Programming Arc396 Layout of systems?

[starchild]

Im getting the hang of the software and am beginning to grasp what I need to do. I am just having a hard time figuring out best way to lay out the systems on my scanner.

What is the preferred method so as to not exceed the 200 channel limit? Im looking to prog utilities, fire, police, frs, gmrs, ham etc.

Do most people lay out by county, by (fire, police, utilities), or by tower locations? This is where I am having a problem. I dont know if I should program just police with control channels for each tower. Or by tower location with police, fire etc.

Running into the 200 channel limit on occasion and wonder how others lay out things to make sense when scanning.

 

[kvy44]

I set mine up by creating systems for towers of an area then put police, fire, ems into separate groups for that area(Tower).I use control channel only.just make sure you set up each area(tower)as a separate system or you will lock onto one tower and miss the rest.Hope this helps.

Kevin

 

[starchild]

So most folks setup a system with all mutual aid, fire, police etc for a single tower. Im not sure what you meant by locking onto one tower and end up missing the rest?

I may use the radio up north also, so I will need to setup for towers on the way up north and surrounding areas. Probably end up doing the whole state of MI.

Do you lock out those other systems you are not using when not in that area? If you travel open up the systems as you go or let them scan all.

Im getting this and arc396 is helping quite a bit.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[kvy44]

I am not an expert but people on these forums told me that if you have more than 1 control channel on same system,it finds that one and misses the other,I dont understand that also.I have mine programmed for most of Ontario Canada and States down to Florida and just lock out the ones I am not near and unlock them as I enter the area.You ca put fire, police etc on same system as long as they you the same system(conventional,800mhz).Hope this helps.

Kevin

 

[Al42]

The 396 will use the first control channel in a system it finds a readable signal on, so if you program more than 1 site in one system, you'll only be getting one site - whichever one the scanner finds first. If you want to program 2 (or more) sites, program them as 2 (or more) separate systems. Yes, that means duplicating the talkgroups, but that's the best you can do with the latest firmware. The 996 sort of solved the problem, but I don't think Uniden will issue a firmware update to make the 396 do what the 996 does.