Motorola XTS 5000 Question

[MysticalOS]

At work we use XTS 5000's type 2 UHF lows. Not long past, the system admin reprogramed radios with new channel data and such. But she also deviously disabled the menu option for turning "scan" on and off. Some of the radios we have it's still on, others it's off. Since we cannot get to the menu command, is there any other way to actually turn the option on or off?...I mean I can still set which channels will be scanned through program menu options and setting each channel as scan or not. But to actually enable or disable the feature can it be done if the Scan On/off menu is no longer present? I'm not quite sure why the lady hid it in first place. Might not have been intentional who knows. Not all of them even have it hidden either..In any case, any info would be appreciated.

 

[RocketNJ]

Are some (or all) of the channels set to auto scan? When that channel is selected it can be programmed to automatically enable scan. That might be done if they want you to monitor an emergency channel as priority.

Oherwise, I have seen where a menu or button for a function was deleted and the function is toggled one way or the other and no way to get it back. The menu or button needs to be reenabled, then toggle the function, then delete the menu item or button.

Call the lady that did the programming and point out the mistake and get it corrected.

 

[MysticalOS]

Are some (or all) of the channels set to auto scan? When that channel is selected it can be programmed to automatically enable scan. That might be done if they want you to monitor an emergency channel as priority.

Oherwise, I have seen where a menu or button for a function was deleted and the function is toggled one way or the other and no way to get it back. The menu or button needs to be reenabled, then toggle the function, then delete the menu item or button.

Call the lady that did the programming and point out the mistake and get it corrected.

Is that what the difference is between the Z mark and the Z with the extra dot? on that channel? I did always wonder that, heh.

edit. There is one lady responsible for several hundred radios ranging from MPs, DOD civilian, contractors, troops, ranges etc. Needless to say, a complaint about scan not working isn't mission critical and going to get much attension until the radio actually needs an updating.

 

[fineshot1]

Is that what the difference is between the Z mark and the Z with the extra dot? on that channel? I did always wonder that, heh.

edit. There is one lady responsible for several hundred radios ranging from MPs, DOD civilian, contractors, troops, ranges etc. Needless to say, a complaint about scan not working isn't mission critical and going to get much attension until the radio actually needs an updating.

Still - it doesnt harm anyone to ask her and if she did make a mistake on your programming template then you will have done her a service for pointing it out to her and avoiding her programming more units with a mistake on the template. I also have made programming mistakes on program templates and its a real pain to try and get the units back to correct a mistake....fineshot1

 

[greenthumb]

Is that what the difference is between the Z mark and the Z with the extra dot? on that channel? I did always wonder that, heh.

You are able to program three levels of priority with scanning - first priority (which is either the selected channel/talk group or another pre-determined channel/talk group), second priority (which is programmed into the radio either through software or by the user), and "non-priority" channels/talk groups that all have the same priority.

Now, if your radio is scanning a non-priority channel/talk group and a call starts on the second priority channel/talk group, your radio will leave the non-priority channel/talk group call and begin monitoring the second priority channel/talk group call (and, if selected in the software, sound an alert tone). Then, while monitoring the second priority channel/talk group call, if a call starts on the first priority channel/talk group, the radio will leave the second priority channel/talk group call and begin monitoring the first priority channel/talk group call (and, if selected in the software, sound an alert tone).

How does this relate to the "Z"? The first priority and non-priority channels/talk groups will show the "Z" while the second priority channel/talk group will have the "Z." - or the "Z" with the dot. No indicator is available for the first priority channel/talk group since it is either the selected channel/talk group or pre-programmed into the radio.

The "Z." will also appear with the dot flashing about once per second while the radio is receiving a call on a scanned channel/talk group and while the scan timeout timer is elapsing.

At any rate, do as others suggested and make sure that they were supposed to remove that feature from the radio. As others pointed out already, people who do the programming have been known to make mistakes and take away features. Ask whomever did the programming AND your superiors within your department because decisions like that are typically made at some sort of command staff level and I wouldn't put it past the programmer to say that it was supposed to be done the improper way just to avoid having to reprogram all of the radios again (it's a pain in the butt).