Conventional Channel Scan Programming

[JASII]

I have had my G5 quite a while now, but I have never actually programmed in a group of conventional channels to scan. I tried this morning and I was able to set up a conventional APCO P25 channel for monitoring and it works fine. When I switch the Receiving Mode to Normal Scan, it, obviously, wants me to put two or more channels in the Scan List. Where do I get them from? I have already added conventional frequencies, but I can't figure out how to go from single channel monitor mode to adding conventional channels and scanning them.

 

[Astrak]

You have to program each into a zone and knob position under monitor or selective call, then the channels will show up in the scan list selection.

 

[N6ML]

Just to clarify this a bit ... you need to configure one knob position for each conventional channel, then one additional knob position as Normal Scan, listening the other knob positions in its Scan List.

 

[JASII]

Thank you both very much. I do believe the learning curve is going up now.

Just some follow up questions. If I were to program in as many 15 conventional channel scan lists as possible, I would essentially have to take Knob Position 1-8 on one zone and then Knob Position 1-7 on another zone and then use the 8th Knob Position as Normal Scan or Priority Scan choice?

Can I have PL/DPL enabled on a Monitor Mode or are they just exactly what they sound like meaning they are Carrier Squelch receive regardless of what PL or DPL may have been selected?

I guess at the risk of pointing out the obvious, the G5 makes much better use of memory in Trunking Scan than it does conventional scan or am I misinterpreting this?

 

[bob550]

I guess at the risk of pointing out the obvious, the G5 makes much better use of memory in Trunking Scan than it does conventional scan or am I misinterpreting this?

This is a correct assumption considering PPS requires that you dedicate a single knob/zone position for every conventional frequency you wish to program, and then another knob position to scan those frequencies. However, depending on how many conventional frequencies you're programming and how many zones you have set up in all, this may not impact your memory allocation as much as you fear. There are 64 zones possible with the latest firmware, so unless you're dangerously close to using all zones, this really won't be an issue.

 

[JASII]

...There are 64 zones possible with the latest firmware, so unless you're dangerously close to using all zones, this really won't be an issue.

Thanks for the reply. I was actually able to retain my 128 zones even after the latest firmware updates. I think the reason I was able to do so was because I had added some data, actually not all that much, for every zone from 1-128 as sort of a "place holder", so to speak.

Of course, I am no where near running out of memory. I just find that it helps me to know how the memory is used before I program a number of things in.

In my way of thinking, though, the Unication G4/G5 makes more efficient use of memory in the trunking mode.

 

[bob550]

In my way of thinking, though, the Unication G4/G5 makes more efficient use of memory in the trunking mode.

That's probably because any trunking system makes more efficient use of fewer frequencies than conventional does.

 

[JASII]

I am just sort of kicking around the idea of having 8 knob positions, each with 16 conventional channels to scan. Possibly something like this:

Knob Position:

1) VHF Mutual Aid Channels (VLAW31, VFIRE23, etc.)

2) VHF Marine Channels

3) VHF Railroad Channels

4) VHF Federal Interoperability Channels

5) VHF Civil Air Patrol Channels

6) VHF 2 Meter Repeaters

7) 700 MHz Scene of Action Channels

8) 800 MHz Scene of Action Channels (Minnesota) & ITAC Channels

I might also have a group of the VHF Weather channels, but probably little reason to set them up to scan.

 

[bob550]

Just keep in mind that you'll need to dedicate another 16 zones, 8 knob positions each, to enter all these conventional frequencies. That's not including the zone/knobs you'll set up for the conventional scans. With that much programming, you may want to consider waiting for the next firmware update and PPS to roll out. I understand that programming from the RR database may be part of that. That would help prevent the inevitable carpal tunnel.

 

[N6ML]

That's probably because any trunking system makes more efficient use of fewer frequencies than conventional does.

I wouldn't say it's that exactly, but that "scanning" a trunked system is not actually scanning! Traditional scanning means that the receiver tunes to the first frequency in the list, listens for a signal there, then tunes to the second frequency, listens, there, etc. until it finds a signal. With a trunked system, it works by monitoring a constant stream of control data on a control channel, and whenever it sees activity for any of the talkgroups of interest, it can then tune to the appropriate voice channel. For conventional scanning, each "knob position" has a number of parameters that are considered (frequency, protocol, squelch, audio options). The combination of those is already defined for a "knob" position, so it makes some sense for scanning to apply to a set of knob positions. For a trunking system, the parameters are constant - the "scan list" is just a list of talkgroup IDs (numbers) to look out for.

 

[N6ML]

you may want to consider waiting for the next firmware update and PPS to roll out. I understand that programming from the RR database may be part of that. That would help prevent the inevitable carpal tunnel.

PPS V0.3.14 has a feature for importing P25 Systems and TalkGroup lists from CSV files exported from RadioReference. It does not apply to conventional channels.

 

[N6ML]

Can I have PL/DPL enabled on a Monitor Mode or are they just exactly what they sound like meaning they are Carrier Squelch receive regardless of what PL or DPL may have been selected?

There's a place for CTCSS (up to 5 different tones, apparently) when configuring an analog Monitor Mode knob position (at least in PPS 0.3.14)

 

[bob550]

PPS V0.3.14 has a feature for importing P25 Systems and TalkGroup lists from CSV files exported from RadioReference. It does not apply to conventional channels.

Oh well, half a loaf is better than none. That's still a major improvement, but it unfortunately won't make the OP's life any easier.