Kind of a (dumb) question BCD996XT

[fleef]

Hi. New scanner user here. I am going the "hard" route- manual programming. Yes I am a premium subscriber and I do have Freescan software but forgot to pick up the proper USB connexor & I feel that doing it by hand I can learn this better. I am totally new to scanners so this is a big accomplishment for me.

I am using markscanners "Easier To Read" manual and UPMan's info.uniden pages for assistance.

I have programmed my local Phoenix AZ police dispatch in here just fine using control channels *wow I can really hear all the action now* Before it was programmed I could only hear calls by happenstance when using the System Search.

Here is the "dumb" question- with TGIDs, I assume one can enter just the TGIDs without having to "associate" frequencies with those? So, the scanner automatically "knows" how to scan those once you enter those in (the hex or dec TGIDs) after creating my sites/systems etc? Can I input those TGIDs into a site I already created- say- for mine I named "phoenix police" can I put in TGID for say, Sky Harbor security and the scanner will figure it out? does this make sense

I have the Easier to Read marksscanners page open and trying to answer my own question, still looking and maybe I will find my answer myself but not sure

thanks- still learning and for me doing this by hand is more fun and helping me learn how scanners work much better than just uploading the info using software. I have plenty of time and dont mind manually doing it all.

 

[UPMan]

Sites are the "containers" for the frequencies used by the system. In the real world, they generally correspond to the frequencies used by a single tower (or group of simulcast towers), which is also called a "site" in the real word.

Talk groups are stored in Channel Groups in the same system that you stored the frequencies for your site(s). Once saved, all channel groups apply to all sites in the system. That is, if a site is enabled to be scanned, it will watch for traffic for any of the saved TGIDs stored in a Channel Group in that system.

As you seem to realize by your questions, TGIDs do not have a 1:1 correspondence to any particular frequency. A TGID can show up on any of the frequencies in use by the site. Read RadioSystemsOverview < UnidenMan4 < TWiki and/or http://info.uniden.com/twiki/pub/Un...s/But_I_just_want_to_listen_to_the_Police.pdf for some insight. Also http://info.uniden.com/twiki/pub/UnidenMan4/ScannerManuals/scanner1305.pdf, while written for the previous generation of scanners, might be helpful as well.

 

[fleef]

Gotcha UPman thanks I do understand that in fact once I entered the Control channels blue and red I am able to receive/listen to much more traffic than before it was programmed.

I do see some TGIDs listed for say, sky harbor airport and say, the "local dogcatcher" yet when I go to enter New Frequency it only gives me one option- to enter a freq in MHz. Can i just enter those TGID in dec format? or am I skipping something- lol if you tell me to just go to a certain page on the manual I will do that instead of asking here- I think there is something I just "dont get".

I.e I am using RWC this is the system I am programming right now. I notice there are some TGIDs I would like to add and it gives me those in Hex format. Can I enter those to a system I have programmed- say in a new site? I go to enter new frequency and it just shows to enter it in MHz

New edit- I thought I had it figured out and don't. I am having problems figuring out how to enter DEC TGID. Am I doing this wrong- what I am trying to do is enter TGID for Sky Harbor airport TGIDs and for our Metro Light Rail TGID. I set them up in a whole new site and group- I chose "Set ID Format" for DEC format but when I go to enter say a frequency only option is MHz. is there someplace special I enter the TGIDs? Or do I find the freqs on another page- I am getting the TGIDs off of RR pdf for my area (Phoenix)

am I asking the wrong questions- I think I am lost lol.

 

[UPMan]

Frequencies go into sites. TGIDs (i.e. channels identified by the dec format code) go into Channel Groups. You cannot put TGIDs into Sites (nor can you put frequencies into Channel Groups in a trunked system).

 

[fleef]

Ah ah ok good thanks- phew. I got it- I got it. Entering them now. I appreciate this help I do have a work sheet written down but this gets confusing. I can only learn by hands on so it takes me longer to read instructions.Man what a cool machine this scanner is. Can't' believe all this technology in such a small container.

I have been reading the manual for an hour or two each night since I bought this and am now just getting the "click" in my chicken brain.

edit thanks again UPMan apparently I was mis-understanding the channel groups vs sites - that one statement cleared it up.

I have actually manually programmed this scanner it took me just a few minutes to figure it out, after many hours of reading only the terminology hung me up. I recommend manual programming it cant take too long to input some numbers. Easier for me as I have a numerical memory so its a whiz to do.