scanmanmi
Member
Maybe this is a national question but.. I see there are lots of MPSCS page site changes. Does it affect me in any way? Do they ever change the control channel? (which I think is all I care about?)
Control channel changes
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Hit_Factor
Member
They did during rebanding a few years ago.
If they do, you'll notice right away, as reception will probably cease.
You should compare your FL every once in a while, TG could change, be added or removed, or encrypted. Update the FL to keep everything scanning efficiently.
If they do, you'll notice right away, as reception will probably cease.
You should compare your FL every once in a while, TG could change, be added or removed, or encrypted. Update the FL to keep everything scanning efficiently.
Sometimes I see things highlighted in GREEN in the database but when I look and check it against previous info I can't tell what was changed. Am I missing something?
scanmanmi
Member
Does that matter what brand of scanner you have? Do you mean it scans 5% faster?
Not sure about Whistler or other brands.
When Unidens scan a P25 site, they scan programmed frequencies at 80 channel/sec until they find a control channel. Then the scanner dwells on the control channel for 1-2 seconds to parse control data, then moves on to the next site, skipping all remaining site freqs.
So on a site with 10 frequencies programmed, if the control channel is the last programmed frequency, scanning the site will take just under 8% longer than if it is the first programmed frequency. That's a worst-case scenario.
The benefit to programming everything is that you won't lose the site if the control channel changes.
When Unidens scan a P25 site, they scan programmed frequencies at 80 channel/sec until they find a control channel. Then the scanner dwells on the control channel for 1-2 seconds to parse control data, then moves on to the next site, skipping all remaining site freqs.
So on a site with 10 frequencies programmed, if the control channel is the last programmed frequency, scanning the site will take just under 8% longer than if it is the first programmed frequency. That's a worst-case scenario.
The benefit to programming everything is that you won't lose the site if the control channel changes.
scanmanmi
Member
Pardon my ignorance but wouldn't it be better to monitor just the control channel and get directed to a talkgroup you want instead of checking all channels?
Once the scanner finds a control channel, that's exactly what it does.
Some systems regularly rotate the control channel through all available frequencies, and on any system, the control channel can change at any time without notice. So if you only program one site frequency, it will work fine, until it doesn't work at all.
Some systems regularly rotate the control channel through all available frequencies, and on any system, the control channel can change at any time without notice. So if you only program one site frequency, it will work fine, until it doesn't work at all.
It's always been my understanding when monitoring MPSCS in Michigan all you need to program the control channels. Works for me!
doctordialtone
Member
That approach works fine on P25 until the control channel changes, and then you suddenly get nothing from the site.
For NXDN and DMR trunked systems, programming all the frequencies and the associated LCNs is mandatory.
Some systems (Motorola) use a fixed number of alternate control (usually 2 to 4) channels. While other systems (Harris) can use any of the channels as control.
bb
bb
MPSCS is P25 Phase-1 and has primary and alternate control channels. If the primary fails they go to the alternate, so if your reception is that critical it would be a good idea to program the alternate as well. Other than that it's rare they change. If it stops working just look it up in RR's database and see what changes were made. In all my years of scanner MPSCS that's never happened to me. Of course I check and update my data on a pretty regular basis. The O.P. is asking about MPSCS in particular.
Quote often, if you look at the change history, it is just a change on the site number. (Generally just adding/removing the #, or leading zero. I have no idea why the format is changed, nor any benefit of one over the other.)
KInda new (but not to Radios, or Scanning, just here and the technical stuff - I was wondering if you all (Krokus...is that from the Rock Band?) would advise what you use to scan (or would if you were getting all new stuff...preferably inexpensive but NOT cheap, want it to last ) and also would share some of the programming knowledge (without the acronyms) about what you scan, control channels --and since I am posting, where are the scanner archives of the scanner traffic (the main reason I am premium). Thanks in advance, k845rp
Whats going on last week or so and its anticipated to be statewide is updating tower sites and site neighbors is what is mainly going on.
ANY change for really anything for a tower site will be registered as a change, I.e. change spelling, update a license, tower site neighbors, etc.
forums.radioreference.com
We are updating some talkgroups as normally done still. Submitters, database admins are always trying to be more accurate what is in the database. 
Far as talkgroups, at the MPSCS database, you can click the link in the "Show New Talkgroups"
ANY change for really anything for a tower site will be registered as a change, I.e. change spelling, update a license, tower site neighbors, etc.
P25 multisite neighbors
Do radio affiliations affect the designation of tower sites as "neighbors"? Here is a scenario that might clarify the question: Suppose a radio unit is taken from one end of a multisite P25 trunked system's coverage area to the other. When the radio reaches the distant site, it is turned on...
Far as talkgroups, at the MPSCS database, you can click the link in the "Show New Talkgroups"
My personal trunking scanner is not working, and repair has not been a priority, due to official radios meeting most of my trunking wants. I use ham radio handhelds, and a couple older desktop scanners for analog VHF & UHF listening.
For a newer trunking scanner, probably the BC-325P2 is the least expensive model that will meet the needs of most.
Software for what?
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