SDS100/SDS200: Channel Hold/Priority Channel Question

[DMSSIOWA]

After much roundaboutation, I have my main channel I listen to set as the Priority Channel on a digital/trunking system. It has the most traffic of any channel I scan, also.

This was working great until...I had a chase going on another channel. I tried holding on this other channel so I could follow the chase and even though I held both the Dept and the Channel, it kept bouncing back to my Priority Channel.

Now, I understand what I'm doing with the Priority Channel and it's designed to still check my Priority Channel BUT is there a way to over-ride this when I actually want to hold on a different channel? Or am I out of luck and just have to hope my main channel stays quiet while I'm trying to track another one? It seems like there should be an over-ride when I actually want to stay on a different channel.

 

[rf_patriot200]

After much roundaboutation, I have my main channel I listen to set as the Priority Channel on a digital/trunking system. It has the most traffic of any channel I scan, also.

This was working great until...I had a chase going on another channel. I tried holding on this other channel so I could follow the chase and even though I held both the Dept and the Channel, it kept bouncing back to my Priority Channel.

Now, I understand what I'm doing with the Priority Channel and it's designed to still check my Priority Channel BUT is there a way to over-ride this when I actually want to hold on a different channel? Or am I out of luck and just have to hope my main channel stays quiet while I'm trying to track another one? It seems like there should be an over-ride when I actually want to stay on a different channel.

I don't use Priority on any of mine. IF you're listening to the database, just limit how many services you have up and your range. This will increase your scan speed somewhat. Multiple radios help too. My SDS200's , HP2 and 780XLT let me set up different configs.

 

[Ubbe]

It seems like there should be an over-ride when I actually want to stay on a different channel.

That's something to be put on the wish list for enhancements. I feel the same thing, that if I do a hold on a TG or frequency I would like to only listen to what I have selected and not a bunch of other priority channels going active.

There could be a selection in the profile to have it work as it does now and another selection to automatically disable both conventional and trunked priority when a hold are done on a TG or on a conventional frequency, but not when a hold are done on a department or system (or should it?) It could also include when entering a channel directly, Channel+frequency+Channel, whenever you are in Quick Search mode. @JoeBearcat

It could actually be included as a manual operation in the Fn+dot/No prio selection, that now have Off-On-DND to also include Trunk-On Trunk-Off.

/Ubbe

 

[n1chu]

After hitting Hold I just go into the menu and turn off priority scan. Two or three keystrokes and I’m done. But I would sure appreciate an additional priority option that, as /Ubbe describes

“another selection to automatically disable both conventional and trunked priority when a hold are done on a TG or on a conventional frequency”.

 

[Ubbe]

After hitting Hold I just go into the menu and turn off priority scan.

Can you do that for trunked TG priority?

/Ubbe

 

[ofd8001]

I think we will be getting into a user preference situation - half the people want it one way and the other half something different.

There are those who want to hold on a given non-priority channel, but if something/anything happens on the priority, that would be more important. On the other hand, some folks would want for the held channel to be a "super-priority". That means the scanner will have to be somewhat of a mind-reader to make everyone happy.

I don't use Priority on any of mine. IF you're listening to the database, just limit how many services you have up and your range. This will increase your scan speed somewhat. Multiple radios help too. My SDS200's , HP2 and 780XLT let me set up different configs.

With trunking, the number of channels in the scan list has no, or very minimal, effect on scan speed. Much different than conventional.

That's something to be put on the wish list for enhancements. I feel the same thing, that if I do a hold on a TG or frequency I would like to only listen to what I have selected and not a bunch of other priority channels going active.

There could be a selection in the profile to have it work as it does now and another selection to automatically disable both conventional and trunked priority when a hold are done on a TG or on a conventional frequency, but not when a hold are done on a department or system (or should it?) It could also include when entering a channel directly, Channel+frequency+Channel, whenever you are in Quick Search mode. @JoeBearcat

It could actually be included as a manual operation in the Fn+dot/No prio selection, that now have Off-On-DND to also include Trunk-On Trunk-Off.

/Ubbe

Let's not rock the boat too much. I'm hoping they will focus on pre-emptive priority for trunked scanning before anything else too fancy.

 

[werinshades]

After hitting Hold I just go into the menu and turn off priority scan. Two or three keystrokes and I’m done.

Can you do that for trunked TG priority?

/Ubbe

What's being described is for Conventional Priority, not Trunking Priority.

 

[werinshades]

After much roundaboutation, I have my main channel I listen to set as the Priority Channel on a digital/trunking system. It has the most traffic of any channel I scan, also.

This was working great until...I had a chase going on another channel. I tried holding on this other channel so I could follow the chase and even though I held both the Dept and the Channel, it kept bouncing back to my Priority Channel.

Now, I understand what I'm doing with the Priority Channel and it's designed to still check my Priority Channel BUT is there a way to over-ride this when I actually want to hold on a different channel? Or am I out of luck and just have to hope my main channel stays quiet while I'm trying to track another one? It seems like there should be an over-ride when I actually want to stay on a different channel.

The "workaround" I use, is when the Priority Talk group comes up: Press E/Yes , Edit Current Channel , Set Priority, Off. Not the fastest way, but it'll work on the fly.

 

[werinshades]

The "workaround" I use, is when the Priority Talk group comes up: Press E/Yes , Edit Current Channel , Set Priority, Off. Not the fastest way, but it'll work on the fly.

I should add, to return to ID Scan fast after all this, press the left soft key (the one under System on the display).

 

[Ubbe]

The "workaround" I use, is when the Priority Talk group comes up: Press E/Yes , Edit Current Channel , Set Priority, Off. Not the fastest way, but it'll work on the fly.

But then it is a tedious process to go back into the menu to do favorite edit, system edit, department edit and finally channel edit to set that TG back to priority.

/Ubbe

 

[werinshades]

But then it is a tedious process to go back into the menu to do favorite edit, system edit, department edit and finally channel edit to set that TG back to priority.

/Ubbe

No, just have to edit the priority talk group the way I describe and temporarily turn it off. If something is going on, this works quickly. Once it's over, return to turn it back on, either by going through the menu, or Channel hold, select until you reach the talk group and repeat the steps.

 

[n1chu]

Can you do that for trunked TG priority?

/Ubbe

Good question. I’ve never had a need to prioritize with trunking, so, my bad.

 

[Ubbe]

Yes, it can be done manually back and forth

Once it's over, return to turn it back on, either by going through the menu, or Channel hold, select until you reach the talk group and repeat the steps.

Yes, it can be done manually, scrolling thru all the TG's and remembering which one you turned off, and not be able to monitoring during the whole edit process.

To me it seems like a 5 minute job for Uniden, like most things on the wish list, to add one line or two of code to precede the TG prio function,

<Do check for TG prio>
If not user_setting_prio_disable=true then Goto -prio check routine-
IF Hold Channel = TRUE then goto End
-prio check routine-
Load TG table
Check for prio flag
If no prio goto End
Check control channel data for TG announces
.
.
End

/Ubbe

 

[werinshades]

I agree some things can be changed, but that's why I referred to it as a "workaround". I deal with what's available to me and workaround till I get a solution. It's a suggestion for the issue the OP mentioned, and offered up a solution that I've utilized many times in the same situation.

 

[DMSSIOWA]

Thanks, everyone! I'll make a little cheat sheet for any time it happens again. It's not a super common thing but when state patrol decides to chase, it's worth hearing!

 

[n1chu]

Yes, it can be done manually back and forth

Yes, it can be done manually, scrolling thru all the TG's and remembering which one you turned off, and not be able to monitoring during the whole edit process.

To me it seems like a 5 minute job for Uniden, like most things on the wish list, to add one line or two of code to precede the TG prio function,

<Do check for TG prio>
If not user_setting_prio_disable=true then Goto -prio check routine-
IF Hold Channel = TRUE then goto End
-prio check routine-
Load TG table
Check for prio flag
If no prio goto End
Check control channel data for TG announces
.
.
End

/Ubbe

“IF THEN, AND, OR”, etc… just to name a few… had a lot of fun writing rudimentary code using the very beginnings of logic back in the day. And it all started when one of my co-workers asked if there was a way they could verify if all the deductions shown on their pay stubs were correct. I wrote a bit of code which allowed for variables (allowed all to use the same program and plug in their individual deductions which varied from pay stub to pay stub). But I digress-off topic.

 

[ofd8001]

I had a thought . . .

Suppose there could be two separate Departments: "Des Moines Police Priority" and "Des Moines Police Non-Priority". The Des Moines police talkgroup would be created in each of these Departments. The Priority Department would have the P-Channel On and the Non-Priority Department would have the P-Channel Off.

The Non-Priority Department would have a Department Quick Key of X.X.11

The Priority Department would have a Department Quick Key of X.X.33

Then if something interesting happens on another talkgroup, simply turn off the Priority Department's Quick Key. When the time comes for the talkgroup to be priority again, just toggle the DQK back on.

In a roundabout way, this changes the Priority Channel to Non Priority with a button press sequence.

Of course this is kind of fooling mother nature and things can go funny.

 

[Ubbe]

Then if something interesting happens on another talkgroup, simply turn off the Priority Department's Quick Key.

The problem with that are that quick keys only work while scanning and not in a Hold mode, as it then only accepts entering of a frequency or TG.

Uniden could have that Fn+dot/N prio selection cycle to a "trunked prio On/Off" only needing a change in the scanner firmware and a added explanation line in the user manual. Then the disabled trunk prio will only be in effect when you do a TG Hold but you can then easily enable it again by Fn+dot/N if you like to have priority while on a TG Hold. That pri indicator in the display could be flashing while in Hold mode to warn that trunked prio are currently disabled.

/Ubbe