Can you set priority freq's within WIN500 for PRS-500?

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michaelmaxim

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I just finished uploading all of my programming options on my new PRS-500. I wanted to know if there is a way to set certain freq or TG's within WIN500 so that my favs are broadcasted first before others.

If you look at this screen shot there is a "pri" at the top of the TG area... does that mean Priority and if so... does it broadcast that freq or TG first before others if its scanning and trying to find a freq to broadcast? Or am I totally lost here with what that is for?

Upload_Trunking.jpg
 

qlajlu

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Yes, that "Pri" is where you set Priority. For each TG you want to have considered a Priority, you click in the little square on the same line. Any squares that are darkened under that heading means that it is set. You must also upload the changes to the scanner and be sure to save them to your .p500 file on your computer.

Now, let me explain what happens when you have Priority set. Every 2 - 3 seconds, your scanner will leave whatever it is listening to and sample the Priority(ies) and then go back to the conversation it was listening to. Basically, it puts things on hold, mutes the speaker while it checks, and then goes back normal. Many folks find this irritating but it is the only way it can work. It is like that in all scanners with a Priority available.
 

DonS

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Some clarification on how "Priority" channels (CONV) and talkgroups (TGRP) can interrupt other traffic on the PSR-500...

  1. Active CONV / TGRP that are flagged as "Priority" will never be interrupted
  2. Active CONV can be periodically interrupted to check for priority CONV
  3. Active TGRP can be periodically interrupted to check for priority CONV only if "TGRP Pri Int" in PGM GLOB is set to "ON"
  4. Active CONV are never interrupted to check for priority TGRP (because it would take way too long to tune to a control channel, look for messages, etc.)
  5. Active TGRP are not actually "interrupted" to check for priority TGRP. On system types that support it (MOT and LTR), data on the voice channel is used to determine whether there are any active priority TGRP on that same system - you won't hear a periodic interrupt to check for priority TGRP
 

mbarnhard

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A follow up question -

With my Pro-96, I have a CONV freq set as the Pri - - BUT it is in a scan bank that is not Active. It works. The scanner checks that Pri channel while scanning all my Active banks even though the Pri channel's bank is turned off - perhaps because the Pro-96 stores a Pri item apart from any bank.

Will the PSR-500 do the same ? Can I have a CONV marked as Pri in a ScanList that is off and still have that Pri checked while it scans? What about a TGRP in a Scanlist that is off?

Thanks
 

DonS

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Your presumption about the PRO-96 is correct: the priority frequency is stored separately from any banks/channels.

The PSR-500 does not have that separate storage for priority channels, so any objects you have flagged as "priority" must be in an enabled scan list.
 

mbarnhard

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Thanks, Don.

Looks like my solution will be to put the CONV in a low numbered (one button) scanlist - mark it Pri to get it checked during scanning - - but be able to turn it off by disabling the list with a single button push. Sometimes we hams get long winded - and while I want to monitor my local repeater using Pri, I often don't want to tie up the scanner if I don't want to sit on the conversation.

(With the Pro-96 I could just toggle the Pri - - with the PSR-500, I'll toggle the scanlist instead)
 

raisindot

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.

Looks like my solution will be to put the CONV in a low numbered (one button) scanlist - mark it Pri to get it checked during scanning - - but be able to turn it off by disabling the list with a single button push........(With the Pro-96 I could just toggle the Pri - - with the PSR-500, I'll toggle the scanlist instead)

If you don't want to waste a whole scanlist for it, you could assign that one CONV to the "favorites" list (essentially, just another extra scanlist). Or, better yet, just lockout the channel. Unless you hit "FUNC/Lockout" the lockout will be lifted on that channel when you turn the scanner off and on.

Jeff in Boston
 
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