How many sites should I select?

[sumowondertoad]

When I download from Radio Reference into FreeScan, should I select all of the sites available, or only the ones I think are near me? For example, I know one of the locations is close to me, but there are others that I seem to get transmissions from that show "simulcast". I don't know where those simulcast sites are.

If by selecting only one or two sites am I reducing the talkgroups or talkgroup IDs somehow?

In my area, Seattle, the entire county's public safety is on one system. Should I break that up into several sites in order to easily turn on and off monitoring of particular agencies. Or does it make more sense to keep it all in one big system and turn on and off talkgroups?

 

[mciupa]

I like the thought of breaking the sites into several agencies that can be selected/deselected as you want.
I would go crazy wading through a humungous list looking for a single item to put it back into scan rotation.

 

[K7CAR]

Add every thing. It's easy to go through later and delete what you can't hear. If you haven't already you'll want to check out this database. Intercept Database search You'll find it covers far more in the Seattle area.

 

[ka3jjz]

sumo, if you are using one of the XT models, the BCD996T or BCT15, why go through and have to delete sites manually when you can do it using location based scanning and a GPS? You could then just delete the sites you can't (or won't) hear, and the let the scanner do the rest.

Read up on the DMA FAQ to start to learn about this function - there are a few articles here (anything in blue is a link)

Uniden DMA FAQ - The RadioReference Wiki

73 Mike

 

[K7CAR]

If you live any where close to Seattle and not down in a hole you'll hear everything that's listed on RR for King county. I live about 35 miles from Seattle and can hear all Seattle systems on my 346xt fine. You should be able to hear quite a few of the Snohomish systems/freq. too if you aren't way too far south.

The RR database only has only a small amount listed, so use the Intercept database and FCC look up. You'll do yourself a favor if you organize by system/groups/interest. We have a huge amount of frequencies to listen too, so it will get out of control in a hurry if you don't keep tabs on it. Freescan works well as does ProScan. If you jump on Intercept I'm sure there's some one close to you that could help you out with a scanner file. I'm probably a bit too far NE of you, but if you're in N. Seattle I can send you my file. If you go here Snohomish County WA. LIVE Scanner Feed FAQ #18 you'll find Daron's well done file covering S. Snohomish cnty-Seattle. This was a huge help for me and will get you about 1,000 channels.

 

[w2csx]

I would just deal with the sites near you. Like a simulcast site near you and you would hear everything. This is what I do here in my county in my state.

 

[sumowondertoad]

Thanks K7CAR! You're right, the intercept database seems to show a lot more. I have ARC-XT Pro that I got with my BCD396XT. I haven't even tried it yet because I was used to using FreeScan with my previous scanner, the 396T. I live in Capitol Hill, right next to I-5 in downtown Seattle. I've been using the stock rubber antenna but am considering an external one to pick up the more distant stuff, eastside and the like.

ka3jjz - thanks for letting me know about the GPS option. Since I don't use this in the car I hadn't even considered the GPS option to filter things out. Shame the 396XT can't use USB GPS receivers - it's kind of cumbersome to use a null modem adapter in addition to the serial GPS receiver. Also, GPS receivers are so small now, it would be great if the next iteration of the 396/996 has it built-in.