Having issues trying to scan / find Salem Fire dispatch

[GTR8000]

Oh and make sure the Service Types are turned on in the scanner.

By the way, an RSSI of -100 dBm is pretty weak. Move the scanner around until that number improves. You want to shoot for -70 to -50 ideally.

You may also need to change filters for that site to improve decoding. Give the Invert filter a shot.

 

[wheels1911]

Oh and make sure the Service Types are turned on in the scanner.

By the way, an RSSI of -100 dBm is pretty weak. Move the scanner around until that number improves. You want to shoot for -70 to -50 ideally.

You may also need to change filters for that site to improve decoding. Give the Invert filter a shot.

Service types appear to be correct.


I'll give it a try on invert filter

 

[hiegtx]

And you are not using location control on the Favorites list? Check, and if that is turned on for your Favorites list, then turn it off.

Obviously, I am well out of range of your system. But if it were me, I think I would set that system to use ID Search instead of ID Scan. ID Search will stop on any active talkgroup, regardless of whether or not it is programmed. It will not scan any TGID that is either Avoided, or is in a Department that is Avoided. In ID Search, if the TGID is not programmed, you would not see a text tag, only the ID number. In ID Scan mode, you would only scan talkgroups that are programmed, and that are not Avoided (and not in a Department that is Avoided).

Holding on the system should not make the scanner not check TGIDs. It should only make it scan that system, and that system only.

Also, you might export your Favorites list into an *.hpe file. The Export file option is on the File drop-down menu. Sentinel will ask you to choose what you want to export, and once you do that, it will also ask you where to save the file. Select a location that you can easily get to.

The *.hpe file type is not a valid file extension for attaching to a post. So, using Windows Explorer, navigate to where you saved your hpe file. Then, right click on the file. You'll get a pop-up menu with a number of choices on what you want to do.

Choose the Send to option, then from your options there, choose to send the file to a Compressed (zipped) folder. The zipped folder can then be attached to a post. That way, someone can take a look to see what might have been overlooked, or needs to be added. All of us, including myself, have at times forgotten something obvious. The key is to get another set of eyes on it & see if something needs correction.

 

[wheels1911]

Location control is off.

Favorites list is below

 

[pro106import]

You have to make a separate "site" for each "active" control channel for the radio to scan them all. If you have all of the active control channels in one site, the radio will hold on the first active CC it finds. If you have separate sites, and put one control channel in each site that is active, it will scan through them all even if held on one talkgroup. You can set quick keys for each site also so you can turn them on and off easily.

 

[wheels1911]

You have to make a separate "site" for each "active" control channel for the radio to scan them all. If you have all of the active control channels in one site, the radio will hold on the first active CC it finds. If you have separate sites, and put one control channel in each site that is active, it will scan through them all even if held on one talkgroup. You can set quick keys for each site also so you can turn them on and off easily.

OMG! haha I didn't think about that.

That is exactly what is going on too. Its holding on the first one

Okay quick question, When I separate the sites and frequencies.

Does each site need to have its own Talkgroups added like its a new system or can it just be throw into one system?


Here I'll show in pictures what I mean. Its hard to explain what im asking.


1. This Picture Shows 3 new sites inside of the main system. While still keeping the talk groups inside of "Salem Fire Departement"

.....................................................................................................

2. This Picture shows 3 New systems of Salem P25, where I would have to add each its own Freq and talkgroups



What is correct 1 or 2?

 

[GTR8000]

@pro106import gave you slightly confusing advice. There is only ONE site on this system, so there is no need to create "multiple sites" within the scanner.

As I explained previously, it's normal for the scanner to dwell on one frequency, because only one frequency at a time acts as the control channel. That is how trunked scanning works. The scanner does not scan through all channels looking for activity; it sits on the active control channel waiting for channel grants when a talkgroup is active, then it tunes to the voice frequency.

 

[pro106import]

Does each site need to have its own Talkgroups added like its a new system or can it just be throw into one system?

No all talkgroups are in the one system. Just make separate sites with one active control channel in each site (providing the site does not change control channels often). You can set a Quick Key for each site so you can scan them all or just 1. So if Favorite #25 has your system QK 1 , I number my site QK's 11-12-13 ect.. because the radio shares Department QK's and Site QK's so it gets confusing. So to turn on site 11 lets say, you punch in 25.1.11 enter. It took me a little while to figure all this out. I am in my 3rd week with the radio. Lots to grasp hold of.

 

[GTR8000]

No all talkgroups are in the one system. Just make separate sites with one active control channel in each site (providing the site does not change control channels often). You can set a Quick Key for each site so you can scan them all or just 1. So if Favorite #25 has your system QK 1 , I number my site QK's 11-12-13 ect.. because the radio shares Department QK's and Site QK's so it gets confusing. So to turn on site 11 lets say, you punch in 25.1.11 enter. It took me a little while to figure all this out. I am in my 3rd week with the radio. Lots to grasp hold of.

I don't mean to be rude, but you are giving out bad advice. And you don't have the DoITT system programmed correctly in your own scanner. That is not how you setup a single-site P25 system for trunk tracking in those scanners. There is absolutely no reason in the world to create separate "Sites" for each control channel. I don't know where you got that notion.

 

[pro106import]

I don't mean to be rude, but you are giving out bad advice. And you don't have the DoITT system programmed correctly in your own scanner. That is not how you setup a single-site P25 system for trunk tracking in those scanners. There is absolutely no reason in the world to create separate "Sites" for each control channel. I don't know where you got that notion.

I was just using that system as an example of using separate sites for each control channel. Yes it is a different situation that the OP was trying to solve, but it is the same concept.
And I have that sytem set up perfectly for my situation, by the way. Let me explain my reasoning for the separate sites. I'm pretty sure you are aware that the radio has to check through each control channel to find the active one, and yes you can put the active one at the top of the list. But on quite a few systems that I monitor, the control channel changes often. I scan so many systems between NYC, NJ, LI, Ct, and RI , and even Cape Cod, Ma., and if I had all of the 4 possible CC's for each system set to have the radio find the active one, the radio would take forever to go through them all. But I can easily enable only the active control channel at any given time for any of the systems I am scanning just by entering the quick key for that Site. It works for me anyway.

 

[GTR8000]

The scanner remembers the last active control channel for each system you are scanning. It does not search through every control channel each time it comes back around to that system. So even if you were scanning 10 trunked systems at the same time, as it cycles through them all, it will go directly to the last active control channel for each one. Only if the control channel happens to roll at some point would it need to find the newly active control channel for that system, then it resumes scanning, remembering what the updated control channel for that system is.

Do you realize how horribly inefficient these scanners would be if they didn't load the last active control channel per system into memory while scanning? It would take forever to get through a scan list of multiple systems if 4+ control channels had to be checked each and every pass back around. Clearly that is not how these scanners operate.

If your method works for you, then so be it. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. However to give that advice out to others is not really such a great idea. Especially the OP in this thread, who is confused enough as it is. Believe me, having the four control channel frequencies for his single-site system in one "Site" is not what is causing his scanning woes.

With that, I'm going to bow out of this thread. I've given sound advice and I'm getting a sense of "the blind leading the blind" at this point. Best of luck to all.

 

[wheels1911]

To set a Priority Channel on a trunked system, you have to set the talkgroup itself as a Priority. (The P-Ch field should be ON.)

But you also have to enable the system itself to recognize a channel priority. That setting is under the Options tab for the system, not for a site or department,
View attachment 84297

Using Priority on a trunked system TGID, the scanner will only check for usage on the selected priority channels when it is scanning the system. It will not check if it is currently scanning a different trunked system, or conventional systems.

So there is no way to Priority scan a conventional system and a Trunked system at the same time in a favorites list?

That seems like a bit of a design flaw lol

 

[wheels1911]

Update: So far I have figured out how to not miss any traffic when scanning the system. I took pro106import idea and added each Site for this system in its own separate site. So far it has been the only thing that has worked. If I don't do that and lump them all into one "Site" the control channel of 858.8625c still is CONSTANTLY transmitting and won't let the other 6 frequencies scan.

 

[wheels1911]

Update: Well I thought it was fixed...

I got curious and pulled up my phone scanner from the website. Yeah...

Im still missing close too I would say 50% of the fire tones and call outs.

I just don't understand.

 

[pro106import]

I made 3 Favorite systems as I would do it for Salem. There are 3 separate systems they use according to the RR database. Unzip and import them into your Sentinel. You might have to change the Favorite numbers from 1-2-3 to what you like. Give them a shot.
Bob

 

[hiegtx]

So there is no way to Priority scan a conventional system and a Trunked system at the same time in a favorites list?

That seems like a bit of a design flaw lol

You can set Priority on one or more conventional channels. Then, make sure that the scanner is set for that.

Trunking priority need to be set on the system itself, with one or more TGIDs set as priority.

Turning conventional priority on or off does not affect whether or not you have trunking priority enabled on one or more trunked systems.

 

[wheels1911]

You can set Priority on one or more conventional channels. Then, make sure that the scanner is set for that.

Trunking priority need to be set on the system itself, with one or more TGIDs set as priority.

Turning conventional priority on or off does not affect whether or not you have trunking priority enabled on one or more trunked systems.

I see thanks for the info. I Still need to figure out the issues with Salem Fire Department tho. Im still missing at least half of all the transmissions.

 

[wheels1911]

I made 3 Favorite systems as I would do it for Salem. There are 3 separate systems they use according to the RR database. Unzip and import them into your Sentinel. You might have to change the Favorite numbers from 1-2-3 to what you like. Give them a shot.
Bob

I appreciate you making that for me. I still can't hear most nearly any FIRE calls from "Salem P25" unless I literally HOLD on "Salem Fire Dispatch inside of SalemP25" and even then I still miss some. I know this because I have Salem Fire Live Audio Feed running to confirm.

Also

"Salem A Tower" is useless in my area. The "Salem PD F1 Link to 460.4750" does not work. So you can not hear Salem Police. Also "Salem A Tower" for some reason says it has the "Salem Fire Department" on it that a big lie, it does not work.

"Salem B Tower" does work for Keizer PD only. "Salem B Tower" also says it has the "Salem Fire Department"..... another big lie haha, it does not work.



I live in a weird area I guess. Marion County has been trying to go full digital for like 10 years now and are still dragging their feet.

My favorite lists I have set up for Marion County Sheriffs, Salem Police and Keizer Police are all good. The only problem is Salem Fire. It just doesn't want to work correctly.

 

[hiegtx]

I see thanks for the info. I Still need to figure out the issues with Salem Fire Department tho. Im still missing at least half of all the transmissions.

I took a look at the file you had posted early yesterday morning, and did not see anything that appeared out of place. The main difference, in regards to Salem, in the file you posted and the one Bob (Pro106import) uploaded is that his file has all of the frequencies for the Salem site, whereas you had only the listed control channels. If the database had the correct control channels, that should not be an issue (unless it's a Harris system, where they might be using any of the frequencies as a control, with frequent changes. I could be wrong, but this does not appear to be a Harris system.

At this point, I don't have any different suggestions. Either the information in the database is incorrect, or there is something unique about your area that is affecting your reception. Grasping at straws here, try different filter settings on the Salem P25 system. That might not change much, but is worth a try.

 

[wheels1911]

I took a look at the file you had posted early yesterday morning, and did not see anything that appeared out of place. The main difference, in regards to Salem, in the file you posted and the one Bob (Pro106import) uploaded is that his file has all of the frequencies for the Salem site, whereas you had only the listed control channels. If the database had the correct control channels, that should not be an issue (unless it's a Harris system, where they might be using any of the frequencies as a control, with frequent changes. I could be wrong, but this does not appear to be a Harris system.

At this point, I don't have any different suggestions. Either the information in the database is incorrect, or there is something unique about your area that is affecting your reception. Grasping at straws here, try different filter settings on the Salem P25 system. That might not change much, but is worth a try.

Yeah, I have done everything! I've tried so many different ways to put in SalemP25 as a favorite. It's really disheartening at this point. Whoever runs this though Salem Fire Live Audio Feed has it right xD

I've literally tried every combination I can think of, Ill show you below.


^
7 Sites for all freqs


^
4 Sites for only the Controls Left out alternates



All 7 freq's in 1 Site

IVE TRIED IT ALL!

Nothing wants to work.