I know that I can run in ID Search mode (which is what GRE calls Open Mode). But the newer GRE models also have two types of WildCards: one for private calls and one that enables reception of non-programmed TGs. I wonder if there's a similar way to program a WildCard in a Favorites List to enable reception of unprogrammed TGs in ID Scan Mode.
Unfortunately, no. To find non-programmed ('new") talkgroups being used, you can either use ID Search, or run a Discovery session.
While I have no problem running ID Search, GRE/Whistler's use of Wildcards has some advantages. For one, you can set your Wildcard, either group, or private, to record what it found. You can also set your wildcard to give you an alert, like flash the LED, if something is found, and/or generate an audio alert something was found, such as a beep or chirp.. For the Unidens, in ID Search mode, you cannot set an alert for the LED (or sound), nor can you record only "new" talkgroups. You can log only 'new' talkgroups if running a discovery session.
When using ID Search, you can avoid picking up a lot of TGIDs that are already identified, but that you do not want scanned. An example would be Public Works TGIDs. You really don't care if they've filled that pothole on Elm St, but you also don't want to have that talkgroup resurface while running ID Search. ID Search will ignore active talkgroups if they are either set to Avoid (locked out), or if they are in a Department that is Avoided. So, if you grouped your known, but unwanted, talkgroups into Departments, like one for Public Works, one for Utilities (the water dept.), etc, then set those Departments to Avoid, the scanner will not stop on them, even though you may not have each and every TGID individually set as Avoided.
