HEX and DEC

[jmhill5]

When would a person use the "HEX" or "DEC" in scanning programming?

 

[W4KRR]

When would a person use the "HEX" or "DEC" in scanning programming?

DEC = Decimal, which is what you would normally use for programming talkgroups into a scanner. HEX = Hexidecimal, which is what Motorola usually uses for the talkgroup designations. I don't know of any scanner where you would use the hex numbers for talkgroup programming. Of course, you can always convert the hex numbers into decimal for programming a scanner, using a calculator, such as the Windows calculator in scientific view.

 

[car2back]

I belive you can enter Talk groups in Hex mode on Uniden trunk trackers.... anyone know why you'd want to though? Decimal seems much simpler IMHO.

 

[W4KRR]

I belive you can enter Talk groups in Hex mode on Uniden trunk trackers....

Nope, they must be in decimal format.

 

[car2back]

Nope, they must be in decimal format.

I've done it before on my 785 in hex for grins

 

[W4KRR]

I've done it before on my 785 in hex for grins

I'm pretty sure you haven't.

For one thing, the words hex and hexadecimal don't even appear in the Owner's manual for the BC785D. How would the scanner know if the number you're entering was supposed to be a hex number or a decimal number? And how do you enter the letters a through f that are required by the hex number system?

 

[KCChiefs9690]

I'm pretty sure you haven't.

For one thing, the words hex and hexadecimal don't even appear in the Owner's manual for the BC785D. How would the scanner know if the number you're entering was supposed to be a hex number or a decimal number? And how do you enter the letters a through f that are required by the hex number system?

I've done it in WIN97, I enter a HEX value and it converts to DEC...

 

[N9JIG]

When would a person use the "HEX" or "DEC" in scanning programming?

You wouldn't on the scanner itself, both Uniden and Radio Shack use decimal for talkgroups. They do however use Hex for tower ID's on 9600 baud Astro systems. With the RadioReference database only capable of Decimal right now you would have to translate the hex ID's to match up the listings.

Some scanner programming software allows you to program in hex values and translates the talkgroups to decimal automatically so the scanner understands it. This is handy of you are programming off a datasheet using hex numbers.

You can use the Scientific mode of the Windows calculator to convert hex to decimal or the other way around.

 

[loumaag]

I am going to close this as some of this advice is just going to confuse the newer scanner users. The DEC we show in the Database is the Uniden Decimal Value. This is the value that all trunk tracking scanners use. No trunk tracking scanner uses anything else.

To the old hands:
It would depend on what system as to if the HEX value we show in the DB could be converted to the Uniden Decimal value directly or not. The HEX value is not stored in the Database, it is merely displayed; if it was up to me we wouldn't do it as we get more confused questions and even more confusing answers to why it is there. In regard to tower numbers; there is no intention of ever displaying a site number with the HEX tower number.

This thread made me add to the RR FAQ pages on the Wiki. I suggest everyone look there for the correct information.