Help with Hold Vs. Delay time

[UFEMTFF]

I've got an 800 system with one site programmed by itself in my 996. What is the difference with hold time and delay time? Ultimately, I'd want it to hold on a talk group when someone calls dispatch to hear dispatch's response. Also, I had a problem with missing transmissions and being slow to aquire transmissions, and someone told me to turn the hold or delay time up really high, so that I don't miss anything. What do I need to do?

 

[UPMan]

Delay = How long the scanner pauses on a channel after a transmission ends before resuming scanning.

Hold = How long the scanner continuously scans a system before moving to the next system.

For what you want, you need to adjust Delay.

 

[ex8010]

Delay = How long the scanner pauses on a channel after a transmission ends before resuming scanning.

Hold = How long the scanner continuously scans a system before moving to the next system.

For what you want, you need to adjust Delay.

If I leave increase the hold time, would it increase the chance of me picking up activity on a system? and if I decrease the hold time would it decrease the chance?

ex: if i only listen to 10 talkgroups should i leave it on a shorter hold time than if I listen to 40?

 

[UPMan]

In theory. But, it would, of course, decrease your chance to get a transmission on another system that doesn't have the long hold time. Most people just set the Hold time to 0, which results in the scanner hitting each channel in a conventional system 1 time, then moving to the next system. For trunked, it takes about 1-1.5 seconds to receive the first control channel sentence...and every sentence contains every active TG on the system, so holding longer is only a benefit if the TG you want to hear is about to become active when the scanner hits the system. Not really much of an advantage.

 

[UFEMTFF]

In theory. But, it would, of course, decrease your chance to get a transmission on another system that doesn't have the long hold time. Most people just set the Hold time to 0, which results in the scanner hitting each channel in a conventional system 1 time, then moving to the next system. For trunked, it takes about 1-1.5 seconds to receive the first control channel sentence...and every sentence contains every active TG on the system, so holding longer is only a benefit if the TG you want to hear is about to become active when the scanner hits the system. Not really much of an advantage.

But I'm only listening to:

1 system
1 site
1 control channel and 3 alternates in CC only mode.

I'm ID Scanning ~10 TGS. I want to hear the most I can on those talk groups. What should be my options for hold and delay?

 

[UPMan]

If you are only scanning one system, hold time isn't very relevent. Most people set the delay to about 2. With delay you have to balance between missing a reply and missing comms on another TG.

There is no globally "best" setting. Much is subjective. Since you'll be scanning with this scanner for years, try a setting, then, if you don't like the results try another.

 

[UFEMTFF]

If you are only scanning one system, hold time isn't very relevent. Most people set the delay to about 2. With delay you have to balance between missing a reply and missing comms on another TG.

There is no globally "best" setting. Much is subjective. Since you'll be scanning with this scanner for years, try a setting, then, if you don't like the results try another.

So, I can have the hold time set to 0 or OFF then?

 

[UPMan]

Yep. If you are scanning 1 system, hold time doesn't affect much of anything. If you activate a 2nd system, then it means that the system set to 0 will stay on that system just long enough to get one update on which TG's are active. If none of those are one you have programmed into a channel, it will immediately go to the other system. Without an "other" system, it just goes back and gets the next update on the same system.