Okay, here we go. By default Global filter is set to normal. Every object on the radio that's programmed in the radio including the database is set to normal filter. If you change Global filter from normal to another filter or off that will affect every object on the radio, systems or conventional frequencies to that filter you choose in global. Every system by default is set to Global. Every Channel is set to Global unless you go in and change it to another filter.
So what you are doing is sampling Global filters but you're just observing one system or one conventional Channel while you are sampling different Global filters. You really are only sampling wide invert, invert, wide normal or off because by default you have already sampled normal because that's what Global is set at all the time. We don't want to use Auto because that samples multiple filters on every object and slows scanning way down. The global filters are only there to be used temporarily to sample how filters affect a system or conventional frequency.
Systems have sites. A Statewide system could have multiple sites but you would avoid all but one or two that are close to you because you don't want to scroll through every site in the state. Some simulcast systems only have one site called simulcast. So let's say you find a filter that works better on the system you're having a problem with, write it down on a piece of paper. Return Global to normal filter which is the default because you may have many other objects in the radio that work well on normal. Then you would go into the site options of the system you want to improve and change the filter from Global to the filter that showed an improvement. Now that filter is just on the site or sites of that one system that it helped improve when you sampled the global filters.
If you were trying to improve a conventional frequency and you found that during your Global sampling that conventional frequency worked better with a certain filter then you would go into Department options of that frequency and change the filter setting from Global to the specific filter that you found improvement with. Unfortunately you can't set a filter to one specific Channel it has to be the department of that channel so you will be changing all the channels in that department to the new filter setting which is okay because often they're similar frequencies and now that new filter will be set just to those channels or conventional frequencies that the new filter improved.
Filters are used for troubleshooting only, most objects work well on normal filter which the global setting is set for meaning that if you do nothing everything is on global and usually it works good but when it doesn't work good you need to go in and change the filter on that specific system or frequency. The reason that you don't set the improved filter on the global setting means that now every object in the radio will be on that new filter. Maybe that new filter will help one system or one conventional frequency but it'll compromise every other object that works better on normal.
You are new to the radio and it is a very steep learning curve so just keep this post for the future and get to know your radio better. Learn about sites. You should always have the minimum number of sites activated to hear what you want to hear.
Learn about the display and how to change the display by removing or adding things and then you can add the filter indicator to the display and on every object see what filter is set, most objects say normal unless you have gone in to a system site or a department of a conventional Channel and changed it permanently.
I know this is all Greek to you right now but get to know your radio better and then come back to this and you'll understand it better. You need to become familiar with RSSI readings, you need to get familiar with noise level readings, you need to get familiar with error rate because these are the indicators that you will use to see an improvement in a system. A conventional Channel won't have an error rate so it would be RSSI and noise level that would indicate an improvement. Some people say that RSSI is not a good way to do it that it's all noise level, basically what RSSI is it just an S meter. Improved s meter readings can be noise sometimes. I personally use RSSI.
As I say this is all Greek to you and you need to get to know your radio better, radio reference has a tremendous amount of resources so get familiar with sites, modifying the display, RSSI readings, noise level readings and error rate and proper filter setting will eventually come to you.
One last note about the filters, what works for you doesn't necessarily work for me, it depends on your RF environment. You can't just make a blanket statement like I've heard people say that they turn all their filters off and the radio works better and they suggested other people do it, it works for them where they sit but it doesn't mean it's going to work for you. I could tell you to put your P2 system on wide invert because it works on mine but that doesn't mean it's going to work on yours. It depends on your RF environment and speaking of that... On your conventional frequencies that you're having a problem with you always have the option of toggling function 7 while sitting on a conventional object. If it improves things leave it, if it doesn't improve things toggle It Off.
How's all that grab you? Hey, you asked
