Pro-97 - Newbie needs help

[br0adband]

People spend entirely too much time worrying about frequencies, methinks, when it's simply more logical to worry about them as channels - in other words, don't worry so much about the actual MHz frequency, but instead spend more time concerned with the assigned purpose for that frequency.

Officers using those radios more than likely have no concept or clue or a care in the world about the frequency those radios are receiving or transmitting on at any given moment; they are primarily concerned with the assigned purpose for any given channel setting in any given moment.

I see so many people monitoring trunked systems nowadays that focus so much effort on the frequencies and I can't comprehend why. I see people that are actually upset and angry that scanners with alpha-tagging capability won't show the tag and the frequency at the same time. Really, why would anyone need to continuously see what the frequency is for any given assigned purpose? Can someone explain that to me like I'm a 6 year old?

If I need to know that I'm monitoring Police 1 in my area, is it really that vastly relevant to see the actual MHz frequency ever again? On a trunked system, is it really that vastly relevant to need to see the actual transmitting frequency at any given moment, or is it more relevant to see the talkgroup that's actually in use?

Bleh... sorry, it's one of those days.

If the officers have some knowledge of radios (and I'm sure in their training they don't just get a cheat-sheet that says "This is how the radio is operated") then yeah, such information might be relevant if they're at home and <amazingly> they own a scanner like most of us do and they like to keep on top of things. I'm sure they do get some actual useful knowledge about how radio systems work in general, so... who knows.

But when you're handed a radio and told "This setting is ch 1, that's where you stay unless told to go to one of the others" that pretty much locks it up.

 

[sfleuriet]

Ok. Couple things.

First, Robinson is not trunked!

in other words, don't worry so much about the actual MHz frequency, but instead spend more time concerned with the assigned purpose for that frequency.

There's no way to know the assigned purpose for the frequency if you don't know it. That's why I'm trying to get as many as possible, throw them in (like I've done), and see if anything happens on them. So far, none of the new 8 have had any activity.

Officers using those radios more than likely have no concept or clue or a care in the world about the frequency those radios are receiving or transmitting on at any given moment; they are primarily concerned with the assigned purpose for any given channel setting in any given moment.

I agree. Which is why I think they may know nothing other than Channel 1 is for Dispatch, Channel 2 is for Aerial Assault, and Channel 3 is for talking about who's going to Ihop.

I see so many people monitoring trunked systems nowadays that focus so much effort on the frequencies and I can't comprehend why. I see people that are actually upset and angry that scanners with alpha-tagging capability won't show the tag and the frequency at the same time. Really, why would anyone need to continuously see what the frequency is for any given assigned purpose? Can someone explain that to me like I'm a 6 year old?

Robinson is not Trunked. I'm guessing this isnt relevant to me personally?

If the officers have some knowledge of radios (and I'm sure in their training they don't just get a cheat-sheet that says "This is how the radio is operated") then yeah, such information might be relevant if they're at home and <amazingly> they own a scanner like most of us do and they like to keep on top of things. I'm sure they do get some actual useful knowledge about how radio systems work in general, so... who knows.

That's possible. I might ask and see if I can discover any new info. Don't most police radios (handheld) NOT have LCD's on them? If they aren't avid scanner enthusiasts, there may be no way for the officers themselves to know much more than the aforementioned Channel 1, Channel 2, etc.

 

[br0adband]

Yeah, it wasn't directed at you, just a rant for public consumption I guess.

As far as tracking down the assigned purposes for those frequencies, that's part of the fun of our hobby: if you can't find someone else that knows it, you could be the first to figure it out.

My apologies for taking the thread a wee bit off-topic... you'll figure it all out and label it up nicely soon enough. I, on the other hand, am (hopefully) selling off this Pro-97 today and using the funds to get myself another BC-246T because, well... it's the coolest damned non-digital scanner I've ever used.

 

[sfleuriet]

My apologies for taking the thread a wee bit off-topic...

If it's remotely related to the Pro-97, it's welcome in here. I still have TONS to learn so anything goes.

I, on the other hand, am (hopefully) selling off this Pro-97 today and using the funds to get myself another BC-246T because, well... it's the coolest damned non-digital scanner I've ever used.

In what ways is it better than the Pro-97?

 

[br0adband]

It's tough to explain - and here I go talking about a 246T in another Pro-97 thread, sheesh - but when I owned a 246T in the past, and I had those first few frustrating days with it trying to understand the dynamic memory system Uniden created with that thing, man it was pure hell, really. For the first 3 days or so I read the manual, re-read it, read it again, threw it across the room, read it again, once more, another toss over the bed, etc.

Then I got online and did some research, and I came here (amazing that I had never been to RR before that point considering I've been into scanning for nearly 35 of my 40 years now, eh) and did more research, and I found a posting by someone (and I simply can't find it anymore) but that one posting was the proverbial light-bulb moment when I realized that Uniden had just created a paradigm shift in our hobby with dynamic memory.

In my opinion, as far as scanning as a hobby is concerned, there have been only a few watershed moments:

- programmable scanners that didn't require crystals was the first
- 800 MHz coverage was the next
- trunk tracking was the next

And Uniden's dynamic memory is now the next, but that's my opinion - and I absolutely without any doubt at all know that I am not alone in that opinion. I won't go into a full-on explanation about it since there are hundreds of threads around here related to explaining it and how it's superior to the ages old banks/channels concept still in use by the majority of scanners available today - the Pro-97 being one of them.

I do like this Pro-97, really. I got it for $70 which is practically a steal, and it works great, offers MilAir which I monitor on occasion (being a few miles away from the Nellis AFB tower is fun, and I'm a few miles from the McCarran tower too, in fact I'm smack dab between the two, more or less), but, to put it bluntly, the damned thing is so incredibly inefficient to program with respect to memories and systems it's not even funny.

If you don't have a lot of systems to monitor in your area, the Pro-97 is fine, fantastic, and will do the job very well as long as you don't need digital capability (the 246T is analog also, one of the features lacking I guess). But here in Vegas I have several hundred systems that I can monitor and I don't want to have to program them in and keep swapping out the database (using Win97) just to be able to monitor something else at any given moment in time.

The 246T will let me program in up to 200 of the local systems, with all the goodies associated with each of them, allow me to listen to the ones I want and simply disable those I don't with a Quick Key or bring 'em back just as fast. I can monitor specific individual talkgroups with a press of the Function key and a twist of the control knob - one of my favorite things about the 246T is the use of completely seperate volume/squelch and control knobs. I owned a 330T and I couldn't stand the single knob concept, just threw me off completely after owning a 246T.

The display looks better to me, offers more info, the text of tags is larger than the data represented by the icons on the LCD (the Pro-97 has a standard LCD where everything is the same size on the 4 lines it displays). And the best part of all?

The 246T is so damned small.

I'll shut up now. hehe

 

[sfleuriet]

Sounds good.. not worth an upgrade in my situation though.. Don't see any reason for anything more in my case.

Here's a case I just heard... this is so typical for a small low-crime town

Dispatch starts out by alerting officers about a call
Man has gun, next door neighbor believes her life is in danger, sounds like angry loud voices, not sure what's going on...

An officer follows up on the call, and concludes with
Man was telling a story in a loud tone of voice to his friend about how in the past he had thoughts of harming himself with a gun he owned, woman overheard it and believed her life was in danger.. talked to both parties, both satisfied, no report needed

 

[br0adband]

That's a "Three's Company" moment right there: the entire situation happens and is predicated because of one thing, one statement, or one visible action or activity based upon something taken completely out of context.

That entire TV series was predicated on that sort of thing: taking something out of context and then blowing it totally outta proportion until cooler heads prevail and all's well that ends well.

My, ain't life grand?

 

[sfleuriet]

I guess that could happen anywhere though... it's all about what the caller believes and tells the dispatcher.

I think one of the last things I'll ever hear out of this scanner (unless it's Waco or another part of town) is "shots fired". But I guess we'll see.. ya never know.

 

[sfleuriet]

Any idea what Public Service means? (Not a PSA...) I've heard officers talk to other officers and ask them to public service them...

Like I just heard:
"5124 5126 When you get the chance will you public service me?"
"Ten-four"

Could that be the secret channel?!?!

 

[sfleuriet]

And another question...

What is a "carryall"?? Lots of officers, and the dispatcher, refer to the models of vehicles by being a "carryall". Cadillac Carryall, 2004 Ford Carryall, etc. WHAT IS THAT? Are they just saying that to mean an SUV? Why not just say 2004 Ford Explorer, Excursion, F-150, etc..

 

[n2mdk]

The last 2 questions I would ask in the Texas regional forum area of the site

 

[sfleuriet]

Ok thanks - I've asked them.

New question.. how do I enter this fleet map into Win97? The numbers/letters don't match up with the drop-down boxes in Win97, so I'm not positive what to do..

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=496

 

[KC5EIB]

Public Service is a term carried over from the early days of telephone when officers would call in from a pay phone for information that needed to be kept off the radio.

 

[KC5EIB]

And another question...

What is a "carryall"?? Lots of officers, and the dispatcher, refer to the models of vehicles by being a "carryall". Cadillac Carryall, 2004 Ford Carryall, etc. WHAT IS THAT? Are they just saying that to mean an SUV? Why not just say 2004 Ford Explorer, Excursion, F-150, etc..

Look at the state registration class, car, truck, van, carryall....

 

[n2mdk]

Ok thanks - I've asked them.

New question.. how do I enter this fleet map into Win97? The numbers/letters don't match up with the drop-down boxes in Win97, so I'm not positive what to do..

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=496

That's a Type IIi hybrid forget the fleetmap set it up simply as a Motorola 800 Type II system.

 

[N8IAA]

Ok thanks - I've asked them.

New question.. how do I enter this fleet map into Win97? The numbers/letters don't match up with the drop-down boxes in Win97, so I'm not positive what to do..

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=496

Just the way you see it. You don't enter in the empty slots.
Larry

 

[sfleuriet]

I have that MOT system in the same bank as another MOT system as well as some Conv freqs... is that a problem?

 

[n2mdk]

No it's not the only problem is if the systems use the same TGIDs then using Alpha Tsgs could be a display problem.

 

[sfleuriet]

Gotcha.