PSR-500 and Programming VA Stars

[prthorsenjr]

Howdy,

The above topic just about says it all. I'm wondering how other folks out there from Virginia have programmed their PSR-500's with the Va. STARS Trunked system. Especially seeing that there are more than 32 control and alternate channels?

I was thinking about possibly making 2 TSYS's one for the Control Channels and the other for the Alternate Channels and making them the TGRP id's be two scan lists pointing to both of the systems. What do y'all think?

Thanks,

Pete

 

[n4jri]

Howdy,

The above topic just about says it all. I'm wondering how other folks out there from Virginia have programmed their PSR-500's with the Va. STARS Trunked system. Especially seeing that there are more than 32 control and alternate channels?

I was thinking about possibly making 2 TSYS's one for the Control Channels and the other for the Alternate Channels and making them the TGRP id's be two scan lists pointing to both of the systems. What do y'all think?

Thanks,

Pete

I keep a number of V-scanner files for different areas of the state. All are based on a 'blank' V-scanner I maintain which has state freqs, STARS, aircraft, rail/marine, & low-power searching stuff already programmed. Each time I prepare this template to be a new regional V-scanner, I load the STARS TSYS with controls and alternates that would apply to that particular region and the surrounding area.

As the STARS system expands, I'll probably also adjust the talkgroups programmed to include only stuff that's applicable to the region the V-scanner file covers. There'd be no point in having VSP divisions 1, 2, 5 & 7 in a V-scanner file intended for Roanoke or Bristol.

What you're proposing in your second paragraph would force you to make a duplicate set of TGRP objects (one for each TSYS). Not too bad now, but it could get cumbersome as more of the system comes on line. It would also force the scanner to look for STARS in two different places, possibly resulting in some missed transmissions.

Are you using a software package, and if so which one?

73/Allen (N4JRI)
Richmond

 

[prthorsenjr]

Allen,

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I am using the WIN500 software. I am new (again) to scanning and have not done any in quite a few years. I haven't quite reached a comfortable knowledge of this radio yet and am still trying to figure it all out.

However, I am having fun in the process. I guess that is the most important thing.

Any advice and help you can offer would be great.

Pete

 

[n4jri]

Allen,

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I am using the WIN500 software. I am new (again) to scanning and have not done any in quite a few years. I haven't quite reached a comfortable knowledge of this radio yet and am still trying to figure it all out.

However, I am having fun in the process. I guess that is the most important thing.

Any advice and help you can offer would be great.

Pete

My main advice would be to experiment with your programming, and remember that you can have all the V-scanners you want. They load much quicker than the PRO-96, so it's even more convenient to go back and forth between them.

One thing that I've found in programming trunked systems--particularly on the 500--is that just one way of doing it might not suit all of my needs.

For example, I might, in normal listening or travelling, want to have two separate systems for TG's that I normally want to hear, and another (with the TSYS normally locked out) for TG's that I might want to hear under certain circumstances. But that means that I'll have two wildcards, each busy with traffic on TG's that I already know.

So for searching out new TG's I might want to load every TG I know of on one TSYS, so that I can lock them out and keep the Wildcard quiet enough to discover new items.

Even on the PRO-96, I kept about 5 local V-scanners for different moods and purposes.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[tglendye]

I have STARS programmed into 2 scanlists. I have a "main" TYS with pretty much the entire state (for now), except for the eastern portion. The eastern portion is in the second TYS scanlist. Once the rest of the state begins coming on board, I have no doubt I'll have many adjustments to try to fine tune it.

The 32 channel limit is one thing that I don't like, but I do know GRE had a reason for the limitation. I just can't remember what it was good enough to explain it, but it has to do with saving memory space- I think.
-Todd