected to be scanned. Read the article he linked, above.

 

[payj]

Ok I read it again. Maybe I am a bit confused.....So in the linked article the example shows the circle more to the SW of the giant red circle, instead of dead center of that zip. So is the example supposed to show that my circle may not be directly dead center of my zip, but more to the outer edges n, s, e or w?

Thanks

 

[JoeyC]

Build a favorites list that includes exactly what you want to listen to, then you don't need to be concerned with a scanner that thinks it knows what you want to listen to.

 

[UPMan]

No. What it means is that if you put in your zip code, then a range of 1 mile, you would draw a circle from the center of that zip code, extending out 1 mile.

All of the systems/departments/sites in the database also have their own location and ranges (so they are also represented by a circle). Any system/department/site circle that overlaps or encompasses your 1-mile radius circle will be selected to be scanned.

 

[payj]

Yup exactly what I was thinking originally. Thank your for clarification......I was pulling signals from counties maybe 10+ miles away on a 1 mile settings, which would mean their signal is entering my zip code heavily.....Thank you....I was hoping to completely isolate my city, which will need specific programming to do from what it sounds like.

 

[UPMan]

Well, except that it has nothing to do with signal strength. The location/radius for the radio systems are based on their jurisdictional coverage...the circle is supposed to be only large enough to encompass the boundaries of the agency using the channel(s). If it were the actual receivable range of the system, virtually all radio system circles would be much larger.

 

[payj]

Well that's interesting. Hmm well if I set my zip for 1 mile radius and im pulling counties many miles away with no jurisdiction in my area. Then - in lamen terms - can you explain why that is? Shoot, maybe I don't understand yet....

 

[UPMan]

It would be because the circle defined for that agency that you are receiving with many miles away has a circle defined for it in the database that overlaps your circle that is centered 1 mile around the center of your zip code. This could be in error (it the database isn't perfect) or it could be because, in order to draw a circle that encompasses a rectangular jurisdiction, the circle has had to be made larger than the square.

 

[payj]

aww ic ok. Setting to .05 seems to help a little....

Now, referring back to my question about the scanning on a particular channel....Lets say I want to here a certain county. of the 3 sections on the screen I would hold the top for county, hold the city, but let the bottom screen scan...correct??

 

[UPMan]

That would entirely depend on the specific agency or system you are trying to monitor. There is no general answer to that.

 

[payj]

But having my county and city locked and leaving it scanning only with in those parameters means its only scanning them right? Then from there I could set the scanner to only search for specific agencies....Correct?