Customizing VIPER

[WeBeCinYa]

I asked this in the VIPER sticky, no response so I figured I'll start my own thread. I recently moved to an area were I don't hear as much as I used to (Cleveland county to Polk). In an effort to hear more traffic, I downloaded the VIPER system to my BCD436HP. I immediately started picking up traffic, but with the amount of data in the system, the scanner wasn't making it back around to the channels soon enough to keep up with the dialog while scanning.

What I did was basically scrub the channels in the Sentinel software to delete any areas that either A) were not close enough to or B) had no interest in. In doing so, I assume I still have what I need to hear programmed in.

I realize that there are "frequency and channel sites" which I assume work hand in hand based on where I am located. Is this correct? And if so, in theory I should be able to scan the system quicker since I deleted about 3/4 of what was there originally? I guess the only exception is assuming I didn't delete any "site" frequencies.

Is there any other way to customize VIPER?

 

[kc4wsd]

I asked this in the VIPER sticky, no response so I figured I'll start my own thread. I recently moved to an area were I don't hear as much as I used to (Cleveland county to Polk). In an effort to hear more traffic, I downloaded the VIPER system to my BCD436HP. I immediately started picking up traffic, but with the amount of data in the system, the scanner wasn't making it back around to the channels soon enough to keep up with the dialog while scanning.

What I did was basically scrub the channels in the Sentinel software to delete any areas that either A) were not close enough to or B) had no interest in. In doing so, I assume I still have what I need to hear programmed in.

I realize that there are "frequency and channel sites" which I assume work hand in hand based on where I am located. Is this correct? And if so, in theory I should be able to scan the system quicker since I deleted about 3/4 of what was there originally? I guess the only exception is assuming I didn't delete any "site" frequencies.

Is there any other way to customize VIPER?

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by monitoring VIPER, rather than monitoring selected agencies. There is a "Wildcard" that you can use to listen to anyone using the system on a particular site.

I am not all that familiar with the system coverage in your neck of the woods, but I would suggest that you begin by just putting (downloading) the Tryon Peak site into your scanner.

The control channel that I see in the database is 853.3625. Select * for the talkgroup, and you will receive any traffic on that site . . . assuming you can receive it from your monitoring location. Any talkgroups that the scanner locks onto can be programmed for monitoring later . . . Although, you may just want to leave it on the Wildcard for a while since there isn't much VIPER traffic in Polk County (I'm guessing).

From what I can tell, Polk County is probably still using their VHF High Band allocations primarily for communications.

Hope this helps you get started.


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[WeBeCinYa]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by monitoring VIPER, rather than monitoring selected agencies. There is a "Wildcard" that you can use to listen to anyone using the system on a particular site.

I am not all that familiar with the system coverage in your neck of the woods, but I would suggest that you begin by just putting (downloading) the Tryon Peak site into your scanner.

The control channel that I see in the database is 853.3625. Select * for the talkgroup, and you will receive any traffic on that site . . . assuming you can receive it from your monitoring location. Any talkgroups that the scanner locks onto can be programmed for monitoring later . . . Although, you may just want to leave it on the Wildcard for a while since there isn't much VIPER traffic in Polk County (I'm guessing).

From what I can tell, Polk County is probably still using their VHF High Band allocations primarily for communications.

Hope this helps you get started.


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Thanks for the insight. I have tryon peak site on my listing, along with about 15 other sites, and about 15 agencies. What I hope I have done is remove all the agencies that I don't care to hear, or I am too far away, and in fact pick up what is close by.

I need to do some more research on wildcards, I have never used this feature and don't really know what that means. I have always just programmed sites and agencies into my digital scanners and dialed them in with the software according to what I wanted to hear. The issue I found is this massive VIPER file that my software doesn't allow you to pick and choose the sites/agencies alone, you have to take it all and then trim down which leaves room for error.

 

[kc4wsd]

The Wildcard is similar to Search in a conventional scanner. If a radio is affiliated (close enough) to the tower (site), then you will hear radio traffic on that talkgroup (channel).

You may hear traffic on ANY talkgroup, if there is a radio tuned to that talkgroup, regardless of the agency's location. Now, technically, there are limits on most radios; however you will possibly hear traffic from the eastern part of the state on the Event channels, if someone locally is tuned in as well.

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[p3nt4g0n]

What I would do is program all the VIPER towers you get reception on. Then scan only the talkgroups/agencies you want to hear. Or you can just continually permanent lockout channels that pop up that you don't want to listen to and that will narrow it down.