G5 what if question

[Haley]

Still learning all I can. I was watching the Unication programming seminar on youtube. My question is, if (and not saying I will do this)

I simply use the pager/radio as a search tool, and set up 3 spectrum scans (VHF, 700, 800), and that's all I did (for traveling), would this work? I realize it will lock onto control channels, but does anyone use the G5 for just this type of purpose? Just searching? And again, I am mostly curious, I plan on setting up a few local , and statewide systems also. Thanks for all the help so far! Mike

 

[troymail]

I recently played with full spectrum scans/searches on a road trip into an area that has limited P25 systems. There are some pros and cons as with anything.

Primarily, the radio found and locked onto sites of a known system and I really didn't have any way to tell the radio "move along".

I did also see the radio stop on some activity that was not familiar to me - at least initially. Later, after seeing it a couple of times, I determined it was a known system that is about 45 miles from where I was at the time.

It would be nice to have an option to program the radio to ignore selected SYSIDs while in search mode.

Finally, the last thing I decided to try next time is to create a full spectrum scan for a large known system (with the SYSID) that will allow me to have the radio automatically find sites for system without having to program all of them on my route. I'm probably going to try this on my next trip to/through North Carolina.

On a related note - for this type of use, you don't want to try to "optimize" with a "better" antenna. I found that using "better" antennas had the radio holding onto site footprints I had left for a very long time rather than switching to the "current" site (footprint) I was actively in (really calls for programming sites as systems and being able to switch sites on demand rather than letting the radio pick and hold on a site).

 

[Haley]

troymail, thanks for all that information, you have been a big help. I'm thinking , if I understand everything. Of just assigning one of the positions on the selector knob for searches. I have been playing around with the PPS software , just to familiarize myself with it. I did go ahead and order the G5 with VHF from Rays. So I am now thinking of more and more questions ! And again thank you for all the help, Mike

 

[troymail]

Yup - I now have a profile with 35 zones - lots of playing obviously. Numerous different system configs for Maryland, Pennsylvania, North and South Carolina, conventional.... I'm stress testing it

 

[gcopter1]

Don't you have to have talk groups programmed, in order to see what the radio doing? Is there a wildcard setting for a talk group to use the radio as a search tool?


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[troymail]

Don't you have to have talk groups programmed, in order to see what the radio doing? Is there a wildcard setting for a talk group to use the radio as a search tool?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

You don't "have to" but you probably should/will want to...

You can put the radio into "Monitor Mode" which is essentially a talkgroup "wildcard" (GRE/Whistler) or 'ID Search" (Uniden). It will stop on any active talkgroup.

The biggest downside to Monitor Mode is that it will stop on encrypted talkgroups too - and you don't want that.

So - you can go from "find any P25 system with any SYSID in the frequency range from X to Y" or you can provide a combination of specifics: frequency range(s), SYSID, talkgroup IDs, etc.

Also - configured talkgroups, etc. can be recorded - so far, I haven't found a way to enable record on talkgroups found in "Monitor Mode"

 

[Haley]

" Monitor Mode", THAT'S what I was trying ask! I wasn't sure if that was possible, and great to know. Mike

 

[scan18]

I though Monitor Mode only allows you to choose a conventional frequency and not a P25 protocol? But I think you can setup a wildcard talk group using FFFF (hex) and assign that to a P25 trunking scan position, right? I may be totally wrong as I've only been playing with PPS for a few days and don't even have the radio yet.

 

[troymail]

I though Monitor Mode only allows you to choose a conventional frequency and not a P25 protocol? But I think you can setup a wildcard talk group using FFFF (hex) and assign that to a P25 trunking scan position, right? I may be totally wrong as I've only been playing with PPS for a few days and don't even have the radio yet.

Negative.

There appear to be two different "forms" of Monitor Mode -- one in the PPS for conventional channels and the other on the radio itself for trunk systems.

Once a trunk configuration/system (zone/knob setting) is selected, go to "Function Status" on the menu and select/enabled "Monitor Mode" to scan/search it for all talkgroups.

FFFF as a talkgroup wildcard does not work. FFFFF as a WACN and FFF as a SYSID do work.

 

[scan18]

Ahh, good to know. Thank!

 

[gcopter1]

You don't "have to" but you probably should/will want to...



You can put the radio into "Monitor Mode" which is essentially a talkgroup "wildcard" (GRE/Whistler) or 'ID Search" (Uniden). It will stop on any active talkgroup.



The biggest downside to Monitor Mode is that it will stop on encrypted talkgroups too - and you don't want that.



So - you can go from "find any P25 system with any SYSID in the frequency range from X to Y" or you can provide a combination of specifics: frequency range(s), SYSID, talkgroup IDs, etc.



Also - configured talkgroups, etc. can be recorded - so far, I haven't found a way to enable record on talkgroups found in "Monitor Mode"

Thanks!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[scan18]

Does anyone know if there is a link to download the actual user guide for the G5? I see plenty of links to PPS programming resources and such, but nothing for the user guide for the radio itself.