New Unication owner, need programming suggestions

[brownalan]

Last week I received a new-to-me G5. I watched a quick Youtube video, downloaded the programming software, and got it up and running without much trouble. I did learn a lot as I went.

Here’s my question: I am in Louisiana and want to monitor various talkgroups on the statewide LWIN system. It has about 150 sites and a bazillion talkgroups. For local use, I want to listen to the Sheriff’s department and the state police. I live in rural area and site 36 is closest and east of me. Site 38 is next closest and south of me. Site 8 is 25 miles away but in the nearest city where I travel occasionally. So what I did was set up zone 1, knob 1 to listen to my selected talkgroups on site 36. Position 2 is for site 38. Position 3 is for site 8. I imported from Radio Reference and created 3 seperate systems each with just the one tower but all with the same talkgroups. Is that the best way to do that?

I haven’t figured out how (or if it‘s possible) to go back and edit those “systems” after the fact. It seemed like overkill to me to download the whole statewide system and just pick out one site and a handful of TGs.

I hope this question makes sense. I am loving the Unication so far. I drove down to the city yesterday. I was tuned to site 36 until I lost coverage, then turned the knob one click and picked up 38. Worked great. When I got to town I turned it one more click to site 8. It worked just like I thought it would.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[jtwalker]

If you want control over which site it will use, yea this is how you do it. You can also add all three sites to one knob position and let pager find a good site from its current location. It will hand off as you travel but maybe not when you would want it to.

 

[K9KLC]

To preface this, I'm not familiar with the system in your area, here, not all talk groups form site "1" come out on site "2" or "3". If that's working in your area then that's great.

There is no best way to set up the Unication pager that can be recommended here by myself or frankly anyone else. WE don't know what you want to listen to, or what you're interested in monitoring. I'd say if it's working for you as it is, then that's great. I do something similar here locally for 4 different counties all on what's called StarCom 21 in Illinois. I'd say if it's working for you as is, then it's "right". Enjoy your pager I do the 2 G5's and G4 I have.

 

[K9KLC]

It will hand off as you travel but maybe not when you would want it to.

I can't even get mine to lock onto the site closest to my home, when I'm at home, with all the TG's I want on it. I have several knob positions set up to do this but I only use it when traveling usually. For some reason a site "somewhat of a distance away" seems to always lock it up first.

I agree though might be worth one knob position to try it and see what happens. Perhaps for him it will work out.

 

[jtwalker]

I can't even get mine to lock onto the site closest to my home, when I'm at home, with all the TG's I want on it. I have several knob positions set up to do this but I only use it when traveling usually. For some reason a site "somewhat of a distance away" seems to always lock it up first.

I agree though might be worth one knob position to try it and see what happens. Perhaps for him it will work out.

As you have seen, it won’t always connect to the best or closest site. Rather it will use the first site it finds with an acceptable decode rate.

My home county has two simulcast sites, east and west. I am in the western extreme of my county but occasionally it will use the east site from home.

 

[K9KLC]

As you have seen, it won’t always connect to the best or closest site. Rather it will use the first site it finds with an acceptable decode rate.

My home county has two simulcast sites, east and west. I am in the western extreme of my county but occasionally it will use the east site from home.

Yep, seen it time and time again while traveling around too. But, at least it does lock onto something traveling state wide, so there's that. I actually have had better luck traveling thru KS.

At any rate to the OP, as I said above, it would be worth trying what you suggested. Perhaps his sites there will be laid out correctly for him. With only 3 in there, that might increase the odds also. Only trying it would tell him for sure.

 

[brownalan]

Thanks jtwalker, I am setting up another knob position to do the site-to-site handoff along the interstate corridor that runs across northern Louisiana. I programmed all the state police talkgroups and all the tower sites for about 200 miles. Next time I drive that route I will see how that works.

Thanks K9KLC, yes I have noticed previously that sometimes all talkgroups don’t come across all sites. I think I have figured out that if there is no State Police car patrolling our area we don’t hear the state police at all. I live in the far northern end of our parish (county) and right near the state line. As far as I know, there are no troopers living up here or regularly stationed up here. But although I hear little SP activity on site 36, neighboring site 38 always has SP traffic. Site 36 has SP traffic sporadically. Also, there is a law enforcement training facility in our area. I have noticed that when they are having classes you can hear all sorts of talkgroups that are not from this area. (That was on the Whistler, before I got the unication.

 

[tglendye]

If you want to “lock” onto one site only, you programmed your sites and knobs the right way. If you don’t mind the G5 switching sites, you would want to program all, or as many sites as you wish into the system of each knob. The G5 will switch flawlessly, but may not always pick the closest site or the one you desire- that’s the only drawback I’ve found for putting more than one site, but no big deal in my situation.

Also, you are limited to the number of sites you can program for a system (64 I think) so to help with this on a large system, I create a site “wildcard”. If it goes out of range of a programmed control channel, it searched the band for another control channel that matches your system ID. To do this I believe you input FFFF into the site ID.

And you can absolutely go back and edit a system in the PPS. I copy and paste knobs all the time and then drag talkgroups in and out.

I’ve programmed Unications for quite a few people. There are hundreds of ways to program them. I’ve found what I think is perfect for me is not what they’re looking for in most cases. And I’ve probably changed my programming a hundred times, as a new idea pops into my head. Keep working with the radio and software, ask questions and you’ll find what works for you.

 

[K9KLC]

There are hundreds of ways to program them. I’ve found what I think is perfect for me is not what they’re looking for in most cases.

Exactly. What I did for myself was not what a fellow in town here wanted on his.

And I’ve probably changed my programming a hundred times, as a new idea pops into my head. Keep working with the radio and software, ask questions and you’ll find what works for you.

I don't know that I've changed it a hundred times but yes, quite a few and honestly still making changes here and there.

 

[brownalan]

Thanks for the help