No activity on my Fav List Conventional Channels

[a242789]

So I have created a number of Favorite Channels using Sentinal. Have go through the database and added a couple of sites to my fav list that are conventional. Bear in mind that are 4 sites - two are conventional and two are trunked(Motorola and P25). When I am scanning my favorites, I can see where the Fav List is rotated through as I can see the 2 Trunk systems, but I never see where the conventional channels are being scanned. I am expecting activity at some point while listing as there a number of frequencies that are quite active. They actually will be heard when I have the full database included in my scanning - just not when going through just my Favorites.

My scanner is a BCD436HP which I have just received today and just beginning to learn about all of the nuisances and what not. I quite possibly may have something not setup correctly. Please advice as to you think may be going on.

Thanks in advance...

--Mickey

 

[ofd8001]

Without knowing what system(s) you are attempting to scan, only general thoughts can be offered. Sometimes general thoughts are not applicable to a given system due to its nuances, etc. With that said. . .

"Sites" are almost always associated with a trunked system. If you added a department with conventional frequencies as part of a system designated as a trunked system, you will not receive any communications on those conventional frequencies - the scanner is looking for data and not voice. Best thing is to add a whole new conventional system with those frequencies in that new system.

You could try to add your local weather service frequency to those new conventional frequencies. If it stops on it, that confirms overall settings are correct. If it does not stop on weather, then there is a bigger issue at play.

 

[mikegilbert]

I had a similar issue with mine when I programmed it myself.

Make sure you have the service type set correctly in sentinel. Then make sure that specific service type is enabled in the scanner itself.

 

[marksmith]

Turn on all service types. This is the main cause of these radios faking out the user.

Have been 'gotten' by this a number of times, and I should know better.

Mark
SDS100&200/536/436/WS1095/996p2/996xt/325p2/396xt/psr800/396t/HP-1/HP-2 & others

 

[dfw1193]

To see the conventional and to give them a better chance to be picked up set the hold time to 2 seconds if I recall on the fav list or site you have setup as conventional then you should see it display on the screen as it scans everything.

 

[a242789]

Thanks for the HOLD suggestion. May try that out. I have also manually added a weather frequency. Worked like a champ. Actually those conventional frequencies are working now - surprising there was little to no traffic on a Friday night. Once I just watch the Fave Lists and Sites at the top changing, I knew was at least going through those channels - very fast as there isn't much there.

I think all is well.

 

[marksmith]

Unless these conventional channels are really important to you, I wouldn't increase the hold time. Jacking the hold time will increase the cycle time for your scanlist, which is generally not a plus.

Reasonable, depending on the importance of those certain channels, but not great in general.

Mark
SDS100&200/536/436/WS1095/996p2/996xt/325p2/396xt/psr800/396t/HP-1/HP-2 & others